Another person has taken my up on my offer to express who there are voting for and why, this time Paul Holmes:
Here's how I'm voting in Sooke this
Saturday.
Council
Kerrie Reay (Incumbent)
Mayor
I have only lived here for four years.
Sooke is a great community with a mosaic of interesting people, a
vibrant arts scene, a beautiful natural setting, and truckloads of
issues that arise when rural sensibilities clash with suburban
demands. And a political gong show that competes with the very
worst I've seen.
In choosing my candidate choices, I
approached each with a particular issue: the notable lack of a
sidewalk in the busy traffic/parking area outside Poirier Elementary
School, a problem unique to this Sooke school. A sidewalk on
the yet-to-be-developed side would quickly alleviate the bulk of the
danger, so it struck me as a pretty obvious amenity, especially with
the vocal "pro-sidewalk" crowd. Apparently not, as only a
handful were willing to take a stand on the issue.
Some, notably Bev Berger and Rick
Kasper, seem loathe to take a position on any issues at all. In a
Twitter
exchange (beginning with another voter), Ms.
Berger even suggested that as a member of a Council of 7, it would
somehow be irresponsible that she take positions on issues at all. It
very much reminded me of the famous quote accredited to former Prime
Minister Kim Campbell that "an election is no time to discuss
serious issues." No offence intended, Ms. Campbell.
This baffling notion that if the
electoral outcome proves to make your disclosed position beyond
reach, that it should somehow preclude you from taking positions on
issues in the first place requires staggering mental gymnastics.
Or, it is a case of "playing it safe" taken to the extreme,
which might just seem sensible (albeit deplorable) for an incumbent,
given their
propensity to be re-elected by default in our region.
The other possibility, which I propose, is that there is a
fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a Councillor (or,
really, of a "leader" in the usual sense of the word).
Actually, the general lack of decisive
leadership around the Council table was quite shocking. I get the
sense many of these elected officials believe their role is something
of a cog in the bureaucracy, as opposed to "leaders"
who, at the very least, stand up for what is right, sensible, fair,
or even "attuned to their philosophical leanings" when the
machinations of government do not produce desired outcomes. Frankly,
I'd rather have a crazed idealougue with principles and well-formed
opinions, than self-styled "checkmark makers" for the
bureaucracy. It's no coincidence, therefore, that my selections for
Council include only one incumbent.
In an Orwellian moment at their final
Council meeting, the Council went to great lengths to congratulate
each other over agreeing unanimously on over 90% of all the votes
over three years. Congratulations for this? On the contrary, this
sounds like a far too homogenous group operating in lockstep when it
comes to the complex public policies they face in this growing and
changing municipality. I'd appreciate quite a bit more healthy
dissension, thanks.
Council
There exist many excellent choices
amongst the Council candidates. These are my top 6, for whom I will
be voting.
First, nobody cares more about the
community than Brenda Parkinson. It doesn't really matter who
you ask: left, right, center, anti-tanker, pro-tanker (just kidding -
that's not a thing), old Sooke, new Sooke, rural, suburban, hippie,
yuppie, etc. When I hang out with my artsy friends, Brenda is loved.
When I hang out at the Legion, Brenda is loved. When I'm at the Sooke
Fall Fair, Brenda is loved. Everyone knows Brenda, and everyone loves
Brenda. If there is one "no-brainer" vote on the ballot, it
is Brenda. There is absolutely no reason she shouldn't top the polls
on the Council ballot. And, she would deserve every bit of it.
Even if people are opposed to
amalgamation, they should have a serious look at Justin Hanson.
All my dealings with him have demonstrated a deeply held passion for
our community. As a lawyer, I'm sure he'd have little issue standing
up to the bureaucracy either, when it's necessary. Sooke would be
better off with a person of his calibre on Council.
Jeff Bateman also strikes me as
a deeply sincere candidate; passionate for the community. At the
all-candidates meeting, he was easily the most impressive speaker.
And, of all the people who listened to my personal beef, Jeff
was quite keen to take the time to understand the issue I raised.
Imagine a politician that takes time to engage with the citizens!
Crazy, right?
Kerrie Reay is the one incumbent
I wouldn't discard from the rest of the lot. She is easily the
brightest of the existing group, and having known her for a few years
prior to moving here, I am well aware of her understanding of
leadership, and capability in being a leader. Having some experienced
people on the new Council isn't an entirely terrible idea, but not
too many. I'm sure Ms. Reay would absolutely disagree with me about
the previous Council, and it would precisely be her willingness to
disagree with me that would convince me further of her leadership
capacity (disagreement is good, remember).
(If you feel strongly there should be
two incumbents, which I don't, you should consider Kevin Pearson
as your second "keeper"; the other two should enjoy reading
some good books on leadership over the next 4 years.)
I believe Council should reflect, as
best it can, the composition of the community itself. As such, given
her age and penchant for Youth-related issues, I'll be voting also
for Ebony Logins. Time will tell if this was a good idea or
not. Regardless, I think she'll win easily, and I have high hopes for
her.
Finally, since I have 6 votes, I will
be assigning my final vote to Kelvin "Kel" Phair. I
found him to be "rough around the edges", but not at all
disagreeable. It seems he doesn't take himself too seriously, too,
which is refreshing in an ego-driven bloodsport like politics. He
also strikes me as a "legend level" hard worker, which
can't hurt either. Honestly, I suspect a fellow of his lot (the
tradesman who's probably seen it all) does not take a lot of crap,
and is pretty likely to push back against those dispensing it.
Mayor
The decision for Mayor was more
difficult, mostly because I found neither of the candidates
particularly compelling. I briefly considered a protest vote for the
"other" other candidate, David Shebib, who, as best
I can tell, is running on a democracy has failed us all
platform in all 13 municipalities.
Both Mayoral candidates are current
Councillors (a strong liability, as noted). When I approached both
with my issue, I received a willingness to listen from Herb
Haldane. From Maja Tait,
in contrast: total, absolute silence. I tried on three
occasions to engage Maja Tait in a meaningful way. Mr. Haldane, in
contrast, returned my first phone call, and discussed things further
with me at the candidate's debate.
Some of Maja's vocal supporters took to
social media to discredit my issue (and it's vocal proponent) in a
fashion I might expect to find in an Alabama state senate campaign.
As distasteful as this was, however, their enthusiasm in this manner
certainly may have been uncoordinated and coincidental.
Finally, there is a disturbing "whisper
campaign" directed against Haldane. This includes a number of
non-specific accusations I won't bother the reader with, other than
to say that nobody seemed privy to any actual evidence. It sounded
more like hopeful speculation, or bizarre desperation from supporters
of a campaign that, by all outward appearances, appears to be
leading. Of course, these are simply my observations - those of one
unfamiliar with "what really goes on" in Sooke.
Anyway, my reluctant vote for Mayor is
Herb Haldane. I think he'll do better than my three other options:
Maja Tait, nobody, or David Shebib (in order of preference).
Paul Holmes
Sooke Resident
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