Election fever has ignited the masses in Whitewater Region. Well maybe not firing them up but at least having mild discussions about those running for Mayor and five Councilor positions. Voices would not likely be raised as there are no real concerns that splits the electorate into one camp or another. Cenotaph-gate a few years ago might have been a hot issue but since then calmer heads prevailed and the problem dissipated like a distant trumpet blast.
As if overnight, an appearance of so many campaign signs cluttered up many intersections. I know that more people than just myself stopping near Kenny’s Store trying to read each sign, loses track of time until a vehicle pulls up behind and honks its horn.
Out of interest, the man who invented stop signs and one-way streets, William Eno of New York, was never able to pass his driver’s test.
Red is the chosen colour of Liberals in Canada and Republicans in the States. You can see if following issues in both countries you might slip and be called a right-winger rather than a left-winger. Candidate’s signs this year are the lawn type almost exclusively. Only one contender risked standing apart from the crowd.
He had over a hundred wooden signs left over from a previous campaign eight-years earlier. His signs are mounted on trees, fence posts and sides of buildings. There was no material costs involved which he felt would be a positive signal with voters. “Maybe, maybe not,” I replied. Importantly too, his signs would be positioned at eye level. It would highlight creativity.
I said, “It might be indicative of you thinking you’re more important than the others and conceivably turn your potential voters off.” We left it as a gentleman’s bet – he saying it was a positive move while I felt it would backfire.
The mayoral race has two persons at the opposite end of the spectrum. The one who rose through the ranks is practically pledging to taking care of every person, the proverbial theme of ‘a chicken in every pot.’ The other one is questioning the current Council for not taking full advantage of the Municipal Act and will engage in maximizing it as an opportunity for the good of the whole township. A difficult choice – chickens or more township smarts.
Of the ten candidates vying for the five councilor positions, four are incumbents, no assurance that they would be returned to council but getting a kick-start because of having been known. Another is a woman and former editor of the Cobden Sun and Whitewater News. For many voters it is important to have a female presence on council to keep it somehow more balanced. She will at least have well-written profiles of all the others for her file.
Our current Mayor has stepped down in hopes of being elected a Councilor instead. As Mayor he’s sometimes in conflict with the Councilors. If elected he would have the benefit of passing a conflict onto the new Mayor.
One councilor is in a pickle. He swore (not appropriate for a family newspaper) that no rink would ever close during his reign. Welcome to reality – the Beachburg Rink is closed for the foreseeable future. Over-the-top promises like this made by every politician of any stripe or which side of the aisle in a campaign are forgotten the day after the votes are counted. Please accept responsibility when caught out rather than in denial and don’t use that infamous quote from the biggest bluffer of all: “I could stand in the middle of Cobden and insult anybody I saw and I wouldn’t lose any votes.”
In general, I take exception to the coercing of strategic/tactical voting. Some candidates made it feel we should all go home to our mommies and daddies to tell them who to support. This desperation for one vote exercised only with five choices is appalling. I voted for four, Sheila for three. In fact I would recommend a fairer voting system for Whitewater Region that would be to vote for at least three candidates including one non-incumbent or the ballot be voided.
If any consolation the all-candidates meeting went over without a hitch. There were no personal slights dug up against another, one more hint of a low-key election.
