How are people going to choose between Candidate Flotsam and Candidate Jetsom in Mississauga’s municipal election two weeks from today?
With just a handful of all-candidates’ meetings scattered across the whole municipality, finding out about the policies and background of candidates is problematic.
Most people will be looking at the answers that candidates furnish to The Mississauga News in response to the question of how they would make the City (in the case of council candidates) or the school system (in the case of trustees), a better place. They’ll also be checking this website for those answers.
And, if they want to see their candidate speak to them directly, they can go to the website at Rogers Community Television.
This time around, as well as running three-minute meet-your-candidate blurbs on Cable 10 Television, Rogers has posted those same candidate clips on their website. That makes life a lot more convenient for people who want to put a name, a face and a voice to an election sign but can’t remember when to tune in for their ward information.
You can go to www.rogerstelevision.com/elections, then click on Mississauga to view the candidate pitches.
“We’re getting a good response to it,” says local Station Manager Jake Dheer. Yeah, especially in ward 10, I’ll bet. With 23 candidates, sorting out the field is a full-time job.
One of the most valuable things about asking candidates to participate is that, inevitably, some choose not to do so. Then you can strike them off your serious-about-office list. It’s always amazing that people will go to the trouble of registering to be a candidate, then do nothing about actually trying to get elected.
The candidates who don’t respond to the newspaper questions are almost inevitably the same suspects who do not respond to the opportunity for a free political broadcast.
At least one candidate recorded a message and then had a change of heart and insisted it not be broadcast. That, of course, is the one we’d all really love to see.
As with everything else, the incumbents usually have the advantage of being experienced before the camera and coming off best, though not always.
One of the messages is very refreshing in that someone declares that you don’t necessarily have to vote for him.
Ward 9 protest candidate Antonio Ferreira Baptista, who is charged with uttering death threats against incumbent Pat Saito over a poem he wrote and is running to bring attention to that issue, spends his three minutes slamming the incumbent and then says, “vote for me or someone else who is running” against her.
So much for consolidating the anti-Saito vote, not that there is much in Ward 9.
There are no clips from the mayoralty candidates but Rogers will be recording the portion of the Cooksville Munden Park Homeowners Organization all-candidates’ session dealing with the mayoralty at St. Timothy’s School Wednesday night. They’ll broadcast it the next night at 7:30 p.m.
On election night, Rogers starts its coverage from City Hall, and various local political camps at 8 p.m., anchored by Roger Wardell, host of First Local news.
John, enquiring minds would like to know!
When will the Mississauga News or its Muse be publishing the names of candidates running for Councillor or School Board Trustees positions who do not reside in the ward they are running in?
In fairness to the citizens of this fine city, I only feel it apporpriate that they know who (which candidates) actually resides in their ward. Those running in a ward other than their prime residence may lead one to believe that their looking for an easy win. One that could not be achieved in their own residential boundaries.
One would think that a representative would be more compelled and driven with passion to landscape, pick weeds and nurture their own front yard rather than someone elses.
Posted by: Feisty | November 04, 2006 at 12:04 AM
I disagree that there is not much anti-Saito vote in ward 9.
I have knocked on lots of doors in ward 9 with Bill McBain in past weeks, and have heard many comments from voters who are ready for a change. In particular, they are concerned with increasing traffic congestion, and the poor city planning & lack of support for effective public transportation which are contributing to this problem.
Many voters have also brought up concerns regarding public safety in their neighbourhoods. One of Bill McBain's campaign priorities is to promote family-friendly neighbourhoods, which would help to improve safety by getting people out of their cars and using pedestrian-friendly public spaces.
Judging from what I've heard, the incumbent may be surprised by the results on election day.
Brenda McNair
Posted by: Brenda McNair | November 01, 2006 at 07:48 PM
John, you wrote:
"Ward 9 protest candidate Antonio Ferreira Baptista, who is charged with uttering death threats against incumbent Pat Saito over a poem he wrote"
That just inspired me to write my own poem!
Ahem.
75-year-old Antonio Baptista
Wrote a poem slamming Councillor Sait-o
Had Baptista only reflected
On how he'd be affected
She wouldn't have charged him with HATE-o.
(Or was the bogus-charge Death Threats, I forget-o)
John, you wrote:
"As with everything else, the incumbents usually have the advantage of being experienced before the camera and coming off best, though not always."
"As with everything else" --you said it, John.
Check THIS "everything" out. Pat Saito's "ad" COMPLETE WITH Corporate logo at the Riverwood Official Opening on October 14, 2006. (And the election is on November 13th)
http://static.flickr.com/103/285744128_5fd592ab7b.jpg
So, Incumbents can use the Corporate logo, huh?
So I bought Corporate FLAGS! And went to yesterday's Kiddies Hallowe'en thingie at the Living Arts Centre.
A Peel Regional Police officer took this pic of me and my imaginary friend (I'm the one on the left)
http://static.flickr.com/100/285319463_867a707252.jpg
re:
"Cooksville Munden Park Homeowners Organization all-candidates’ session dealing with the mayoralty at St. Timothy’s School Wednesday night. They’ll broadcast it the next night at 7:30 p.m."
Hope to see you there tonight, John.
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
Posted by: The Mississauga Muse | November 01, 2006 at 09:44 AM