Advice for Ron Sostad & COPE

The word of the year is branding.

Former candidate Ron Sostad has made statements that he will founding a branch of the Coalition of Progressive Electors (cope.bc.ca) in North Vancouver.  As I have founded Unite North Van which is in the process of recruiting candidates to run in the election next fall, I have looked at the process closely.

Why would a candidates or group of candidates want to run in an Electoral Organization?  Most importantly, you get a name on the ballot in addition to your own.  So Ron will have  Sostad, Ron COPE right in front of the voter at the time of voting.  So if a voter happens to be a militant socialist, they are reminded of it at the crucial time. Ron will also have Vancouver COPE's advertising which will bleed into the North Van.  Maybe even a TV ad.  The "brand" is clear and voters will have a clearer idea of their electoral choice.

It is also the most legal and honest manner of forming a slate.  A novel thing in North Van.

In my case, I have a very specific North Van brand with a very clear purpose.  Pringle, George Unite North Van   When Mayor Mussatto or Councillor Bookham can't get their unregistered slates elected to a majority it is because they have not created enough linkage between their candidates.

I will have a simple message to attach to the branding of Unite North Van, if you vote just for our candidates the process of amalgamation can being. There would be a referendum in  about 3 years so the voters can assess the details but it doesn't happen unless you vote for our four candidates.  We don't need 50+1 at this point.  Don Bell topped the polls last time with 11% so I've set 10% as our goal.

A new Provincial law which should be proclaimed in a few weeks set a new set of rules on this matter.  They will make it clear that "election sponsors" can only act as third party advertisers.  They will make it clearer that candidates cannot set up third party organizations to endorse themselves as candidates.  More importantly these sponsors have to pre-register with Elections BC before they take a donation or spend any funds. There will also be the ability to legally challenge an application. 

Fun times are ahead.

Did Kerry Morris and Voices cancel Christmas?

Well, Kerry, likely a Voices candidate for Mayor, is quite known for his harsh pontifications using his interpretations of actual events which do vary from reality to a serious degree.  Kerry and Voices has more than incurred my annoyance at their cheap electoral tactics but the wrath of the Lower Lonsdale Business Association who has now pulled out of their volunteer offer to do the free heavy volunteer lifting of the Party at the Pier and the Lower Lonsdale Christmas Festival.

I hope they realize the damage their single minded focus on winning an election at any cost has registered the first couple of costs - the cancellation of two important community events.

Is Rod Clark going to run for Mayor again?

Events have answered this question.  Rod would only make a one on one run and not with Morris in the fray.

Now Rod is running against his protege Amanda and all the candidates she has recruited for Voices like Michelle Binkley. I wonder if he just handed his Council seat away?

If VOICES follows its usual pattern, they will pretend to endorse the best 6 candidates although it will be predetermined as it will mostly be the VOICES inner circle who  almost all on the campaign trail now. Rod Clark, Amanda Nichol, Michelle Binkley, Ron Polly, Elizabeth Foder and one more to go before they have to boot someone to create a space.  And of course Mayor wannabe Kerry Morris, now in the Mayor's race who has me thinking the unthinkable - voting for Darryl.

None will have any indication they were in VOICES prior or made a media appearance  on April 11, 2012:
"North Vancouver City Voices, an even newer resident-led group, is offering a similar sentiment. I caught up with Amanda Nichol, former council hopeful and dedicated city hall watcher, to talk about why the group formed."

Really, Independant VOICES changed their name to VOICES, probably trying to break the stain of violating the election laws in 2008.

So as one of the founders of VOICES who will pick herself to be endorsed and published in a anonymous ad paid for by anonymous donors - who are the rest of people in charge?  Let's see behind the curtain, oh great OZ.  ....  Oh, I see, you're too busy fighting a lack of transparency at City Council.So as one of the founders of VOICES who will picks herself to be endorsed at arms length and published in an anonymous ad paid for by anonymous donors - who are the rest of people in charge.  Let's see behind the curtain, oh great OZ.  ....  Oh, I see, you're too busy fighting a lack of transparency at City Council.

Why was someone handed this card by a candidate as a part of their campaigning they were doing at School Board event? Will Elections BC find VOICES to be a Third Party advertiser as they legally declared themselves to be in 2011 and are likely to try again?

It's a good thing that VOICES will have to preregister with the Chief Electoral Officer in Victoria and be accepted before they can take a donation or spend any money. Good thing the law they oppose was tightened up to stop their misdeeds.

Kerry is really running for Mayor and it's not April the first this time

Oh, here is why Kerry Morris threatened to sue me for an April Fool's joke, other than he is too serious and doesn't have enough of a sense of humour to even be a Councillor in our City.

I thought he was running for a Councillor position and predicted so in this blog, it was obvious in this action he was running and when he chastised me to stating he would be a candidate, his voice would go up about two octaves. In his mind, he wanted to a big politician like he saw in the movies and make a big TV announcement. 

A quick check of this site shows Kerry's usual spouting off without any real knowledge particularly using a clip of me to "prove" something about conflict of interest when it is about an out of order motion that Voices Councillor Heywood got passed. In place he claims the Councillor Keating verbally told him he broke the Disclosure laws.  Go Morris Nation, just go.

I could go through this point by point but I have more important things to do.

Size of Council

When serving as a member of the CNV's Task Force on Civic Engagement, a member, asked whether the City was close to having to do a referendum to keep the Council size at 7.  When the Community Charter had been created, the District with 7 Council members was already well over the 50,000 population which required them to have a 9 member Council.

In June 2004, then Mayor Don Bell was elected as an MP and a byelection had to be held so they held a referendum to hold them at a Council of 7. I think almost 90% voted not to spend the money on extra Councillors.

Staff did a report which was mostly quoting this section of the Community Charter Act:

118  (1) Unless otherwise provided by letters patent or by a bylaw under this section, the council size for municipalities must be as follows:

(a) for a city or district having a population of more than 50 000, the council is to consist of a mayor and 8 councillors;

(b) for a city or district having a population of 50 000 or less, the council is to consist of a mayor and 6 councillors;

(c) for a town or village, the council is to consist of a mayor and 4 councillors.

(2) For the purposes of this section, any change to a council size under subsection (1) is to be based on the population of the municipality as at January 1 in a general local election year and the change takes effect for the purposes of that election.

(3) A council may, by bylaw, establish the number of council members as a mayor and 4, 6, 8 or 10 councillors.

(4) If a bylaw under subsection (3) would

(a) reduce the number of council members, or

(b) maintain the current number of council members, despite an increase that would otherwise result under subsection (2),

it may only be adopted if it receives the assent of the electors.

(5) A bylaw under subsection (3)

(a) must be made at least 6 months before the next general local election, and

(b) does not become effective until that general local election.

(6) The size of council as established under subsection (3) applies despite any provision of a municipality's letters patent.

Just prior to the last election, in the Mayor's candidates debate, I made the point that Provincial legislation dictated an increase in the size of Council, due to the rapid growth shown by BC Stats.

 It was more of a political point about not considering the implications of population growth and the Mayor's rush had cost the taxpayer's.  After the election, Councillor Clark pursued the issue and Council did a review of that situation.  I was in Windsor at this time so limited to the whatever info was available online to access what was happening. The Mayor had pointed out the flaw in my point, that the size of Council was determined by the Letters Patent. 

The Letters Patent was not a term I was familiar with but it something I am now as it would be the final act of amalgamation.  Think of it as the City's Constitution, I think of an old scroll like the Declaration of Independence. The size of Council was established and it would take a bylaw to change that, as per sub-section 3 above. So Council by majority vote reduce itself by two members, save some money and shorten many long Council meetings.  The bylaw, as per sub-section 6 trumps the Letters Patent.

I've requested a copy, I doubt it will contain much more than a description of the legal boundaries and the size of Council but it may contain something interesting.  It was written around 1907 when the North Shore was unamalgamated into its current form.

John Harvey, a regular Council Watcher pointed out that the population was now over 50,000 and by law the upcoming election had to be for a Mayor and 8 Councillors, not 6.  I got the impression that others had been knowledgeable and intending to run get that electoral advantage, the heck with the unnecessary cost to the taxpayers.

Of course, they were as wrong as I was in 2011 for the same reason.  For some reason, John thought that the entry of former Councillor Bill Bell into the election of November 15th, the video minutes are not up yet, I need to listen to exactly what he said to understand  his point.

So wannabes, no easy ride. Recycling my old ideas without really understanding the legality of the situation is a bad idea, particularly flawed ones.

Kerry Morris announces Mayoral run as VOICES candidate (APRIL FOOL)

Kerry Morris, an energy consultant, has announced that after negotiations with the VOICES political party Board of Directors to rid itself of its secretive nature by making its Board public on its website and legally registering under the new Municipal Elections law passed by the Provincial Government, he will run against current Mayor Mussatto.

In the past VOICES has violated the Election law and they promised me they won't do that in the future. I found hypocritical for VOICES to be consequently demanding transparency when they refuse to be transparent themselves.  Morris has also demanded that all Board Members and volunteers be voting members of the City of North Vancouver.

"Voices Members Ron Polly, Rod Clark, Tony Valente, Elizabeth Foder and Amanda Nichol will be joining my team and we will be endorsing Don Bell because everyone loves him and he will top the polls anyway. This way people will think Don has endorsed us and we'll sweep into power on his coattails."

Voices will have a three point platform; to sell the Lonsdale Energy Corporation, to build a Skytrain line to West Van to the Waterfront station and to seek an amalgamation with West Van but not with the District of North Van.  Kerry Morris said, "I will deliver personally to each resident in a clear plastic binder and lots of spreadsheets how this will be funded at no cost to taxpayer."

When hearing of Morris' announcement, Mayor  Mussatto announced his intention to run again and to legally register under the new Act as a legitimate elector organization. "That darn Morris won't trump me by being more transparent then me." said candidate Mussatto.

Elections are on November 15th, 2014


UPDATE:
Kerry Morris threatens legal action after being APRIL FOOLED

"Dear Mr. Pringle:

I have this morning read with interst your "Blog" in which you make various allegations of fact about myself and others in the community.

I have long held to the opinion that you should be given both a wide berth, as well as considerable latitude in relation to your conduct. I hold to these believes, not just because you have personally and directly informed me that; "if I haven't received a rumor by noon, I just make one up". I also assume that like myself, others have determined that there are issues of intellectual depth and capacity, which go beyond the issues of proper conduct which I have referenced above.

That said, I find myself unable to contemplate why you would allege quotations which you represent as my words, when in fact you know these allegations of fact as you have posted them are indeed false.

As you are well aware, making false statement leaves the person doing so exposed to legal recourse. If you wish, I am quite prepared to give you an education on the legal principles which your resent "Blog" has violated in respect of me personally. Were I to do such a thing, if would require your attendance at the BCSC, and shortly there after, at your bank to make full and legally ordered restitution.

Alternatively, you could just write me an appology and remove this nonsence from your "Blog". The choice is yours. Take all the time in the world to mull the matter over. You have until 4:00 pm today, after which I will begin the process of providing you that legal education to which I refer. Please don't inturpret my comments as a threat. They are most certainly not intended in that vain. Rather, they merely highlight a promise!


Kerry Morris"