The OCP process

Tonight, a few citizens expressed agreement with the draft changes to the Official Community Plan and the current plan to hold a public hearing and seemed to stand in opposition with Councillor Clark's motion to delay the OCP process so that it would extend into the fall byelection.

It is absolutely vital to finish the OCP process before the madness of election time taints the process.

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.