Tonight, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce is
hosting a debate for the candidates vying to become the next mayor of Guelph. I
thought today would be an opportune time to address one of the most popular
questions I’m asked at the door: Which mayoral camp are you in?
I think I surprise a lot of people when I
answer that I am an unaligned candidate. What does that mean? It means that I am
not a member of either camp. I want to engage my fellow Ward 1 residents on
municipal issues, and it would be inconsistent to tow the line of any mayoral
candidate (or mayor) because this will not always serve the best interests of
Ward 1 residents.
In David Letterman tradition, my top ten
reasons for being unaligned are as follows:
10. I will vote according
to what we, as Ward 1 residents, feel is best for our ward, not according to
how the mayor, whoever wins, thinks I should vote.
9. I won’t ride on
anyone’s coat tails of popularity, only to find myself indebted to them after
the election to vote their way.
8. I
agree with some views of both front-runners.
7. I
disagree with some views of both front-runners.
6. There are more than two
candidates in the mayoral contest; I won’t succumb to the temptations of either-or
thinking, or strategic voting.
5. I will evaluate all candidates
according to their platform, their record/experience and their character, rather
than their name recognition.
4. My background, both
in terms of my education and my career, has equipped me with the necessary
experience to be a competent Councillor. I am standing for Council on my own
merits.
3. I
intend to work constructively with whoever gets in. But…
2. …
I won’t be anyone’s sidekick.
1. I am my own person.
I am socially progressive, fiscally prudent, and I love nature. My constituents
can rest assured that I will stay true to who I am.
