Dan Law was late to the table for the housing corporation fiasco. There was already a done deal considering who was operating the gears in the background. One of those gears is gone now and perhaps more reason will be applied to the situation.
Both of these candidates seem to have an attitude of "I'll get elected, and then once I'm elected I can do things the way I want." Neither seems to be coming from a place of "representing the will of the electorate", which is what elected representatives are supposed to be doing.
We are just getting rid of a mayor who acted according to her own desires and wishes, ignoring the stated wishes of the people. Once elected, she pushed through unpopular and unwanted agreements and legislation, against the will of the residents and taxpayers, and in defiance of the public's stated objections. No one approved the bus deal, no one approved the affordable housing scheme, no one supported the 53% tax hike for the sewage plant (which turned out to be a bust anyhow)..... but Josie, acting against the stated wishes of the taxpayers, pushed all of this through council, left town, and now we'll be paying for her blunders for decades to come.
We must not elect another Josie. Tofino cannot afford it.
Neither Law nor McQuade are God. Yet neither has shown me any sign of the humility that must accompany the power afforded by the office. I don't care about Dan's and Andrea's opinions of how the world should be organized, I'm just looking for someone to represent the interests of the people of Tofino, not Josie's imaginary "people who are not able to speak up for themselves", that she invented in order to justify her vote on the affordable housing scheme.
Neither one of these councillors are suitable candidates to become Tofino's next mayor. Let's keep looking..... maybe there's someone out there not so full of themselves, who's willing to admit that they don't know it all and are willing to listen to the people and consider alternate solutions to the challenges facing Tofino.
It's not too late, these are only two hats in the ring..... there's still time for a proper candidate to step forward. We must not elect another Josie.
McQuade will be a good mayor as residing outside of the district gives her perspective . Without being a tight fisted taxpayer , she will be able to spend freely to help with the covid crisis recovery.
Re: 7:09 Propery taxes in Tofino are almost the highest in BC. Therefore to describe local taxpayers as tight fisted is an insult to local taxpayers. Only a non-taxpayer such as McQuade would make such a statement.
I think it just as important who the two new Councillors might be. That is two votes that could swing council one way or another. I hope good people offer there time and commitment as candidates. I hope the public pays attention too We have never been in greater need of objective, rational, grounded representation. Goes for Mayor too.
A few more years of community killing decision making and Tofino, as an wonderful historic place, will share the fate of a beached whale stranded at high tide. The tide may come in again but the beast will be taking it's last breath on the beach. Replaced by a brave new world of psychotic RMI initiatives (WTF did you see that) Money, what money,It's all free. Another million visitors a year crapping in the bushes to save the not existent sewer system from backing up. A serious council priority commitment to global warming fantasy solutions that jive perfectly with cars backed up to the junction. "Ten thousand dune buggies were coming down the mountains" An ocean so thick with surfers that.....Oh irony of ironies.... no one will come here anymore. Break out the hoola hoops kids cause "twistin' time is here". We don't have to grow up till at least the end of summer.
Dan Law is the better candidate by a county mile. Raised a family here, was part of the medical community in town and in FN Communities. Voted against Josie on many occasions. Not a minion of the Left or Big Biz. Has no desire but to stay here, not rise through the political ranks. We have put three of the worst possible people through to higher office. Gord makes Over $300'000 K in wages and benefits, Josie Almost the same. Fraser failed miserably on the indigenous file. What a history of failure out local council has.
Josie...highest taxes ever in Tofino and biggest increase EVER. Bloated DOT and still no sewer plans. Spend Spend Spend, it has to stop.
Andrea will be Josie 2.0 we cant afford her games in the political arena.
Once again, the townfolk are looking for another monkey to drive the bus called Tofino. it's not going to work.
You want lower taxes? Begin by putting fire under the asses of those pencil pushers holed up in the district office. Demand accountability.
The fish rots from the head. Get rid of that career parasite and then watch all his minions scatter like cockroaches when the high powered lights come on.
I have hope for us. I’ve heard rumour of a sensible person, tired of having citizens ignored is going to run for council. Waiting for the registration day to announce.
Think of it. Three people, who were not from here but, lived here, for a while, actually lived in Tofino. Each with little previous political experience, use our town as a spring board to being the MLA and Minister of the Crown, the MP, and now another MLA and again Minister of the Crown.
I suppose we should be proud. but I can't help wondering what they were really committed to. When they were in local government here and speaking convincingly about the town, about being all about the community, and now they are gone.
Was it all just ambition and ego, cause if they really cared about the town they would still be here. And how many of our real problems didn't get solved because they were really thinking about a strategy for moving on. And where are all the great environmentalists dozens of them who came to save the town. And save a way of life and all cared so deeply about the town.
But that is what this town has become, a place to come to maybe make some money, hang out, surf for a while, escape from some other place for a while, perhaps make yourself famous, and then move on, for many. increasingly many. Pour me another Scotch. Sometimes I think too much
And now we have another election and the candidates will be all about the town, Oh! how they care so much about the town, and want your vote. Pour me a double.
11:18 unfortunately you have described Tofino well. Rarely are there people who run for political office who are not self serving and actually have the community’s interest foremost in their minds.
On that basis of the two candidates for Mayor, the obvious choice from the two current contenders has to Dan Law. The other candidate has wanted the mayor’s position from the beginning and I understand was being groomed by our previous mayor. That’s the one who would not communicate with me on issues concerning the town. That said says it all.
The prospective council contender I know has lived here for years and I believe wishes to see an end to the town disrespecting the residents.
Canada is a Post National state. Tofino is not a real town. It is an idea. No one actually lives there. Do they? It exists in the mind only. It is infinitely mutable.
I checked out a long time ago. I come back once and a while to do my laundry and for Ralph's blog
The best thing that could happen is that we elect a competent outsider as Mayor and that we get rid of 2 incompetent Councillors at the same time. Both McQuade and Law have been found to be lacking, one concerned with power and being politically correct while the other is at a complete loss as to where the money comes from.
If anyone has noticed the trajectories of the two MLA's that came from here it seems that there was an undercover agenda that presumed the irrelevance of the interests of the people in the district of tofino. In other words the steps to the legislature didn't start in tofino. It's no coincidence that the mayor's position lines up easily with access to a bigger political picture. Virtue signalling works great in this regard as long as the mayors themselves don't have to pay for it.... Let's not do that again please.
Yes the choice between McQuade and Law is clear as neither of them really have a clue as to where the money comes from I’d pick Law however if there was a third candidate I could easily be persuaded to switch to the newcomer if they showed better money sense.
It's important for the people of Tofino to be aware that these are NOT the ONLY two candidates. The Westerly story gives the impression that McQuade and Law are the ONLY choices. This is NOT accurate, there will be other choices. Still to come are additional candidates for mayor, and also two seats for councilors which must be filled.
Seems strange that these two current announced candidates have announced their intentions, and are already actively campaigning, but others are being made to wait until later to announce. Is this because the current candidates are already "trained" by district staff? Or is this the legacy of the former mayor, showing how to bend the rules to suit one's own agenda?
Why is district staff scheduling the election to suit these incumbents, while new candidates get hidden and kept silent?
If there was another good reason NOT to vote for McQuade, it would be that Josie is actively supporting her!
Mc Quade is also totally out of touch with Tofino residents in stating that there is no requirement for affordable housing for purchase in Tofino. The sold out condo development at 700 Yew Wood proves her to be completely wrong.
The last term I served on council started off in 2002. I can't remember who the administrator was, perhaps someone temporary. The usual procedure: we all go off to sequester ourselves at the crown isle golf course over in Parksville so we can be indoctrinated into the mysteries of municipal governance by a consultant who uses flipcharts to explain things. So far so good, he wrote down all of our expectations and goals and things we wanted to do while we were on the city Council. We voted on things and got priorities numbered and so on. Then there was a point when he explained the way governance was going from here on in was with the hourglass method. This is where all the information coming into the Council worked its way down to the neck which was the administrator and then it went past him to the people. His opinion I guess although he was adamant that this way of working was going to change local government. Up until then the district of tofino had a portfolio system where various councillors were in charge of one department or the other.ie. Public works, sewer and water, the fire department etc. so that person with the public works portfolio routinely collected a lot of information, went and looked at things, investigated things that needed fixing or doing in the realm of public works and at the next Council meeting stood up and made a report to the rest of Council and anybody that might be in the audience. Discussions ensued and things got done. There wasn't much mystery involved and the administrator merely scheduled the reports. Citizens were free to ask a councillor questions on the street or give comments. After the indoctrination of 2002 we came back to home base and commenced operating as city Council by doing what we thought was right for the community within the scope of our local government. Somewhere along in there the hourglass method was introduced and we were told not to talk to the citizens anymore about Council business. With the hourglass method the administrator decided what was allowed to be known or discussed and the portfolio method made the dumpster. Councillors didn't know anything about sewage treatment or how much water was available or what was falling apart and what should be fixed. So much for transparent governance. The next few years and beyond saw some perplexing things happening. The district superintendent dreamed up a sewage treatment process cascading down barrs mountain into various settling ponds costing an estimated $70 million. This in spite of a number of years of a mandatory liquid waste management planning with the district, the MOE, province, and an engineering firm. At that time a liquid waste treatment plant was estimated to be much cheaper than the cascading settling ponds. By now there was no one to remind anybody that there had already been five or six years worth of meetings and planning that had gone into the liquid waste management plan. And about the same time it was decided by the mayor that we would agree to route all of esowistas sewage into our sewer system and discharge raw along with ours out into browning passage. I'm only pointing this out to show what happened once the hourglass took charge of the information and responsibility for anybody knowing anything. The less the citizens know about what's going on the less they care and the less they can do about it even if it's horribly wrong. The hourglass system is like the trickle down system of economics. It doesn't work for anybody except those at the top. I would like to think that the hourglass style of government can make it into the trashcan as well. The other byproduct of the hourglass method is that it has created local and regional fiefdoms with imaginary dukes and Earl's controlling development etc. if you can imagine that getting things done means that information has to go the other way up the hourglass which now is one or two people. The works of modern feudalism.
Jim, thank you for sharing your experiences with council. I appreciated reading a "here's what I find wrong with the system" that was really about the system, and some of those points truly resonated with me. I'm considering attempting to join Council myself and really trying to decide if that's a crazy idea or not. (Of course it's crazy, but whether or not it's a good crazy idea or bad crazy idea)
6:36 PM give me a call if you have an opportunity and I can perhaps shed some light on the positive and negative aspects of doing your civic duty in tofino.
Please read council minutes and watch a few video's. Andrea would be a nightmare scenario as a mayor. Of the two I would vote for Dan Law. The time commitment is considerable and with how low the remuneration is why would anyone do it. Dan seems to be an actual concerned citizen...not a perfect voting record but looking to do right by many stakeholders. Andrea is clearly a climber just like Josie just look at the similar committee junkie goals jump in front of the camera as much as possible. Josie hid all her and Georges greasy conduct at the Botanical Hotel with the help of Britt and Andrea. Golden Handshake for Josie by all councilors except Dan Law. To me it speaks to more integrity and different goals. Might be wrong but I doubt it.
To be clear I feel we need a mayor with no agenda that does not work for a major hotel or business and has a community service background with a centered political viewpoint. We have some huge financial hills to climb and Josie and "her" crew have screwed up to the tune of a 50% tax increase and THC that is so out of touch with reality that could jam us for millions more. Please vote but study past performance and motives carefully. This election matters.
#3 “I’m a climber.” I love Tofino; the place and the community. This is an incredible town that I am so lucky to call home, and am even luckier to represent a portion of on Council. Each Councillor does their best to represent the sector of the electorate that they know the best - Council brings seven people to the table to best approximate and represent the desires of the town in meaningful way, while providing basic services of sewer, fire, water, bylaw etc. Not one person holds power, and not one person should - consensus should be the governing principle. I fully agree with one of the commenters that neither myself nor Mr. Law is God - holy moly let’s hope not. What a mayor should be is a responsible thoughtful convener, able to guide consensus, speak well, communicate and coordinate with other levels of government, continue to represent the sector of the electorate they know best and be a good representative that a town can be proud of. That’s not a climb, that’s a shift and an added skill set - you’re still just 1/7 people. There is a vacancy, and to campaign to step into it because you are passionate and hopeful that you can sit with six others and make good decisions informed by everyone you represent about the place you call home for a community you care deeply for is admirable, and I applaud anyone who looks to do that. In my opinion, I hope that anyone looking to do so has been thinking about it for a while - to learn with higher goals in mind is always something that we encourage each other to do, be it in school, work or public service. You’re right. I’ve given positions of municipal service a lot of thought, for a long time - longer than two years. I hope everyone else campaigning has done the same. LIGHTNING ROUND -
-Handshake? Dry as a bone, a little chilly, but no grease. -Politically correct? Maybe can we just try "thoughtful human?" Guilty as charged, hopefully until I die. -Head start on campaigning? Anybody can campaign at anytime. Nobody got a jump start, Everyone is just eager. Anyone could have announced at anytime. -I’m not Josie. Just to be really. Crystal. Clear. Andrea McQuade. Running for Mayor. Excited to be here. Not Josie. -Let’s all agree to stop using the phrase “groomed”. Gross folks. I am a fully autonomous person capable of learning without sublimation. Again. Not Josie. -I’m a real person, with experience, education, hopes, morals and ideals. I’m always open to respectful, thoughtful conversations regardless of a successful run for Mayor or not - community is my passion, and I'm excited to talk to anyone that feels the same. Don’t hesitate to reach out mcquadeformayor at gmail dot com / on facebook etc etc etc. See ya out there folks!
First time caller! Thought I’d take the one time approach of responding directly to three of the concerns raised here - Let’s roll with the major themes! I don’t live here. I don’t pay taxes. I’m a “climber”.
You’re right. I don’t live in Tofino. I did for 5 years, and now for the past 1.5 years I’ve lived about 4km off the dock. Closer that people out at Jensen’s Bay, if we’re objective. If you feel that land ownership and physically living in the District of Tofino is important to you, there is nothing I can do about that. I know there are many people who live on the water and outside the District boundaries that are thoughtful, caring, committed community members who consider Tofino home (some who have served on Council), and I’ll gladly count myself among that company. I spend my time, my working hours, and my money in Tofino. I call it home. It’s given me a family, a community, a job and a life. I wish that I could live there - but I can’t. I can’t live there because I can’t afford a home here, and I can’t afford a home so I can’t pay residential property tax, which brings me to #2. I don’t pay taxes, and the assumption is that by not being a taxpayer that I am automatically out of touch, looking to raise taxes, not fiscally responsible or financially literate. On that count, only the first is true. I do not pay residential tax in Tofino. To imply that by doing so I am blind to or worse unaffected by the consequences of high taxation is simply false. High taxes do not create, maintain or retain the type of community that residents of Tofino have spoken so clearly and passionately about - families, seniors, youth and all walks of life that are participants in and are supported by a vibrant, affordable, environmentally sound community. Implying that I would indiscriminately raise taxes sets aside the impacts that are seen and felt by my family, friends, coworkers and community members each year as I see them priced out of Tofino. This is not desirable for anyone, mayoral candidate or otherwise. I want to live in Tofino. I want to live in a place that I can afford. I want the people I care for and the community I care for to thrive in an affordable, accessible, vibrant place with progressive, responsible, defensible taxation.
My My, what a turn around. Mcquade voted without question, in a public meeting, for the 53% tax increase budget. She recently said, on the record, that she didn't think that there was a need or issue around home ownership in Tofino. I guess this is what you call cognitive dissonance. A rationalisation of the lust for power in the face of an opposite reality. Black becomes white In the last few years she has supported just about everything that got us here. Remember the stupid bus tax where we are to pay double what our neighbouring communities are to pay. Bingo. Remember the aggregious hundreds of thousands, no, millions give away of taxpayer money and land to Catalyst. Catayst read "Clinton Foundation Vancouver" Read 'WE CharityComes to Tofino" Back where I came from we got a phrase for this sort of big talk, no walk the walk. We used to say "All hat and no horse". Seems about right to me. She's desperate. Let's see if she responds?....She will probably end up arguing with herself.
Right on 5:30 Jensens Bay is perceived by "her worship in waiting" as some peripheral out post. They obviously don't count as real Tofino. Wonder how many of us fit into this category for her.
Ms McQuade. Your voting is a matter of public record, almost 100 the same as Josie Osborne. Election promises are cheap compared to what you have actually done in your time as a councilor. Not living in this town being a taxpayer means you don’t actually feel the impact of poor fiscal decisions personally as we, the taxpayers, do. Highest water bills in the province due to incompetence and inept planning and financial prudence. Massive tax increase without even a blink or question from you during vote, just watch the video. To put it simply you are not a bad person just like Josie wasn’t. Yet unfortunately you are very far from the correct choice for our cash strapped town as our new mayor. This forum can be unkind at times but it does represent people’s true feelings on local issues. Your mentor ship with arguably the worst major we have had in the last 20 years will not led the electors to expect anything but more of the same. Time for a change in political philosophy and you are not it. Thanks for your time and input.
37 comments:
Both of these candidates are complicit in the Tofino Housing Corporation fiasco. Let’s vote in somebody new, with a new vision for Tofino.
Dan Law was late to the table for the housing corporation fiasco. There was already a done deal considering who was operating the gears in the background. One of those gears is gone now and perhaps more reason will be applied to the situation.
Vote for the candidate that actually lives in Tofino. The other candidate should run in Area C.
Hopefully there will be other candidates besides these two...... Neither one of them "rings my chimes".
Both of these candidates seem to have an attitude of "I'll get elected, and then once I'm elected I can do things the way I want." Neither seems to be coming from a place of "representing the will of the electorate", which is what elected representatives are supposed to be doing.
We are just getting rid of a mayor who acted according to her own desires and wishes, ignoring the stated wishes of the people. Once elected, she pushed through unpopular and unwanted agreements and legislation, against the will of the residents and taxpayers, and in defiance of the public's stated objections. No one approved the bus deal, no one approved the affordable housing scheme, no one supported the 53% tax hike for the sewage plant (which turned out to be a bust anyhow)..... but Josie, acting against the stated wishes of the taxpayers, pushed all of this through council, left town, and now we'll be paying for her blunders for decades to come.
We must not elect another Josie. Tofino cannot afford it.
Neither Law nor McQuade are God. Yet neither has shown me any sign of the humility that must accompany the power afforded by the office. I don't care about Dan's and Andrea's opinions of how the world should be organized, I'm just looking for someone to represent the interests of the people of Tofino, not Josie's imaginary "people who are not able to speak up for themselves", that she invented in order to justify her vote on the affordable housing scheme.
Neither one of these councillors are suitable candidates to become Tofino's next mayor. Let's keep looking..... maybe there's someone out there not so full of themselves, who's willing to admit that they don't know it all and are willing to listen to the people and consider alternate solutions to the challenges facing Tofino.
It's not too late, these are only two hats in the ring..... there's still time for a proper candidate to step forward. We must not elect another Josie.
McQuade will be a good mayor as residing outside of the district gives her perspective . Without being a tight fisted taxpayer , she will be able to spend freely to help with the covid crisis recovery.
Re: 7:09 Propery taxes in Tofino are almost the highest in BC. Therefore to describe local taxpayers as tight fisted is an insult to local taxpayers. Only a non-taxpayer such as McQuade would make such a statement.
I think it just as important who the two new Councillors might be. That is two votes that could swing council one way or another. I hope good people offer there time and commitment as candidates. I hope the public pays attention too We have never been in greater need of objective, rational, grounded representation. Goes for Mayor too.
A few more years of community killing decision making and Tofino, as an wonderful historic place, will share the fate of a beached whale stranded at high tide. The tide may come in again but the beast will be taking it's last breath on the beach. Replaced by a brave new world of psychotic RMI initiatives (WTF did you see that) Money, what money,It's all free. Another million visitors a year crapping in the bushes to save the not existent sewer system from backing up. A serious council priority commitment to global warming fantasy solutions that jive perfectly with cars backed up to the junction. "Ten thousand dune buggies were coming down the mountains" An ocean so thick with surfers that.....Oh irony of ironies.... no one will come here anymore. Break out the hoola hoops kids cause "twistin' time is here".
We don't have to grow up till at least the end of summer.
to 9:51 AM. If you are saying Tofino is tending to juvenile superficiality. I agree.
Dan Law is the better candidate by a county mile. Raised a family here, was part of the medical community in town and in FN Communities. Voted against Josie on many occasions. Not a minion of the Left or Big Biz. Has no desire but to stay here, not rise through the political ranks. We have put three of the worst possible people through to higher office. Gord makes Over $300'000 K in wages and benefits, Josie Almost the same. Fraser failed miserably on the indigenous file. What a history of failure out local council has.
Josie...highest taxes ever in Tofino and biggest increase EVER. Bloated DOT and still no sewer plans. Spend Spend Spend, it has to stop.
Andrea will be Josie 2.0 we cant afford her games in the political arena.
7:09 you are joking right?
Once again, the townfolk are looking for another monkey to drive the bus called Tofino. it's not going to work.
You want lower taxes? Begin by putting fire under the asses of those pencil pushers holed up in the district office. Demand accountability.
The fish rots from the head. Get rid of that career parasite and then watch all his minions scatter like cockroaches when the high powered lights come on.
I have hope for us. I’ve heard rumour of a sensible person, tired of having citizens ignored is going to run for council. Waiting for the registration day to announce.
Think of it. Three people, who were not from here but, lived here, for a while, actually lived in Tofino. Each with little previous political experience, use our town as a spring board to being the MLA and Minister of the Crown, the MP, and now another MLA and again Minister of the Crown.
I suppose we should be proud. but I can't help wondering what they were really committed to. When they were in local government here and speaking convincingly about the town, about being all about the community, and now they are gone.
Was it all just ambition and ego, cause if they really cared about the town they would still be here. And how many of our real problems didn't get solved because they were really thinking about a strategy for moving on. And where are all the great environmentalists dozens of them who came to save the town. And save a way of life and all cared so deeply about the town.
But that is what this town has become, a place to come to maybe make some money, hang out, surf for a while, escape from some other place for a while, perhaps make yourself famous, and then move on, for many. increasingly many. Pour me another Scotch. Sometimes I think too much
And now we have another election and the candidates will be all about the town, Oh! how they care so much about the town, and want your vote. Pour me a double.
11:18 unfortunately you have described Tofino well. Rarely are there people who run for political office who are not self serving and actually have the community’s interest foremost in their minds.
On that basis of the two candidates for Mayor, the obvious choice from the two current contenders has to Dan Law. The other candidate has wanted the mayor’s position from the beginning and I understand was being groomed by our previous mayor. That’s the one who would not communicate with me on issues concerning the town. That said says it all.
The prospective council contender I know has lived here for years and I believe wishes to see an end to the town disrespecting the residents.
Canada is a Post National state. Tofino is not a real town. It is an idea. No one actually lives there. Do they? It exists in the mind only. It is infinitely mutable.
I checked out a long time ago. I come back once and a while to do my laundry and for Ralph's blog
Why would anyone who doesn’t reside here want to govern here ?
Power
The best thing that could happen is that we elect a competent outsider as Mayor and that we get rid of 2 incompetent Councillors at the same time. Both McQuade and Law have been found to be lacking, one concerned with power and being politically correct while the other is at a complete loss as to where the money comes from.
If anyone has noticed the trajectories of the two MLA's that came from here it seems that there was an undercover agenda that presumed the irrelevance of the interests of the people in the district of tofino. In other words the steps to the legislature didn't start in tofino.
It's no coincidence that the mayor's position lines up easily with access to a bigger political picture. Virtue signalling works great in this regard as long as the mayors themselves don't have to pay for it....
Let's not do that again please.
Yes the choice between McQuade and Law is clear as neither of them really have a clue as to where the money comes from I’d pick Law however if there was a third candidate I could easily be persuaded to switch to the newcomer if they showed better money sense.
It's important for the people of Tofino to be aware that these are NOT the ONLY two candidates. The Westerly story gives the impression that McQuade and Law are the ONLY choices. This is NOT accurate, there will be other choices. Still to come are additional candidates for mayor, and also two seats for councilors which must be filled.
Seems strange that these two current announced candidates have announced their intentions, and are already actively campaigning, but others are being made to wait until later to announce. Is this because the current candidates are already "trained" by district staff? Or is this the legacy of the former mayor, showing how to bend the rules to suit one's own agenda?
Why is district staff scheduling the election to suit these incumbents, while new candidates get hidden and kept silent?
Re: 11:12 AM Any Councillors wishing to stand for Mayor have to resign their position within 10 days od the Chief Electoral Officer being declared.
If there was another good reason NOT to vote for McQuade, it would be that Josie is actively supporting her!
Mc Quade is also totally out of touch with Tofino residents in stating that there is no requirement for affordable housing for purchase in Tofino. The sold out condo development at 700 Yew Wood proves her to be completely wrong.
The last term I served on council started off in 2002. I can't remember who the administrator was, perhaps someone temporary. The usual procedure: we all go off to sequester ourselves at the crown isle golf course over in Parksville so we can be indoctrinated into the mysteries of municipal governance by a consultant who uses flipcharts to explain things.
So far so good, he wrote down all of our expectations and goals and things we wanted to do while we were on the city Council. We voted on things and got priorities numbered and so on. Then there was a point when he explained the way governance was going from here on in was with the hourglass method. This is where all the information coming into the Council worked its way down to the neck which was the administrator and then it went past him to the people.
His opinion I guess although he was adamant that this way of working was going to change local government.
Up until then the district of tofino had a portfolio system where various councillors were in charge of one department or the other.ie. Public works, sewer and water, the fire department etc. so that person with the public works portfolio routinely collected a lot of information, went and looked at things, investigated things that needed fixing or doing in the realm of public works and at the next Council meeting stood up and made a report to the rest of Council and anybody that might be in the audience.
Discussions ensued and things got done. There wasn't much mystery involved and the administrator merely scheduled the reports.
Citizens were free to ask a councillor questions on the street or give comments.
After the indoctrination of 2002 we came back to home base and commenced operating as city Council by doing what we thought was right for the community within the scope of our local government.
Somewhere along in there the hourglass method was introduced and we were told not to talk to the citizens anymore about Council business. With the hourglass method the administrator decided what was allowed to be known or discussed and the portfolio method made the dumpster.
Councillors didn't know anything about sewage treatment or how much water was available or what was falling apart and what should be fixed.
So much for transparent governance. The next few years and beyond saw some perplexing things happening. The district superintendent dreamed up a sewage treatment process cascading down barrs mountain into various settling ponds costing an estimated $70 million. This in spite of a number of years of a mandatory liquid waste management planning with the district, the MOE, province, and an engineering firm. At that time a liquid waste treatment plant was estimated to be much cheaper than the cascading settling ponds.
By now there was no one to remind anybody that there had already been five or six years worth of meetings and planning that had gone into the liquid waste management plan.
And about the same time it was decided by the mayor that we would agree to route all of esowistas sewage into our sewer system and discharge raw along with ours out into browning passage.
I'm only pointing this out to show what happened once the hourglass took charge of the information and responsibility for anybody knowing anything.
The less the citizens know about what's going on the less they care and the less they can do about it even if it's horribly wrong.
The hourglass system is like the trickle down system of economics. It doesn't work for anybody except those at the top.
I would like to think that the hourglass style of government can make it into the trashcan as well.
The other byproduct of the hourglass method is that it has created local and regional fiefdoms with imaginary dukes and Earl's controlling development etc. if you can imagine that getting things done means that information has to go the other way up the hourglass which now is one or two people.
The works of modern feudalism.
Jim, thank you for sharing your experiences with council. I appreciated reading a "here's what I find wrong with the system" that was really about the system, and some of those points truly resonated with me. I'm considering attempting to join Council myself and really trying to decide if that's a crazy idea or not. (Of course it's crazy, but whether or not it's a good crazy idea or bad crazy idea)
6:36 PM give me a call if you have an opportunity and I can perhaps shed some light on the positive and negative aspects of doing your civic duty in tofino.
Thanks for your time Jim.
Well put Jim thanks for the meaningful input.
Please read council minutes and watch a few video's. Andrea would be a nightmare scenario as a mayor. Of the two I would vote for Dan Law. The time commitment is considerable and with how low the remuneration is why would anyone do it. Dan seems to be an actual concerned citizen...not a perfect voting record but looking to do right by many stakeholders. Andrea is clearly a climber just like Josie just look at the similar committee junkie goals jump in front of the camera as much as possible. Josie hid all her and Georges greasy conduct at the Botanical Hotel with the help of Britt and Andrea. Golden Handshake for Josie by all councilors except Dan Law. To me it speaks to more integrity and different goals. Might be wrong but I doubt it.
To be clear I feel we need a mayor with no agenda that does not work for a major hotel or business and has a community service background with a centered political viewpoint. We have some huge financial hills to climb and Josie and "her" crew have screwed up to the tune of a 50% tax increase and THC that is so out of touch with reality that could jam us for millions more. Please vote but study past performance and motives carefully. This election matters.
VOTE McQUADE!! MAKE TOFINO GREAT AGAIN!!
#3 “I’m a climber.” I love Tofino; the place and the community. This is an incredible town that I am so lucky to call home, and am even luckier to represent a portion of on Council. Each Councillor does their best to represent the sector of the electorate that they know the best - Council brings seven people to the table to best approximate and represent the desires of the town in meaningful way, while providing basic services of sewer, fire, water, bylaw etc. Not one person holds power, and not one person should - consensus should be the governing principle. I fully agree with one of the commenters that neither myself nor Mr. Law is God - holy moly let’s hope not. What a mayor should be is a responsible thoughtful convener, able to guide consensus, speak well, communicate and coordinate with other levels of government, continue to represent the sector of the electorate they know best and be a good representative that a town can be proud of. That’s not a climb, that’s a shift and an added skill set - you’re still just 1/7 people. There is a vacancy, and to campaign to step into it because you are passionate and hopeful that you can sit with six others and make good decisions informed by everyone you represent about the place you call home for a community you care deeply for is admirable, and I applaud anyone who looks to do that. In my opinion, I hope that anyone looking to do so has been thinking about it for a while - to learn with higher goals in mind is always something that we encourage each other to do, be it in school, work or public service. You’re right. I’ve given positions of municipal service a lot of thought, for a long time - longer than two years. I hope everyone else campaigning has done the same.
LIGHTNING ROUND -
-Handshake? Dry as a bone, a little chilly, but no grease.
-Politically correct? Maybe can we just try "thoughtful human?" Guilty as charged, hopefully until I die.
-Head start on campaigning? Anybody can campaign at anytime. Nobody got a jump start, Everyone is just eager. Anyone could have announced at anytime.
-I’m not Josie. Just to be really. Crystal. Clear. Andrea McQuade. Running for Mayor. Excited to be here. Not Josie.
-Let’s all agree to stop using the phrase “groomed”. Gross folks. I am a fully autonomous person capable of learning without sublimation. Again. Not Josie.
-I’m a real person, with experience, education, hopes, morals and ideals. I’m always open to respectful, thoughtful conversations regardless of a successful run for Mayor or not - community is my passion, and I'm excited to talk to anyone that feels the same. Don’t hesitate to reach out mcquadeformayor at gmail dot com / on facebook etc etc etc.
See ya out there folks!
Hey folks of Ralph’s Blog!
First time caller! Thought I’d take the one time approach of responding directly to three of the concerns raised here - Let’s roll with the major themes! I don’t live here. I don’t pay taxes. I’m a “climber”.
You’re right. I don’t live in Tofino. I did for 5 years, and now for the past 1.5 years I’ve lived about 4km off the dock. Closer that people out at Jensen’s Bay, if we’re objective. If you feel that land ownership and physically living in the District of Tofino is important to you, there is nothing I can do about that. I know there are many people who live on the water and outside the District boundaries that are thoughtful, caring, committed community members who consider Tofino home (some who have served on Council), and I’ll gladly count myself among that company. I spend my time, my working hours, and my money in Tofino. I call it home. It’s given me a family, a community, a job and a life. I wish that I could live there - but I can’t. I can’t live there because I can’t afford a home here, and I can’t afford a home so I can’t pay residential property tax, which brings me to #2.
I don’t pay taxes, and the assumption is that by not being a taxpayer that I am automatically out of touch, looking to raise taxes, not fiscally responsible or financially literate. On that count, only the first is true. I do not pay residential tax in Tofino. To imply that by doing so I am blind to or worse unaffected by the consequences of high taxation is simply false. High taxes do not create, maintain or retain the type of community that residents of Tofino have spoken so clearly and passionately about - families, seniors, youth and all walks of life that are participants in and are supported by a vibrant, affordable, environmentally sound community. Implying that I would indiscriminately raise taxes sets aside the impacts that are seen and felt by my family, friends, coworkers and community members each year as I see them priced out of Tofino. This is not desirable for anyone, mayoral candidate or otherwise. I want to live in Tofino. I want to live in a place that I can afford. I want the people I care for and the community I care for to thrive in an affordable, accessible, vibrant place with progressive, responsible, defensible taxation.
My My, what a turn around. Mcquade voted without question, in a public meeting, for the 53% tax increase budget. She recently said, on the record, that she didn't think that there was a need or issue around home ownership in Tofino. I guess this is what you call cognitive dissonance. A rationalisation of the lust for power in the face of an opposite reality. Black becomes white
In the last few years she has supported just about everything that got us here. Remember the stupid bus tax where we are to pay double what our neighbouring communities are to pay. Bingo. Remember the aggregious hundreds of thousands, no, millions give away of taxpayer money and land to Catalyst. Catayst read "Clinton Foundation Vancouver" Read 'WE CharityComes to Tofino" Back where I came from we got a phrase for this sort of big talk, no walk the walk. We used to say "All hat and no horse". Seems about right to me. She's desperate.
Let's see if she responds?....She will probably end up arguing with herself.
No skin in the game
Uh Jensons Bay is in Tofino not 4km away
Right on 5:30 Jensens Bay is perceived by "her worship in waiting" as some peripheral out post. They obviously don't count as real Tofino. Wonder how many of us fit into this category for her.
Ms McQuade. Your voting is a matter of public record, almost 100 the same as Josie Osborne. Election promises are cheap compared to what you have actually done in your time as a councilor. Not living in this town being a taxpayer means you don’t actually feel the impact of poor fiscal decisions personally as we, the taxpayers, do. Highest water bills in the province due to incompetence and inept planning and financial prudence. Massive tax increase without even a blink or question from you during vote, just watch the video. To put it simply you are not a bad person just like Josie wasn’t. Yet unfortunately you are very far from the correct choice for our cash strapped town as our new mayor. This forum can be unkind at times but it does represent people’s true feelings on local issues. Your mentor ship with arguably the worst major we have had in the last 20 years will not led the electors to expect anything but more of the same. Time for a change in political philosophy and you are not it. Thanks for your time and input.
https://www.westerlynews.ca/news/nomination-period-begins-for-tofino-byelection/
Post a Comment