Sunday, October 26, 2014

Keep Calm and Vote Responsibly

I have always held fast to the innate belief and hope that goodness and what is fundamentally right will always trump the dark side. So on this day, the last day of the municipal campaign, I will continue to hold on to that tenet. Perhaps I'm just one super hero believer over the line, but if that is the case, then I can live with that.

This will be the last post from me before the polls open tomorrow so I'm writing this post specifically with some questions to Annette Groves.  Annie, I know that you don't read this blog but lots of your minions do and as Terry Groves told me in the last election, the night he told my husband that he'd be up to see me after the election, they print out every single one of my posts.  So here's my literary last bullet in the gun response to that AK47 you fired off in the last couple of days.

Dear Annette;

On this windy Sunday afternoon my street is littered with paper blowing everywhere.  Yesterday, tossed on to my front porch, not even left at my door, were two of your door hangers and a double dose of all the photocopied vitriol that you are calling campaign material.  Mother Nature has picked up much of that unsecured literature and is blowing it about our streets. You can't even be mindful as to not end up trashing our streets and our properties with your garbage.  My neighbour, down the street, also received your literature, who by the way had a purple sign on her lawn, promptly removed it.  She told me that this kind of material was unacceptable and in good faith she could never support a candidate who resorted to this kind of campaigning. One vote less for you, one vote more for Patti Foley.  Here here.

I'm fairly certain that the flyers that aren't swirling around, littering our neighbourhoods, have in large part, made it in to most of the blue boxes around town.  I saw that for myself when I campaigned on the north hill yesterday.   This particular blue box reeked of your desperation.

Annette, what does it say about the character of a candidate who would knowingly distribute that Toronto Star article even after Canadian Tire withdrew its Hydrogen Pilot Project making that article moot and misleading.  What does your decision and your actions to utilize this election tactic teach our residents, and our youth about the qualities of the leadership of our communities? Does it demonstrate to them that to win, you will do anything at all, even if it is a highly questionable action? Tell me Annette, is this what we teach our children?  Please, tell me, I'm listening. I want to know.  How do you justify those actions and this methodology of campaigning in your community.

Speaking about our children, why would you use very young teenagers, to distribute your political propaganda? I was out in the south end of town on Thursday afternoon and I saw three young teenage girls, probably no older than 14, with no adult supervision in sight, putting your political materials on verandas. What on earth are you thinking?  Why would you put minors on a street to distribute your election materials without at least having one of your adult campaigners with them, supporting them, directing them and making sure they are safe.  Is this responsible campaigning on your part?  I would think, as a parent and a Mother, you would know better.

What do you teach our future electorate about respectful boundaries of how you engage in a political campaign?  By allowing them to distribute news articles that are stale dated and for all intent and purposes used for culling the panic vote?  Is this the kind of civics lessons they need to learn?

I had a telephone conversation with your long time supporter Sherry Brioschi yesterday afternoon and I asked her what she thought about those actions.  It was an interesting and respectful conversation.  Sherry also made it very clear to me that the filling station that is to be located on the Canadian Tire site, which you are manipulating as political fear mongering, had always been clearly marked on the site plan. So that pretty much sinks your pretzel logic argument about council's dirty little secrets. I think every single one of your supporters needs to ask the question:  Is this the kind of leadership Bolton and Caledon needs or deserves?

Win or lose, I want you, Annette, to know that Patti Foley, without question has more fortitude, more respect for her community, and eons more accountability to her constituents in her four year term than you ever did in your entire three terms at a council.  Patti has run an amazing campaign. No one, not even you, and your dirty, filthy campaign tactics, can take that from her. Patti has been respectful, honest, engaging and transparent.  Maybe you should take a note from her campaign rule book.  So on that note I will hold fast to the belief that good will prevail and the electorate will keep calm and vote responsibly and if all else fails, there are always cupcakes to be eaten.

Not so respectfully, Christine

p.s.  Patti, you are welcome to borrow my Superman sweater.  I'm pretty sure my Mum, who made that sweater for me nearly 35 years ago, would have been chuffed and proud to know that it has endured, much like my belief in what is good and what is right.  Good luck tomorrow, either way you are a Champ.

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