Regional Council Election Discussion

[zanate]

Officially, doesn't it only become a conflict of interest after he's elected?

So if he manages to get elected based on his anti-LRT platform his first order of business will be to recuse himself from any LRT-related matters due to his conflict of interest as an elected official? hock:

From this article in the Kitchener Post. In other words, "We're not going to talk about it, because lawyers." He's got a big interest to not be pinned down on this and to try and establish his platform independently of the LRT issue, but the conflict on his "signature issue" is clear and obvious.

Though very vocal about his opposition to light rail transit, he may have to stay silent on the issue if elected because he owns property along the light-rail transit corridor. Properties along the LRT corridor are estimated to increase in value because of the project.

“This is a very touchy subject because we’re talking to the lawyer about that part. That’s where we have it set right now,” he said in an interview this week.

But his position on LRT is clear — he’d like to see the money spent on a rapid bus transit system and invest in infrastructure instead.

[mpd618]

I heard that too. He must be tossing a bunch of money at this thing.

1) Campaign office.
2) He is likely the source of the mysterious newspaper ad in the summer for a $60,000 professional campaign manager contract.

Who is funding Jay Aissa?

[ookpik]

Just got my first Jay Aissa robo-call. Why do I keep picking up the phone when I don't recognize the number?

I let the call play through to the end where they ask if you agree that after 29 years Waterloo Region needs a new chair, then pressed 2 for no. After all if you're a true penny pincher as Jay would have us believe then you don't replace furniture just because it's 29 years old

Besides I'm hoping my negative response will stop Jay's robo-calling to my number.

[pnijjar]

Well, well. The Chamber of Commerce is holding an all-candidates meeting for regional chair AND regional councillors on Sept 24, at the Crowne Hotel. Here is the link.

I think that the probability that this is an ALL-candidates meeting is practically zero. The Chamber is probably continuing their usual practice of only inviting "important" candidates.

If Aissa can afford robocalls then I am getting worried. I don't think Seiling has had to conduct a serious campaign before. To my knowledge he has never had a serious challenger.

[panamaniac]

Just got my first Jay Aissa robo-call. Why do I keep picking up the phone when I don't recognize the number?

I let the call play through to the end where they ask if you agree that after 29 years Waterloo Region needs a new chair, then pressed 2 for no. After all if you're a true penny pincher as Jay would have us believe then you don't replace furniture just because it's 29 years old

Besides I'm hoping my negative response will stop Jay's robo-calling to my number.

Good plan! I'll try it if I get robo'd again.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Just got my first Jay Aissa robo-call. Why do I keep picking up the phone when I don't recognize the number?

I blocked the number, so no more robo-calls for me. :mrgreen:

[pnijjar]

On the other hand, every successful robocall probably costs our friend campaign funds. Misleading him by agreeing that Regional Councillors holding office for 29 years is bad (but having fencing companies around for 27 years is good) might also be a worthwhile misdirection strategy. But I digress.

Here's another digression: I realized over the weekend that Internet jibba-jabba is not going to get Ken Seiling re-elected. Money will. So I decided that I would be giving a contribution to his campaign. Our friends at stoplrt.ca are doing the same for their preferred candidate.

Here is the real content of my post: the closest thing to a comprehensive candidate (and all-canddiates meeting) listing for this election is here: http://www.waterlooregion.org/municipal-elections-2014 . But lots of the information is either missing or out of date. I am wondering whether the civically-minded people on this board would be willing to crowdsource some proofreading? This would involve picking a race and going through the candidates to collect proper website, phone and other contact information. Maybe to reduce duplicate effort you could call dibs on what you are checking first. Then you could post corrections here and I can forward them, or you can contact the Social Planning Council directly with changes. They have been fairly responsive to my requests so far.

In addition, if you know of all-candidates meetings for the wards then that would be useful information as well. My hope is to create a "one-stop shop" where people looking for election resources can find them.

[plam]

Here's another digression: I realized over the weekend that Internet jibba-jabba is not going to get Ken Seiling re-elected. Money will. So I decided that I would be giving a contribution to his campaign. Our friends at stoplrt.ca are doing the same for their preferred candidate.

Does Ken Seiling have a campaign webpage? I couldn't find it.

[pnijjar]

It's at http://kenseiling.com . It also has lower search engine ranking than defeatwrcouncil.com (search for "elect ken seiling" and see for yourself), which is another reason I am hoping that we can put together a one-stop reference point of candidates.

[plam]

It's at http://kenseiling.com . It also has lower search engine ranking than defeatwrcouncil.com (search for "elect ken seiling" and see for yourself), which is another reason I am hoping that we can put together a one-stop reference point of candidates.

Got it. Thanks!

[pnijjar]

Well, well. The Chamber of Commerce is holding an all-candidates meeting for regional chair AND regional councillors on Sept 24, at the Crowne Hotel. Here is the link.

I think that the probability that this is an ALL-candidates meeting is practically zero. The Chamber is probably continuing their usual practice of only inviting "important" candidates.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong. The Chamber did a pretty good job of accomodating everybody, and as far as I can tell only Robert Milligan was absent. They conducted the debate in two parts. During the first hour they asked questions of the Regional Chair candidates, and in the second they had all the candidates for Regional Council (both in the Waterloo and Kitchener races, which totalled 13 candidates).

I was only able to make the second half of the meeting, so I missed the regional chair candidates (which is really what I had come to see). But it looks like the Chamber is putting video online here: http://www.greaterkwchamber.com/en/physi...-Forum.asp

[Spokes]

Thanks for the update!

I'm really going to try to get to as many of these meetings as possible.

[AChairwhoCares]

Spot On!

[YKF]

Does anyone on here think that Jay Aissa has a good shot at becoming the next Regional Chair? His signs are everywhere and The Record talks about the fight for the Regional Chair position as some great battle whereby Aissa and Seiling are waging a great war on one another. Thoughts?

[fakepnijjar]

Yes.

Jay Aissa has:
- Lots of money
- An experienced campaign manager who is doing a good job (robocalls alone are a big win, because homeowners vote)
- Lots of media attention
- The privilege of coming first on the ballot
- Large demographics of people who are upset about the LRT (say, nearly all of Cambridge)
- A largely uninformed electorate that will not do much research before voting

Ken Seiling has:
- Not much of a campaign
- Very few lawn signs (available or on display)
- Not much experience running campaigns (he certainly has not had to conduct a serious one for the last ten years)
- The reprecussions of a cavalier attitude coming from the political classes, who see no real contest here and so are not helping him with his campaign

Neither of them seems particularly polished as a politician.

Draw your own conclusions. I am pessimistic.