Changing the political landscape in Collingwood has been 90% of this blogs raison d’etre for the past year or so. Let’s see if I can get the last couple of votes going in the direction of change. I want to comment on the battle for the final 3 places as councillors. In no particular order, just as the thoughts enter my head:
Kevin Lloyd: Unless you are a fully paid up member of the “Old Collingwood Club”, (Chadwick is the self appointed commander in chief). How could you possibly vote for this man after the very public and very unprofessional brow beating that he gave the IC Robert Swayze on Monday evening? It takes a certain type of arrogance to try and publicly humiliate a member of the Upper Canada Law Society, when Lloyd could write his own credentials on the back of a postage stamp. This is the second time I have witnessed him show his true colours. The first was the nonsense with the motion to have the BTC survey and Brian Saunderson brought before the ‘Star Chamber’. Avoid him on the ballot at all costs.
Jim Gosnell: Ran a quiet campaign, by all accounts he is a decent man and a good honest candidate. He is actually the only candidate that I have seen get numerous endorsements from other candidates he is running against. I very flippantly called him boring in an earlier post to try and get a few cheap laughs at his expense. I don’t think Jim reads this blog, but if anyone talks to him tell him I am sorry for disparaging him. I don’t think a vote for Jim will be a wasted vote if you want change.
Bob (Mad Dog) Madigan: A few people jumped on me when I posted my blog about Bob being groomed as a new member of the voting bloc. I even published a very well written rebuttal of that post by someone that I knew quite well. I actually wrote a rebuttal of that rebuttal and never posted it because I felt I had bigger fish to fry. I finally sat down with Bob today and had a long chat with him. I like him. Bob says he is the sleeper candidate and Tuesday morning we will all be surprized by the amount of votes he will get. By the reception he gets from passers by and his customers at his coffee shop, who am I to argue with him. On the east side of Hurontario between third and fourth it’s “Mad Dog’s World” and he holds court every day. Bob has assured me he is not going to be a stooge for the voting bloc. If he gets elected I will hold him to that promise.
Deb Doherty: Deb is a candidate that no one seems to remember. I spoke to about six people that thought she was very strong in the all candidates meeting, but could not for the life of them remember her name even after I told them. Prior to that I would hear “What’s the name of that lady who wanted to get the Admiral site cleaned up?” I hope that this is not a bad omen for her because she would be a fantastic new member of a new council. I voted for Deb and change.
Cam Ecclestone: Not sure why Cam filed so early, because he did nothing for the first 6 months after he filed. He does seem to have a few followers and those followers are very loyal to him. I did not find one person that he made a lasting impression on in the all candidates meeting. Strange thing with Cam is he has apparently been directing people towards this blog but has never contacted me directly. From day one I would have promoted Cam, if he had ever given me the time of day. I don’t think he has a hope in hell of getting elected, but I would sooner you vote for Cam than one of the incumbents.
Dale West: He was off my radar and if Jim or Betty had not joined the race at the last minute I might have voted for him. That was until last Monday evening. It was so bazaar the way he carried on. Myself and others, on the evening, could only come to one of two conclusions, that it was all preplanned or he is a complete fool. Whatever the reason he made a mockery of Robert Swayze and turned what was merely Billy Smarts Circus into Collingwood’s version of “Cirque du Soleil”. Do not vote for Dale West.
Steve Berman Up until 3 or 4 weeks ago I would have bet a weeks salary that Steve was a shoe in for council. Now I am not so sure. What is that saying “Good election campaigns get good candidates elected”. I understand that Steve stood on his principles by saying “my blog for the last 18 months is my election campaign”. Some of us local political wonks forget that 90% of the local population do not give a rats arse about local politics, until 6 weeks prior to the election. Name recognition is crucial. In my travels I have come across more than a few people that pay attention to election signs. They want change see an election sign, remember the name, then Google it when they get home. Steve did not have that luxury and he didn’t even go and do the door knocking. An uncomfortable amount of people do not know him from a bar of soap. BUT. I voted for change, I voted for Steve Berman.
Betty Donaher: I hope that Betty gets in but I fear the worst. As stated previously I voted for her and I think her energy and ideas would have been a welcome addition in this new council. But the late start and lack of signs might have done irreparable damage to her sputtering campaign. A vote for Betty is a vote for change and not a wasted vote.
Gail Michalenko: Another quiet campaign. I voted for Gail. She is the bridge between new and old and the only candidate that I have not heard one disparaging remark about. I did not pick Gail in my election predictions but she might squeak into the last spot on council.
Mike Edwards: I still think Mike should not have run in this election and should have quit while he was ahead. But after he stood up for the community on Monday evening I have had a bit of a change of heart. I will not be upset if he is on a new council and he is one of 4 council candidates that I think will definitely get in that is why I left him until last.
If I did not mention you don’t panic you are either an incumbent or I think you will be elected.
VIEW FROM A NOBODY 