It's Ottawa Election Day!! GO VOTE!!

[Fishnut]

I copied the following from someone's Facebook status:

I remind all that they can't complain about the following for 4 years if they don't vote TODAY: taxes, all bylaws, water bills, late buses/O-Train, police/ fire/ ambulance issues, city wages, snow removal, road repair, light rail, Bluesfest noise, recycling, garbage and green bin pickup, Lansdowne, panhandling, recreation facilities, noisy bars, other business complaints, school buses, ice times... Your vote counts.

[Saltcreep]

Well, I guess we know who our new mayor is. Going to be some new faces around the council table too.

[Iceman]

I think we all knew Larry was not going to repeat. I know we have a new councillor, Allan Hubley, here in my ward as Feltmate did not wish to continue. The two front runners here pretty much had the same campaign. Not sure why Hubley got the nod.

I would hope that Ottawa voters sent enough of the previous council packing as this city really needs new ideas.

Of course I have zero confidence in politicians so I don't expect more than that. And that last sentence was me being ultra conservative.

[Saltcreep]

O'Brien, Cullen, Bédard, Bellemare, Leadman, Jellet and Brooks - all gone, although a recount in Bédard's ward 12 wouldn't surprise me.

[Jeff1192]

I think we got rid of a lot of the deadwood on council but the new mayor is scary. He was in Dalton's "your money is my money" cabinet and his track record as Ottawa mayor wasn't good either. It's amazing how people will vote for a "nice guy" and ignore his record.

[Nerine]

I so look forward to the day that I can vote!!! Until then I try and influence people haha

Let's hope the new mayor does a better job... Time will tell

[Fishnut]

Indecision drives me nuts, so if this new mayor and council can make some decisions, I'll be happy.

[zima]

What I can't believe is how low voter turnout is - 44%, down from 54% in 2006. What gives?! Apathy is scary...

[Brent Shaver]

Probably because people get sick of voting for empty promises and colorful lies.  Doesn't matter who gets elected big business makes the decisions.  Dollars fund campains, and with funding comes commitments.

[zima]

I know all the arguments in the field in terms of what causes apathy, but I don't think we can make it better by not voting. What other venues do we have to have our say? Yes, I'm a believer of acting locally for a social change; however, if we are to agree that we should have a government, is it not our civic right (and duty, I would argue) to choose one?

[Jeff1192]

To me the apathy is inexcusable. There were 20 candidates for mayor....you can't tell me that there wasn't someone for everyone with that many choices. I didn't like any of the "major" candidates for mayor but I still voted. How many Canadians gave their lives to protect what we have? To then not take our responsibility to vote seriously is an insult to them.

Jeff

[Fishnut]

I think more people vote for their favourite singer or dancer in those TV shows than they do for an election for people who run their city or country.

Really, it's sad.  Politics is just not as "cool" as crappy singers or a bunch of kids dancing.

[Laura]

... Doesn't matter who gets elected big business makes the decisions.  Dollars fund campains, and with funding comes commitments.

If you're interested in reading more on this, here's an ecology ottawa article on this topic outlining the 2006 funding of campaigns by developers.
It's partway down the page here: http://www.ecologyottawa.ca/publications/index.php?WEBYEP_DI=1

There are some local politicians who do not accept developer campaign contributions, in 2006 they were Councillors Brooks, Cullen, Doucet, Feltmate, Holmes and Hume.

[Iceman]

In Kanata South here and Feltmate did her best to keep the developers at bay with severe infrastructure issues. But with only one vote what can each do. I fear what will be upon south Kanata soon with our new councillor.

I IMPLORE all of you to email, call, write or if you're close, walk in and tell your elected employee what you want.

You pay their salary. You are one of their many bosses. DO IT. 

[mseguin]

The reason I do not vote in municipal elections very often is that for the most part, I do not see any real difference between the candidates. Sure they look different and have different personalities, but overall, you really don't know what you are getting. And that does not take away my right to complain about what they do. I pay their salries, I have a right to expect them to do their job. I can't complain about the mayor having different views than me, but I can complain about a city that seems to spin in circles more than it goes forward.

[Brine]

"I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain', but where's the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with."
George Carlin