Next Municipal Election - Oct 27, 2014 - contenders

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Very interesting. Watson has donated almost half a million dollars since returning to Municipal politics!

His list of donors is pretty high profile too. I noticed the Premier of Ontario; several former federal and provincial cabinet ministers; an OMB member; transit commission citizen appointee; city councillors; consultants like FoTenn, Genivar; and lots of developers, their family members and associated companies.

[waterloowarrior]

http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?candidate=Harder

Councilllor Harder has 65% of donations from corporations (the highest of all major candidates I think) and only 35% from individuals, and a good chunk of the individuals are from the development industry. Impressive.

Councillor McRae also has a pretty development-industry oriented list http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?candidate=McRae

this was probably the most interesting thing someone found on twitter. Almost $20,000 donated from one building http://goo.gl/maps/UdPRH
http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?postal=K2P0L3

[McC]

The apartment hotel?!

[Cre47]

Diane Holmes now officially registered in Somerset Ward.

[Schattenjager]

I'll be voting in the Kitchissippi ward, what is everyone's impression of Jeff Leiper?

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

this was probably the most interesting thing someone found on twitter. Almost $20,000 donated from one building http://goo.gl/maps/UdPRH
http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?postal=K2P0L3

Most of those are from Brian Karam (lawyer) and his related companies...he has developed in the south end of Kanata. He is also embroiled in the Mac Harb scandal.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Ha...aram+loses+major+case/9186351/story.html

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Councillor McRae also has a pretty development-industry oriented list http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?candidate=McRae

I hope that those donators will be keep 'her feet to the fire'

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?candidate=Harder

Councilllor Harder has 65% of donations from corporations (the highest of all major candidates I think) and only 35% from individuals, and a good chunk of the individuals are from the development industry. Impressive.

Councillor McRae also has a pretty development-industry oriented list http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?candidate=McRae

this was probably the most interesting thing someone found on twitter. Almost $20,000 donated from one building http://goo.gl/maps/UdPRH
http://ottwatch.ca/election/listDonations?postal=K2P0L3

I had a look on the website...an 'acquaintance' I know contributed a lot of money between the acquaintance and spouse (who has no interest in the candidates or municipal election) which would probably represent about 6% of their annual salary.....this would have had to have come from his employer who were also contributing at a high rate through their myriad of companies and addresses.....

It all makes for interesting reading as the beauty of it all is that you can see where some of the prominent contributors/donors live.

[McC]

Originally Posted by Schattenjager

I'll be voting in the Kitchissippi ward, what is everyone's impression of Jeff Leiper?

Great guy, smart committed, tons of experience working for positive change in the area. But Kitchissippi Councillor is a nearly impossible job, there are inexorable development and transportation pressures on the area, and at times it feels like the City (Staff and Council) expect the ongoing transformation of the Ward to almost singlehandedly deliver all of the City-wide planning and transportation objectives, with minimal thought to mitigating pernicious and perverse effects.

It's the old "unstoppable force meeting immovable object," with whoever is Councillor trying to broker/mediate in between. (there is *literally* no amount of money that you could pay me to do this job, and I LOVE politics!)

Christine Leadman tried one approach, and her positions spent four years consistently on the wrong side of of 21-3 votes. I'm sure that made some people feel good about themselves ("she's standing up for us"), but it didn't deliver much in the way of results.

Katherine Hobbs, after some understandable initial inconsistency, has figured out a different approach that generally sees her on side with the majority of Council, but for reasons both legit and illegitimate (IMO) most of the most active segments of the Ward have so little confidence in her, they wouldn't even trust her to tell them whether or not it's raining on their heads. I think she's delivered some good results, missed opportunities for others, and avoided some fights that she can't win, (not a bad record, on balance). But the trouble is that those 'fights she couldn't win' were fights with Council, Staff and developers, so many in the Community feel she's abandoned "us" and "our" interests (however those are defined, your mileage may vary, I'm just reporting based on what I've observed).

Hobbs started behind the eight ball with the "controversy" around developer funding for her campaign ("she's in their pocket!"), and the unfortunate timing of the Our Lady of the Condos fiasco which the previous Council left sitting on her desk like a bag of flaming poop before they turned out the lights ("why wasn't she involved!" -- before her inauguration). So she didn't have a lot of goodwill from day one, and it kind of went downhill from there with most Community Association types.

No doubt, a veteran community activist like Leiper would start with more of the benefit of the doubt, but how long would it last? Could he build on it? I don't think so: too many of the most active, most vocal and most influential members of the various neighbourhoods in the Ward are at the point where they don't want any more of *anything*, don't trust a thing the City has to say, and have had enough of working with developers (except maybe Windmill, everybody <3s those guys!), such that even someone like Leiper would probably burn through his political capital with frightening speed. Then what do you do? Is it back to the either/or of "Yay! you stood up for us!" (and lost by 20 votes: nice work Quixote!) OR "You betrayed us to those greedy developers and their crooked/craven friends on City Staff" (and you can't walk down the street anymore without glares and heckles, ouch!)

Maybe there's a politician clever enough to skate between those poles, or to find a third way, and maybe that politician is Jeff Leiper, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Long story short, I'm glad I have ten months to think carefully about who to support!

[McC]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I had a look on the website...an 'acquaintance' I know contributed a lot of money between him and his wife (who has no interest in the candidates or municipal election) which would probably represent about 6% of his annual salary.....this would have had to have come from his employer who were also contributing at a high rate through their myriad of companies and addresses.....

gross.

predictable, but gross.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I had a look on the website...an 'acquaintance' I know contributed a lot of money between him and his wife (who has no interest in the candidates or municipal election) which would probably represent about 6% of his annual salary.....this would have had to have come from his employer who were also contributing at a high rate through their myriad of companies and addresses.....

It all makes for interesting reading as the beauty of it all is that you can see where some of the prominent contributors/donors live.

I'd never really looked at donations lists before so I was surprised how many planning and engineering consultants were on the list. Even noticed some current/former city staff

[rocketphish]

I wonder if this spells the end for Crusty Clark?

Senior bureaucrat Tobi Nussbaum to run for council in Rideau-Rockcliffe ward

By Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen January 31, 2014



OTTAWA — A senior federal bureaucrat with a Harvard pedigree is the first to put his name into the ring for the Rideau-Rockcliffe ward. Tobi Nussbaum confirmed Friday that he will run for office in this year’s municipal election, although he hasn’t yet registered.

Nussbaum, a local activist in the Beechwood Village community, has been widely rumoured to be interested in the job. He recently submitted an op-ed piece to the Citizen (published a few days ago) outlining his views on campaign finance reform, which include banning corporate and union contributions and requiring candidates’ contribution records to be electronic and searchable.

However, as a public servant — Nussbaum is a director general with the Department of Foreign Affairs — he needed permission from his employer before he could run, which officially came through on Friday in a notice published in the Canada Gazette.

Nussbaum has taken a leave of absence from his job and plans to roll out his platform over the next several weeks.

“I’ve heard people express concerns about many issues that affect them,” said Nussbaum. “They want to improve their local quality of life — from effective services and safer neighbourhoods, to transportation choices and vibrant main streets. Residents also want vision and a more attractive and sustainable city.”

Nussbaum has spent more than a decade in foreign affairs and international trade, including stints at the United Nations and World Trade Organization, as well as holding a senior position at CIDA for several years. Among other degrees, he holds a master’s of public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Rideau-Rockcliffe’s current councillor, Peter Clark, has said he is still deciding whether to run for re-election.

[email protected]

twitter.com/jchianello
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Senior...cil+Rideau+Rockcliffe/9456010/story.html

[waterloowarrior]

Councillor Doug Thompson (Osgoode ward) not running again
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Doug+T...ward+councillor+after/9487686/story.html

[rocketphish]

Decorated veteran readies for next race: city council

Former top sniper aims to represent Innes ward

By Gary Dimmock and David reevely, OTTAWA CITIZEN February 10, 2014 10:29 PM

OTTAWA — Master Cpl. Jody Mitic, a top sniper who lost his legs to a Taliban bomb in 2007 only to return home and run marathons on prosthetics, now intends to run for city council in Innes ward.

The high-profile candidate who lives in the ward was decorated with the Sacrifice Medal after his legs were blown off while he was on patrol in Afghanistan in January 2007. Since he returned home, he has helped to launch the Never Quit Foundation, which raises awareness and money for wounded soldiers, police officers and medics.

Mitic, 37, and his brother Cory were fan favourites last summer on CTV’s Amazing Race Canada, which had more than three million viewers an episode. They finished second.

Mitic, a father of two young girls, has been active in his community and spends his free time researching municipal issues.

He intends to register his nomination papers after receiving a medical retirement from the Canadian Forces later this year. He said he made the decision after discussing it with his wife, Alannah Gilmore, a Canadian Forces sergeant and battlefield medic who helped to save his life.

“I miss soldiering, but I see this as a way of continuing my service,” Mitic said Monday. “Instead of a national service, it’ll be a local service. It’ll give me a chance to serve the community.

“It would be a massive duty and honour to represent this community,” he added. “When I’m given a job to do, I take it very very seriously, and I never give up.”

Mitic has been meeting with some city councillors and civic leaders in recent weeks and has been getting good reviews in city political circles.

“I don’t mind being the new guy and I’m not afraid to ask questions. But right now, I’m listening to the people’s concerns and preparing,” said Mitic.

The decorated soldier will be facing some competition of his own making.

Innes contender Roland Stieda told the Citizen recently that it was a conversation with Mitic that helped Stieda decide to run.

He met Mitic, a motivational speaker, through last year’s “human library” program, an event that lets participants “check out” people and ask them questions about their lives.

“Just talking to him, and just hearing his story and how he decided that he wasn’t going to let the loss of his legs stop him and he was still going to move forward, it struck a nerve with me.”

Mitic welcomes the competition, saying the race only gets better with more contenders.

And if the new political candidate is looking for media quotes for campaign brochures, he won’t have much trouble, what with a Citizen editorial that said he had the strength and hope that embodied Canadian legend Terry Fox.

Innes Ward has long been held by the popular Rainer Bloess, who announced recently that he’s retiring from politics.

[email protected]

twitter.com/crimegarden
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Deco...ext+race+city+council/9491827/story.html

[McC]

We were big fans of Team Mitic in our house; the guy's got potential to go places. Another race worth watching. (See what I did there?)

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by JCL

There is a mayoral candidate that hasn't registered but confirmed would be running on CFRA: Mike Maguire. He's probably going to cater to the conservative base (i.e. Ottawa Sun readers or the "CFRA Nation").

That's about 35% of the City of Ottawa. He has a lock on the rural vote (unless someone from the Landowners Association decides to run), and should do well in the suburbs. But in the inner city and downtown, he'll struggle to get any significant support.

[1overcosc]

Do you guys think Maguire has any hope in hell of winning? Obviously I hope to hell not.

I personally predict Watson will win by a big margin--50%-60% if not greater.

Regarding Maguire in the 'burbs, I think he might stand a chance in Kanata or Barrhaven but Orleans would never vote for him. His demagoguery against the Francophone community also alienates lots of people--IIRC Franco-Ontarians are something like a fifth of the population of Ottawa.

[Dado]

Quite frankly, just who or what kind of candidate would even stand a chance against Watson this time around?

I discount everyone else on Council since I don't think any of them have enough city-wide appeal to match Watson.

I cannot think of any candidate. Can anyone else?


Ok, I can think of one person who might just have the necessary appeal and the ability to gain the confidence of residents citywide: Daniel Alfredsson. And that's probably not going to happen.

[waterloowarrior]

Maguire got 2.5% of the vote in the last election..and hasn't really been a prominent figure since then. I would predict an election like 2003 with low turnout except in competitive wards. Maguire or whoever turns out to be the most coherent opposition will get a good chunk of protest vote, but Watson will have over 50% of the vote.

Being mayor is a pretty important job, and you need a city-wide profile to win. Maguire's website goes over points on why he's running for mayor and not councillor, but I would think most voters would want to see how someone performs as a politician before trusting them with the mayoral job.

Besides Larry O'Brien (who headed one of the federal governments largest vendors), it's been 80+ years since a non-councillor/controller/regional chair/mayor was elected mayor of Ottawa.

If we had some sort of run-off voting I think it would be a different story (in general)... we may get some more challengers to incumbency at both the mayor and councillor level

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Besides Larry O'Brien (who headed one of the federal governments largest vendors), it's been 80+ years since a non-councillor/controller/regional chair/mayor was elected mayor of Ottawa.

How about Lowell Green I'm sure he would be able to turn the City Planning Department around