2014 Mayoral Election

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Fred's a good man. I'd love to see him involved in Hamilton politics in some way but I can't imagine him running a successful campaign for mayor at his point. That ship has sailed...

I've never voted 'True Blue' in my life but if he ran provincially or federally I'd be very tempted to tick his box. That sounds gay but you know what I mean.

[SteelTown]

Hillbilly Heaven owner Cameron Bailey launches his 2014 election campaign

http://bailey2014.com

[thistleclub]

A xenophobe eager to represent a ward with the city's highest concentration of immigrants and visible minorities? He understands the rules around April Fool's as well as he does restaurant licensing.

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Hillbilly Heaven owner Cameron Bailey launches his 2014 election campaign

http://bailey2014.com

Is it just a coincidence that everyone in that photo is white?

[Dr Awesomesauce]

http://bailey2014.com/

WE CAN DO BETTER

Downtown businesses should not have to close at 6:00pm because Hamiltonians are uncomfortable with being on the street after dark.

A safer, business-friendly area means jobs for the residents of downtown. Jobs and opportunities they deperately need.

The media will present it as a gimmick and the politically correct will do whatever they can to paint me as dangerous. Just like a movie: I am one man & they are a machine - I'll take my chances.

I am asking you to join me in restoring the values this city was founded on.

Cameron Bailey

You're a frightening individual, Cameron. The nineteenth century's calling - you can go home now.

[thistleclub]

Civic politicians spooked by tough new Ontario water liability rules
(London Free Press, Debora Van Brenk, June 23 2013)

Five years in prison, $4 million in fines.

That’s the harsh new maximum penalty facing Ontario civic politicians for any water disasters on their watch.

While many applaud tougher standards to prevent another Walkerton tragedy, others are scared they could be left on the hook if someone screws up.

So skittish have some small-town politicians become, they’re wondering if it’s even worth the risk of sticking around.

“Nobody really wants to say it out loud but it’s a feeling out there” many won’t run for office again, says West Elgin Mayor Bernie Wiehle.

“It’s a real worry to some people and, come next election, they’ll probably not run.”

New elements of the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act that took effect Jan. 1, say politicians, are responsible for the systems they oversee.

What employees do, or don’t, could legally be put on the politicians even if — a standard defence — they act in good faith and don’t know anything is amiss. It means they can’t simply stand behind their municipalities’ liability insurance.

A provincial fact sheet from the Environment Ministry underlines the new scrutiny they’ll be under:

“The circumstances and your actions — what you did or didn’t do, what questions you asked, what steps were taken to address identified risks or problems with your drinking water system — will all be important in determining whether you met your statutory standard of care and if you should be held responsible,” it says.

Only now is the gravity of that hitting home to some elected officials, especially in smaller centres.

Many wonder if they should run in next year’s civic elections, said Southwest Middlesex Mayor Doug Reycraft, a former Liberal MPP.

Some will bow out rather than risk even the chance of losing homes, investments and businesses.

“If there were to be another Walkerton, God help us, not only would the operator face legal action but also members of council would be held personally responsible,” said Reycraft, a director and past-president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

[SteelTown]

So they don't have confidence in the water system? hmmmm

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

So they don't have confidence in the water system? hmmmm

Good faith is overrated.

[SteelTown]

http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story...mayor-s-chair/

Bratina
Ferguson
McHattie
Eisenberger
Chamberlain
Collins

[Katrillion]

Yay!!!!!!! McHattie FOR THE WIN!!!

[HillStreetBlues]

From the article: “A quick analysis suggests McHattie would capture the centre left vote, Ferguson would take the centre right, and Bratina could zigzag up the middle much as he did on the crowded field of 2010, when he won with 37 per cent of the vote.”

That is indeed a very quick analysis. I don’t think it always works this way municipally: a lot of voters I don’t think know municipal politicians’ party affiliations, and many municipal issues cut across the right-left continuum in different ways. But, it’s probably accurate enough to mean that McHattie doesn’t stand any kind of a chance at all. I don’t see him even capturing enough of the vote to be said to have influenced the race, but that’s just me…

[lucasmascotto]

Brain McHattie for the win!

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story...mayor-s-chair/

Bratina
Ferguson
McHattie
Eisenberger
Chamberlain
Collins

Chamberlain and McHattie endorsed Eisenberger's 2010 mayoral re-election bid, which introduces an interesting dynamic. Another interesting tension is found in (perpetually tentative political careerist) Collins, who served alongside Eisenberger during Ward 5's aldermanic era. But then it's just a rumour.

McHattie would presumably have greater difficulty if Collins is in, since you'd have two lower-city councillors going after the brass ring. Would probably be able to summon degrees of support from NDP-aligned councillors Morelli, Merulla (barring his potential candidacy) and Duvall.

Still, early days.

[oldcoote]

My first instinct was like bigguy: McHattie is too left-wing to draw wide support from the mountain and rural areas. Remember that Eisenberger had some great policy idea's but lacked the klout to make things happen on council.
The Spec article gives me some hope that McHattie might be an effective mayor, something we have lacked for some time. Serving two terms as a councillor gives him experience and pedigree.
Perhaps his time has come.
Really like Chamberlain too, but he may have the same issue as Eisenberger.

[thistleclub]

With rare exceptions (such as his complimentary take on McHattie's participatory budgeting initiative), Andrew Dreschel has made the Ward 1 councillor a perennial punching bag (special attention perhaps attributable to the fact that the pundit is one of McHattie's constituents). Just as late-night hosts root for a candidate that provides them with rich monologue fodder, on some level Dreschel's column is the lead-up to some lacerating assessments. That has to figure into McHattie's math too.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

With rare exceptions (such as his complimentary take on McHattie's participatory budgeting initiative), Andrew Dreschel has made the Ward 1 councillor a perennial punching bag (special attention perhaps attributable to the fact that the pundit is one of McHattie's constituents). Just as late-night hosts root for a candidate that provides them with rich monologue fodder, on some level Dreschel's column is the lead-up to some lacerating assessments. That has to figure into McHattie's math too.

If Whitehead runs too, he would combine with McHattie and Bratina to give Dreschel a trifecta of column material.

[SteelTown]

McHattie will need to get suburban voters, need to focus Mountain, Dundas and Waterdown area.
Ferguson will need to get urban voters, need to focus heavy on Mountain and Stoney Creek area.
Bratina will need to maintain the votes be got last time, both urban and suburban votes.

With McHattie and Ferguson eating up urban and suburban votes Bratina will have to really ramp up his re-election base.

[ScreamingViking]

If those councilors do run for mayor (and I've read speculation about Merulla throwing his hat into the ring too) it will impact the complexion of council somewhat as well. Not in a huge way, but significantly enough.

That's not a bad thing.

[matt602]

I think McHattie would have a good run with the urban voters from wards 1-4 but unfortunately for him, those voters make up a very small portion of the entire turnout. He's going to have to do a lot to appeal to suburban voters who probably aren't terribly familiar with him as a councilor. Being a mainly progressive, urban politician won't help him win votes there either.

He'd have my vote either way, but I'm not too confident that he'd give the top 2 spots a run for their money.

Bratina is done as he almost certainly lost all of the urban voters and probably a fair chunk of the suburban as well. I also highly doubt there's much truth to the Eisenberger re-election rumor.

I don't want to admit it but I think Lloyd Ferguson would be a top-pick given his wide appeal to suburban voters.

As the article points out though, everything could get completely turned upside down. The election is still over a year away.

[bigguy1231]

McHattie would be an opposition campaign managers dream come true. He will be portrayed as a bike riding, latte drinking car hater who will build bike lanes on all major roads and turn every street in the downtown two way.

As someone has already said he will do okay in the low turnout wards 1 - 4 but outside of that he wouldn't have a hope in hell of getting elected. The only bonus is if he runs and loses he is off council.