2014 Mayoral Election

[coalminecanary]

good - the more old farts we can get splitting the old fart vote, the better

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^But there are so many old farts!

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

^But there are so many old farts!

Time to open some windows.

[matt602]

Definite old boys club candidate there...

[LikeHamilton]

I learned on the weekend that Fred Eisenberger will be running for mayor again.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Running in the next election might be a good strategic move. If no interesting names decide to run, it'll come down to him and Bratina Could he possibly lose again?

[Dr Awesomesauce]

.

[ScreamingViking]

Saw this link on Twitter earlier:
https://mchattie2014.ca/

However, I have yet to see bobra.ca

Looks like McHattie hits most of the main issues, at least at a high level. Nothing overt about key and divisive topics like LRT though... probably wise, for the website.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Forgot about McHattie.

So, we've got BoBra, Eisenberger and McHattie then.

I have no idea how the voting public feels about Bratina. I wouldn't put it past people to vote for him again.

Eisenberger? I would imagine voters generally have lukewarm feelings about him judging by the poor showing he made last time round.

McHattie could split votes with Eisenberger, unfortunately, and provide the perfect opportunity for our completely addled incumbent mayor to sneak in another term.

[SteelTown]

McHattie gets support of 3 councillors at campaign launch

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...unch-1.2514987

They stopped short of an official endorsement, but three councillors stepped forward to publicly offer encouragement to mayoral hopeful Brian McHattie at his official campaign launch — even offering subtle discouragement to current mayor Bob Bratina.

Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr was the master of ceremonies. Flamborough councillor Robert Pasuta showed up in support. And Mountain councillor Terry Whitehead wrote a letter encouraging McHattie in his mayoral run, which Farr read at the packed event on Tuesday.

About 400 people attended the event at LIUNA Station, many of them environmentalists, transit advocates and “new Hamilton" urbanists. The team has work to do to reach out to the suburbs, McHattie said.

“That’s why I started this campaign so early…to have the opportunity to go right across the city, having events across the city,” he said.

“You start from where you live and you build out from there.”

Asked why he agreed to be the Ward 1 councillor's master of ceremonies, Farr said: “Brian has never failed to be there for me for the last three years. So I was honoured to be playing the role of master of ceremonies.”

If Bratina asked for a similar favour, Farr said, “I would have to check my calendar.”

Pasuta, who represents Ward 14, said he accepted McHattie’s invitation to the event because McHattie is a “friend and colleague.”

Conversely, if Bratina asked him to attend an event, Pasuta said he would attend “because he’s the mayor."

About 400 people gathered at the launch at LIUNA Station. (Samantha Craggs/CBC)

Whitehead’s letter, meanwhile, touted McHattie as a candidate who “deserves every serious consideration.”

“You make an excellent candidate for mayor,” wrote Whitehead, who often disagrees with McHattie at the council table. “Democracy is enriched when there are clear choices provided to the people of this community.”

It was a boost for McHattie in a race expected to include Bratina and former mayor Fred Eisenberger. Former councillor Don Ross has already declared, as well as Crystal Lavigne and Michael Baldasaro.

Under the slogan “Together we can do more,” McHattie pledged to listen to residents to help build his platform. He promised stronger neighbourhoods, smarter growth, transparent government, a healthier environment and more jobs.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Can't wait for things to heat up. While there's more pomp and circumstance in a provincial or federal election, nothing beats municipal politics IMO.

[Jon Dalton]

BACKGROUNDER: Campaign Finances
January 30, 2014 · by specvotes

dollar-sign Mayor Bob Bratina’s $15,000 presentation on amalgamation this month prompted grumbling about the propriety of using City of Hamilton funds for what some councillors considered straight-up electioneering.

Bratina is viewed as a mayoralty candidate who hasn’t yet declared, and opponents objected to the use of his office budget to take care of an unfulfilled 2010 election promise. (See Andrew Dreschel column )

The situation prompts a look at what the rules actually are, and a review of what the major mayoralty candidates in Hamilton and Burlington spent in 2010.

Under the Municipal Elections Act, contributions can only be accepted and expenses incurred during the campaign period, which begins on the day the nomination is filed.

In Hamilton, only four candidates have filed for mayor: one-time councillor Don Ross, sitting councillor Brian McHattie, perennial candidate Michael Baldasaro and landscaping company owner Crystal Lavigne. Bratina has said he sees no reason not to run, and it is expected that former mayor Fred Eisenberger will also run.

The cost of running for mayor is high, but expenditures are governed by the Elections Act. All goods & services purchased or donated must be declared. Candidates can spend a maximum that’s based on a formula.

For mayors in every city, it’s $7,500 per candidate, plus 85 cents per elector. Here are the figures for major mayoralty candidates in 2010.
HAMILTON

Maximum allowed to spend: $308,312.

Bob Bratina: 52,684 votes, spent $103,565

Larry Di Ianni: 40,091votes, spent $224,282

Fred Eisenberger: 38,719 votes, spent $93,787
BURLINGTON

Maximum allowed to spend: $115,074

Rick Goldring: 21,797 votes, spent $98,182

Carol D’Amelio: 11,285 votes, spent $98,805

Cam Jackson: 10,055 votes, spent $82,500

Philip Papadopolous: 2,069 votes, spent $99,900

See more about Burlington election races at Joan Little’s column on thespec.com

http://specvotes.com/2014/01/30/back...aign-finances/

Apparently new candidate Crystal Lavigne is the owner of a local landscaping company? That should lend some financial / budgeting experience as an asset.

[ScreamingViking]

The latest Dreschel piece, this one is on Bratina


Dreschel: Bratina adept at the politics of division

Too bad there isn't such a thing as a Jell-O nail gun. If there was, it might actually be possible to pin Mayor Bob Bratina down when he indulges in one of his slippery political manoeuvres.

You know what I'm talking about.

A mayor who can say, in one breath, he's not out to rip Hamilton apart and, in the next, refuse to say he's against deamalgamation.

Or his oldie but goldie claim that a private investor gave him a $10 million commitment to the Pan Am stadium project and then minutes later deny having said it.

Well, Bratina is at it again.

This time he's skittering around the issue of the city's ward boundary review, suggesting on his blog at http://mayorbratina.com that it could lead to the creation of another inner city ward.

You probably don't need a directional arrow to tell you what he's up to. Yes, it a crafty variation on his old suburban vote-getting amalgamation trick.

Bratina suggests if an extra ward is added to the old city, the "very delicate balance" on council between the eight inner city votes and the seven suburban votes will be upset, taking away the mayor's ability to decide an issue in the case of a split vote.

Bratina says he proposed an amendment calling for public input into the review's terms of reference so people in the "amalgamated areas" could express their concerns.

He writes: "In any case, I still voted against the review along with Councillors Partridge, Pearson, Ferguson and Johnson."

Actually, he didn't. The record clearly shows he voted for the review.


Read the rest here: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story...s-of-division/

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^I still question whether or not it's intentional. Either way, it's amazing to watch.

Part of me will be sad to see him leave municipal politics - I don't think he'll pull off this next election. I think many voters have now seen behind the curtain and despite that melodious voice and his background on CHML, the elderly may put their vote elsewhere.

To me, he's an amalgam of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld: he's got a bit of swagger; he's really crusty; and he's a beer or two short of a six-pack.

This election plans to be fascinating!

[thistleclub]

With McHattie’s goal of a $250,000 campaign budget, it’s interesting to consider the efficiency of campaign spending.

2010 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Bratina: Spent $103,565, garnered 52,684 votes = $1.96/vote

Di Ianni: Spent $224,282, garnered 40,091 votes, = $5.59/vote

Eisenberger: Spent $93,787, garnered 38,719 votes = $2.42/vote

Money definitely helps, but depending on your handicap and the way the ballot breaks, it might not be a decisive factor.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Interesting. DiIanni really went for it. I wondered how he got all those votes.

Methinks Bratina will have to up his spending this time round - hope his war chest doth overflow.

[thistleclub]

Poll rates “likability” of possible Hamilton mayors
(specvotes.com, Joan Walters, Feb 14 2014)

A telephone survey asking Hamiltonians to rate the “likability” of seven local politicians set talk ablaze Friday at the water cooler and on social media over who’s doing polling for the mayor’s race.

The automated poll asks voter a series of questions to rate or compare Councillors Tom Jackson, Lloyd Ferguson, Terry Whitehead, incumbent mayor Bob Bratina, mayoralty candidate Brian McHattie, prospective candidate Fred Eisenberger and former mayor Larry Di Ianni.

Di Ianni – defeated by Bratina in the 2010 municipal vote – went on Twitter early Friday to disclaim any knowledge (or interest) in the matter.

Only McHattie – among the group named in the survey – is a registered mayoralty candidate, although it’s anticipated that Eisenberger will also run for mayor. Bratina has so far only said he sees no reason not to run.

Both Whitehead and Ferguson also said Friday they were not behind the poll, conducted by National Public Research Canada.

The poll focused on how voters would look at a candidate for mayor. It asked respondents to rate their familiarity with each of the politicians, from unfamiliar to very familiar. Likability was rated from favourable to very unfavourable.

The survey also wanted to know who the respondent would be most likely to vote for if an election were held today, and then who the person’s second choice would be.

[bigguy1231]

I was one of the people surveyed. I rated McHattie the most likable even though I have no intention of voting of him. Why, just to give him some false hope if the results ever become public.

[durandy]

McHattie's very likable, he's just not a leader (inasmuch as a mayor leads anything)

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Just out of curiosity, who among our recent Mayors would you describe as being 'a leader'? It's a bit subjective.