Do your civic duty
Campbell reads the riot act to the lazy, disinterested electorate
Marlo Campbell
It seems like only yesterday I was drinking coolers in my
friend’s back yard and complaining about how hot it
was...
Alas, summer is now definitively over (continuing to wear
sandals and tank tops won’t change the facts, people)
and it’s time to settle into fall and refocus our energies
on other things — such as the upcoming civic election.
I know, I know — you don’t vote. Politics are
boring, politicians are all the same, nothing ever changes,
City Hall is confusing, you don’t know enough about
the issues to make an informed choice...
Apathy and ignorance are poor excuses. Municipal politics
matter because the people we elect to city council make decisions
that directly affect us.
You have six weeks to pick your issues. Do you care about
malathion use or hog-processing plants or bike trails or inner-city
crime or urban sprawl or arts programs? No? How about potholes,
aggressive panhandling, emergency response times, accountability
from elected officials, taxes for small businesses or rising
rates of car theft?
Remember, you’re not allowed to bitch and moan about
an incompetent civic government that doesn’t care about
you if you don’t bother to get off the couch and participate
in the electoral process.
If you don’t care, why should they?
The last time Winnipeggers had the chance to shake up our
city’s political landscape was during 2004’s by-election.
Of the 397,028 citizens eligible to vote for a new mayor,
232,898 showed up to cast a ballot — a turnout of just
under 59 per cent.
We can do better.
Expect campaigning for the Oct. 25 election to ramp up over
the coming weeks. Seasoned veterans and eager newbies alike
are aware of our collective short attention span and have
no doubt been saving the bulk of their resources until now.
Brace yourselves for earnest, well-groomed volunteers knocking
on your door and carefully crafted flyers creeping into your
mailbox.
So where does a well-meaning but uninformed voter start?
First, go to www.winnipeg.ca/2006election to find out who’s
running for city councillor in your ward. Then check out the
candidates’ websites or call their campaign offices
to ask a few questions. Make them squirm if you want —
they like that.
Of course, reading Uptown is always a smart move, if only
to see who film critic Peter Vesuwalla has managed to piss
off.
We’ll be covering the mayoral race as thoroughly as
we can, giving you the 411 on candidates, issues, campaign
events, inspiring speeches and unfortunate gaffes. Look for
me near the bar at press conferences.
If you’re shy, e-mail me with your election issues and
I’ll see about finding you some answers to your questions.
If you’re bold, run for mayor yourself — you have
until Sept. 19 to register your intent.
Embrace democracy. Be a part of the solution, damnit! Otherwise,
you’ll be required to keep your mouth shut for the next
four years.
That, or you can always move to Calgary — complaining
about Winnipeg is a popular hobby out there. |
Uptown
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