New Blogs and getting involved

There are two new blogs from our neighbours to the west - Oshawa.

#1 - A group called VOTES (vote to eliminate self-serving politicians) has been organized in Oshawa by Bill Longworth, Founder and Chair of Ward System Now, the activist organization that brought the ward system to Oshawa in 1985. Mr. Longworth personally designed and presented the winning case to a 21 day OMB hearing, the longest of its kind in Ontario history. The official website of VOTES is http://www.oshawaspeaks.ca/ which is expected to become the major clearinghouse for Oshawa political news and commentary over this term of council. The objectives of VOTES are 1) to fight to retain ward voting for Oshawa, and 2) to organize citizens to defeat Oshawa politicians who prove to be self serving by continuing to vote for a return to the general vote...a system that serves the politicians but not the people.

#2 - There is another blog set up by Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson called Ward System Oshawa. This group and the blog was set up to represent "the vast majority of Oshawa residents who support local representation in municipal government". They urge all those who agree with that view to contact them and work with them to make sure that local representation remains a vital part of municipal government in Oshawa.

Political activism does have an effect, as we witnessed with the Greenbelt issue before Durham Region. The overwhelming majority of Planning 'Committee' was pushing hard for Council to include an attachment with the Official Plan that would have alerted everyone officially of their intention to remove certain parcels of land from the Provincial Greenbelt at the earliest opportunity (which won't be until 2015, unless there is a Provincial loss and a new government changes the rules). So this issue isn't completely dead, but it is put on the shelf for the moment. The point is, there was a tremendous public outcry about this and Regional politicians were made to listen. Of course there were some on Council who were opposed to Planning Committee's recommendation even before the public became involved. But I sincerely do believe that letters to newspapers, to politicians, and those who spoke to the issue at local and regional committee and council meetings had a positive effect in the end on those who would have (and did, earlier) sided with those wanting to change the greenbelt boundaries to allow for more development.

So, it is important to become involved, whatever the issue, large or small. And while this ward issue is on the front burner in Oshawa, let us not forget the "Elect the Chair" issue, which is the drive to finally have the position of Regional Chair an elected (by the public) position rather than an appointment of a totally unelected person (and that includes appointment of someone who failed in an election bid) by Regional Councillors. There has been much talk about this issue and we can't let it be forgotten. We must get the province to change our process/procedure for anointing Regional Chair within Durham Region before the 2010 election.

We have plenty of other issues too, but remember that your involvement in local matters does matter.