Why I won't be participating in the Election Forum - JOHN PRINCE: Telling It Like It Is....JOHN PRINCE: Telling It Like It Is….
With that said (as for the explanation I gave by way of comment in my previous post) I will now expand on my reasons given.
In this community nobody cares about the election forum for mayor, that decision is made way before then by the 'good old boys' on behalf of the shepple here. For the most part, the same goes for the councillor positions. For example, in this election I predict Bill Kovach, Shar Lazzaoratto, Dean Ward, Marlene Anctil are shoe-ins. I personally don't believe the first two are the best choices. In fact, I believe they would be the worst choices for this community simply for the fact of their involvement with Community Futures and their close ties with the self-serving 'old boys club'. The other two councillor positions in my opinion is a toss up between 3-4 others at best.
In other words for the majority of residents here the election forums serve no useful practical purpose on deciding what the make up of our next council will be other than for strictly 'entertainment' purposes. For the masses to delude themselves that they actually live in a democratic society here in the Pass and that they have a choice in the matter on who will be master over them is delusional, for all they really do is follow the lead of the mine bosses, as directed.
As some of us know who have taken the time (and in my case, gone to the expense) of researching and studying the operations of this organization known as Community Futures we know they practice deceit and deception behind closed doors in secret meetings with fellow undemocratically elected board members from the same gene pool.
After three years of complaining about our current mayor I can't believe residents here would even consider putting these type of people in our council chambers? Community Futures organizations have a well-earned reputation at being so adept and so practiced in the fine art of acquiring taxpayer money from various government sources while doing little to nothing with it for the benefit of their respective communities, while at the same time making this same money magically disappear? As I said, these people are so practiced in this art of mismanaging public money and deception that they could teach the mayor a few tricks? Christ people, do yourselves a favour and go to the bottom of this page and do a search on 'Community Futures' and open your phucking eyes to what you will be getting yourselves into if these people are elected. Especially if they have a weak-kneed green as grass mayor under their thumb, who also happens to be a 'good old boy' too, who wouldn't know how to rock the boat if his life depended on it, never mind actually standing up to these guys.
300-400 people showing up at an election forum in which the majority have already made up their minds and are there strictly for entertainment purposes will do nothing to change the outcome of this race. Especially when you consider the following.
The media are another factor. "Do not fear the enemy, for they can take only your life. Fear the media, for they will destroy your honor!!!" It was not enough that the Pass Herald (our only newspaper now) playing favourites while showing their biases refused to print my press release while bombarding the public with my opponents (including the platform of one). In this past week's edition of their paper they even resorted to subterfuge and dirty tricks in substituting Bill Kovach for me on the front page under Mayoral Candidates. Then putting me at the bottom of Candidates for Municipal Council on page 2, while at the same time getting their facts all wrong on how long I have lived here and how many years I served on council, with the rest being a disjointed mess of inaccurate information on what I had actually stated to their reporter. In the same paper Bill Kovach, president of the grassroots Ratepayers Association while claiming his organization is 'apolitical' is once again publicly endorsing Blair Painter for mayor while hypocritically stating of course that he is doing this "on his own behalf." In addition to all this there is an online Facebook and email smear campaign going on against me at present.
With nothing going for me but my own pair of balls I could go to this forum and speak out and like in the past blow them away, but just like in the past it comes to no avail. The Pass Herald will distort my message as they always do when reporting on these election forums, while promoting their own. In addition, I'm sure we'll soon see them printing unfavourable letters to the editor about me, as well. The online smears will continue distorting who I am and what I stand for and enough of my opponent's signs, newspaper and radio ads will convince people they have only one choice in this election (if we forget about the current mayor who everybody says they don't want anymore) if they want to be seen as cool and in favour with the in-crowd. And with all this, we haven't even mentioned who the Returning Officer is, and who's daughter is an executive on the Chamber of Commerce whose members will be fielding 'anonymous' questions from the public to the mayoral candidates. Never mind the Ratepayer groupies looking to support their candidate while seeking some payback against one who has exposed their Executive for subverting the democratic process to ensure their leader got his way in ensuring one from his own elite class got the nod and backing of their organization.
With no campaign, no money (when's the last time you made a donation to my tip jar? Ya, see what I mean), no signs, no advertising, no backing, and no hope, why would anybody in their right mind participate in such a hopeless futile exercise? I'm not an ego-tripper seeking a place in the spotlight. That doesn't interest me.
If people want to make a difference then take a stand yourselves (and encourage others to do likewise) and send the establishment elites a message by boycotting this mayoral election forum. If most people plan on not voting for Decoux (as public opinion has it) and others feel as I do that Painter will land up being nothing more than a weak-kneed puppet patsy of the good old boy establishment elite here, then boycotting this mayoral election forum would be the thing to do. Send them a message, and then follow this up afterwards by voting for me. As I have not dropped out of the race and my name is still on the ballot.
This is all of what I have to say on this matter at this time. You make your own decision on your own course of action, as I have made mine. But make sure you make the right decision because if wrong, you could very well find yourself living under the Crowsnest Mafia…. again…. at least until Edmonton says enough is enough and uses 'dissolution' to put an end to this mockery of Crowsnest Pass style democracy and governance here in the Pass.
Strike to win, strike only when success is certain; if it is not, then don't strike.
This entry was posted in CNP Politics and tagged Bill Kovach, Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures, Dean Ward, Dissolution, Marlene Anctil, Municipal Election, Pass Herald, Ratepayers Association, Shar Lazzaratto. Bookmark the permalink.
Yes, I guess we might as well sit back and wait for dissolution in probably a year or so.
You never know though. You may do better than expected.
I am also not writing off a lot of the present people, mayor included. Maybe I am not in the right circles but a lot of people I talk to are leaning that way also. So apparently not everyone thinks they are all bad like some people keep drilling into us – or trying to. Interesting times indeed.
John, while I can't applaud your decision & won't challenge it (after all, you are old enough to decide for yourself), I certainly do understand it.
The reality is that the deck was stacked against you & anyone else who wants a change from the status quo a long time ago. If we leave emotions out of it & go to the heart of the matter, we will see that the course of the towns & later the amalgamated municipality was set decades ago. Once the Old Boys Clubs started to form, anyone who didn't conform was on the outside. We have talked about the feuds & disagreements, discussed solutions but until the OBC is adulterated with new blood or the community is no more, things will never change.
John, you certainly kept us thinking or if not thinking at least riled up. I hope you keep it up & don't let your lone voice fade out in the wilderness.
Besides, you never know, "none of the above" may make a surprising comeback in the polls!
Do your own research. I told you where to look.
What makes you think Dean will be in?He did so dismally at the last election, do you think people forget that quickly?
The decision is your and good.
A Mayor is suppose to do what the taxepayers ask him to do.
every one know John is not that type of a man simple.
This will be a free for all the RATS to hyde our money in their bank you would have no one to blame but yourself.
Dean Ward came in 12th out of 19 in the last election, what makes him a shoe-in this time around?
Oh, I don't know? Maybe because of his tying his apron strings to the Ratepayers Executive and Blair, hoping to ride in on their coattails. Or maybe because of his past experience or that he wants it so much and is trying so hard. I could be wrong here, who knows?
still satisfied that I have a place to put that mark.
Dean won't get voted in he seems to hate the community.
This letter may seem a bit long but Mayor Bruce V Decoux, Ph.D.'s directionless monographs cannot be adequately described in less than a long essay. Permit me this forum to rant. The last time I heard Bruce ramble on in his characteristically bibulous blather he said something about wanting to ignore compromise and focus solely on his personal agenda. I feel sorry for the human race when I hear stuff like that. As I understand it, we must warn the public against those mephitic slicksters whose positive accomplishments are always practically nil but whose conceit can scarcely be excelled. If we do, then perhaps a brighter day will dawn on planet Earth. Perhaps people will open their eyes and see that when I observe Bruce's pals' behavior, I can't help but recall the proverbial expression, "monkey see, monkey do". That's because, like him, they all want to fund, assemble, and train poxy showboaters to make the pot of misoneism overboil and scald the whole world. Also, while a monkey might think that Bruce is morally obligated to attack everyone else's beliefs, the fact remains that every so often you'll see Bruce lament, flog himself, cry mea culpa for initiating a reign of arrogant terror, and vow never again to be so obstreperous. Sadly, he always reverts to his old behavior immediately afterwards, making me think that he refers to a variety of things using the word "electroencephalographic". Translating this bit of jargon into English isn't easy. Basically, Bruce is saying that his debauches are the result of a high-minded urge to do sociological research, which we all know is patently absurd. At any rate, to say that all any child needs is a big dose of television every day is fickle nonsense and untrue to boot.
Bruce obviously didn't have to pass an intelligence test to get to where he is today because his knowledge of how things work is completely off the mark. First of all, I keep telling him that he is against everything and for nothing. Sure, a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse, but perhaps if I'm persistent, Bruce will eventually realize that he pompously claims that fastidious present-day robber barons make the best scoutmasters and schoolteachers. That sort of nonsense impresses many people, unfortunately. Not only have cocky analphabetics decided to glorify their cajoleries by dressing them up as moral and righteous prerogatives, but their programs of Gleichschaltung are being debated as though they were actually reasonable. Bruce's vassals have been pivotal in sustaining the narrative that we have no reason to be fearful about the criminally violent trends in our society today and over the past ten to fifteen years. Towards this end they toss about inflated figures, dubious "facts", and exaggerated claims about how Bruce is cunctipotent. It is time for someone to work together in an atmosphere of friendship and hope. Will that someone be you?
There are times I have been accused of being pendantic, I can't hold a candle to your diatribe.
Your use of "electroencephalographic" I find totally erroneous, especially in view of what you use as a definition, "sociological research". Based on your definition the proper term should be "ethnography".
If I had turned in an essay like yours to my old English teachers, they would have flung it back in my face saying "do it again in 100 words or less using phrases the average person can understand.
Perhaps you could do that for the average person reading this blog.
I am overwhelmed and stimulated. Rant on anytime.
Anon 10:54pm Oct 3. It will take until AFTER the election to decipher your presentation. You obviously were not taught by the likes of Brucy. Yes, your message is right on, too bad many will not read it.
John these 4 losers do not have a chance. The tide is turning talk to people in the centre and the west end Bruce and his Incumbents are coming back. You guys are out to lunch in that East end. Get back into the debate, you need to show Bruce for what he really is.
Dean is trying really hard.
As anyone that is running should be, or why be there.
Time to hijack these blogs, there is a shockingly low number of votes for our community's initiative to get a new chairlift at Pass Powderkeg. One that would improve skiing but also make downhill biking in the summer a reality.
Let's all quit bad mouthing everyone/everything for a second and do something good. I know you all have the internet, put a vote in everyday. Show me this is a great place to live, don't just tell me.
Found it while looking for a political campaign speech generator.
Re: Scott Pakin's automatic complaint-letter generator.
"•What's the name of the company/organization you want to complain about?".