Mayoral candidate Mike Savage stood his ground during our candidates debate yesterday afternoon. Savage told my News 95.7 audience he feels no need to release his campaign donors list before the legislated deadline to do so, 60 days after the election. And he accused challenger Tom Martin of playing politics on the issue. All agreed to the rules going into the campaign Savage said and he would live by those rules. Martin and Fred Connors have released their donors lists that includes a nearly $20,000 donation to Martin from the Martin family.
Savage supporters say this is a non-issue and it really hasn't been picked up on much by the mainstream media. Until now. Marilla Stephenson writes about it today and is urging Savage to practice what he preaches. She says Savage cannot call for accountibility one day, then shy away from it the next. I agree. Whoever donates to a campaign and how much they give is information voters should have before they mark their ballots.
Waye Mason's got some concerns about the early voting now underway in the city for the October 20th municipal election. So far over 16,000 residents have voted online or by phone. Early voting started Saturday and continues until the 18th. The 20th is voting day. Mason's running for a council seat against Sue Uteck in the new Peninsula South district. He says voters haven't had enough time yet to learn about the candidates and that favours the incumbents. Weak argument Waye. There's been plenty of time to introduce yourself to the district's voters. It sounds like you're making excuses.
Mason does have a legitimate concern about the cutoff date to ensure your name is on the voters list. He would have liked to have seen it moved past the start of university classes to give students a chance to register. They still can, but need to make an effort now to do so. Extending the voter cutoff deadline by a couple of weeks I don't think would be a huge deal. With fixed municipal election dates, it will be an issue again. It's certainly something to consider for 2016's vote.
A guilty conscience? Or no willing buyer?? Whatever the reason, it was good to see whoever stolen those decorative pieces from the newly renovted Victoria Jubilee Fountain in the Public Gardens. Someone stole the four cast iron pieces overnight Monday but after lots of media publicity about the case, they were returned yesterday, found in a box on the Gardens property. Police think someone threw the box over the fence. The fountain had just undergone a $100,000 renovation.
Have a great day. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
