Who for mayor?

[Florence]

Will Harvey run again. Could he stand it? He seems so out of sorts with the current council. Does it make any difference what he does? Is mayoral leadership possible? If not Harvey who? Names mentioned: Gerretsen, Schmolka, Hector, Smith? Sounds like fun. Stay tuned. Got any preference?

[KingstonHand]

If Harvey Rosen chooses to gracefully retire, then I'd guess any two or three among the following might consider running:

Rick Downes
Mark Gerretsen
Dorothy Hector
Vicki Schmolka
Ed Smith

Rick Downes placed well last time, but it was a three-way race. He seems a hard worker with good ideas, but can he forge teams to work on common objectives?

Mark Gerretsen appears to have his eyes focused on the long range future, and mayor would be a steppingstone to other offices. So he will likely play safe rather than take a risk and ruffle some feathers.

Dorothy Hector has an impressive background, but people don't gather to her and she seems so totally certain that her way is the right way.

Vicki Schmolka has seemed effective, willing to support good planning for the city, yet quite conscious of controlling municipal costs to keep taxes affordable.

Ed Smith doesn't show the necessary leadership skills. And isn't a team player.

Maybe someone else will rise to the challenge. Or maybe Harvey Rosen will shoulder the burden of another term.

[Florence]

Rick is nice but divisive.

[Lydia]

Rick Downes Is an excellent choice, however, is three times running a charm?

Mark Gerretsen, I like Mark however, I hear from others that Mark will tell you what you want to hear. Personally, I find that he will at least listen to people's views. Only his residents will be able to tell us if he indeeds follows through to their wants.

Dorothy Hector, Always wanted to learn about how Harvey deals with the position of Mayor. I like Dorothy as a person but I wonder if her health will allow her to be able to take on such a position at this time.

Vicki Schmolka, Originally, I was very distrusting of Vicki until i actually got to watch her and listen to her decisions. I personally would work for Vicki at this time if she would choose to run. I remember her ability to withstand the attacks (as I seen them) that Leonore, Ed, and Harvey performed against Vicki when she first took office as a Councilor. She took it and overcame their treatment of her. That took patience and she was respectful in all dealings with council, even in her disagreements with others.

Ed Smith, Originally, I was very much against Ed. However, I found that the people in his district actually were willing to put signs on their lawns up for him. That showed me that he must be listening to his residents.
Ed has always told me e-mail to e-mail what he thought of my positions and wasn't afraid to do so. I respect that and in some cases he was correct and others I won. I do think however that the majority of council may not be as supportive as him.

Those are my views only.

There is one more person who if decided to run would get my vote for Mayor. Steve Garrison. He has won TWO terms as councilor. He also had his run ins with Harvey and other members of council. He like Vicki also took blows thrown his way and withstood them. He was always polite and positive. I always find that HE READS REPORTS AND PROPOSALS before he votes on him. (not like other councilors before him) That makes him more capable of making decisions correctly without having to be wishy-washy.

[Dogma]

http://www.kingstonelectors.ca/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif Elections 2010


Rick Downes Is a poor choice, he has run three times, and currently the NDP representative. I doubt municipal is in his league or eye anymore.

Conspiracy theorist to the core. Divisive.

Mark Gerretsen, yikes, you must be kidding. He is barely out of the cradle of politic's. His father would have a better chance. Likable guy, and an occasional strategist. But, Mayor - I don't think so. - Green to the core.

Dorothy Hector, the "military" momma. Her interpersonal skills suck. Its her eliteness and her long winded I love my thoughts speeches, that lead me to believe she would be a dictator. Yike's your starting to scare me.

Vicki Schmolka, on balance she is left in her political views, but middle right in her economic responsibility concepts. I like her well thought out ideas, strong motions and strategic prowise. She would get my vote.

Brains with a heart. Need I say more.

Ed Smith, time to go ED. You have had your fun, and what you contribute to your riding is very little. If you call supporting the LVEC tiny. (in size) Which I do.

Steve Garrison. what a joke. He is left all the way. Conspiracy theroist to the core, and does not read up on any issues (other than his own) and lined always with hearsay..or Whig "quotes".

He had KCAL (The WEB group against the LVEC) invited on "camera" night...to go on about how the local business folks are again giving it to the "local" working class. Divisive strategy or what!

Please Steve SIT DOWN when you give your nonsense soap box speeches.

Nice guy though.....but

To me he would be a city liability.

[Lydia]

HOLY COW, I never thought i would hear anything NICE about anyone other that Harvey FROM YOU. lmao. lmao

Hi Dogma,

Actually I am upset with you give Steve Garrison credit for the KCAL. DOES STEVE LOOK LIKE RICK DOWNES.to you???? It was Rick that was pushed into opposing the LVEC. Okay Steve might have voted against it but PLEASE Give Credit to Rick where it belongs.

Now Let's hear your take on Joyce, Leonore, and Robert lol lol.

Wow it feels good fighting with you again Dogma.

By the way How about us picking on you to run??? lmao

[Dogma]

Joyce, - in a word "hick", heart of gold, educated as a jersey cow.

Leonore - "British", hard working, caring, feisty, has trouble being sworn at.

Robert- "cunnuk" - bordering on naive, friendly personality, needs to travel.

Lydia - "smart-aleck" - deserves a vacation to the tropics frequently, sweet.

Dogma - "not a contender", just a brash complainer, bark worse than his bite

[Lydia]

Dogma, You are a hoot. Your bark is indeed loud but Anyone as MEAN, STRAIGHT-SHOOTER, AS YOU really is a great guy at heart.

Oh heck Why am I being nice now.
D:D

[Florence]

It is interesting that Leonore Foster does not place highly in anyone's group of possibles. Last election she was seen as a good choice. What happened?

[KingstonHand]

Have you seen examples of Leonore working to achieve consensus on an issue among the councillors?

[Dogma]

Can't say I have..but not to say that others have the same perspective.

[Florence]

I did hear Joyce M-K say that Leonore had been rude to her in a committee meeting. I suspect that was an accent problem rather than rudeness.

[Lydia]

To answer your question Florence the reason Leonore won't make Mayor could be this:


Leonore isn't RUDE, she is Arrogant. lmao.:)

She has a problem she believes she is an ENVIRONMENTALIST but she isn't.

ie..

Just this week, I brought in a Whole Foods Grocery Bag MADE OF PAPER. and I tested her on whether she would actually look at it.

Well She was very upset with it because she said she would never use that. Ed Smith was there and said it costs much more money to produce those.
Leonore said that was a complete waste of trees and she would prefer plastic over that anytime.

Well, That was a complete surprise to me especially as:

1: Whole Foods advertised on it that it is a step that makes a difference for our environment and local communities.
2: The PAPER bags can be REUSED (great for the green bin instead of paying for extra bags that have PLASTIC LINERS AND ALSO made out of paper) for other purproses. The company actually donates 10CENTS per bag TO YOUR DESIGNATED CHARITY.
3: Oh YES; IT ALSO SAYS THAT THESE PAPER BAGS ARE MADE WITH 100% RECYCLED PAPER.

Imagine that made from RECYCLED PAPER not TREES which bothered Leonore. Think of all those flyers and all the newspapers we get at the door. Think OF ALL the while paper we have used printing out the Council meetings. etc etc.

And Leonore calls herself a ENVIRONMENTALIST. I think NOT

Maybe she doesn't just like being called an environmentalist and
neither do I Maybe she agrees that this council should never BAN PLASTIC BAGS either. I only would BAN the plastic bags that are NOT BIO-DEGRADABLE. You know the ones this COUNCIL JUST BANNED because our Rcycle Department can't tell them apart from the others.

This department and probaly Council would not try to FORCE BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE ONLY BIO-DEGRADABLE plastic bags.

Oh yes, I also tried to give one of the bags to Vicki. She said no thanks just take it to Loblaws.

The only two people who I DID give the bags to are Joyce and Robert. Both as I can tell are willing to listen and were not SCARED to touch the topic.

So again Leonore is never RUDE only Arrogent in thinking she and her friends are the only ones who know what is best for this city.

[Dogma]

Cloth bags, or baskets.

They have been used and are used in Europe for years!.

Paper bags are sooooo passe!

[Lydia]

Wow that is wonderful, So in Europe the stores give out Cloth Bags and Baskets??? lmao.

Personally, I agree Paper bags sure are Passe.

I have over 10 Cloth Bags that I use all the time. My point was that council members should NOT be afraid to look at ALL options without being jumpy when something is presented to them.

I don't believe that in Europe that people put Cloth Bags and Baskets into Green Bins to throw out with the Garbage. Or Do they:confused::confused:

Instead of BUYING the paper bags that we are being encouraged to BUY to put in the Green Bins, The Bags made from
recycled paper should be used instead and can also carry Groceries. Stores do want to sell their products, THEY should be providing the public with a means to CARRY the products OUT of their stores or maybe we should HIRE people to carry the products to our cars. lol lol

[Dogma]

Sorry, I thought you were speaking to grocery bags.

I will check how they collect - yard waste, green bins.

[Lydia]

Dogma, you are correct that I was talking about grocery bags.

However, the bags are the same size if not larger than the PLASTIC bags that are put in a kitchen bin and then placed in the green bags for garbage.

If you use two of those Whole Food Bags and place them inside a Green Bin, you will have almost the same size as ONE Paper Bag that is being sold for Green Bins

The issue for me is that with all the newsprint and wasted white print paper that can be recycled to create the WHOLE FOODS bag are are 100% biodegradable.:)

[Dogma]

Just stop buying anything you don't need..from Walmart your suburbian cow trough!

Problem solved!

[Lydia]

Walmart your suburbian cow trough!
WALMART YOUR SUBURBIAN FAT cow trough!!! lmao;


Is Whole Foods in Toronto considered walmart?? :D:D:D

[jason]

To get this discussion back on tract...I think the mayor will run again, just because he has a point to make -- that point is --- this council is disfunctional. Personally I don't think it is, but I think the mayor thinks the council is disfunxtional. I think the council just disagrees with the mayor.

[Dogma]

I believe Mayor Rosen will NOT run again because it is "disfunctional".

He has tried to do his best under two councils and 6 years of work.

I think he has made his "points" and/or legacy in terms of trying to make the city a less backwater, conservative - loyalist dreamlike, OR Islands of communities within its (The City's) borders, with their own agenda.

I think he legitimately wants "these" communities to work together, to build a "Modern, competitive City" - not an old conservative (small island town) with "City" - like ...illusions of grandeur.

Sounds familar?

[Lydia]

Oh come on guys, Rosen has to run. He does best in this type of council. lmao. Some would even say he fits right in. lmao. (Sorry Harvey) lol

Let's face it in order to run in a political election of ANY type you need to be disfunctional to put up with stuff. :D

Besides, who would I pick on if not him??????????????/ geez

[SuzzieQ]

I have gone through this many times and I come up with following conclusion:

At the May 5, 2009 City Council meeting, the Mayor Rosen voted "yes" to allow an amendment that would extend the life of the LOP dog park until something actually happened in the park, and, knowing that the question was now on the table, he voted against the amended clause so that the question of a dog park at LOP was then closed for a year.(by Council rules)
The only other explanation is that he didn't know what he was doing.

So he was either playing dirty politics or he is incompetent. Either way, Kingston deserves better!

[Florence]

Would those posting please give me an outline on what you think the role of the mayor is?

[Edgewaters]

To get this discussion back on tract...I think the mayor will run again, just because he has a point to make -- that point is --- this council is disfunctional. Personally I don't think it is, but I think the mayor thinks the council is disfunxtional. I think the council just disagrees with the mayor.

Gee, I wonder why the council is disfunctional? Perhaps because the mayor is completely out of sync with the council, and indeed, the rest of the city?

[Lydia]

Well said Edgewater, Well said