Voting Local 2010
499 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 … 20 Newer→ Last
-
What about some suggestions for candidates
worth voting for ?That's just crazy talk.
From a typical councillors manifesto:
_
_an in-patient bed in a psych ward costs $170k a year. A councillor earns a mere $70k. Vote for me and save a hundred grand!__ -
The thing about the ballot papers that struck me was just how many candidates there are
Indeed. We have, at last count, 18 running for the 5 places on Waiheke's local - but powers yet unspecified - board.
Both local papers have covered it well, I think, and there's been any number of opportunities to quiz the candidates in person, including a session of 'speed dating'...
For all that, they seem to be taking guard around two main issues 1) The hardy perennial: 'We're not another suburb of Auckland! Did you actually hear a word we f***g said, City Hall?!' and 2) Should Waiheke push to be included under UNESCO's biosphere programme?
Surprisingly - to me anyway - it's the second that seems to be creating more noise, particularly from the red-tape-to-a-bull, pro development crowd (though that in itself is less surprising).
Anyhow, I do wonder if the Waitemata ward council seat (of which we will soon be a part) isn't more important. We've gone from 1 councillor representing 8,000 Island residents to 1 representing us....and 80,000 odd others as well.
So, unless 'Jedi Dave' and his promise 'to do or do not' (hardly what you'd call decisive) makes a late surge, most of us will be pinning our hopes on Mike Lee getting in...
-
I'm immensely pissed off that you have to vote for 7 people for the DHB - only four standing of whom were City Vision. So I had to vote for 3 people that I didn't even know. And of course, I wasn't aware that there was a website (thanks Christopher) that intro'ed candidates. Mind you, it's of no use to me now, because I can't bloody remember who these people were that I voted for.
-
I have solidly refused to vote for anyone who mentions their marital status and/or number of children in the first line of their candidate bio.
I'm just reading through the pamphlet that came with my voting papers (Auckland) and am feeling the same way about every candidate who has seen fit to mention the precious volcanic cones and the sparkling harbour.
My favourite bio statement so far is from Independent candidate Nga Dave, who says:
I am a criminal in the sense that I smoke illegal substances. But in my heart I know I am not bad.
</awesome>
-
Philip, there is a race of sorts in Wellington. Unfortunately, there are two left candidates challenging Kerry P who wants a fourth term, in spite of initially saying she didn't. Celia Wade-Brown is an experienced Green councillor who could have a chance in our STV voting system, if Kerry doesn't win the first round outright, and is promoting light rail and general sustainability. Very hard to find anything at all critical of roads-loving Kerry in the media, while Celia has already been slurred by a reporter who suggested she had promoted goats heads on poles as pest deterrents, when she hadn't at all.
Kerry has a team of strategically based right wing 'independents' among the councillors (and some new candidates).
One big issue here (for me) is our Wellington public library network which could be in for a big downgrade if you read between the lines of recent council reports and budget predictions. My friend Marie has surveyed all the candidates and compiled a report I can send to anyone if they email me hilary.stace@vuw.ac.nz. We also have a Facebook page Owners of Wellington Libraries.
-
One candidate tackles the legal-heterosexual-with-children meme head on:
The number of children I have is zero (though one day maybe...), and I am not married.
And then rather sweetly and forthrightly courts the geek vote:
I have never smoked or drunk alcohol, and my hobbies include doing jig-saw puzzles, reading, and collecting vintage computers. . When you hang with me, you never look back.
</evenawesomer>
-
Jackie - do you have to vote for 7? I thought it was up to 7, (as it was last time) in which case you only vote for those you really want.
-
Is there a mayoral race of any kind in -- for example -- Wellington, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga ... ?
Thanks, Philip. I went to a three hour long meet-the-candidates thing in Hamilton East last week, so have some sense of the possibilities. We have a lower quota of fruit-loops this time 'round but a few colourful candidates. Lisa Lewis is running for mayor but not sure what her policies are--but I like how Steve Braunias wrote about her assets in SST: about a large pair of breasts arriving at a function 'followed by their employer, Lisa Lewis'. For an ex-Nat MP Bob Simcock is a guy who seems to listen but I also like a young lawyer Julie Hardaker, who is also running for mayor.
In my ward (Hamilton East), the folk I am voting for are those who led a campaign against a local developer, who knocked over a historic brick wall and a row of huge trees, in an attempt to build more shops on one of the busiest intersections in Hamilton East. HCC have now been shown to have granted illegal permission to the developer and the Council may have to cough up costs.
We have The Rates Control Team--with a skillful flourish of a craft knife, they become The Rats Control Team. There is also the 'orrible Garry Mallet (former ACT president) who is running on a campaign of slashing funding but who is virtually invisible.
-
Jackie - do you have to vote for 7? I thought it was up to 7, (as it was last time) in which case you only vote for those you really want.
Am just reading the form myself: "You can write in as many preferences or as few as you like up to 18". Phew.
-
I have never smoked or drunk alcohol
I too, have never smoked alcohol...
-
No matter how batshit some of our would be leaders are we can take comfort in the fact that it could be worse. In the most recent Korean presidential election one Huh Kyung Young campaigned on a platform of...
having an IQ of 430
being able to see the future
healing arthritis by touch
giving couples 100 million Won (about $120,000NZD) upon marriage
uniting with Mongolia and Chinawhilst serving eighteen months for electoral fraud Mr Huh claims to have been visited by Michael Jackson's spirit, once out of prison he released his first single.
Would provide a link if I knew how, sorry, but he is googleable
-
I don't see the current Fiji government doing a lot for the struggles she champions
Local communist parties have really struggled to make sense since COMINTERN stopped sending out political bibles each year that contradicted last year's instructions.
Sadly neither Marx nor Lenin commented on what to do about Fiji so they're just making it up as they go along.
-
after the Ellersleaze Fower Show purchase debacle, people in Christchurch are wondering how much
Bob Parker (er, ratepayers) paid Wellington for
the earthquake... -
I too, have never smoked alcohol...
You can eat beer now though - the times we live in, eh.
-
I can recommended flaming sambucas to those wanting to smoke alcohol.
-
One candidate tackles the legal-heterosexual-with-children meme head on:
The number of children I have is zero (though one day maybe...), and I am not married.
And then rather sweetly and forthrightly courts the geek vote:
I have never smoked or drunk alcohol, and my hobbies include doing jig-saw puzzles, reading, and collecting vintage computers. . When you hang with me, you never look back.
</evenawesomer>
He is awesome and I like his approach.
Though I'm not sure I want to endure this particular birthing process:
I feel that we to ensure that the full costs of any option is eventually born by the direct consumer (that is, the motorist, or the commuter).
-
Even more mystifying, though, is why the Nats in Wellington haven't stepped in to help their frankly hopeless northern counterparts to get a place in Auckland's new power structure.
Do they not realise how much influence the 20 councillors sitting around the Super City board table are going to have?
You've got to bet Labour is giving Len Brown's team shiatsu massages and pep talks every night.
Does Hill-Cone have a clue about how the National Party actually works, or how it doesn't actually directly get involved in local body campaigns? Oh, of course not -- that would require real live research by people with a detectable attention span and APN doesn't believe in that...
-
Here in Welli I'm getting most of my candidate info from Wellingtonista (thanks Joanna!) - they've invited all the mayoral candidates (and any other candidates who want to) to answer a bunch of questions crowdsourced via Twitter. Linky goodness here:
Celia Wade-Brown (standing for Mayor)
Al Mansell (standing for Mayor)
Kerry Prendergast (standing for Mayor yet again and who didn't follow the rules and got punished for it - very funny)
Jack Yan (standing for Mayor)
Bryan Pepperell (standing for Mayor)
Kris Price (standing for council in the Lambton Ward)
-
There seem to be 3 not-batshit-insane candidates who arent Kerry to choose from here in Wellington.
Jack Yan believes that free wifi will somehow enable Wellington's economy to achieve 15% growth over an undefined, but presumably short timeframe. Said free wifi is now being funded by Trademe, so we'll see its transforming powers if he wins or not. The former is unlikely, as his campaign has been targetted at the few hundred geeks of whom he is the Obama-like hope. Predict a 4th place.
Celia Wade-Brown has racked off many of her core constituency by backing Kerry's destruction of Manners Mall. This militant desire to compromise presaged the national Green parties vote on the Earthquake Enabling Act. Interestingly, she doesn't describe herself as a "Green" in the election material, but has been a Green councillor for
several years. Could have won, but will come 2nd.Bryan Pepperell is mildly nutty, but is at least in favour of keeping spending under control and reducing contracting out of services. He'll get my vote, but will probably come 3rd.
-
Just received voting papers...for WCDistrict & WC Regional councils, my choices are 7 Pakeha males, all over the age of 50 (and some pushing 70.) Most are farmers, or self-employed business people. There is a sort of a race between incumbent Hokitika mayor, Maureen Pugh, and an incumbent councillor (sigh, another older Pakeha male...)
I feel too depressed to continue on to the candidate lists for the Health Board...
-
I'm immensely pissed off that you have to vote for 7 people for the DHB - only four standing of whom were City Vision. So I had to vote for 3 people that I didn't even know.
I thought as long as you voted for one, it was up to you to vote for as many as you liked . Just as long as you put 1 as first choice in DHB candidates then the rest in your preferred order as many as you want up to 18. For example I voted for everyone but city rats, so my numbers went up to 10. just as you could have picked just 3. Still I've already opened my envelope once now so can't do it again to check for you or it might look suspicious. :)
-
Oh well I fucked it up then. Boo.
-
Oh well I fucked it up then. Boo.
Nah hun, as long as you chose anyone but city rats, it's all good in my book and if you did then that's that and we won't discuss it in the future ;-)
Just imagine if your vote was the deciding factor between 7 city rats or 3 city vision and 4 independents. Then everyone I know would really appreciate your efforts, if it was the latter. -
So stand Islander!
-
Nah hun, as long as you chose anyone but city rats, it's all good in my book and if you did then that's that and we won't discuss it in the future ;-)
Sofie! How could you? I would NEVER vote City Rats. Never, d'ya hear me?
Post your response…
This topic is closed.