More on Slates

I have stated often that I do not believe "slates" of candidates have a place in municipal elections. They lead to "block" voting rather that having individuals think for themselves, and are based on ideologies rather than examining all sides of an issues. They have traditionally not done well in Nanaimo. This year we have an official slate called REAL Nanaimo. And we also have an unofficial slate called Forward Nanaimo. Just today a person came to my door giving out flyers for three of their candidates running as group. Both REAL and Forward have websites giving a list of their endorsed candidates. To me they represent two ends of the political spectrum - conspiracy theory to the right, and Green environmentalism to the left. My suggestion is that we need centralist, independent thinkers on Council who do not come to the table with pre-conceived beliefs. We need common sense and a willingness to weigh economic, social, and environmental values before making an informed decision. We shall see tomorrow what voters think.