In St. Catharines, Conservative incumbent Rick Dykstra was re-elected.  Despite his re-election, the NDP’s performance is noteworthy.  For the first time since before the 1960s, the NDP placed second in popular vote in St. Catharines (obtaining 23.8%).  Similar to St. Catharines, Conservative incumbent Dean Allison was re-elected in the Niagara West riding, but once again the NDP placed second in popular vote with 21.6% (a 6.8% increase over the 2008 election).  Similarly, the Niagara Falls riding also saw Conservative MP Rob Nicholson re-elected while the NDP candidate Heather Kelley finished second with 23.5% of the vote (a 5.7% increase over 2008).

In sum, the Niagara area was relatively uneventful since all incumbents were re-election without any changes.  Of note was the surge in NDP support in Niagara since they finished second in all ridings except in Welland where they were elected.  The surge in NDP support followed the national trend for the election where they finished as the official opposition.

Harper’s control of the media (only allowing 5 questions asked per day during the election when usually the media have constant access to candidates), his constant vilification of ‘coalitions’ (even though he himself signed an agreement to one with the bloc in the past AND they are perfectly democratic), and his focus on crime and low corporate taxes has completely turned me off of his campaign from the beginning.

We have witnessed a slow erosion of social programs in Canada and an inability for canadians to receive help and access services when they most needed. Canadians across the country, and within Niagara, have been unable to receive help due to sickness, job loss or other hardships. It is time to turn the tide and re-invest in the programs that made our country great.

Most conservative supporters say that increasing social services will cost too much and we are taxed too much as it is. And that we need a low tax rate to keep business in Canada.
Our corporate tax rate is almost half the US rate… And guess what? The businesses have left despite consistent reductions. Taxes are a small consideration for business location. Taking into accounts the markets, workforce, local creative and innovative culture are among the many factors that businesses consider when locating. If anything, a business will be more likely to locate in an area with strong social programs because the corporation likely will have reduced losses due to illness and won’t need to start employee medical insurance plans.

In addition to health care, I have seen many hard working canadians who have lost their jobs recently and are struggling or are unable to provide basic necessities for their families. Confronting poverty is a must and making sure that those needed programs like EI are there during these though times is important.

Also, we have seen Canada pull out of Kyoto and minimal environmental action under the Harper government. We need a plan to deal with the environment and climate change. The rising cost of gas will continue to rise no matter how much we reduce or eliminate tax on fuel. Investing in alternative energy sources is necessary not only in the long term but in the short term. We need action now. Investing in alternative transit options like high speed rail that is consistent, reliable and affordable is a must or Canada. Years ago we undertook an ambitious project to unite this country with a railway connection. Again we need to embrace the opportunity and embark on another monumental task to bring affordable, efficient, world-leading mass transit to Canada and reduce our dependence on oil.

Finally, as someone who has spent many years as a student, I see the importance of education to the future of our youth. Cost is one of the main barriers. I have seen people leave university with up to $100,000 due to the high cost of tuition, residence and meal plans. With rising education costs, university education is becoming accessible only for youth from higher income families. Clearly, action is required to enhance funding to our universities and colleges across the country. Even neoliberal commentators have trumpeted the importance of universities in enhancing employment in the postindustrial work environment, but yet they have continuously decreased funding to our educational institutions. It’s time to change that and make Canada the research and knowledge leader of the world.

The NDP is the party that closest encompasses my views and it is for that reason that I am voting orange this election.

More than one mayoral candidate made use of social media and online tools in this election.  David Alexander also had several YouTube videos on his website to help personalize his campaign as well as links to Twitter and Facbook pages.  Greg D’Amico kept an online blog on his website and posted answers to submitted voters questions. 

The Welland mayoral race was one of the most interesting race’s in Niagara since the incumbent mayor, Goulbourne, decided not to run and the seat was up for grabs.  Welland has faced tough times recently with massive job losses due to the loss of manufacturing in the city.  The tough times and new developments (Flatwater track for PanAm Games, new development around hospital, etc) seemed spurred some innovative thinking and created a pool of great candidates in this campaign.  I think people were interested in this campaign because of the positive momentum that has been building to help rebuild Welland.

All incumbents were re-elected and the only new faces on regional council are Alan Caslin and Andy Petrowski and on city council are Matthew Harris and Mathew Siscoe. 

What does the lack of change in council composition mean? Either the public is happy with the status quo or that there were no real issues brought forth in this campaign that ignited the public.  The mayoral race was particularly bland during this election- the most prominent issues were regional council composition reform and bike lanes… both of which are not necessarily ‘sexy’ issues that drive voters to the polls.  The debates lacked the devisiveness that have existing in past elections.  In 2006 the Port Tower was a major issue that created a lot of stir and in 2003 the proposed 4 pad arena was the major issue.  Perhaps it is the economic crisis that has stunted the generation of unique proposals for fear of angering voters over new expenses.  Fiscal restraint (tax cuts) was a common theme among most candidates in St. Catharines and Niagara.  Getting excited about fiscal restraint, regional council composition, and bike lanes is about as difficult as getting excited to make your annual tax trip to your accountant.

Regardless, we can only hope that the future of this council will help build a stronger city and that the elected officials come up with creative solutions to spur economic development in the region.

Elected Representatives:

• Mayor- Brian McMullan
• Ward 1 (Merritton) – Jennie Stevens & Jeff Burch
• Ward 2 (St. Andews)- Jospeh Kushner & Matthew Harris
• Ward 3 (St. George’s)- Peter Secord & Greg Washuta
• Ward 4 (St. Patrick’s)- Mark Elliot & Mathew Siscoe
• Ward 5 (Grantham)- Bill Philips & Dawn Dodge
• Ward 6 (Port Dalhousie)- Bruce Williamson & Len Stack
• Regional Council- Bruce Timms, Ronna Katzman, Tim Rigby, Brian Heit, Alan Caslin, Andy Petrowski

With the choice of the current mayor of Welland, Damian Goulbourne, not to run for re-election, I figured that the Welland mayoral debates would be interesting as several candidates fight it out to capture the seat.  The City of Welland has had a number of huge challenges in the recent past including plant closures and rising unemployment.  I have also had the opportunity to uncover some of the positive developments that have surfaced lately in Welland while doing research in poverty earlier this year.  The Welland citizens are doing a good job of brainstorming and developing great programs to confront the issue of poverty.  There are many great after school programs on the east side and great work done by the Hope Centre to help individuals who are down on their luck.

There has also been a lot of targeted development in the neighbourhoods that are most in need.  Brock University is investing in the area around the hospital.  The recreational waterway is getting an overhaul in anticipation of hosting the flatwater events in the 2015 PanAm games.  The Rose City Seniors Centre has also received an investment that will see the expansion of the unique and active facility with the addition of an auditorium, therapeutic pool, and other facilities.

With the exit of the current mayor, it is important to maintain the positive development stride in Welland.  After watching the mayoral debate, I was pleased by the quality of discussion and debate on a variety of issues including poverty, economic development, arts and culture, and regional council.  If I could choose an outstanding candidate in the debate, it would be David Alexander.  He seemed to have a large number of great ideas for the future of Welland including the creation of a business incubator to promote new business, creating a buy local program, and supporting measure to help those in need. The other candidates including Barry Sharpe, Leo Van Vliet, Phil Bradley, and John Watt also raised a lively discussion and discussed the importance of creating new job opportunities in Welland.

I hope that whomever gets elected as Welland mayor maintains the same momentum as in the past.  It is important not to get caught up in the battle to the bottom by focussing on cutting taxes as a means to encourage business development and to lower cost of residents.  By focusing on taxes, Welland will be left behind.  It is important to continue to develop innovative programs, services, and events that will set Welland apart from other municipalities if it is to succeed in the future.  Although I am not a resident of Welland, I would like to see the city that has been dealt a poor hand by plant closures and layoffs regain its past prosperity.

Having secure, safe and reliable housing is the key to starting to build a better life.  There are many people in Niagara and across the province who live in sub-standard living conditions and who may have to live in shelters, ‘couch surf’ with friends and family or live on the streets while they seek to obtain affordable housing units.  These individuals without secure housing are rarely to blame for their unfortunate circumstance. 

Individuals may become reliant on a shelter due to violence in the home that has caused them to flee, loss of job which has led to falling behind on bills, rent and has led to eviction, and failure to keep up with the high cost of maintaining even a minimal standard of living.  The average one bedroom apartment in Niagara costs $679 per month in 2009 (CMHC).  That can be a HUGE cost for someone making minimum wage:

36 hours/week x $10.25/hr = 369/wk

$369/wk x 4 weeks per month= $1476 per month (not including any CPP deductions, etc)

Therefore, after paying rent for the month, that leaves about $700 for all other expenses.

Food & Groceries- $400/month

Phone- $25/month

 Transportation- $80/month bus pass

That leaves about just under $200/month left for any other expenses like TV, internet, buying furniture, clothes, etc. 

This may seem doable (barely) to some but rarely if you are working for minimum wage will you get 36 hours.  Perhaps you are a server and will end up making less or maybe you have a contract, temporary or on-call job.  These types of precarious employment can complicate the situation more by having longer periods of downtime or unemployment causing individuals to become reliant on consumer debt (credit cards) or borrowing from family or friends.

Anyways, I have segwayed away from the main topic of discussion- affordable housing units in Niagara.  If you are unable to afford a housing unit and get evicted, you may end up at a short-term shelter waiting for an affordable housing unit to open up in Niagara.  In affordable housing units, your rent is geared to your income and is ‘topped up’ to the average level by the government. 

The average wait for affordable housing is nothing short of disgusting.  The average wait for a one bedroom in St. Catharines is 5 years…. 5 YEARS. Two and three bedroom unit waits are approximately 2.5 years. In Welland, the average wait for a one bedroom unit is 8.75 years.  1.75 years for two and three bedroom units, (these statistics are from Niagara Regional Housing).

Imagine losing your apartment because of a short-term job loss and being forced to live in a crowded shelter for several years before being able to get a place of your own.  In the meantime you have no permanent address and must constantly be concerned with losing your place temporary housing spot. 

Clearly there is a problem when the average wait for affordable housing units is that long.  This is not unique to Niagara- there are many other cities in Ontario with lengthy waits for affordable housing.  More units are definitely needed and this should be a main concern by the provincial and federal governments.  How can we expect people to become contributing citizens without first having a safe and secure place to lay their head at night?

At the municipal level, candidates have  a 95% chance to get re-elected once they obtain a position in office.  This means that municipal politicians are largely secure in their position unless they screw up badly or some other unique circumstance arises.  Coverage of municipal politics is rarely prominent in local newspapers and results in the lowest voter turnout of the different levels of government.  Mississauga mayor Hazel Mccallion has held her office position since 1978 (32 years) with 11 consecutive terms as mayor.  Another example is St. Catharines city councillor Joe Kushner who has been elected in his ward since 1976. 

The issue of term limits is coming to the surface in St. Catharines municipal elections.  In St. Catharines, Matthew Harris, running against Kushner, has suggested two-term limits to “ensure councillors focus their energy and time on making decisions rather than fruitless debates and bickering over issues,” St. Catharines Standard. Term limits could result in new faces, new ideas, and a breakdown in the stereotype that politics is an ‘old white man’s’ game.  Younger candidates may be encouraged to run and therefore new views could be heard in the council chambers.

Would term limits improve municipal politics?…. It is hard to say.  Sure, term limits could help encourage new faces and ‘new blood’ to flow through municipal politics but it may also hinder municipal politics as well.  These long terms that some councillors have been serving could be the result of doing a good job in the eyes of voters.  If a politician is consistantly helping drive the municipality in new directions and is satifying the needs of the electorate, why not keep them in office?  Municipal councillors are only truly secure in their job until the next election.  They could easily meet defeat if they screw up, don’t satisfy their ward, or may get beat out if a new candidate is able to woo the electorate.

There is also the problem that by having a two-term limit, the council may consist of largely inexperienced politicians.  Municipal politicians are largely part-time jobs in most Ontario municipalities and therefore having a few veterans around the table may be of a benefit.  The veteran politicians could offer useful advice to new issues that come forth that have arisen in the past and may also help familiarize new politicians with procedures.  New politicians with visions of grandeur may be surprised by the reality of what they can and cannot do when confronted with budget constraints and complicated provincial funding schemes.   

Not having term limits may also benefit the general populace since local residents may be more likely to identify who their politicians are with those who have been elected for a longer amount of time.  Residents may feel more connected to their elected officials that way.  Municipal politics would have a ‘recognizable face’. 

Political term limits are complicated and clearly there is no ‘right’ answer as to whether they are needed or not.  There are advantages and disadvantages to having term limits.  Having too many ‘career politicians’ sitting around the table term-after-term is equally as bad as having a council consisting of new inexperienced politicians term-after-term. The ideal solution is the one that is able to maintain a good balance of new politicians and veteran politicians.  If council has not had any new faces elected for several terms, maybe then it would be time for municipal term limits.

The Chinese censorship of internet content drew much criticism globally and is a concerning development in technological advancement.  While the US criticizes Chinese censorship, a form of internet censorship is also emerging in western democracies.  The US Senate is considering a bill this week that would require internet service providers (ISPs) to block a number of websites.  A law in France that will come into effect this year will allow internet to be cut off from people for one year who illegally download from the internet,  (Yahoo).

It is interesting that western liberal democracies are unwilling to allow internet censorship based on dissenting political opinion but are willing to allow internet censorship to stop challenges to corporate capital.  The blocked sites will likely be file sharing platforms and torrent sites (such as thepiratebay.com) since peer-to-peer sharing platforms have had download-upload speed limits-called internet throttling- placed upon them by many ISPs in Canada and the United States.  These sites do not just spread illegally downloaded music, music and software, but are also useful tools in sharing many legitimate files and software applications. 

A number of questions are reaised concerning about the potential ability for governments or ISPs to cut off internet access to people who are ‘illegally downloading’.  First, what is considered illegal downloading and what limits will be decided upon to result in cutting off internet for families? If you visit thepiratebay or any other torrent site, would that be enough to have your internet cut off for a year? Second, should anyone have the ability to cutoff internet from people who are not imprisoned? In our society, the use of email and social networking sites can be essential to personal communication and business.  Cutting off internet could result in cutting off  personal communication as though we cut people off from using any telephones for a year. 

Web censorship is a concerning development in the world.  It challenges one of the basis of web communication which is the free and open dissemination of information.  Where will censorship lead? Could it result in created a tiered internet system with certain information available only to particular groups of people?