RM elections

[ASRG]

oneoff: Only you can answer the questions you ask? Maybe you are just one voice in the wildrenes? No one else cares?............if that is the case...give it up!
A case in point (Alberta): we had a useless drunk as our MLA who didn't give a rip about what anyone thought within the riding. The people cried out again and again for some kind of redress.....a complete waste of time!
A group of concerned citizens got together and reralized this drunk had to go! We organized, we found a candidate, who actually did give a shit, and we worked like dogs to turf the drunk!
Don't give up. You can make a differnce.
The group who turfed the drunk are now working on turfing the bums who supported him at the municipal level!
It is never easy getting rid of this scum!

[stubblejumper]

ASRG please explain how to get rid og Ritz

[oneoff]

There may have been hope for changes up to about one and a half years ago. There were even several capable potential women candidates; who expressed some interest in running. And there might have been a slate who have a totally different view of representation in a democratic society.

But; council members turned the tide in that referendum, with some shrewd promises of a more widespread paving program throughout the RM; and whatever else needed to give support to council's position. The people voted; and the answer to a two part question with only one answer allowed was overwhelming. And that is not in dispute.
Issues such as Posting a yellow placard in the voting station which was designed to explain to voters what a "yes" vote meant and what a "no" vote meant (according to council) should have been an election infraction. And I regret being the one who the lodged the complaint that caused that voting instruction being removed just before or just after the opening of the polls. Even today; if anyone or any council member knew the significance of this infraction I would still be suprised.

It was not a fair fight, not at any stage. That is my opinion. I have detailed some other equally outrageous actions; but few grap the concepts.

And I know for a fact that if any ratepayer we asked today "what is going on in council"; you would get the same response that one received when gathering the signatures required some 2 years ago.
And I promise to never again set foot in that municipal office (as a ratepayer). One risks another immediate call to the police to report "inappropriate behavior". Oh Yeh....The reeve and a high ranking councillor were just out of view behind an open door in the council chambers.

So until there is a lot more outrage, concerning matters that are routinely not divulged to any ratepayer;

I say bring on the COUNTY SYTEM or (similar); there will be no personal cooperation with council until a certain $2901 debt is reimbursed to every supporter to whom it is owed; and as far as I am concerned, council can use their position as they see fit and I will defend my interests using every lawful means. And I wish every dictator and wannabe dictator the total disdain that they deserve. When ratepayers finally rise up; THEY can come looking for some different representatives; but until then it is not up to any small group to look after those who apparently could care less.

[jamesb]

Oneoff, you are right ratepayer involvment is lacking. It seems it is the same people who show up to serve on the rink board, the health foundation, the curling club, minor hockey,library board etc, etc. It would be great if in general more people cared more what was happening but there always is a select few that have interest in comunity involvment. Around here coucillors and reeves get turfed out if they do something that the majority has a problem with. I know of people that ran with no hope of getting in local, provincial, federal. I couldnt say I agree with there politics in most cases but I salut them for the attempt.

[LEP]

Just as I thought, all talk and no action.

[oneoff]

wrong again LEP.... Always could out work and outthink ten clods and slow learners such as yourself.

[oneoff]

Most of the responses are based on the assumption that once becoming a council member you can do anything you want to do; and do it selectively to those you choose.

While this may currently work in practice; those tyrants will eventually be unceremoniously relieved of their duties.
However one does have to acknowledge what is currently futile, but no one has to be silent just because some one else is really annoyed at hearing the truth from a different perspective.

[oneoff]

Most of the responses are based on the assumption that once becoming a council member you can do anything you want to do; and do it selectively to those you choose.

While this may currently work in practice; those tyrants will eventually be unceremoniously relieved of their duties.
However one does have to acknowledge what is currently futile, but no one has to be silent just because some one else is really annoyed at hearing the truth from a different perspective.

[SASKFARMER3]

Out of the 4 rms we farm in three are not bad.
Most you have to do the fixes your self. It's a shit
show that has had its day and needs to be
replaced. In our home rm if I ran I would lose
hands down because everyone is related or
friends with the current reeve and councilor. So
the sooner the prov government drops this rm bs.
The better.

[oneoff]

Its alsotime for SARM and other reputable, honorable RM councils to help clear up some of the defects that are putting rural municipal governments in a bad light.

And some of the dirty dark secrets that have been decribed might as well be called for exactly what they are. For the fence sitters and apologists and supporters who wish the problems would just go away....shame on you.

It is what it is......and if potential candidates have no chance of being supported by their few too close "neighbors"....there is something horribly wrong wrong if the election outcome might be totally different within a pool of ratepayers ten times that size.

And voters would have a much higher caliber of candidates to select from