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Is Democracy alive and well in Oro-Medonte?

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In Oro-Medonte
Oct 19th, 2010
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Letter to aware.simcoe@gmail.com October 19 2010
A series of 5 All-Candidates meetings has just been completed in Oro-Medonte. The meetings were sponsored by the Oro-Medonte Chamber of Commerce. The panel consisted of the Mayor and the Ward candidates and Deputy Mayor  candidates.
The format was such that all questions had to be submitted in writing. When it became obvious that many questions were not reaching the podium, the moderator was asked after the 4th meeting, “What happens to the questions that don’t reach the podium?” His response was that the questions are submitted to a panel of Chamber members for screening to ensure that nothing controversial is posed to the panel. Why not?

There is no point in having a candidates’ debate if all they do is agree with each other!!!  If the purpose of the meetings was to help inform the electorate then the electorate are not very well served by a “non-debate” debate.
It was announced at the 4th meeting that the Mayor had left a document on the candidates’ literature table for distribution. In reading the document, it became obvious that it was full of unsupported allegations and, because it didn’t name names, it impugned the integrity of all those who volunteered their time on the Planning Advisory Committee to provide advice to Council. The document was unsigned but it did request that responses be directed to the Clerk and to the Mayor at his municipal email address. Is this a violation of Twp. Bylaw  POL – Admin – 11  “Use of Corporate Resources for Election Purposes”?
Is Democracy alive and well in Oro-Medonte? Let your voice be heard – please vote on Oct. 25.
Tom Kurtz
Linda Babulic
Oro-Medonte

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