So Here’s ‘The Big Questions’...

...and they’re for The Spec, The Metroland Community publications, Raise The Hammer, The Hamiltonian, CHML and CHCH:

Given that we’ve just voted in as leader of our city someone whose reputation and performance as a Councillor had a good dozen and a half candidates declaring in his ward before he chose to run for Mayor, clearly indicating rampant dissatisfaction...

Given that 11 out of 12 incumbents were re-elected...

Given that a pretty meagre increase in voter turnout was accomplished...

1) How do you reconcile the fact that anger and frustration were the dual tenors-of-the-day throughout the campaign, and yet those-who-voted did anything but express them? Did the votes of those who were active in commenting online, interviewed by Media, those who were generally vocal, get diluted by everyone else? (Those who clearly were not so angry and frustrated as to ‘vote the bums out’.)

2) Why do you suppose that almost 60% of eligible voters are still not exercising their rights?

3) How do you envision turning around this number?

4) Do you see the longstanding paradigm of pretty much leaving elected officials in local governance...our Councillors and our Mayor...to their own devices for the next four years as being acceptable?

5) Do you feel any motivation, any urge, any responsibility to explore ways in which we can increase the relationship of engagement between Hamilton residents and their Councillors, their Mayor, to migrate the value system from its current cycle of apathy at the polling stations, general disinterest in local governance and habitual bitching and complaining when the next election comes around to one where people are genuinely involved with the decisions being made at City Hall, feel empowered about participating in the process and casting well-informed votes next time?

6) Connected to #5, how do you see your role in Media where improving the state of affairs in the local governance arena is concerned? Do you feel that Media has any pro-active role at all in effective such positive change, or are you content to be reactive, letting the status quo continue, crossing your fingers, hoping for the best...all the while publishing articles documenting what unfolds?