DIGIN Meeting: Kevin Beaulieu
Apologies for the late posting of this meeting information. The meeting is TONIGHT.
The next DIGIN meeting takes place on Tuesday May 11th 2010, 7:00PM in the Ambrico Room of the Wallace-Emerson Community Centre, 1260 Dufferin St. (at Dupont).
DIGIN meetings are a great place to meet other residents and find out more about what is happening in the general Bloor-Lansdowne area. There are often representatives from Councillor Giambrone's office to provide updates about local issues and other news.
Keeping with the recent municipal election theme at DIGIN meetings, this month's agenda will focus on another one of the candidates:
- A convesation with Ward 18 candidate Kevin Beaulieu
No other agenda items have been mentioned yet.
After the DIGIN meetings, many people often re-convene at a local restaurant or pub for a post-meeting social.
Comments
Response to Fringe Resistance: Mr. Monastyrskyj
Interesting to hear that Michael Monastyrskyj sees "Kevin" as "not a serious candidate for city councillor". I think Mr. Kevin Beaulieu will have a lot to offer in the candidates' debates and I am particularly interested in hearing how he is any different from our current disgraced city councillor, Mr. Adam Giambrone. :)
In all seriousness, I take particular umbrage at anyone deciding for the voters in ward 18 who is a legitimate candidate. Being offered and able to make an informed and open choice of political representation is the fundamental element of a true democracy. This is precisely why I think ALL candidates should be offered the opportunity to present their ideas to the public in as many forums as possible. For far too long, politics has been an insiders club where incumbents and only those with strong party ties or big corporate or union backing gave the members only club an extreme advantage. Voter apathy has been terrible in our ward (only 35% voted last time) and perhaps it is precisely because constituents did not perceive a real difference or choice.
Yes, I admit my candidacy is not the same as those with Liberal, NDP or Green party ties. I am not independently wealthy nor do I have big business ties. Candidates can spend up to about $30,000 on their campaigns according to municipal election laws, (which coincidentally is the same annual income that about one-third of the people in our ward earn). Do the many people in our ward who are low income not deserve a choice of a person who knows the challenges of such a life?
One statement by Michael that needs refuting is: "Free speech is an essential civil right, but that liberty doesn't include an automatic right to a platform". I would suggest people do research on where the new social media is taking us. Facebook, twitter, weblogs, etc are all being pummeled in use by the so-called 'non-fringe' candidates who already have mainstream platforms of their own. At any time, I am even painfully free to hear where mayoral candidates had lunch or what their favourite tv shows are. Just yesterday, a new venture started to give a voice to truly local, street level issues: http://openfile.ca/ The world is changing fast and old thinking needs a re-think.
Mr. Monastyrskyj is of course to decide who he supports at any time, but it would be nice if he gave me a chance to present my ideas before he ruled on them.
I hope others woud extend the same courtesy.
Thank you.
Ken Wood Candidate for City Council for Ward 18 Davenport
kenwood@bell.net
website: http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/
Politics
Just a statement about the candidates and big business. During the last election I was invited to attend a special function at someone's house to meet Simon Wookey. I never went. I found it disgusting that he decided that it would be a good idea to sit in someone's house and invite a select few to come and meet him and not go out and meet those that would potentially vote for him. I am waiting to see how many candidates actually campaign this time around. I am a stay at home mother and I can honsetly say that Adam Giambrone is the only candidate that I saw going door to door.
Promoting ward 18 candidates
I would hope that DIGIN will also offer the same opportunity to have a conversation with the other seven candidates who are currently registered to run for city councillor in our ward:
Bailão, Ana
De Jong, Frank
Le, Nha
Russell, Kirk
Triolo, Jack
Vyas, Hema
Wood, Ken
It is well known that DIGIN's Dyan Marie has strongly endorsed and supported our current disgraced councillor, Adam Giambrone. Is DIGN politically partisan towards only NDP candidates?
Fringe candidiates should be ignored
I strongly disagree with the notion that every person who runs for office should be given a chance to explain his positions in the media or at community meetings. Free speech is an essential civil right, but that liberty doesn't include an automatic right to a platform. Journalists and community groups are justified in ignoring candidates they can't take seriously.
Some candidates have no hope of winning and worse, have no useful or interesting ideas. They deserve to be ignored. Of course, people will disagree on who is or isn't a fringe candidate. I'm not much involved with DIG IN these days, but if I were, I would be against giving Kevin Wood equal time with Kevin Beaulieu or Ann Bailao who I see as the main contenders. Frank De Jong and Hema Vyas don't seem quite as competitive but I think their candidacies are strong enough to deserve some attention.
Kevin Wood on the other hand means well, but has no chance of winning. Having seen how he behaved the last time he went to a DIG IN meeting and having read many of his postings on the DIG IN listserv from which he was expelled, I think spending a meeting talking to him would be a poor use of DIG IN's time. Others may disagree and they are free to organize their own meetings where Kevin can speak.
I realize my comments may sound harsh. I don't have anything against Kevin as a private citizen. I just don't think he is a serious candidate for city councillor.
Comment removed
You can't come on to this site and post slanderous / libelous comments without proof. I have no issues with people disagreeing with our current councillor (I certainly do on some issues) and posting criticisms (when they are on-topic), but you can't just make things up and post them here. This goes against this web site's Code of Conduct, and probably breaks Canadian laws too.
Take that kind of stuff somewhere else.
Code of Conduct
There is a code of conduct on this site Jack that you must abide by it. You cannot come on to the site and smear people as you do in your post above. There are lot of rumours around the community about you and your obession with vigils, but they are never posted on this site because they have to be factual and corrrect. Why do you think there is one rule for you and another for everyone else? You comments about the Councillor are just over the top and again point to clear evidence why you cannot be trusted to moderate an all candidates forum. If you are so bent on letting the residents decide, why don't residents get to coose the moderator?
The candidates don't have an objection to the moderator
Kevin, Sorry to say, but I am not the moderator at the debate. I choose not to do it. The candidates have not objected to the moderator that was choosen, so I am fine with that.
Regarding Adam, I don't think I said anything about Adam that the media has not already said. Are you going to sensor all the media too.
I made those comments after reading what Mike wrote. Mike is Intitled to his opinion, but not to make Ken feel like shit. Yes Ken has run his mouth off and had run in's with Digin. Ken and I have also exchanged words and had our differences, but I still respect him, like I respect Mike.
He was talking about Fringe candidates and stuff and I was just pointing out that our present councillor Adam is not any better.
Vic, it's funny, but Mike was off topic and didn't obey the Code of Conduct. I was waiting for you to say something, but I guess the code of conduct only applies to Virginia and I.
Anyhow, I attached Ken's response scroll below.
------------------------------------------------
Hello Jack and fellow candidates,
Interesting to hear that Michael Monastyrskyj sees "Kevin" as "not a serious candidate for city councillor". I think Mr. Kevin Beaulieu will have a lot to offer in the candidates' debates and I am particularly interested in hearing how he is any different from our current disgraced city councillor, Mr. Adam Giambrone. :)
In all seriousness, I take particular umbrage at anyone deciding for the voters in ward 18 who is a legitimate candidate. Being offered and able to make an informed and open choice of political representation is the fundamental element of a true democracy. This is precisely why I think ALL candidates should be offered the opportunity to present their ideas to the public in as many forums as possible. For far too long, politics has been an insiders club where incumbents and only those with strong party ties or big corporate or union backing gave the members only club an extreme advantage. Voter apathy has been terrible in our ward (only 35% voted last time) and perhaps it is precisely because constituents did not perceive a real difference or choice.
Yes, I admit my candidacy is not the same as those with Liberal, NDP or Green party ties. I am not independently wealthy nor do I have big business ties. Candidates can spend up to about $30,000 on their campaigns according to municipal election laws, (which coincidentally is the same annual income that about one-third of the people in our ward earn). Do the many people in our ward who are low income not deserve a choice of a person who knows the challenges of such a life?
One statement by Michael that needs refuting is: "Free speech is an essential civil right, but that liberty doesn't include an automatic right to a platform". I would suggest people do research on where the new social media is taking us. Facebook, twitter, weblogs, etc are all being pummeled in use by the so-called 'non-fringe' candidates who already have mainstream platforms of their own. At any time, I am even painfully free to hear where mayoral candidates had lunch or what their favourite tv shows are. Just yesterday, a new venture started to give a voice to truly local, street level issues: http://openfile.ca/ The world is changing fast and old thinking needs a re-think.
Mr. Monastyrskyj is of course to decide who he supports at any time, but it would be nice if he gave me a chance to present my ideas before he ruled on them.
I hope others woud extend the same courtesy.
Thank you.
Ken Wood
kenwood@bell.net
website: http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/
416 535 2601
Topics, conducts, etc.
Jack,
You accused someone of using city property for the purpose of entertaining prostitutes. I haven't seen such allegations from ANYONE else yet, including the media. Unless you can prove that there's even a slight possibility that this is true, it's a complete fabrication of your own and could easily constitute libel. If you want to pull stuff like that, do it somewhere else, or better yet, start your own website or discussion forums.
Michael's posts were completely on-topic. This is a forum about candidates speaking at DIGIN meetings, and that's what he was posting about.
Jack, like I've said many times before: I'm totally fine with you posting on this site, as long as you stay on-topic and abide by the code of conduct. It's the exact same for anyone else. Your posts are not the only ones that have been moved or deleted. I have even deleted posts that made accusations about you. I'm just trying to be fair. If you don't like it, nobody is forcing you to read or post here.
RE:Topics and Conducts
Vic, You said that Michael's posting were completely on line. Do you think that comments that I took from Mike's posting were fine to say(see below). There are 8 candidates, lets hear what all the candidates have to say before we judge them. I have my own opinion on who I would choose as the councillor or vote for. I sure won't use this forum to let others know. Lots can happen before the October's Election. JF
"Some candidates have no hope of winning and worse, have no useful or interesting ideas. They deserve to be ignored".
"I would be against giving Kevin Wood equal time with Kevin Beaulieu or Ann Bailao who I see as the main contenders"
"Frank De Jong and Hema Vyas don't seem quite as competitive but I think their candidacies are strong enough to deserve some attention".
"Kevin Wood on the other hand means well, but has no chance of winning"
That's fine.
I disagree with some of what Michael said, but he's not out of line. He's posting his opinion, not making up slanderous "facts", and staying on-topic.
Let's move on....
No obligation
Jack, I don't know what DIG IN is going to do and neither do I care. However, I'm saying as a matter of principle community groups have no obligation to invite fringe candidates to their meetings. People who like Ken Wood can contact him themselves or if they are really committed can organize meetings for him. Ken has a right to run and campaign, but no one is obliged to give him their time and attention. That's how democracy works.
KEN Wood not Kevin
I should have proofread more carefully. I meant KEN Wood, not Kevin.
Ward 18 candidates
In the last few months they have had Hema Vyas and Ana Bailao as guests, so I think they might be working through the whole list.