Thursday, December 2, 2010

Well Time March's On

Hi all,

It's been over a month since the elections were held and it was a hard ball to swallow. The people of Whitby (ok only 47 percent) favored higher taxes, a possible Performing Arts Centre that will cost us tax payers close to one million dollars a year in losses and a decision which our current Mayor wants to get out of or it would have been a done deal already, which of course is the Cullen Park Sale.

We have three new faces on council; Tracy Hanson, Ken Montague and Michael Emm. I hope for the sake of us tax payers these three will vote down the proposed Money pit and spend our tax dollars wisely. We will be keeping a very close eye over these next four years.

Which brings me to my next point if we do the math correctly Pat Perkin’s only received 47 percent of the vote, which means 53 percent of Whitby disagreed with her position on most of her platform, which according to all the reporting in the Whitby Flyer Wrap was election signs being damaged. It is too bad the paper that people read locally isn’t really a local paper or maybe just maybe the real issues would have been on the front page. I’m just saying…

I look at things in a different view and usually from looking at the political games that get played from inside of the council. You hear rumors and that’s all it is unless you talk to the person the rumors are about and then you find out the real scoop. Politics’ is a very cruel game and many people have learnt this. This had to be one of the dirtiest elections I could think of and a lot of the horse bleep came from one camp and it wasn’t the camp I was working in. So if you ever happen to get close to these politicians, which is a good idea in my books, as the saying goes you keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer, but you will only hear things from these same politicians that they want you to hear.

So where am I going with all this, well follow along. You see at the federal level of the government you have an opposition party to question the direction of the controlling party. At the provincial level of government the same rule applies. Which brings us to the Municipal Level of Government where you get to see most of your hard earned tax dollars go to waste, why? Because we can only vote out a municipal government every four years. It doesn’t matter if they have done well or have failed us miserably you can’t vote them out until their four year term is up. Now for where I am going, what if these municipal politicians have to answer to the people, yes you and me the tax payers. We pay our taxes day after day, ok our Mayor doesn’t because she only rents, but most of us do. So what we need is an opposition party or voice that will question our councilors regularly on where our tax dollars are being spent. Issues such as the Performing Arts Centre, Cullen Park and even Whitby Hydro where there have been rumors of selling it off can remain in the forefront and we the people can have a say and let council know where we stand on these issues. Remember there are 53 percent of the Whitby Voters that did not vote for our current Mayor, as a matter of fact only one councilor got the support of more than 50 percent of the voters and that was Liz Roy. So that means we would have a very strong voice to speak with. So we officially become the voice party that should and will keep these councilors honest.

How do we do this well that’s a question everyone has to ask themselves, but what I am proposing is a Whitby Rate Payers Association that will be recognized by the Town. After all we have a right to know where the Money raised from the Mayors Gala (Right now it’s for the Performing Arts Centre that will cost us millions if build) is going to, as this is run by a committee of council and you have a right to see the detailed budgets. We also have a right to know how the money that is raised from the Mayors Golf Tourney is used. You have a right to know if there is a committee setup to decide what charities or organizations benefit from this or is this decision made only by the Mayor. I know it used to be a committee of three, but that was before Mayor Pat Perkins beat Marcel Brunelle in 2006 and things were changed. Did you know you could apply for these funds? These are just some of things that need to be looked at and questioned.

These were just some of things that have been on my mind and figured there are enough of us Tax payers out there that just don’t want to take it any longer and we must be heard, not every four years, but every council, operations and planning meeting. We have to band together and be noticed, the larger the group the more notice you get.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the Rate Payers Association or want to get more information please e-mail me at whitbyratepayers@rogers.com and I would be happy to take the time to hear your concerns and find out how we can all work together to make our taxes work for us!

So now that you heard from me, Good or bad I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading

Scott templeton

Monday, October 11, 2010

Whitby Elelction 2010 - My Opinion with some Facts thrown in!

Hi Folks,



It's been a while.



Do you believe Voting Day is only a short period away? Oct 25th we - yes you and I - have a real choice to make this election for Mayor.



There are three candidates, but only two options. We can have life long politicians with a combined 45 years or we can have the one clear choice, a businessman that makes sense.



We have two politicians; one that served as Mayor for nine years, and through his acquisition of Cullen Park has cost tax payers millions, and one that has served for four years and wants to cost the tax payers a million dollars a year by building a unnecessary performing arts center.



On other hand, we have a businessman vying for the position of CEO (Mayor) of Whitby who has been fiscally responsible through his many business ventures and has met payroll deadlines for the past 25 years. All he has done for the community is raise just over a million dollars for local charities through his business at Class Act Dinner Theatre, and has sat on numerous non-profit boards. He is someone that will actually do what he says he will do. He will “Open Whitby for Business”.



The Choice is Pretty Clear!!!!!!


I keep hearing Marcel Brunelle talk about there is no "I" in team. Well sir I have to respectfully disagree! A true leader will bring new ideas to the table and sell his ideas to others. A true leader stands out from the crowd, and gets others to work together with them. Then and only then will you have a Team! Ideology of the 80's and 90's does not work today!



I was at the debate in Brooklin Tuesday evening and Marcel and Pat's closing statements affected me, as I am the sign chair for the Rocky Varcoe campaign team and to accuse me or any member of my team of vandalism of signs is unacceptable. I am a man of honesty, integrity and moral values. I, nor any member of my team would ever touch a sign that I have not had permission to fix: that's right fix, not destroy!



I approached Marcel questioning him on his closing statements during the Brooklin Debate, where he put blame for signs being damaged and destroyed squarely on my team’s shoulders. When I confronted him, he said “I did not mean you Scott, I know you would not do anything like this”, but he did blame my team. Well sir, my team is made up of me and people I trust and will back to the wall. Your comment to me after; I found unacceptable from someone vying to be the Mayor, to tell a constituent to F-off is not going to get you many votes. Furthermore, Mr. Brunelle, you stated at the last debate that if you sling mud in peoples face it will come back and hit you (well you said it wrong but we understood it). I want to remind you that your conversation at the Trailor Park at 1010 Dundas St has definitely come back to hit you square in the face with the rumors you are spreading about Mayor Candidate Rocky Varcoe. So much for integrity....


As for Pat Perkins, who I have to say serves herself well and not others, she wants to bring to us a tax burden of close to one million dollars a year with her performing arts center. This is just wrong. As Rocky has stated we must spend within our means.



This is the same lady who changed her tune about development donations after raking Marcel Brunell through the coals in the last Municipal election, deciding it was OK once she started receiving them, and who called me up about a letter to the editor I wrote about this practice. Without reading the article (http://durhamregion.com/article/118274)and relying only on the comments of others who read it, she called my house to question me on the letter. To cut to the chase she ended the conversation rudely by asking "who are you trying to impress?". Ladies and gentlemen I am not the only person she has ever done this to, this is just not the way a Mayor should handle a taxpayer of Whitby. And when you watch the debate on the following night (Friday, October 15th at 1:30pm), you will see a very angry lady! It's because someone is challenging her with real questions and ideas.



True leadership is what we need and there is only one clear choice on Oct 25th, Vote Rocky Varcoe.



I must remind people this is the same lady that did not send representation from the Town to possibly help not close schools in centre ward. These schools included Palmerston, RA Sennett, Leslie McFarland and FM Heard, representation from the Town of Whitby, zero, zilch, nothing. Why becuase the current Mayer decided against it on her own. http://ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca/html/Accomodation_Plan_Construct_Updates/ARC_Whitby_2008/ARC_Information_Binder/Letter_to_Mayor_Perkins_4d.pdf



I would also like to voice my opinion and it is only my opinion on Regional Council.



Of all the candidates running for this position there is only one clear cut choice and that would Don Mitchell. He has proven time and again he weighs all his options and votes accordingly to his constituents. He will always return calls regardless if it is the answer you are looking for. So my number one choice for Regional Council has to go to Don Mitchell.



Second lets look at experience. First off I didn't think I would this year support Joe Drumm, but he does say it like it is. So vote number two would go to Joe Drumm.



My Third choice was a toss up, but I am willing to give Lorne Coe a look for the next four years. He has the experience and calmness to deal with most issues. I think Dave Sansom will push him but it will be Lorne that polls through. Linda Lyons might press too, but probably not enough to make it.



But one thing is certain. I just can't phatham the thought of someone (Dolstra) who left meetings early as School Board Trustee on regular basis according to his report card from metroland. I wonder if he's elected if he will stay for a full meeting of council. http://durhamregion.com/article/156803

This guy always takes credit for things that had nothing to do with him. The high school he brags about opening was opened in 2004, but the election the year before was November 2003. The shovel was in the ground well before that. He didn't bring us the High School, he was elected while it was being built. Six new public schools is correct, but it took the closing of four in centre ward to achieve those six. That means three new public schools in Whitby. Centre Ward minus three.



On to Centre Ward you have two choices really. You have the businessman or Shirley Scott. I am leaning towards Shirley Scott. We may have had our differences over the years but we always seemed to work things out in the end. I can honestly say I know Bill Caukwell (he does live across the street from me) and he would get my second choice. As for Michael Emm, in my opinion he does not work well with others and would be a disruption on council.



In East ward I can see this coming down to a good race between two worthy opponents, Ken Montague and Michael O'Hare...toughest choice of the night! I am leaning towards Ken, but it's really a toss up as both candidates have shown the ability to work hard throughout this campaign.



School Board Trustee (Public), even though I have a differnent idea regarding school boards, I would have to tilt my hat to Kim Zeppieri and Ron Grandy. It's not often you get an endorsment from a former principle and when the endorsment is from former Anderson Principle Mr. Morrison it speaks volumes about the character of this individual. Ron Grandy is the other School Board Trustee Candidate that I would endorse. I have sat on many committee's with Ron and he gives his all at whatever he does.



My West ward pick is Liz Roy. She always demonstates her abilities and stengths when dealing with all issues. I may not see eye to eye but I know what's good for Whitby Council.

I have been asked to comment on North Ward and about my choice. It was a tough decision between John Shaver and Tracy Hanson and Sue Pitchforth. But through knocking on doors and listening to residents of North Ward Tracy Hanson seems to be the person that most feel has a good understanding of the North. This is going to be one of tightest races, but listening to all three I have to lean towards Tracy. That again is just my Opinion.


I know these are only my personal choices for the following positions but these people have continually answered the questions with real answers, not bull:

My choices:

Mayor - Rocky Varcoe

Regional Councillor - Joe Drumm, Don Mitchell, Lorne Coe(Substitute Dave Sansom for Joe if you must)

North Ward - Tracy Hanson

West Ward - Liz Roy

East Ward - Ken Montague

Centre Ward - Shirley Scott (If not Shirley then Bill Caukwell)

Durham District School Board - Kim Zeppieri, Ron Grandy


If you have any comments and would like your comment posted please include your name, a call back number to verify and your comments.

Scott Templeton

Monday, September 20, 2010

Whitby Election in full Swing

Well here we are at the beginning really of the Municipal elections in Whitby and things are moving full steam ahead. You have Three people Vying for the Mayor’s top job as the controller of our Tax dollar’s. What the residents of Whitby need to do is keep their eyes and ears open during the remaining time and listen to what each candidate stands for. The most important thing that each and every one of us can do on OCT 25th is VOTE. I have my preferred candidate, which is Rocky Varcoe, A wise businessman that knows how to be fiscally responsible through years of owning and operating businesses. The other two candidates together over the past 13 years are responsible for tax increases topping 65 percent. That is reason alone for me to Vote for Rocky. But I have to be honest I am working on his campaign because I do believe that a business approach is what Whitby needs at this time. I hear the other two candidates time after time saying you need political experience to learn how things are operated in the municipal chambers, well truth be told things have gotten worse, there is a division on council and unfortunately this hurts all Whitby. Lets see 13 years of running this town and around 45 years of experience as a politician between the two has brought us no new business to the area keeping us as the bedroom community we are. I for one would love the opportunity to WORK and PLAY in our community.

I look at Cullen Park as a good of example of waste and to be truthful my first opinion when the Town bought the land was one of this could be a good thing, but then we started seeing how much it cost to upkeep. I was involved in the meeting or discussions about what to do with Cullen Park at Hydenshore a couple years back and suggested selling it off or turning it into a tourist attraction or even going to UOIT and create a doctors college on the site. The doctors college on this site could work out great it would supply Whitby with the doctors it needs and would be a great start for an argument to help raise funds so we can get the Full service hospital we need.

You can see problems in the Town that don’t need to be there if people are allowed to do their jobs. I can tell you about a phone call I received because I wrote a letter to the editor regarding Builder Developer Donations from one of the two Experienced Candidates a few years ago questioning what I wrote after stating they did not read the article. Sounded like someone trying to intimidate rather than question the article. This is the same experienced candidate that refused to support the people of center ward regarding the public school closures in Central Whitby by not allowing representation to sit on the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) that could have possibly saved the Schools.

Here’s the letter our mayor endorsed to be written back to the Durham District School Board and it was her decision and her decision alone.

Here’s the Links to support these statements above:

http://ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca/html/Accomodation_Plan_Construct_Updates/ARC_SW_Whitby_2009/Background_Information_Binder/17a%20Town%20of%20Whitby%20response.pdf

http://ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca/html/Accomodation_Plan_Construct_Updates/ARC_Whitby_2008/ARC_Information_Binder/Letter_to_Mayor_Perkins_4d.pdf


Truth be told these experienced candidates have done good in one way or another, it’s just that I have seen nothing but companies leaving, no new companies arriving, schools closing with no support.. We need someone with Vision to run this Town and that’s why I am Supporting Rocky Varcoe as the new CEO/Mayor of Whitby!

The most important thing for all of us to do is on OCT 25th is get out and VOTE as it is only you that can make the CHANGE Whitby needs!

I am pretty sure after I publish this I will be attacked on other websites, which aren’t worth the pixels that it takes to create what your reading, but I am just telling it like it is.

To be fair if you want something printed supporting the other two Mayoral candidates please submit it to me and I will post it. But Please include your name, as I hate anonymous letters, as anonymous letters or replies won’t be published.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Election in Full Swing

Well here we are at the beginning really of the Municipal election

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Ask the people that are Running!

Hi everyone,

Thought I would write a little about the election before the summer is over. Everyone is concerned with ways to increase numbers at the poll, unless of course you won last election you hope no one shows so you can win again. The people running in this election need to do all the work for everyone if they are going to get the people out to the polls. You have to take advantage of all advertising and media needs that are available. Yes some candidates have websites up and running well others do not. So I thought I would share with everyone those that have taken every step possible up to date to get as much exposure as possible. I will list all their websites as of July 24th 2010.

Mayor:

Rocky Varcoe http://www.rockyformayor.com/
Marcell Brunelle http://www.marcel-brunelle.com
Pat Perkins http://www.patperkins.com/

My Choice : Rocky Varcoe


Regional Council:

Dave Sansom www.electdavesansom.com
Lorne Coe www.lornecoe.com
Don Mitchell www.donmitchell.ca

John Dolstra www.electjohndolstra.ca
Joe Drumm No Website
Linda Lyons No Website

My Choice: Dave Sansom ...Remember you can choose 3 Regional Councillors but to make sure yours gets elected only vote for the one you want elected.

For the Office of Town Councillor, North Ward 1

Sue Pitchforth No Website
John Shaver www.johnshaver.ca
Tracy Hanson www.tracyhanson.ca

I actually am undecided on this race!


For the Office of Town Councillor, West Ward 2

Ayoub Ali No Website
Chudi A. Asidianya www.chudi.ca
Elizabeth Roy No Website
Shadlock, Debra No Website

Here's a shocker for you all: Elizabeth Roy

For the Office of Town Councillor, Centre Ward 3

Michael Emm www.michaelemm.com
Shirley Scott No Website
Bill Caukwell No Website

I like the new entry to the race well liked and an honest man! Bill Caukwell

For the Office of Town Councillor, East Ward 4

Kelly Kane No Website
Kenneth Montague No Website
Richard Morphew No Website
Michael O'Hare No Website
Julie Rennie No Website


Kenneth Montague

School Board Trustee Nominee's

Honestly if you don't know who is running don't vote for anyone on Schoolboard!

Not going there as I don't think this level of Government should exist.

So in posting all this there is one common thread and that's amongst most of the incumbents. Other than Lorne Coe, no other incumbent has a Website available to view. Is it because they have a lacklustre record or is it because being the incumbent they feel no need share information anyway they can. The one ward I really don't understand is east ward, why has none of the candidates released a website and if they have why do they not have it published at the Town's site. The only person I can understand not having one is Julie Rennie as she just put her name forward.

Most of these candidates have a Facebook page and if you want to find out what the Candidate brings to the table ask them about their policies, what changes they would make, what their vision for Whitby is not one year down the road but 5, 10, 20 years down road. Metroland keeps asking the question how can we get more people out to vote. Well starting with a small percentage of voters you attract them through the web. But just saying I am so and so doesn't cut it now a days as people want to know what you can do for them, how you can save them tax dollars and do so without cutting services which happens most of the time and has happened to many times over the past few years.

I have posted questions to some of the Candidates and they seem inclined not to answer so they basically lost three votes in my house. John Mutton has one of the best idea's I have seen in awhile and that seems to get people involved and that is to post a question in your fastbook status. I have noticed a few other candidates that do this and one is running for Mayor of Whitby, Rocky Varcoe and people get involved.

Facebook is a great tool for asking questions and gaining valuable information from voters.

Don't get me wrong websites are only a small factor in an election Campaign. The biggest part is knocking on as many doors as possible but in today's media age you should take advantage of all the advertising means that are available. Having a lack of Websites from both incumbents and all other candidates is not helping to drive the people to the polls.

Please feel free to submit your comments as I would love to hear from you.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Library speaks volumes about our town - Letter to the Editor

"You can only control those that work for you as freedom is a wonderful thing"

Quote Unknown

Re: 'Preserving the past in Whitby', April 22.

Time after time the Whitby Central Library shines in this town. From children's activities to visits from favourite authors, computer courses to video games, it is the path to discovery.

During past challenges in the economy the library was a safe haven to re-learn, explore opportunities and just plain escape the harsh realities of the world. The staff is second to none, ready to lend a helping hand at the drop of a pin. If you have a chance take a trip to the library, turn it into a family day and learn how great our library is.

The opportunities are endless and the experience worth the price of admission, which by the way is usually just a friendly smile from the staff. Take a trip down memory lane by taking a trip upstairs and check out the archives; you'll truly be impressed. On that note I can't wait to see the finished Brooklin library/community centre when completed. A library says a lot about a town and our library speaks volumes.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Election Watch

HI All,

I have added a link on the left hand side of my blog for you to click and see who has put their names forward for nomination for the 2010 Municipal Election.

Lets make sure we elect people with passion for Whitby, have volunteered because they want to, not because they have to and have shown leadership abilities to lead Whitby in this new Decade that is ahead of us.

This is the level of government that affects us the most as this is where yours and my Tax dollars are spent!!!