This week at a public meeting on the staff recommended 2010 city budget one councillor stood out dramatically in the news _ Paula Fletcher. When a meeting attendee shouted out she "should be fired" she challenged the person to run for office. If running for councillor office were a level playing field that might be a fair play. But as pointed out in a Feb 2010 forum post on "incumbency" the incumbent runs at a strong advantage_ with the help of the people's money.
Fletcher's arrogance and the advantages of incumbency were taken up by the G&M's Christie Blatchford yesterday in a column well worth reading by all_ especially if you are not familiar with the incumbency advantages.
See our Feb 2010 for some DO & DON'TS to correct this city democratic deficit.
If you want to check out the facts and figures that Blatchford used go to city website page Councillor Office Expenses You can also check out the city's election year policy on use of corporate resources set in 2008. It is almost laughable on the lack of meaningful restrictions.
Even that councillor website and cellphone is paid for by the people's money.
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