Electioneering

October's municipal election is picking up some steam. Over the past week or so, there have been some definite signs that we are wading full-on into campaign season.

First, I learned yesterday that Mayor Fred had his first election fundraiser over the weekend. As it was a private event, he wouldn't say where it was held, who was on the guest list, or how many people attended - but he did say "it went very well."

Also, word on the street is that there is some polling going on. I don't have too much information about it at this point, but I will do some digging and see what I can come up with. 

Has anyone gotten calls asking who you would vote for?

Comments

[Jimmycat]

And this is a man who ran on transparency and not accepting business donations...a fundraiser in a private home with 'undisclosed' guests means he has something to hide!!!
Curious!

[Robbie]

We have been receiving calls at our home asking who we support. Both for mayor and councillor. Once we clue in to what the call is about we immediately hang up. I have never been in support of pre-election polling. It should be banned from the democratic process.

[steve sheen]

No one has called me about who or what i would vote for.But if they did i wouldnt tell them as voting is suppose to be private if im not mistaken.

[Kathy Hagan. R. N.]

No calls at our home and if there were I would tell them in no uncertain terms that the entire council has to go.
Mayor Fred seems like a nice guy but he is not a business man { I believe he was a social worker] perhaps he should return to that job and leave the running of a city to those who can. I have attempted to contact him for the past week via e mail. I believe he thinks he is accountable only to a select few perhaps those that attend his fund raisers.

[Michelle Hruschka]

Kathy: Mayor Fred was never a social worker,and I believe he did work at the Harbour commission and introduced Enron and its affliates to the city though.

I learned about this after the election.

[ed]

The whole bunch are a sorry pork barreling mess, its time to clean house.

[Kathy Hagan R.N]

Michelle.
I have a very good friend who worked as a social worker she told me she worked with the Mayor many years ago and that he was a social worker. I will clarify that with her later today and and get back to you with her answer.

[Kathy Hagan]

michelle.
To clarify. I phoned my friend and she said that he was a liason person for social services and she did say he was not a social worker. This was in the early 90's.
So, he was not a social worker. Perhaps I will be safer calling him a career politician.

[Lisa]

Kathy, I'm a little confused. You complain that Fred is not a businessman, and then you complain that he supposedly believes he is only accountable to "a select few". Do you think that if we did had a mayor who was a 'businessman', he would be more responsive to average citizens?

[Knowitall]

In fact Mayor Fred was a real estate agent for a brief period of time. Didn't do too well at it. Then he was a city Councillor for the city of Hamilton and didn't run at amalgamation because he probably would have lost to Chad Collins. He ran for Mayor and came well back in the pack. He was a lobbyist for a private water utility company for a while and then he was a stay at home dad while his wife brought home the salary....so a career politician pretty well nails it.

[Kathy Hagan]

I guess what I am saying about Mayor Fred is that he is out of his depth.
In a perfect world the ideal mayor{ in my opinion} should have a real head for business, accountable and responsive to citizens concerns and an economist.
I often attend the council meetings and his type of leadership is laissez Faire to say the least. I by the way do not hold out much hope for Hamilton having a mayor that can do all the things on my wish list. It has been my experience that Mayor Eisenberger has ignored concerns that I have sent via e mail nor is he available on the phone.

[Transparency Lacking]

The 'secret fundraiser' was held at Paul Vacarello's house (owner of Tripemco Insurance and Fred's appointee on the Hamilton Future Fund). Peter Mercanti (owner of Carmen's Banquet Centre helped attract attendees). A total of 17 people attended the event. Pretty sad considering Fred's the sitting Mayor. It looks like Fred's goose is cooked - thank god, he's been a disaster as Mayor.