What would it take to win my vote this election?
October 10, 2007 | 03:50 PM
In short, a lot.
I've become quite disgruntled with party politics and parliamentary democracy. The first past the post seems like nothing more than an old boys' race for the power to ruin people's lives. I have been toying with the idea of spoiling my ballot in protest.
I was a kid the last time the Liberals had power in Saskatchewan, so I can't really comment on them. Ross Thatcher, father of Colin, was Premier at the time. and if you know anything about Colin, well, 'nuff said about that family!
I was still a youngster and didn't pay much attention to politics during the technocratic Blakeney years. I know that's when the province went googly-eyed over revenues from uranium mining. Take a look at Uranium City via Google Earth and see that scar. And let's not even talk about nuclear waste.
But the Devine years, that populist coalition of the right, awakened my political soul! I was a farm girl transplanted to the city, the eldest daughter of good Liberals, trying to make my own way through university. And then it happened. Boom! There went my bursary! Boom! There went funding for women's services! And education. And social services. And the list went on and on. The only saving grace of that regime was that some of them eventually ended up in jail!
Then came the Romanow years. Some believed the NDP would make a difference. Ha! Some difference. The same neoliberal agenda of cut cut cut. And like the Tories before them, always handouts for business. Some had hoped Calvert would be better than Romanow. Ha-ha! Our child poverty rate is the highest in the country. Expansion of the deadly uranium industry is in the works. The right-wing think tank, the Fraser Institute, has nothing but praises for the supposedly socially democratic government! Ha-ha-ha!
Now we have a band of recycled Tories in the Saskatchewan Party, a Liberal Party that coalesces with the NDP, a Green Party that has no money and can't get a toehold anywhere and the same-old NDP that campaigns from the Left and governs from the Centre-Right. What is this? Someone's idea of a joke?
Do I sound bitter? You bet I am! I want children to be a priority in this election. I want poverty to be a priority in this election. I want the environment to be a priority in this election. All I hear is talk talk talk.
No one has the guts to do the walk.
Comments: (6)
Uranium development and nuclear power would be the best thing this province ever does.
All you eco-nazis need to wake up and realize that wind power and solar power aren't going to make a dent in greenhouse gas reduction. A windmill can't even produce enough power to make another windmill.
Nuclear waste? At least we can put it somewhere and know where that place is instead of just tossing it in the air for everyone to breath in.
Europe is far more densely populated than SK and they have been using nuclear for a half century.
Posted November 1, 2007 10:52 AM
Wow, yet another voter who expects to be bought with social programs and attacks "right-wingers" because they dare question your sacred idea that money grows on trees. It took the NDP years to learn this, and now that they finally have, you attack them for refusing to live in socialist fantasyland.
The only real ideas that you've articulated in this post are massive spending increases while shutting down a major industry. Who pays your "priorities"? It would be interesting to see an answer.
Posted October 20, 2007 02:30 PM
Uh, actually, my friend from Yellowgrass, it is an "old boys club." Men have the power and the money in this society. That's pretty much the definition of a patriarchy. We do live in a patriarchy. And those who have money and power use it to maintain their privilege. Our institutions, political or otherwise, are set up to maintain the status quo.
I am calling for a fundamental shift in our institutions. And it is not up to me to define the shift but rather to participate in the democratic process of shifting them.
Unlike the fatalist you seem to be, I do not think it is too much to ask that our children's well-being be put first and foremost in the shifting of those institutions. In fact, I think it is the only option.
Posted October 17, 2007 12:39 AM
I agree with most of your comments, however there isn't much evidence of positive alternatives in your message.
Yes, first-past-the-post elections make a mockery of the principles of democratic representation. They force us to vote against candidates, parties and policies rather than for them. Yet from the results of the Ontario referendum, it's clear that people don't care enough to learn the complexities of better arrangements, and are easily picked off by the disinformation campaigns by those that benefit most from the status quo.
The ever-rightward direction of Sask governments (regardless of the subgenre aka. party) has me wondering how to respond ballot-wise as well. I'm considering officially returning my ballot or spoiling it as well. Those who claim this is irresponsible or wasting my chance to be heard should actually grapple with the problems with the existing system. It rewards those with powerful connections, rewards business interests and rewards short-term thinkers.
To those people who urge others to vote I ask this: If you were convinced that the electoral system itself is misrepresentative of the democratic will of the public and does not actually lead to effective policy differences, what should one do with his vote? Dignify the system by voting anyway? How do you express your contempt for an offering of false choice?
I'm told armed insurrection is not a viable option, so revolution is ruled out. I've lost confidence entirely in our electoral system, though, so how can we *really* change policy?
Where's the line on the ballot that says "this system is broken"? Perhaps that's why voter turnout is so low: people like me know that it is pointless to vote. You always get the same set of policies and corruption anyway. That's the way the system is set up.
Here's my prediction for the election: more citizens will vote against the system (by not voting at all) than will vote for any particular party.
Posted October 15, 2007 06:30 PM
I think spoiling your ballot is not a real option, your not holding your representative accountable and people who spoil ballots are failing democracy.
Look beyond the party lines and take the time to actually talk to your candidates, not just ones from the major parties, the end there probably is a candidate that is deserving of your vote.
If your not satisfied with your representatives who put their name forward, why don't you go to the returning officer get the forms and put your name up as an Independent so you can vote for youself. The nominations have not closed yet, and the paperwork isn't that complicated.
Its not an "old boys" club where only a few elite people can ever get there names on the ballot, it just sounds like you need a better understanding of the nomination process.
I also just want to point out, that I think you expect to much, Government can't be all things for all people, and they sometimes screw up get greedy and are not made of infinite resources. Aside from the Uranium issue, what you want is pretty vague.
Look at poverty for instance, the government of all levels spends billions of dollars in the country every year fighting poverty, but the fact is someone is always going to be poor no matter what, someone is always going to be homeless, and not everyone can truly be helped.
You want kids to be a priority, what do you want? Kids is a huge area, what kind of policies do you want?
Your made because politicians talk, well thats what they get paid to do, if they didn't say anything at all you would be mad too.
Posted October 14, 2007 10:25 PM
Good Luck, not much different here in Ontario. And the majority guy got a huge majority without even mentioning one single issue important to the people.
Posted October 11, 2007 11:46 PM