LETTER – Hamer-Jackson should do the City a favour and name his successor

Re: ROTHENBURGER – Speculation underway about the mayoral ballot

If you’re looking for speculation, here’s my two cents.

One needs not to look beyond the faces of those standing on the steps of City Hall during Mike O’Reilly’s mayoralty announcement to realize that Dieter Dudy won’t be challenging for the mayors position.  A&T Project Development for example, put $10,000 into Dudy’s mayoralty campaign last time around and they were well represented on those steps next to O’Reilly.  Money talks and the developers have picked their guy, it’s not Dudy!  That’s not to say he won’t run as a councillor, he likely will and he likely will also be rewarded with a sizeable donation similar to the $8,750 O’Reilly received from the same developer last election.

Katie has a pending legal outcome with the mayor, win or lose the city is still in all likelihood going to be stuck with some legal fees which will put her mayoralty aspirations on hold for at least a term, if her past performance hasn’t already done so.  But on a personal note, I kinda hope she does challenge for no other reason than to watch her brother’s reaction, now that’s a car crash I’d slow down to watch.  Does that make me a bad person?

Hamer-Jackson has lost support, not gained it with voters.  Only 3 in 10 of the public vote, so even if he has gained “the man on the street’s support”, it’s prudent to remember that the man on the street rarely votes municipally.  In our last 5 municipal elections we’ve had, 30, 31, 34, 30 & 30% voter turnout (https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/election-results-v3/index?localgovernmentid=50&select-year=2018&select-view-by=municipality?select-year=2018&select-view-by=municipality&localgovernmentid=50).   There’s a big difference between eligible voters and actual voters.

Hamer-Jackson generated just 31.43% of the vote last election, I highly doubt that he’ll duplicate that number this time around which means he needs a crowded field to win, make that a very crowded field.  I don’t see lightening striking twice, even if he wins a series of court issues he’s presently involved in, which the clock is quickly running out on by the way, I still don’t see him garnering much additional support and without additional support I just don’t see a path to victory.

Having said that, the mayor is in a very powerful position to influence the election. If he could put his ego aside (ALL POLITICIANS HAVE INFLATED EGOS), if he could think big picture, long term, if he truly wants his vision of what’s best for the city it ought to be obvious that he can’t deliver it because too many people just won’t work with him.  If he could come to this realization, a realization that many have already come to understand, if he could be selfless and put the city first then he could almost singlehandedly become the “King Maker” and pick his replacement.

The mayor has a very loyal contingent of supporters whom I believe would almost en masse follow him if he were to step back and endorse another candidate, this would be somewhere in the 25% range.   A new candidate, one without the baggage and with name recognition could match that number and win a plurality if not an outright majority.

Foulds himself is an interesting name indeed, he has strong name recognition relatively speaking and Kamloops historically have loved their politicians in media (Phil Gaglardi, Rafe Mair, Claude Richmond, Don Carter, ya I know I’m dating myself but am I forgetting any names?).  Foulds also is relatively well respected with strong connections, he’s personable,  presents himself ably whilst he’s both adroitly informed and an obviously able communicator who can inform others clearly and concisely.  And best of all, as I’ve mentioned previously, he has zero baggage from the present council.

The mayor has become far to great of a long shot to win, his actions and particularly those of council have undermined him to the point that he’s toxic to far too many voters.  Clearly he must realize that he’s become just too polarizing of a figure to be re-elected without the aid of many others splitting the vote.  If he cares for the city as he says, then he shouldn’t gamble that a battalion of others will be vying for the “big chair”, particularly considering how this council has cut the legs from that very chair.

It’s a big ask and even a bigger selfless act, but picking his replacement isn’t such a bad consolation prize to move the city forward and that would be his legacy.

MAC GORDON