For Maple Ridge council
• Name: Doug Blamey.
• Residence: Maple Ridge.
• Occupation/education: retired CP Rail maintenance department, automotive tech program, Grade 12.
• Volunteer work: n/a
• Who do you support for mayor: n/a
Question: Please provide an example of what you have done that qualifies you for council.
Answer: Resident of Maple Ridge for 37 years, watched the do’s and don’ts of what council has done. I have been watching council raise our taxes rapidly in the last 10 years and we have to put a hold on the excessive spending and keep an eye on the budgets.
Q: Who is funding your campaign?
A: I’m doing it myself.
Q: What makes you stand out from other candidates?
A: I’m kind of left-wing-type person. I’m a union member, although I was never in total agreement with them all the time. I’m also a capitalist-industrialist-type person. I believe in everybody should have a job and there should be a job for everybody and there should be a goal for everybody to achieve.
Q: How do you see the City of Maple Ridge developing in the next 10 years?
A: I think we should slow down on our development and think out each plan that we do with the beautiful land that we have left. Take a little more time to finish it off properly so we don’t have a slum in the future with all these condos going up. Try to keep the town and the country within the city, keep the old fashion ways, as well as the modern. We can keep our heritage at the same time.
Q: What will be your top priority if elected to Maple Ridge council?
A: My top priority is to reduce crime by 30 per cent the first year, 40 per cent the next year, 50 per cent the next year, and get all these people working so they can help out. The heavy drugs have got to get out of town. Buy used garbage trucks, 10 or 12 of them, and we contract out the picking up the garbage and hire the homeless to help us out. Set up a homeless camp in Albion flats and contract out for garbage processing, employing the homeless, to other cities.