Editor, The News:
Re: Daykin re-elected Maple Ridge mayor (mapleridgenews.com).
Saturday’s election saw many losers and only one winner.
Like 21 other candidates, including mayoral hopeful Craig Ruthven, I wasn’t successful.
The thing that was most disappointing was the loss of support I had from the 2008 election, even after campaigning considerably harder.
The fact that almost everyone lost support who had been a previous candidate was a bit consoling.
My congratulations to Grover Telford, as he was the only repeat candidate to increase his vote count.
The campaign to increase voter turnout failed miserably, dropping to 25 per cent of those eligible to vote.
The advertising campaign was a total waste of money, as I had previously told council.
Congratulations to Corisa Bell and Dr. Robert Masse on winning seats around the council table.
Unfortunately, it will probably be a very frustrating experience as the majority still sits with incumbents who have shown a total disinterest in change over the past nine years.
I wish you luck.
The incumbents also lost. Where else could an incumbent lose more than a third of his or her support and still win?
The legitimacy of council was destroyed.
Although topping the poll, none of the winners have anywhere near the support of the majority of our community. Their support ranges between 30 and 40 per cent of those who bothered to vote, or put another way – 60-70 per cent of people voted for someone other than one of the winners.
When compared to those eligible to vote, their support plummets even further.
The new council has the support of less than 10 per cent of the eligible voters in Maple Ridge, or about five out of every 100 people who live here (based on a population of 80,000).
The vast majority of people voted to stay home. I spoke to many. “It doesn’t matter who wins, nothing will change,” was a common comment.
The majority of people who live here have given up hope; they have reluctantly accepted that things will only get worse, a sad commentary about a once proud community.
Maple Ridge will be the greatest loser, as I have little hope that anything will change over the next three years, except for increased sprawl, increased congestion and our ever-increasing taxes, and forever poorer services.
I predict that in three years the issues will be the same, probably an even greater number of people will run, even fewer voters will participate in our clearly corrupt system, ensuring the continued rule by the ... call it what you wish.
Graham Mowatt
Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge voters have finally spoken decisively
Editor, The News:
Re: Daykin re-elected Maple Ridge mayor (mapleridgenews.com).
Much as some will not like it, the voters have finally spoken decisively, albeit in small numbers.
If that is a complaint, then we can all blame ourselves for not getting off our duffs.
I have several reasons to like the new council, but I also am particularly glad to see Craig Speirs get his due. He has had a terrible habit of knocking his fellow councillors and the mayor in the press over the years, and his last ad again dismissed his colleagues, by name, as evil-doers.
Goodbye, Mr. Speirs. Hello, progress.
Lorne Riding
Maple Ridge