If Commonwealth is putting a slate forward again, I don't think that I can afford it.

I understand that some want $400 million or more of public money to build monuments downtown--it sounds great particularly for those that will profit handsomely from it, but the problem is that it is public money and that means that we have to pay for these monuments by foregoing services or by more taxes.

I'd like the roads fixed, but as long as Commonwealth has their slate in office, I don't think that's going to happen.

Word on "the street" is that Marshall Smith is running the Green Team And Commonwealth is the money behind Green's bid to be Mayor.

“Let’s Get Started”

"Let’s get moving"

"Let's get goosed" ..... ;-)

Money contributions to candidates corrupts all levels of politics IMO.

I see Harper at the federal level has removed public financing of the political parties... this hurts the liberals and ndp, but gives an added advantage to the conservatives. $1.25 per vote seemed a fair way to level the playing field... but if you want to control politics with finance you take away the support for the parties that don't share the finance agenda.

In Britain their defense minister just had to step down as it was revealed Liam Fox was taking upwards of a half million dollars in campaign contributions from Israeli agents to carry out Israeli foreign policy in the Middle East. Funneled through a group called conservative friends of Israel. Mr Fox had one of their mossad agents working in his office and traveling with him for official business advising on policy. Most of the policy was pro Israel at Britain's expense... Israel bought the British defense minister for a mere half million dollars... in the US the top three political contributors are Israeli citizens... fast forward to Canada and Harper and his new policy of defunding the public funding of political parties... and we have Harper supporting the flotilla massacre by Israel, opposing Palestinian human rights, and siding with Israel over our NATO ally Turkey and the implications for a Canadian sovereign independence in a multilateral world if NATO falls apart over any potential conflict.

Loose money in politics creates the conditions for corruption that we all pay for handsomely. Look at the global recession brought on by the unaccountable bankster and Wall Street types for a prime example of what money can buy in an election... not one of them is in jail.

If democracy is to survive we have to find a better way to ensure money is not the test to seeing who gets elected. We need to find a way to put the ideas to the for front, and informing the electorate about the candidates real positions, and holding those candidates accountable to the platforms they run on....

Time Will Tell... but will it be too late by then?

I guess it's a testament to transparency in government. NOT

If politicians are going to be supported en masse by a key interest group, and if that support forms a significant part of their funding, then it’s probably a slate.

What do they have to hide? Let’s go ... and come clean. Green, Frizzell, Skakun, Koehler, others, none of them?

If they can't be up-front about who their funders are and that they have a slate how can we trust them to be honest in their dealings within City Hall and with the public?

I know that once the detail on funding has been revealed it will be too late – but their stripes will have been revealed.

Come on aspiring politicians - be real, be honest. Call a slate a slate.

Eaglone's claims about Israeli influence on UK foreign policy are based on the speculation of anti-Semitic nutjobs. Liam Fox did resign due to a very odd relationship with Adam Werritty, but there is no evidence that Werritty is or was an Israeli agent. Indeed, although Fox has taken a generally pro-Israel stance, he has also publicly claimed that Israeli "settlements" are "illegal and an obstacle to peace", very much in opposition to the position of Israel, hardly what a paid shill would say.

As for our government supporting Israel over Turkey with regard to the Mami Marmara incident, for once the Conservatives are doing the right thing. An Islamic extremist organization sent a ship to break the legal Israeli blockade of Gaza, imposed in order to cut down on the constant acts of terrorism, each of which is a war crime. When Israeli troops boarded the ship as they are legally permitted to do, Turkish terrorists attacked them, wounding several and temporarily capturing several, whom they intended to use as hostages. When the Israeli troops defended themselves, nine of the terrorists were killed. Note that the UN, not known for its sympathy for Israel, found that the blockade is legal, that the boarding was legal, and that the Israel troops were defending themselves against attack. The fact that the terrorists intended to take hostages was widely reported in the Turkish press, in interviews with their families. The whole business is described in detail in the book Kanlı Mavi Marmara by Turkish journalist M. Şefik Dinç who was on board and an eye witness. In spite of the fact that he is a Muslim sympathetic to the Arab cause, he confirms that the bloodshed was due to a planned terrorist attack on the Israeli boarding party.

What is their agenda? Who stands to gain? Who are their supporters? Why? What's in it for them? And, what's in it for us?

"Hey! We helped you get elected. You OWE us big time". Not for me, pal. It's in my platform.

The story is about candidates and who may be supporting them. How easily we get distracted. Let's face it, every candidate has an agenda and people who support it. That is why they are running.

Ever wonder why a small, special interest group that only represents 8% of the population dictate policy or influence over 80% of the rest of us? You call that democracy? I don't.

It means that some people will climb the ladder of position and influence because others let them. And, as a result, they dictate policy and have more influence than the majority. Is that democracy? I think not. But, we allow it to happen.

So, what do we do? We vote people into positions that can influence or dictate the issues that we support and believe in. So, let's get out and have our say. Let's ask the tough questions. Let's let our opinion count by voting only for those people who really represent you.

Do not vote for the rest. What I am suggesting is that you only vote for the people who you believe share your values, your morals, your ideals and your vision of a future for our community.

Oh its hardly the hypothetical concoctions of 'anti semitic nutjobs'...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/17/mi6-adam-wrritty-trips

And the bit about the Israeli version of the collective punishment of the civilians in Gaza is a bit over the top propaganda IMO. No body believes that version of events other than the hard core zionists. The Goldstein (who is Jewish) report quiet clearly implicated Israel in the wrong.

Billposer. What is a war crime is blocking food and medicine from 2 million civilians.