All Financial Disclosure Statements for Nanaimo Candidates in the last Municipal election are now in and are posted on the City's web site.  Take a look and see who got what from whom.  Will it make a difference in who gets heard?  in voting?  Who will ever know?

 


Comments

Concerned

03/18/2009 13:56:03

Campaign Donations or money given to influence ? Let the taxpayer be the judge. Good work as always Ron.

 

Matahari

03/18/2009 15:57:43

Hey 'concerned'.Do you not have an opinion on the matter?

 

David Stanley

03/18/2009 17:17:48

Of course, campaign donations do have an influence on the way city councilors vote. Is it corruption? I guess you could call it systemic corruption as our system of government tolerates and even encourages it. I'd like to see a list of exactly who got money from the Cable Bay people. Those who did should refrain from voting on issues relating to Cable Bay. Will they? Of course not. They're in it for the power, money, and free lunches. But their names should be made known....

 

matahari

03/18/2009 17:54:18

Of the 8 elected coucillors only 2 received a campaign donation from Cable Bay Lands,that being Unger and McNab who each received $1,000.And these 2 did indeed support the developer and continue to do so.
Interestingly,failed candidate and former mayor Gary Korpan received $12,557 from Cable Bay!That's right,$12,557,and you can read into that what you may.

 

Ron Bolin

03/18/2009 22:49:02

Dear Matahari. I do have an opinion and it is that birds of a feather flock together and let the feces fall where they may.

As for the 8 elected councillors, I believe that you will find that in addition to the 2 who received $1000 through the offices of Cable Bay's legal representative there were 2 others received $500 from the same source.

I am not sure what your observation that Mr. Korpan lost despite having received a total of $12,557 from Cable Bay or its agents is to mean. Does it mean that that this sum was not enough as, in the end, the winner spent more on the election?

 

Ron Bolin

03/18/2009 22:53:10

Dear Mr. Stanley: If one goes to the city's web site at www.nanaimo.ca and follows the bouncing buttons: "Muncipal Hall; Municipal Elections; 2008 Election; View 2008 Campaign Financing Disclosure Documents; OK (if you agree to the legalese); and then scroll down to the Candidate Names, all will be revealed.

 

matahari

03/19/2009 15:41:47

I was only observing that G.Korpan received a large sum of money from a developer.I think this is wrong,wrong,wrong.

 

David Stanley

03/19/2009 16:37:39

The disclosures of Bill Holdom and Diana Johnstone are the ones to look at.

Unger, McNabb, Holdom, and Johnstone.

 

Ron Bolin

03/19/2009 16:52:20

Dear Matahari: I couldn't agree with you more, but I am not sure whether it makes much difference whether the big bucks come from a developer or other business representative, a union, or from a private individual. Folks can, of course, donate on all these levels be hidden if nobody recognizes the connections.

The real problem is big money. Period. Whether it comes from an individual, a business or a union.

 

Ron Bolin

03/19/2009 16:53:38

Thanks David. I left that out.

 

matahari

03/19/2009 18:30:59

Thank youall for noting that Coucillors Holdom and Johnstone also received contributions from Cable Bay Lands.I missed that.In Holdom's disclosure he failed to say where the money came from and he should issue an addendum.
Interesting to note that the 4 councillors who received money voted for Cable Bay while the other 4 voted against.

 

Concerned

03/20/2009 14:13:28

I will ask again. Campaign donations or money given to influence ? In my opinion the latter is becoming prevelant. We can petition our new provincial Govt after May the 12th to ammend the community charter and deny big business and developers from donating but we would see this money funneled down through private citizens as we are seeing now.

 

Vigilantz

03/20/2009 14:46:33

While the financial disclosure statements can be interesting/entertaining/useful, let's be very, clear, they are NOT audited by anyone. If a candidate should happen to make a 'mistake' in filling them out, it is up to a member of the public to take the time to obtain and read the disclosures, have the specific knowledge to recognize the error/omission and then report it to the local government. As with most other government legislation designed to 'ensure accountability' (in this case, it's the Local Government Act), there is then a loophole 'as big as truck' for just such a purpose - the candidate then has 30 days to submit a correction!

 

Ron Bolin

03/20/2009 22:36:38

Dear Concerned:

I don't believe that campaign contributions are given randomly. The pattern that they take represents a general position. Whether it goes beyond a general position to a particular conflict of interest depends on one's interpretation of the conflict of interest legislation. It is very difficult to "prove" conflict of interest unless one can show a direct benefit to self or family which does not at the same time benefit a broader segment of the populace equally. To say that one wishes to influence is not to say that a conflict of interest is necessarily created, but it certainly raises the question. And the greater the evidence of the interest, the higher the question is raised.

I have heard more than one Councillor who, when questioned about their vote in favour of a project brought before Council by one of their large campaign donors, protested that they could not be bought for $500. They have with this response left open the question of how much it would take to buy them.

 

Ron Bolin

03/20/2009 22:43:37

Dear Vigilanz:

You are spot on in pointing out that there is no specific oversight in the case of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements. This is left to the Public who, at least this time, can review these documents on the City's web site at home at their leisure. Previously it was necessary to go to City Hall during business hours and check out the statements there. This is progress.

I might point out that it can also be interesting to look at the campaign expenses. There seem to be some very peculiar expenditures in a couple of cases.

 

Chris McGrath

03/26/2009 19:27:34

Many fail to mention that the left is equally previlant in this last election. In fact trade unions as a whole contributed more to various candidates this election than the nasty developers everyone is quick to rant about.

If you are going to discuss campaign contributions and the hope for influence, make sure you discuss both sides because both are equally represented.

 

Ron Bolin

03/27/2009 01:07:13

Chris: I couldn't agree with you more and I hope that my points in this regard were clear. Both the Liberals and the NDP lurk in the shadows behind Council. It shows in the financial reports. This is why I think it might be time for an up front ratepayers party to take a run at municipal politics in Nanaimo.




 



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