Socialist voices in local government
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- Published on Tuesday, 19 August 2014 11:00
- Written by editor
Socialist voices in local government
By Ben Isittreprinted from Lower Island News
On November 15, residents of the City of Victoria and neighbouring municipalities and electoral areas in the Capital Region will choose their elected representatives on municipal councils, school boards, the Islands Trust and the Capital Regional District (CRD) board.
More than 100 elected positions will be filled. These seats with either be occupied by people who share our ideals of communities and a world that put people and the planet before private profit -- or they will be occupied by people who don't know where they stand or (worse) by tired apologists of a regressive neo-liberal agenda.
The stakes are high in this election and I strongly encourage you to get involved in local campaigns, to ensure your elected representatives share a common vision of applying democratic socialist and ecological principles to the governance of our communities.
Getting involved can take the form of putting up a lawn sign or making a financial contribution to a campaign.
Getting involved can also go further -- volunteering time a few evenings each week to help knock on doors or calling voters to help mobilize support for our ideals and the candidates who embrace them.
With a small group of committed volunteers, I was able to knock on nearly every door in the City of Victoria in the 2011 election. That played a decisive role in my election to public office.
I need your help in this election, as do other progressive incumbents and new candidates who will strengthen our voice at the municipal and school board tables.
As your elected official, I have worked hard to provide leadership for open, cost-effective public services, while advocating strongly for what we all believe in:
- housing with support and harm reduction to end homelessness and reduce suffering by our most vulnerable citizens;
- ecological principles in the management of parks, agricultural lands, water supply and transportation systems;
- public ownership and operation of municipal services and assets;
- land-use development on a human scale that respects the character of neighbourhoods while providing opportunities for affordable housing;
- advocacy to the provincial and federal governments on First Nations rights, affordability for senior citizens, poverty reduction, protecting the coastline from oil tankers, and maintaining Canada Post door-to-door delivery;
- incomes policies that support the right of everyone to live in dignity, including the right of working people to organize, bargain collectively and withdraw their labour if necessary to achieve fair conditions.