I received an e-mail today clarifying today`s vote and thought I would share with Ontario REIN members.
IT IS WORTH READING!!!!
Subject: Referendum Oct 2007
Hi folks please pass this on. Someone has put a little more thought into this than most of us. Worth reading and thinking about.
Did you know a referendum was taking place on October 10, 2007?
On October 10, 2007, as part of the next Provincial election, the people of Ontario will be asked if they want to replace the current electoral system. In essence, they will be asked if they want to shift the power from the people of Ontario (local voters and ridings) to the politicians at Queens Park. There has been no education on this referendum and its timing, coinciding with the October 10 Ontario election, may allow for an easy pass by sheer overshadowing.
What is being proposed and how does it impact all of us?
1. Decrease the current number of ELECTED MPPs from 103 to 90.
2. Incorporate a new NON-ELECTED number of MPPS
3. Enlarge the number of MPPS to 129.
4. 90 MPPs will be Elected by us the people
5. 39 MPPs to be Selected or Appointed by the political parties.
6. Not democratically elected and Party elites (possibly failed candidates, or party hacks who couldn`t even get a nomination to run.)
7. Decreased accessibility to government
8. 17 fewer local ridings and decreased accessibility
9. Elected members will have local riding issues to manage and be
10. Directly accountable to constituents as now.
11. Appointed MPPs have no such responsibilities. They will be responsible only to the party that appoints them. When a party leader wants to do something controversial, that some mpp`s might not support because of fear of losing their constituent`s support, the leader will be guaranteed the support of his appointees.
12. Brokerage Politics may make positive change more difficult
Did you ask for this referendum and the associated costs? Not likely, the change was pushed by small splinter parties who have little hope of getting anyone elected in the current system and by parties or groups (read NDP but apparently others as well) who prefer more centrallized control.
This proposed two-tier government system called "Mixed Member Proportional" (MMP) is the government`s solution to reduced voter turnout in the current electoral system.
There is a risk that this referendum question will be overshadowed by the debate of who will form the next provincial government
and could result in the people giving up their historic power in the way we govern ourselves.
ight:100%">The government spent millions of our dollars on a Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform. Purportedly, the members of the Citizens Assemblywere chosen randomly but no one can establish which database or what information was used to determine such random participation, or history making participants.
The people of Ontario did not ask for this referendum.
The people of Ontario want more accountability. They do not want paid MPPs that have no accountability: not to ridings or constituents or any other defined entity or channel.
The people of Ontario want more transparency of the use of their tax dollars, at all levels of government. They want to eliminate misuse, abuse and squandering of their money.
Shifting the people`s power will not help suppress scandals such as the most recent Cricket club affair. ($100,000 requested and $1,000,000 one million paid for no apparent benefit to the people of Ontario).
MMP will lead to more minority governments and more small parties. Occasional minority governments can seem good. But they cannot deal with long term issues. They cannot take tough measures because the leading party needs to get re-elected, probably soon. It is also thought it will lead to:
1. A more elite legislature
2. Reward for faithful service to party hacks
3. Delivery of votes to the party for its desired policies without accountability to the voters.
4. Financial help
5. Decreased accessibility to politicians
6. Less Democracy
If people of Ontario are to make an informed decision, they must have the opportunity to hear more than one side of the debate on electoral change. Using our tax dollars to pay for 22 more politicians and their staff at Queens Park, and without any sense of what the additional 22 will be doing or to whom they will be accountable, suggests that the people of Ontario are weak, indecisive and need decisions made for them or are basically ignorant and will give up their power to political insiders.
Please think twice - and then vote NO.
Suggest to others that they check out the perils before they vote in the referendum.
IT IS WORTH READING!!!!
Subject: Referendum Oct 2007
Hi folks please pass this on. Someone has put a little more thought into this than most of us. Worth reading and thinking about.
Did you know a referendum was taking place on October 10, 2007?
On October 10, 2007, as part of the next Provincial election, the people of Ontario will be asked if they want to replace the current electoral system. In essence, they will be asked if they want to shift the power from the people of Ontario (local voters and ridings) to the politicians at Queens Park. There has been no education on this referendum and its timing, coinciding with the October 10 Ontario election, may allow for an easy pass by sheer overshadowing.
What is being proposed and how does it impact all of us?
1. Decrease the current number of ELECTED MPPs from 103 to 90.
2. Incorporate a new NON-ELECTED number of MPPS
3. Enlarge the number of MPPS to 129.
4. 90 MPPs will be Elected by us the people
5. 39 MPPs to be Selected or Appointed by the political parties.
6. Not democratically elected and Party elites (possibly failed candidates, or party hacks who couldn`t even get a nomination to run.)
7. Decreased accessibility to government
8. 17 fewer local ridings and decreased accessibility
9. Elected members will have local riding issues to manage and be
10. Directly accountable to constituents as now.
11. Appointed MPPs have no such responsibilities. They will be responsible only to the party that appoints them. When a party leader wants to do something controversial, that some mpp`s might not support because of fear of losing their constituent`s support, the leader will be guaranteed the support of his appointees.
12. Brokerage Politics may make positive change more difficult
Did you ask for this referendum and the associated costs? Not likely, the change was pushed by small splinter parties who have little hope of getting anyone elected in the current system and by parties or groups (read NDP but apparently others as well) who prefer more centrallized control.
This proposed two-tier government system called "Mixed Member Proportional" (MMP) is the government`s solution to reduced voter turnout in the current electoral system.
There is a risk that this referendum question will be overshadowed by the debate of who will form the next provincial government
and could result in the people giving up their historic power in the way we govern ourselves.
ight:100%">The government spent millions of our dollars on a Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform. Purportedly, the members of the Citizens Assemblywere chosen randomly but no one can establish which database or what information was used to determine such random participation, or history making participants.
The people of Ontario did not ask for this referendum.
The people of Ontario want more accountability. They do not want paid MPPs that have no accountability: not to ridings or constituents or any other defined entity or channel.
The people of Ontario want more transparency of the use of their tax dollars, at all levels of government. They want to eliminate misuse, abuse and squandering of their money.
Shifting the people`s power will not help suppress scandals such as the most recent Cricket club affair. ($100,000 requested and $1,000,000 one million paid for no apparent benefit to the people of Ontario).
MMP will lead to more minority governments and more small parties. Occasional minority governments can seem good. But they cannot deal with long term issues. They cannot take tough measures because the leading party needs to get re-elected, probably soon. It is also thought it will lead to:
1. A more elite legislature
2. Reward for faithful service to party hacks
3. Delivery of votes to the party for its desired policies without accountability to the voters.
4. Financial help
5. Decreased accessibility to politicians
6. Less Democracy
If people of Ontario are to make an informed decision, they must have the opportunity to hear more than one side of the debate on electoral change. Using our tax dollars to pay for 22 more politicians and their staff at Queens Park, and without any sense of what the additional 22 will be doing or to whom they will be accountable, suggests that the people of Ontario are weak, indecisive and need decisions made for them or are basically ignorant and will give up their power to political insiders.
Please think twice - and then vote NO.
Suggest to others that they check out the perils before they vote in the referendum.
