milton election 2010

On The Right Track

Mike Cluett

An election  campaign can be a very busy time in a candidates life and times a very quiet time in a candidates life.

For hours on end, a candidate can knock on doors to speak with the voters in their ward, passing out information on who they are, what they stand for and what they feel the issues are in the area.  Many of you tell me what you think as well and that dialogue is important.  For some though who haven’t yet made a decision on who they will be supporting on October 25th, some reply with I’ll have a look and see.

What I find the most satisfying are the emails I receive from Ward 6 voters letting me know I am on the right track.  In the last 48 hours, I have received dozens of emails from you in the ward saying they watched the Milton Today TV debates from Sunday, either live or on demand (see my home page for the links) and they support what I’m talking about for the future of Milton.

Here are just some excerpts:

From Gilles:

“I’ve had the opportunity to speak with you at my home and listen to you speak during the Thanksgiving debate and you have my vote on October 25, 2010”

From Morgan:

“Just saw the debate online.  You did very well, and your rationale regarding the health care situation was excellent!  On all questions, I’m glad to see that you focused on your values and what you would bring to the table.  Good job, keep it up!”

The health care situation he speaks of is obviously the hospital expansion and what the Town of Milton can do to speed up the process.  My opponent asked me directly why Im “against the provincial government” on this.  The answer is quite clear.  We cant move forward as a town on the expansion of Milton Hospital until we know if the province of Ontario approves it.  THEN we can work towards plans, diagrams, money needed for local portion and everything else that comes with it.

NOTHING can happen until the provincial government gets “off its duff” (my words from the debate) and approves Milton, the fastest growing community in Canada, so we can get started.  No matter what the expansion looks like, we need to know.  We needed to know years ago, but they dragged their heels and they havent made Milton the priority it should be when it comes to the delivery of health care services in our area.

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me during this campaign and your words of support and encouragment are uplifting to say the least.  Nothing motivates me more to continue to knock on doors and speak with as many of you as I can before October 25th.  You can email me as always, mike@mikecluett.caor click on the Contact Mike section of the site.  I look forward to speaking with as many of you as I can before the 25th.

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Thanksgiving Debate

Mike Cluett

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that everyone enjoys their time with friends and family over the course of the long weekend to reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. Of course, I am very thankful for my family, my wife and children, my friends and campaign workers and for the fact we live in a great town and a great country.

We celebrated yesterday one of the things that makes our country great…democracy. Milton Today TV hosted an all candidates/meeting debate at the Holiday Inn in Milton yesterday that was quite successful and apparently there were a large number of people logged in to view the proceedings.  This event was really well run from the beginning to the end and congratulations to Milton Today TV for pulling it off.

If you go to the WHY MIKE page, you will see a video for the 1st half of the event.  Ward 6 began at 1 hour 20 minutes into the video, if you’d like to fast forward.  If I can find out if UStream can start a video at a certain point, it can be a lot easier to start off with us.

Thanks to everyone who sent me emails, tweets and phone calls of support after watching the debate…your encouragement  is much appreciated.  A few of you have noticed some of the items that came up during that debate on behalf of my opponent.  One of those items was a new found understanding of local issues.  I guess he does have time to look at my website www.mikecluett.ca

Most of the issues he raised for the first time during this campaign began a month ago, have been raised on my website for the last several months in fact the last few years.  That’s fine for me, because imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

As Amir posted yesterday, he seemed a bit puzzled at my opponents comments about Clark Blvd saying cars “are running (at speeds of) 100 to 120 (km/hr)”.  Having talked with the residents along that route for the last few years they know there is speeding but those speeds are a bit of an exaggeration.

I am also glad my opponent has realized that there is a need for some kind of signalled crosswalk near Kennedy Circle and Thompson Road so that pedestrian traffic can make its way safely across Thompson road for both ward 7 and ward 6 homeowners.  This is something that both myself (also here) and Rick DiLorenzo have been discussing for the last year, so welcome aboard.

I think that after people watch our portion of the debates, it will provide them with a clear picture of who can be the best representative at council for residents in Ward 6.  Over the last several years, I have attended council meetings, budget meetings and committee meetings to make sure I have a clear understanding of what is coming for the town of Milton.  My committment to Milton voters wasn’t made at the last minute.  It’s been something I have worked with you since 2006 and I will continue to work for after October 25th.

Speaking of voting, today is the first day of advance polls in Milton.  You can head down to Hugh Foster Hall all this week from 10am to 6pm to cast your ballot early in case you wont be able to make it on the 25th.  Believe me when I say this, advance polls are great because the lineups are generally shorter and you get in and out a lot quicker.  So, if you want to take the family to downtown Milton, grab your voters cards and cast your vote for Mike Cluett…Ward 6 Councillor.

I’ll see you at the doors.  Happy Thanksgiving.

All Candidates Meetings

Mike Cluett

Yesterday was quite the busy day for many of the candidates for Milton Town Council.

In the first meeting, 32 candidates lined up along several tables to speak about seniors issues in the Town of Milton and what can be done by council to help improve the quality of life for what I called the ‘builders” of our community.

As many candidates have stated over the course of the campaign, my wife and I  were first drawn to Milton by its sense of community spirit, openness and warmth from the people in town.  That doesn’t happen by accident or overnight.

That sense of community is built by the people who have lived here long before we were Miltonians and many of those people are the seniors in town.  They may not have built the town in a bricks and roads sense, but they are the ones who have and continue to bring that sense of  community spirit.

A lot of ideas were shared and there was almost unanimous agreement from everyone around the table that our seniors need to be heard and action taken on a lot of their concerns.  From the Bruce Street Library to what we can do about long term care and hospital services topped the agenda.

Then after a quick dinner break with the family, I headed back to the seniors activity centre for another all candidates meeting, this time specifically for wards 1, 6, 7 & 8.  The turnout was lower than expected but from some of the comments I heard, they liked our “informal” style of speeches.  Each candidate was given 10 minutes to talk about themselves, their platform and other issues raised by posters on the Hawthorne Villager forum.

It was great to meet some new people and get an idea of other issues they face outside of the “top” ones most candidates talk about.

I spoke about my platform of responsible financial management, neighbourhood safety and accountability.  Other topics discussed ranged from hospital expansion, infrastructure development, Milton Education Village as well as the Derry Green Corporate Business Park. 

One of the funniest stories came from Brian Penman, candidate for Regional Council Wards 1, 6, 7 & 8 back when he was first elected as councillor.  He got a call from a constituent who reported a horse running around the intersection of Derry Road and 9th Line (you have to imagine what that area looked like 30 years ago…nothing like it is now.)  He jumped in his truck and headed down to “solve the problem”. 

When he got there he spoke with a police officer who asked “Who are you?”  With pride and chest puffed out, Brian mentioned that he was the councillor for the area.  The officer then smacked the horse and moved it over to the Milton town limits and said, “Well, now its your problem!” and drove off.  LOTS of laughter in the crowd with that story.

All in all, it was a good meeting with some interesting discussion afterwards with voters from all wards and we did get a chance to clarify our stance on certain issues.  Many thanks to Steve and Kelly who organized the event, brought snacks for everyone and accepted Food Bank donations as well.  My donations went to the Food Bank the day before through Miranda’s daycare so it all went to the same place.

I have some new brochures made and I will be sending them out to as many homes as possible over the next 3 weeks as the election day approaches.  Remember that there are also a number of opportunities to vote, if you cant make it on election day so keep that in mind and get out to vote.

I look forward to speaking with more of you and I invite you to ask me any questions at all through this site, or my email mike@mikecluett.ca

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Demographics Are Changing & Trustee Debate

Mike Cluett

Here is an article by Christina Commisso of the Milton Canadian Champion regarding some of the events coming out of the most recent Administration & Planning committee meeting.

“We heard from (Milton trustee) Donna Danielli that the school board was working on base statistics of about three children coming out of a household. Last week we learned it could be up to double that,” said Councillor Paul Scherer at last week’s town council meeting. “The implications in terms of us not getting those numbers right going forward could have a tremendous impact on the tax base in Milton.”

Paul brings up a valid point.  If we as a council moving forward, make plans for programs we need to know if there are any major changes to the demographics in town.

To say that Milton is a family friendly town would be an understatement.  There are some streets I canvass in Ward 6 that its easier to count on one hand the number of homes without children.  You can call it Milton’s Baby Boom.

Councillor Scherer asked town staff to come back to the new council with an updated report on population projections as we are rapidly approaching the beginning of the Boyne Survey.  The “Boyne” as its referred to, will be the newest development in Milton that will bring close to 60,000 new Miltonians to town.  It stretches from James Snow Parkway from the east to Tremaine Road in the west, all just south of Louis St Laurent.

During this election, you have heard from candidates that we need “better planning”.  I think this report will go a long way to making sure we are on track with projections.  It’s not just a matter of the number of homes built and roads that are  constructed…its other services that the Town of Milton provides that might be under even FURTHER strain.  It’s services like the library, recreational facilities, and more importantly schools.  If we are low in our projections, down the road we will be squeezed at the delivery of the many services the town provides.

I look forward to reading this report when it comes back to council on the 20th of December.  I invite you to send me your comments, questions and concerns to mike@mikecluett.ca and I’ll add you to my email list for when updates on this are issued.

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Also, last night I attended the only all candidates meeting for the public and separate school board trustees in Milton.  I’ve talked about this position before as one that’s seems to be overlooked by a lot of people.  In fact, in previous elections, they used to have the trustees go first because most people would leave the debates/meetings after the Mayor and Regional Council speeches.

These people are entrusted to deal with the developments in our schools and the safety of our children…and most people don’t even know who the trustees are.  Last night 4 of the 5 candidates vying for the 2 jobs had a chance to speak and tell us a little about them.  I must admit, it was nice being on the OTHER side of the table for once.  Being a candidate myself, Im used to being the one talking instead of the one listening.

The candidates for Public School Trustee are Nancy MacNeil, Brian Hawley and Jafar Alam (Jafar wasn’t there last night due to a business engagement).  Both Brian and Nancy did a great job letting us know a little about them and what they would do if elected.  Its hard to talk about what you will be able to do, if you dont know the job or have no experience so both candidates were brutally honest about that fact.  Its going to be a tough choice for sure.

The other two candidates are running for the Halton Catholic School Board position.  Sandor Koso is the current trustee, but Diane Rabenda is a strong challenger and from the comments I heard last night from those in attendance, its a coin toss.  Great candidates all around.

Speaking of All Candidates meetings, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that tomorrow (Wednesday) is an All Candidates Meeting for the wards 1, 6, 7 & 8.  All candidates for all positions have said they will be there, so this is a good opportunity for you to come out and see what your next  council might look like.  You can go to the Hawthorne Villager website and get more info on times and location.

If you come on Wednesday, please stop me and say HI!  Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Sign Casualties

Mike Cluett

Having been through some campaigns in the past, I have found that sometimes there are casualties. The casualties in this case are lawn signs.

Election signs are an integral part of campaigning. They serve a number of purposes to the community as a whole. They provide an opportunity for people to show their friends and neighbours who they are supporting in the election campaign. Its a very humbling experience to drive down a row of homes and see your name many times over, and it never grows old on you.

Signs also tell the broader community that there is an election going on. Before the signs went up around town many people didn’t realize that this was an election year and it helps raise awareness to everyone to start looking around and do some research on the people running in your area.

As candidates have been running from home to home (at least you HOPE they are) part of the campaign experience is to design and order your signs. I was lucky that I had quite a few remaining from my previous campaign, so I have been able to recycle mine this time around.

You can see by the picture above that signs also become targeted and in a battle, most times don’t survive. If you have been following me on Twitter the last couple of weeks, you have read that my signs have been vandalized by individuals. Sometimes its playfulness and the signs are lifted from the ground and tossed down. Believe me, I know that’s part of the game and it will continue to happen as long as there are election signs. Some the Town of Milton has been picking up and removing to make sure they can cut the grass safely. Again…no problems there as I or my team members go to the “sign jail” on Nippissing to pick them up the next day.

But many of my signs have suffered the same fate as the one shown above.

Over the last couple of weeks, part of my campaign duties has included sign repair and replacements.  It seems to be a growing trend this election that once both myself and my volunteers put them up, somehow they end up getting damaged beyond repair.  Not only is it illegal to destroy the signs, it doesn’t help in the general cleanliness of the Town. 

A BIG thank you goes to my friends and neighbours in the ward for offering to keep an eye on the signs in their area and report any damage or missing signs immediately.  That shows our community is looking out for each other.

Here is a link to the Town of Milton’s By-Law on election signs from the website.  Here you will find contact numbers in case you have any questions.  If you feel that a candidate has placed a sign on your lawn without your permission, or if you feel a sign has been placed illegally you can contact the clerks office and let them know.

If you see someone destroying signs or vandalizing them, please contact the Halton Police Department.  It is a crime.  I know this topic has been discussed at council a few times recently as well as the Milton Community Policing Committee (of which I am a member) and it is looked upon as a crime…not a joke.

If you see signs that have been damaged or are in disrepair, please contact the candidate as soon as possible.  There are just about 20 days left until Election Day and there are also a number of opportunities for people to vote ahead of time in advance polls (Check out my Election section in the site) so get out and be informed.

And if you see me on the side of the road repairing signs give me a honk!  But until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Door Knocking Notes & School Board Trustees

Mike Cluett

I had a great time knocking on doors last night near 4th Line & Louis St Laurent and meeting up with regular readers of my blog, like Andre (Thanks for reading!)

If you were going through that intersection last night, you know they are doing some repair work finally because going through the stop sign almost felt like an off road course.  The kids love it by the way, but its not good on the suspension of the car.

Many of the people I spoke with were looking for updates on when the high school would begin construction and I’ll be sending Donna Danielli an email today to find out.  Donna is our Public School Board Trustee who has worked very hard over the last 4 years. 

With this election comes a change in the number of trustees for Milton.  There are now 2 positions open for the October election, one for the “southern” wards 1,6,7 & 8 and the other for the” northern” wards of 2,3,4 & 5.  This will provide them with more of an opportunity to concentrate their focus on a smaller area instead of the town as a whole.

School board trustees are often overlooked as a “minor” position and are not given the due they deserve.  Hours upon hours of work are put into this job with almost very little recognition.  I know from experience dealing with a number of trustees that this position is anything but “minor”  It takes dedication and a lot of hard work to do what they do and to help ensure that as the town grows, so do the opportunities for our education system.

This election as you choose who you want to support for Regional Chair, Mayor, Regional Council, and Local Council (thats me!), take some time and research who you want to be your public and catholic school board trustee.

If you live in wards 2,3,4 &5 drop Donna a note as shes running for re-election at the public school board level.  Tell her I sent you.

The evenings are becoming more comfortable for strolls (and door knocking) and Im looking to do some more tonight and later on this week.  I hope to see you at the doors.

*edit*  Thanks to Gary for letting me know I had the wards Donna was running in listed incorrectly.