town of milton

Today Is Election Day

Mike Cluett

Its been over 10 months since I began my campaign to become the local councillor for ward 6.  On January 11, 2010 I visited town hall and filed my nomination papers and started what was to become a tiring, yet satisfying campaign.

Over these past 10 months I have met many of you, a couple of times over, and heard what issues you find to be important.  In this time I spoke about 3 main things…responsible financial management, neighbourhood safety and accountability.

The first item of business for the new council will be to review the 2011 budget which has a projected 6.91% increase to the mill rate.  You have told me you want value for your dollar and you want your taxes spent wisely and this rate increase is simply too much.  Council needs to review line by line each item in the budget so we can see whats working, what isn’t working and where we can find savings.  I have made the promise I wont support the 2011 budget if the increase is over the rate of inflation.  I hope my council colleagues will work hard over that budget process to see if we can find the savings and give you value for your tax dollar.

We’ve talked about neighbourhood safety at length as well.  Im glad my opponent has been reading my blog since he started his campaign mid September and now understands this is an important issue.  Over the months and in fact the last few years, I have been talking about the importance of neighbourhood safety on our roads.  The town of Milton wants to become a pedestrian friendly town, but we need to look at options like traffic calming devices and other ways to slow down vehicles in the residential area so that all pedestrians are safer.  We’ve discussed the idea of a signalled crosswalk near Kennedy Circle and Thompson Road as there are people who would like to take advantage of the great splash pad and soccer fields on one side or others to go to Shoppers Drug Mart or Metro or the Dollar Blitz to shop without packing the kids in the car to travel less than 500 metres.  Over the next four years I want to bring these ideas forward and I need your input and help to get it done.

Last but not least, we talked extensively about accountability.  About being there when you call or email and giving you a quick response.  Ive promised, as I have done over the last 4 years, to update you on whats going on in Milton, at Town Hall, and how it affects you using this website/blog and other forms of social media like Facebook & Twitter.  During some important council meetings  you can find me sending updates through Twitter on what was going on, and when the decisions are made.  Its something I will do my best to continue as councillor, even though I’ll be sitting at the table, Ill make sure you can follow along.  Either by Twitter or what we hope to do is stream the meetings online so you can see whos working for you and asking the questions that need to be asked.

So now the brochures have been delivered and the doors have been knocked on and I’ve done my best to meet as many of you as I could over the last 10 months.  I leave it in your hands to make the decision on who you feel is the best candidate to represent all Miltonians at the council table.  If you havent made that crucial decision yet, I ask that you review my website and that of my opponents and see who has the plan for a better Milton.

You can vote today starting now at 10AM to 8 PM tonight.  If you live north of Clark Blvd in Ward 6 you will be voting at Guardian Angels on Bennett Blvd – and if you live south of Clark Blvd you will be voting at Hawthorne Village School also on Bennett Blvd.

If you have any last minute questions, call my cell (647) 888-9032!

Thank you everyone for making this a fun campaign.  Ive enjoyed meeting everyone and discussing the issues and while some of us disagreed we still came to the conclusion that the dialogue needs to continue and we need to work together to make Milton a better place.  I am humbled by the support I’ve received and the pledges of support and the volunteers who have worked endlessly to help me get the message out and for that Im eternally grateful.

I’ll update the blog once the polls close and the results come in.  Afterwards I will be at Ned Devines celebrating with other candidates, supporters, friends and family so feel free to drop by tonight (I’ll be there roughly after 9ish) and say HI!

Until then….I’ll see you at the polls.

Grand Opening of Tiger Jeet Singh Public School

Mike Cluett

 

I just returned from the opening of the Tiger Jeet Singh Public School and to echo some of the comments from people in attendance… WOW!

Hundreds of people came out to support the Singh family in this unprecedented opening of a new school in Milton.  Principal Rick Nodwell and the staff of the school were beaming with pride as the children chanted “TJS…TJS…TJS” showing pride in their school and their community.

Overhead a plane flew over the school as the children and people in attendance waved Canadian flags and cheered.  Inside the packed auditorium people listened to the dignitaries from other countries who flew here today for this event.  It was a highly emotional day for the Tiger family as a grin formed from ear to ear when it was announced the school mascot was “TIGER!”

The childrens choir got up to sing a very powerful song about being Canadian and they did a wonderful job as many in the crowd felt the emotion in their words.  In another emotional moment, Tiger Ali Singh, former WWE Superstar got up to speak.  He quickly broke into tears as he detailed the reasons why his father is a great man, and his personal hero.  Chants of TIGER filled the room when he came up to the podium to speak and you could quickly see how this school has become very tight knit and proud of where they go.  It was amazing to say the least.

Tiger Jeet Singh offered words of advice to the students before he  finished.  Stay in school, stay Tiger-fit and stay away from drugs!  A great message from a great man.

Its a wonderful accomplishment for this highly decorated individual who has never forgotten his roots, both in India and here in Milton.  Wherever he goes, whatever he does hes a Miltonian through and through.  Congratulations Tiger!  This is an honour well deserved by a wonderful man and a great family as well.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Momentum is building

Mike Cluett

With only a few days left in the campaign, I have a good feeling that the momentum is building.

When either myself or one of my campaign team knocks on a door, many know who I am, what I stand for, what I have done over the last few years and what I will do for them if elected.  If comments received at the door are any indication we should have a good turnout on the 25th.

Every moment counts now up until the polls open on Monday and I am spending as much time as possible knocking on doors speaking with as many ward 6 residents as I can.  Chilly nights (and they have been chilly) don’t stop me because its important to reach as many people as I can to hear what your thoughts are in the direction of Milton, the plan I’ve put forth and what we can do together to improve the quality of life in Milton.

If you haven’t made your decision yet, please take some time to review my “WHY MIKE” section, watch the videos of the Thanksgiving Debate, my Milton Today TV interview and my TV Cogeco statement.  Call or email me if you have any questions at all because I’m interested in what you have to say.

With so many changes happening in Milton over the next few years and beyond, its important that you have a say on the representative sent to council to speak for you.  I have been in this campaign from the beginning and over the spring and summer, I have knocked on doors to find out what you have to say.  My decision to run for this position wasn’t made at the last second…its been constant.  My service to Milton didn’t begin the day my name went on a ballot…its been constant.  And it will continue to be constant after October 25th.  Its important that you vote.

Three more days remain until the polls open at 10am Monday so until then, I hope to see you at the doors.

12 Days Remain

Mike Cluett

Getting down to the nitty gritty with Milton Election 2010.  There are only 12 days remaining in the campaign and things are beginning to heat up.  While out door knocking last night, I found that a there are a lot of people who are starting to look at the candidates, their platforms and what they can do for everyone in the Town of Milton.

One of the main questions I am asked at the doors is “What sets you apart from your competition?”

In one word, commitment!  Back in 2006 I ran for local council (for what was then called ward one…it now encompasses the new wards 1, 6, 7 & 8 ) I continued with the commitments I made then.  I had promised to keep people informed of what was going on at town hall by using my website and blog as a source of information.  I attended council, committee and public meetings throughout those 4 years and reported on the changes that were happening in Milton. 

I spoke out against council when they made decisions that didn’t make sense and praised the decisions that did.

My commitment to serving Miltonians didn’t come at the last second.  I launched my campaign back in January of this year and since April, I have been knocking on doors, leaving information on me, what I stand for and what I will do if elected.

Many of you that I have spoken with recently remember me from the first time I came around this year and from the previous times over the last few years and know that my commitment to serve Milton at town council is strongly routed in helping improve our community and make it a better place to live.

It’s my hope that after October 25th, I can continue to serve Ward 6 and Miltonians alike at the council table and to help steer it through the changes we will have to face and the decisions that we will have to make.

I want to ensure that the voters in Ward 6 have a say…to be a part of that process and for me to be your voice at the council table.  I hope that I can earn your support and your vote on Election Day and be able to work for and with you for the next 4 years.

Lots of doors remain to be knocked on and even though it’s tiring physically, the support you show for me is energizing.  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.