Bill Barisoff gone . . . look who is stepping up.

[Giants Head]

Two people have so far indicated that they want the Liberal nomination. Connie Denesiuk the former long time school board member and Mark Ziebarth. You may remember Mark from the Summerland civic election two terms ago when he ran the blind ads endorsing a slate of candidates and basically thumbed his nose at the BC Elections rules and regulations. A police investigation was started but was then dropped because of the amount of time that had passed from the election to the date of the complaint. What about Dan Ashton and Janice Perrino, will they be in the mix? The Herald also has throw around the possibilty of Jason Cox but I can't see a lightweight like Jason getting enough support. Any thoughts?

[southy]

Even if Ashton runs and suspect he will ( a good thing as it will get him out of city hall) ... the Liberals don't stand a chance with the line-up listed. Although, I honestly believe Janice Perrino might be able to tip the vote to the Liberals. I also think you may see one or more stronger candidates come forward yet.

[Centurion]

Even if Ashton runs and suspect he will ( a good thing as it will get him out of city hall) ... the Liberals don't stand a chance with the line-up listed. Although, I honestly believe Janice Perrino might be able to tip the vote to the Liberals. I also think you may see one or more stronger candidates come forward yet.

While I do agree that the Liberals will be swept out of power next election, I have no doubt they will still hold the Okanogan riding's. The stupidity in this part of the province runs deep.

[DblDwn11]

Standing ovation Al! Couldn't have expressed that better myself. I remember the decade of doom -- pretty sure the province was left bankrupt by the end of it.

Google Mike Harcourt & Glen Clark. Adrian Dix might as well be their love child.

[RandyDandy]

No, no, no, you can't have her yet - we still have one more roundabout to go.

[-fluffy-]

It may be an interesting race this time around. I don't hold out a lot of hope for Mr. Ziebarth, after that business surrounding the Summerland municipal election his name doesn't exactly engender a lot of trust. Dick Cannings running for the NDP might be a horse to keep an eye on.

[Alex1967]

Of all the names declared and bandied about, Ziebarth may be the best person for the job but not the most electable.
I have never met the man, but have heard many positive things about him.
As for running a slate of candidates in a municipal election, it is common practice just not in the South Okanagan. Many people seem to view running a slate as a bad thing. I ask those same people why is it bad to run a slate in a municipal election when it is alright to do so provincial or federal election? Unless you vote for an independant you are voting for a slate, just under a different brand so to speak.

[Alex1967]

Even if Ashton runs and suspect he will ( a good thing as it will get him out of city hall) ... the Liberals don't stand a chance with the line-up listed. Although, I honestly believe Janice Perrino might be able to tip the vote to the Liberals. I also think you may see one or more stronger candidates come forward yet.

I agree that of all the names she is the most electable but is she the best person for the job?

[-fluffy-]

Of all the names declared and bandied about, Ziebarth may be the best person for the job but not the most electable.
I have never met the man, but have heard many positive things about him.
As for running a slate of candidates in a municipal election, it is common practice just not in the South Okanagan. Many people seem to view running a slate as a bad thing. I ask those same people why is it bad to run a slate in a municipal election when it is alright to do so provincial or federal election? Unless you vote for an independant you are voting for a slate, just under a different brand so to speak.

True, but there was a level of subterfuge in the way the whole thing was handled, and he didn't come clean until he was inextricably cornered. He strikes me as the kind of man who is comfortable writing his own rule book even if those rules don't jive with accepted practice. We've got enough of those in office already. Granted I've never met the man personally, but as you say, not the most electable. I'd mention Dick Cannings again as a man who I know to be of solid character, but the NDP scare me.

[Alex1967]

I'd mention Dick Cannings again as a man who I know to be of solid character, but the NDP scare me.

Quite agree with you. I met him many years ago, an affable fellow, very intelligent and well respected in his chosen field, but not a person I would want on the Board of Directors to run the province in which I live, especially for the party he chooses. Our MLA needs to be well rounded, compassionate, firm and fair, open minded, willing to challenge and be challenged. I would fear that Dick Cannings would fall into the camp that would never get anything done, or say no as it is easier than saying yes.

[-fluffy-]

I'd be lying if I said those same thoughts haven't crossed my mind. He's a nice guy and politics is not exactly nice-guy territory. That being said I think he is the sort to have a strength of conviction that I'd like to see more of in the political arena, just too bad he's in the NDP camp. The province is still on pretty shaky ground economically to start burning the socialist torch.

[Giants Head]

In Summerland, Citizens for Smart Governance ran five ads endorsing all of the successful candidates, including the mayor. Only after intense media interest did local businessman Mark Ziebarth come forward and claim that he was the only person in the group. He also insisted to CBC Radio that during next election not only will he again refuse to register, he'll spend more money.

There is lots of stuff to read about Mark Ziebarth with just a Google search. The one above was a CBC interview when he was telling people just what he thought of the Election rules in British Columbia. This guy is a real piece of work.

[-fluffy-]

Exactly, there's a lot of questions around that guy.

[Giants Head]

The more you look the better it gets. Google is not this guys friend.

Mark Ziebarth is a good example. An American who did work with the Heritage Foundation (a right-wing group that has produced such controversial figures as Ann Coulter), he now lives in Summerland. During the 2008 campaign, Ziebarth wrote and paid for four ads in The Summerland Review and one in The Penticton Herald supporting pro-development candidates for mayor and council.


"In order to have some fun at the expense of the antediluvian Smart Growth crowd, I named myself Citizens for Smart Governance and published my ads under that banner," Ziebarth bragged in a letter to the Review last December.


He also broke the law by never registering as a campaign organization or filing a financial disclosure statement. Ziebarth wasn't charged because complaints about his action weren't filed with police within a six-month period following the election



Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Foreig ... z24UHZjCKm

[Alex1967]

It doesn't sound as though Ziebarth is electable at all. The information you are posting is disappointing to say the least. Whether one likes the rules or not, one has to play by them, especially when it involves public office.