STV Poll

Do you think that STV will be the solution to B.C.'s need for electoral reform?

Yes
15
31%
No
29
60%
Unsure/Undecided
4
8%
 
Total votes: 48

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usquebaugh
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STV Poll

Post by usquebaugh »

Given all the discussion about STV and the need for electoral reform, I thought it would be interesting to see which way Castanetters are leaning.
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Urbane
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Re: STV Poll

Post by Urbane »

  • usquebaugh wrote:Given all the discussion about STV and the need for electoral reform, I thought it would be interesting to see which way Castanetters are leaning.
I think STV is flying under the radar this time. The government has provided $500,000 to each side for advertising so perhaps that will start to generate more discussion province-wide. This decision is an important one and I hope people are fully informed before casting their vote.
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Homeownertoo
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Re: STV Poll

Post by Homeownertoo »

We Castanet users have been fortunate to have this forum to discuss STV (not to mention other topics). Anyone know if other BC communities have the same opportunity to debate this issue?
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steven lloyd
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Re: STV Poll

Post by steven lloyd »

Homeownertoo wrote:We Castanet users have been fortunate to have this forum to discuss STV (not to mention other topics). Anyone know if other BC communities have the same opportunity to debate this issue?
I don’t think as much. This is a great forum and why I still participate on it five years after moving from Kelowna. I agree with Urbane and the idea this issue is flying under the radar. In fact, I really would not be surprised if that was deliberate. I really doubt the Liberals want any change. And who knows – maybe few people do.

I haven’t had much time to participate in these discussions lately (work, etc.), but I have still been reading posts and paying particular attention to this issue as I have still not decided how to vote on it. I admit I’ve been back and forth and once again find myself leaning toward voting no as there have been some (I think) very strong negative points made about it recently.

I still do think we need to look at some kind of electoral reform, however, and my fear is that if/when this initiative gets defeated we (the electorate) will just drop the issue of reform completely. That would be the apathetic course of action (inaction) to take and fits our (society as a whole) description perfectly.

I cringe at the idea of that megomaniac once again proclaiming “The people of BC have spoken” after 60% or more of us vote for anybody but him. At least we’ll no longer be able to make fun of the Americans for electing George Bush into power (only) twice.

Anyhow, I don’t know if this poll will allow me to change my vote after I make it so I’ll be reserving my choice as I am still undecided (although definitely leaning).
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Re: STV Poll

Post by usquebaugh »

I designed the poll, so that people could change their minds later, but as it stands now, it looks as though we're being given the middle finger (which is appropriate, I suppose, since Liberals seem to be giving us all the middle finger with the extravagant raises they gave themselves...).
Where oh where’d my body go?
Africa or Mexico?
Where or where’d my body go?
Where’d my body go?
Have you seen my ghost?
Staring at the ground?
Have you seen my ghost?
Sick of those *bleep* clouds
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Re: STV Poll

Post by logicalview »

usquebaugh wrote:I designed the poll, so that people could change their minds later, but as it stands now, it looks as though we're being given the middle finger (which is appropriate, I suppose, since Liberals seem to be giving us all the middle finger with the extravagant raises they gave themselves...).
The difference between a Liberal and an NDP'er is that a Liberal has all 5 fingers. The NDP'er 1.

At it's discretion the Liberal can use one or any in combination to communicate an infinite amount of messages.

The NDP'er is left with only one finger - the middle finger - and they just wave it around and around.
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Captain Awesome
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Re: STV Poll

Post by Captain Awesome »

I'm confused by what STV is and what are the benefits of it. So, undecided.
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steven lloyd
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Re: STV Poll

Post by steven lloyd »

logicalview wrote: The difference between a Liberal and an NDP'er is that a Liberal has all 5 fingers. At it's discretion the Liberal can use one or any in combination to communicate an infinite amount of messages.
That may be so. Unfortunately, however, the Liberals have been using those fingers to pick your pockets while giving it to you up the ...
We have got to stop asking, "How stupid can you be?"
Too many of his cultists are taking it as a challenge.
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Re: STV Poll

Post by usquebaugh »

lv wrote:At it's discretion the Liberal can use one or any in combination to communicate an infinite amount of messages.
I think the best part of that is the part where even lv believes that a Liberal is an "it."
Where oh where’d my body go?
Africa or Mexico?
Where or where’d my body go?
Where’d my body go?
Have you seen my ghost?
Staring at the ground?
Have you seen my ghost?
Sick of those *bleep* clouds
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katzenjammer
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Re: STV Poll

Post by katzenjammer »

I'm going on the assumtion that any change will be better than what we now have. There is always the possibility to make further changes later. I'm voting yes to STV.
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usquebaugh
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Re: STV Poll

Post by usquebaugh »

Well, so far the nays have it, but I wonder why there isn't more attention being paid to this issue. I would have thought that B.C.'s major newspapers, in particular, would carry more articles and/or op-eds on the subject, especially as election day approaches. Otherwise, many British Columbians will be entering the voting booth uninformed (unless they're availing themselves of websites to do online research!).
Where oh where’d my body go?
Africa or Mexico?
Where or where’d my body go?
Where’d my body go?
Have you seen my ghost?
Staring at the ground?
Have you seen my ghost?
Sick of those *bleep* clouds
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steven lloyd
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Re: STV Poll

Post by steven lloyd »

katts wrote:I'm going on the assumtion that any change will be better than what we now have. There is always the possibility to make further changes later. I'm voting yes to STV.
Initially I had been prepared to proceed under the same assumption. However, there have been some really strong points put forward here by some posters that should provide cause for concern. I absolutely believe we need some sort of change in our electoral system but not for the worse.
We have got to stop asking, "How stupid can you be?"
Too many of his cultists are taking it as a challenge.
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steven lloyd
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Re: STV Poll

Post by steven lloyd »

usquebaugh wrote:Well, so far the nays have it, but I wonder why there isn't more attention being paid to this issue. I would have thought that B.C.'s major newspapers, in particular, would carry more articles and/or op-eds on the subject, especially as election day approaches.
That is a very interesting question.

( I smell conspiracy :129: )
We have got to stop asking, "How stupid can you be?"
Too many of his cultists are taking it as a challenge.
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Homeownertoo
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Re: STV Poll

Post by Homeownertoo »

steven lloyd wrote:
usquebaugh wrote:Well, so far the nays have it, but I wonder why there isn't more attention being paid to this issue. I would have thought that B.C.'s major newspapers, in particular, would carry more articles and/or op-eds on the subject, especially as election day approaches.
That is a very interesting question.

( I smell conspiracy :129: )
Maybe we need a poll of journalists. Maybe journalists should be polled regularly on significant issues.
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usquebaugh
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Re: STV Poll

Post by usquebaugh »

BC-STV supporters outnumber opponents online
By Morgan J. Modjeski April 10, 2009 08:00 am

Vote Yes BC-STV has successfully passed the NO-STV campaign – along with all major party candidates – in online supporters, suggest numbers released today by British Columbians for British Columbia Single Transferrable Vote.

British Columbians for BC-STV has more than 4,000 members on Facebook, while the NO-STV campaign has a little more than 150. The BC Liberal leader Gordon Campbell and BC-NDP leader Carole James have failed to break 2,000.

"The support for electoral reform in BC is a real grassroots initiative, instead of having support from a few elites, we have lots of support from thousands of British Columbians," Tony Roy, director of communications at British Columbians for BC-STV told The Tyee.

New media such as Facebook acts as, "a real lever for us to increase our vote," Roy said.

Bill Tieleman, president of the NO-STV campaign expressed no concern over the Facebook numbers."At best they’re a minor indication of interest, but they’re not anything like a public opinion poll," he said.

"It’s an interesting way of getting the word out, but it’s mostly people who are fairly hardcore supporters who join, it’s not worth spending a lot of time on."

Blaize Reich, a professor at Simon Fraser University’s Segal school of business, indicated the numbers do not reflect the possible outcome, but the trend behind them could be an indicator.

"I think the numbers themselves are not that interesting as an indicator as the trend," Reich said.

The STV campaign went from roughly 3,000 members in late march to more than 4,000 in early April, she said.

"We're trying to get people on Facebook, get them to start talking about the issues, and then we have a pretty good chance of getting them as supporters," Reich said.

Talking about the Facebook group’s effect, "The yes side benefits, the more people that know about it, the more people talk about it," which benefits the group when it comes to getting the message across, said Reich.

Morgan J. Modjeski is a reporter for The Hook
Interesting. I wasn't aware there was a Facebook group for either the "Yes" or "No" side, but then I've been doing my best to kick my old Facebook habit/addiction! I guess it's still better than either side using Twitter to get a message across. :127: That being said, has anyone noticed any "No" signs on the roadside? Thus far, I've only seen signs telling people to vote yes.
Where oh where’d my body go?
Africa or Mexico?
Where or where’d my body go?
Where’d my body go?
Have you seen my ghost?
Staring at the ground?
Have you seen my ghost?
Sick of those *bleep* clouds

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