Stephen Chase shines during ‘At-Large’ debate
According to the Telegraph-Journal today, Chris Titus was the big winner at last night’s debate; however, I would disagree and say that Stephen Chase was the one candidate who really shined.
Titus had written responses to nearly every question asked. Now you might call that being prepared; but, I would call that not being able to answer questions as they are asked. Sure, I could write down responses ahead of time and make sure that they appeal to everyone; but, these debates are meant to be unscripted. Candidates should speak to the crowd, not simply read a sheet of paper with your head down (Anne-Marie is also guilty of this).
When the times comes and decisions need to be made, I want someone who can communicate clearly as questions are asked. I don’t want a candidate who will go away for a week, write something down, then come back and read it to me without looking in my eyes.
For that reason alone, I believe that Stephen Chase shined at the debate. He did not simply read a piece of paper. He stood up, he looked at the crowd, he answered the questions as they were asked, and he gave good reasonable responses.
Even with CUPE corner (the group of individuals who stand in the dark shadows and “boo” the reasonable candidates) yelling out angry remarks, Stephen stood his ground, and he focused on the issues that really matter to the people in this city – Water, Fiscal Responsibility, and Transparency.
One of the most interesting points in the debate was when Anne-Marie talked of being an “independent” candidate and slammed the need for an Auditor General – an idea brought forward by Stephen Chase. As you can expect, that’s when Stephen commented that the Firefighters, who are endorsing and supporting her campaign, wouldn’t want an Auditor General reviewing their department. It is scary to think that she considers herself to be an independent candidate – the big yellow signs around town say otherwise.
Many of the questions were around recreation, the zoo, affordable housing, etc – are all items that need money to pay for them. The fact is, for every dollar that we can save on service delivery, that money is then available for other areas. Again, Stephen was the only one who argued that we should be looking at all options available when it comes to service delivery. “My agenda has always been about delivering good service,” Chase said. “We have to deliver services as efficiently and effectively as possible.
It makes you wonder when candidates, who are not yet elected, stand up and say they won’t look at all options before spending OUR MONEY. When your looking for a contractor to do work on your house, do you open the phone book, call the first person you see, and immediately hire them? Or do you call and talk to as many contractors as possible, get quotes, ask about their experience, and ask for referrals before selecting the best person. Why should the city not do the same thing for city services?
I want a real independent candidate, I want someone who will look at all options, I want someone who will listen to all viewpoints, I want someone with the leadership and common sense to make it happen, and the person who can do it is Stephen Chase.
