My [beta] Civic Platform…?
Posted on January 21st, 2008 in environment, health, links, personal, politics, society, surrey, transportation, urban planning, vancouver |
I’ve been pondering a lot recently about my position in the community and how to best realize my vision for this region, and, more specifically, for my home city of Surrey. You see, a person like me tends to have a lot of projects and ideas swirling around his head - it’s just a matter of how best to make these a reality. Rather often, it seems that the power to truly improve things lies in the hands of decision makers. To that end, I’m pondering a potential run for political office in Surrey during the November municipal elections.
I’ve written before about what I believe is a lack of boldness in this region. You know, that spice of life, that energy… that ability to make, support and rally around the *best* decisions and ideas - and I think it’s something I inherently possess. It’s a quality that could make up for my lack of experience in politics and support my candidacy as I’m advocating for the important issues.
And what are the important issues?
Well, take a look at the “four pillars”, so to speak, of a Surrey civic platform that I’ve been brainstorming.
- Sustainable Development
- Green Spaces
- Transportation Alternatives
- Vibrant Communities
I’m a logical guy, so trust me when I say that I already have many plans on how to achieve measurable improvements in these four categories - something rarely seen from political candidates vying for office. November’s a long ways away still. Does the platform sound intriguing to you? Something you would support?
Stay tuned, the rest of this week, I’ll give a full rundown on each of these “pillars”, including specific policies and plans.
Naturally, I’d really appreciate any and all comments :)
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7 Responses
Now we’re talkin’!
You will draw the media- you contrast with the other candidates who are out there: you are young, articulate, and reasoned. The whole point is to set the agenda for the race- to start a debate on the issues that matter most. Don’t ever see your lack of an experience as a liability- it’s an asset. Hammer it as a plus. You have fresh eyes and heightened urgency on the problems that the hacks have been kicking around for years. Boldness is what we need. The planet is melting- this is no time for half-measures.
A few practicalities: which Surrey races do you have your eye on? Council? Mayor? What are the requirements and deadlines? Remember to avoid doing too much all at once- less is more when it comes to the public’s ability to focus on specifics. Communicate a few key issues over and over in creative ways that are easy to grasp and to recall. Avoid the well-intentioned, but mind-numbing, monotonic citation of plans, facts and figures that make politicians such as Vancouver Councillor Raymond Louie so brilliant and yet- sigh- such an ineffective advocate for change.
Also, it may be a good idea to find a kind of mentor in local politics whom you trust.
Your silver bullet will be youth participation- get ‘em to turn out and you’ll really draw attention. It’s a shame that the slogan “And now for something completely different” is taken : )
I wish I didn’t live in Vancouver so I could vote for you.
Hi Paul :)
I like your idea of running for office, you’re a very talented young man (just don’t let the ugly world of politics tarnish your soul). Two thoughts, though (and I’ll be more than happy to sit down for coffee and talk about them if you want).
a). Sustainable development - The whole theoretical framework of sustainable development has been highly criticized and is now considered “passe”. I think you might be referring to “Sustainable Communities”, but not sure. At any rate, I would argue that you might want to look at the linkages between urban form, poverty alleviation, environmental issues and communities).
b). Vibrant communities - how do you plan to make them ‘vibrant’? Particularly in a society that is so tremendously heterogeneous (both demographically and ethnically)?
The third point I would like to bring is the scale at which you want to effect change. You have great plans at the regional scale, but perhaps it’d be better to start rolling the ball at the local (municipal) scale.
I just read the interview about you on the Surrey :)
http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/community/13909842.html
I think that you can begin the change by “starting small”, not by “playing small” :)
All the best, Paul!
You seriously ARE famous now. Congrats on the article! My mom sent me the link.
You have the potential, the brains, the motivation and a lot of support even if you’ve only got a handful of people right now.
Kunstler said to eliminate “green spaces” from our vocabulary and instead focus on specific terms which in this case might be public spaces instead. Your pillars will undoubtedly cross over.
I’d recommend checking out a website/blog called regardingplace.com. One of the people behind it is a design grad from my program and their core focus is public spaces. Let me know if you were at Kunstler’s talk and I just missed you; if not, I can fill you in over coffee. Any night this week is free for me.
[...] This is the first pillar in my civic platform. [...]
THANKS EVERYONE :D
@ Tim: I assume councillor. That alone is unlikely, thought not impossible. Mayor would never happen.
I was thinking one of my strengths is that I actually have ideas and strategies lined up to back up my “vision” of Surrey. But, I tried to keep it simple with the four pillars concept. I think doing a half and half thing works good - giving those who don’t want a lot to remember the simple grasp of what I stand for, while providing way more details for those interested.
The one thing I’m worried about in terms of youth participation is that most will be older than me, and could very likely be quite envious that I’m running for council, and actually doing something immediately while most others that age would just be entering university for another four years. So, it’s a potential market. I think another big one I could tap is young families who have just moved to Surrey - they understand a lot of my platform (the green stuff), and why it’s good, plus have a slightly softer heart.
@ Raul. I would hesitate to get stuck up over wording - possibly the worst thing that can come from democracy is sweating the small stuff. I think you may change your mind when you read my first pillar more in depth. The way development occurs is highly important - including everything from the construction materials, the layout, the architecture, the price, etc. And yes, the pillar of sustainable development is tied into all those things you mentioned: urban form (will be touched on in the Vibrant Communities pillar), poverty alleviation (touched on in the Sustainable Development pillar through the Affordable Housing Strategy), environmental issues (touched on in the Green Spaces pillar), and communities (will be touched on in the Vibrant Communities pillar).
Vibrant Communities? It can be done. Take a lot of work but it’s more than doable. You’ll have to wait till Friday for that pillar though unfortunately.
@ Erika. Public spaces, IMO, is something completely different than green spaces. I’m basically trying to define “environment” as I’m sure you understand.
I’ll check out that link!
[...] This is the second pillar in my civic platform [...]
[...] This is the third pillar in my civic platform. [...]