No, he's not Tim. Alex Cullen is saying that businesses and members of a family owned business should not have undue influence over an election that is about people; i.e. voters. Businesses don't vote, so their owners should only be allowed to donate once.
I agree 100% with Alex as does the FCA (Federation of Citizens' Associations in Ottawa) and many other community groups in Ottawa because we know the developers have far too great an influence on who is elected, never mind who runs for office.
For instance, have you thought about why we don't have very many candidates running for Mayor this year? Since raising $500,000 is difficult (maximum allowed for Mayor candidates), you need the support of local business in order to raise enough money to run. In this town, there is only one industry that engages with City Hall on a regular basis... The Development Industry. i.e. The developers determine who runs for Mayor through their donations.
From the looks of it, the Developers are happy with Jim Watson. But, I know that many community activists like myself are not. His actions to kill all debate and concentrate power in his own office allowed almost all development proposals, no matter how high, how big or how inappropriate, to be rubber stamped by his Stepford Council. This is not my idea of democracy in action, nor is it the best way to make decisions that reflect the needs of all stakeholders, not just the rich and influential ones.
Read my questions to Ottawa City Council candidates: What would you do to safeguard Ottawa City Hall from the corrupt influence of organized crime? >>
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