Our Toronto Election Guest Blogs
Being Strategic and Voting
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on Torontoist
October 21, 2010
Three-way elections like Toronto's mayoral race always lead to the same question: should a person vote strategically for another candidate if their number one choice appears unlikely to win? Political pundits love this question because it allows them to recycle decades-old arguments either for or against strategic voting. The fact is it’s extremely difficult to determine—until after the election—whether strategic voting will help or hurt in achieving a particular outcome. In the end, people who care about strategic voting will have to decide what to do based on what their gut tells them, not the evidence.
We'll Still Be Green on October 26
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on Torontoist
October 13, 2010
Unless bizarre things happen on election day, Toronto will wake up to another green Council on October 26: that’s what the results of our recent environmental survey suggest. This means whoever becomes Toronto's next mayor will have little opportunity to do anything but continue building on ten years of environmental success in the city.
Downtown versus the Suburbs?
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on Torontoist
September 19, 2010
The upcoming municipal election is now being characterized as suburban voters being angry with an outgoing mayor and council who they think have a bias in favour of downtown. Leading this charge is mayoral hopeful Rob Ford, who wants voters to believe that a wasteful, corrupt City Hall is harming the suburbs to the benefit of a small downtown elite.
Fundamental to this belief is the assumption that the interests of those who live downtown are not just different, but in opposition to those who live in the suburbs. While this notion that Toronto is a battleground between the suburbs and the urban core may appeal to some,
it ignores an important reality that is fundamental to the survival of this city: we all need a healthy environment to survive and thrive.
How We Make Decisions, Not Just What's Decided, is an Environmental Issue Too
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on Torontoist
September 12, 2010
The way we make decisions and policies can be as important as the decisions themselves.
One issue that has been largely neglected in the upcoming municipal election is how we make decisions that end up affecting the environment. Consider: if a decision-making process increases the chance of making bad environmental policies, shouldn't we avoid this process?
Some candidates hoping to become Toronto's next mayor are promising to change key decision-making processes, which could lead to bad environmental policies. The best example of this is changing how the TTC makes decisions.
Who is the Most Environmentally Responsible Politician Running for Mayor of Toronto?
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on The Mark
August 19, 2010
With less than 90 days before Torontonians elect a new mayor, a growing number of people will be wondering: who is the greenest candidate? To help inform voters the Toronto Environmental Alliance released a mid-campaign report card in July that set out what the top candidates have said on the six key environmental priorities. In the fall, TEA will be releasing a final report card assigning letter grades to all candidates.
While Torontonians wait for these results, it’s also important to consider what candidates have done in the past to help green Toronto.
Where is the Environment?
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog on Torontoist
July 22, 2010
With just over four months to go before election day, some Torontonians are just now beginning to turn their minds to the mayoral election campaign. What they'll discover is that the front-running mayoral candidates have said little of significance about the environment.
Yes, there has been much discussion about public transit, which has a huge environmental impact. And yes, a few candidates have mentioned the environment in their speeches. Some have even posted short policy discussions about select green issues on their websites. Even so, an observer could rightly conclude that this topic has been largely neglected.
For a city that prides itself on being an environmental leader, this is—at best—a peculiar situation. Why is it that none of the front-running candidates has taken an environment stance and run with it?"
It’s the Green, Manufacturing Economy, Stupid
Franz Hartmann
Guest blog for Toronto Board of Trade
July 20, 2010
To date, most of the discussion by mayoral candidates about Toronto’s economy has focused on what City Hall must do to make it easier for businesses in Toronto to thrive. Lower taxes, less red tape and privatizing public services have been the top of the list of solutions. What’s missing has been any discussion about what City Hall can do to help Toronto’s economy benefit from the growing global demand for green products and services.