[fvc-wat-disc] Media Watch: Woolwich Observer and Elmira Independent

[ARI DAIGEN]

Once I'm away from work, I'll be happy to write the Observer and drive home 
what we should all be saying when this topic comes up: MMP may or may not 
raise turnout (it's fairly certain it won't lower it), but the POINT is that 
those who do vote will actually get the government that they voted for. 
That's called democracy. *That's* why we need MMP.

Our opponents want to confuse us and take us down irrelevant sidetracks. I 
say let's not engage them, let's keep bringing it back to the most basic 
benefit, which I honestly think almost everyone would support if they just 
heard about it.

Best to all,

Ari

>From: "Bob Jonkman" <bjonkman at sobac.com>
>Reply-To: bjonkman at sobac.com,   FVC Waterloo Region 
>Discussion<fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org>
>To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion <fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org>
>CC: june.macdonald at fairvotecanada.org
>Subject: [fvc-wat-disc] Media Watch: Woolwich Observer and Elmira 
>Independent
>Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:55:23 -0400
>
>This weekend there were three articles in two local newspapers on MMP:  The 
>Woolwich Observer had a front-page article
>on the confusion that exists about the referendum amongst Woolwich Council 
>members (even after the presentation from
>Angela Yenssen), as well as an opinion column by Steve Kannon on Page 4.
>
>The article states that Diane Allan from Referendum Ontario spoke to 
>Council, and the Council members were all
>concerned about the lack of available information on MMP issues.  The 
>article concludes with some excellent information
>on the workings of MMP.
>
>The Woolwich Observer article is currently on the Observer's Web site, 
>available at
>
>   http://observer-2007-09-15.notlong.com/
>
>
>
>The Observer also had an opinion column by Steve Kannon on page 4.  While 
>Kannon seems fairly up-to-speed on MMP (he
>also wrote the article), his column relies on Peter Woolstencroft's 
>opinions on MMP, declaring it "a cockeyed scheme."
>There's the usual old saw that pro-MMP people claim it boosts voter 
>turnout, which he then refutes by quoting the same
>statistics Paul Nijjar has provided to us.  And Italy is used as an example 
>of an  unstable, proportional government.
>Unfortunately, Kannon's opinion column is not available online.
>
>
>The Elmira Independent Weekender also had an article on page 5 (not 
>available online).  It merely quoted some
>Councillors, illustrating their confusion.  Most telling was from 
>Councillor Ruby Weber: "Some ridings woud have two
>representatives? In 39 districts, there would be two representatives.  I 
>can't understand 39 representatives without a
>riding."
>
>It seems we still have a lot of work to do to correct existing confusion 
>and misinformation.
>
>--Bob.
>
>-- -- -- --
>Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>         http://sobac.com/sobac/
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>
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