In this job, you can’t please ’em all
There are two things candidates at Thursday’s mayoral forum said they specifically did and did not want printed in the Medicine Hat News.
It puts a columnist in an awkward position, open to all sorts of solicitations in the future, but why not? First, the ‘didn’t.’ It was actually Chamber of Commerce forum moderator Ken Kobly who mentioned candidate John Hamill might not want to be quoted after outlining his economic development plan.
“I’d sell all of Medicine Hat for a dollar to bring a major industry here,” said Hamill, perhaps underselling his passion for promoting the city. “I’d lie and cheat and steal.”
Now, some may say it’s typical Hamill, who is well known for a shoot-from-the-hip (or lip) style.
Others will retort, “Well, someone give that ambitious youngman a job!” Now, for the ‘did.’ Thomas Fougere’s candidacy is probably the biggest question mark for most voters. Many attendees to Thursday’s forum were likely expecting a continuation of the seemingly endless string of uncomfortable interactions between the local blogger and incumbent Ted Clugston.
To conclude the event, Fougere noted that nothing outrageous had happened, perhaps disappointing the crowd (some of whom wore custommade T-shirts).
“We’ve been known as the ‘Gas City’ for 100 years,” said Fougere, who earlier advocated for a focused drive to bring marijuana production to the region. “In the next 10 years, we could be the ‘Grass City’ and make a lot of money doing it.”
It ranks a mention here only because it’s probably the single largest idea presented by any candidate in the entire election.
It’s feasibility is very debatable, and, yes, there’s all sorts of baggage that makes pot proponents essentially unelectable in southeast Alberta. And, the starter’s gun went off two or three years ago on medicinal marijuana production.
It’s strange though, that while Hatters love to spitball ideas for the local economy (‘We need an Ikea!’ and etc.), most “big ideas” presented by candidates have been pretty tame.