Why I can’t vote for Andy Wells

You may remember me as the third/last place mayoral candidate in our fair city’s last municipal election in 2013. I ran because the current mayoral incumbent was running again on a record, in my opinion, of having done next to nothing for my beauty of a hometown.

Now, after some thought about the three mayoral candidates declared to date, and a recent call I made to CBC’S “Radio Noon” when former-mayor-now-mayoral-candidate Andy Wells was the guest, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But I was wrong and here’s why.

In the early 2000s I was leading a provincial mental health agency and Andy Wells was mayor. I had lived elsewhere for almost 15 years and had to be briefed by staff at the time as to the then mayor’s comments at public meetings about an outspoken city councillor with whom then mayor Wells often disagreed and would say the councilor should get his (psych) meds renewed or re-evaluated, or some such insulting nonsense.

In 2004, because of the then mayor’s treatment of said councillor, the agency I managed doubled up its representation at council for declaration of Mental Health Week.

As time passed I paid little attention to then mayor Wells, as I did not like his style or obvious delight in verbal brawling at council meetings, one could not avoid hearing about how he treated the then grande dame of St. John’s city council, former mayor and deputy mayor Shannie Duff.

Your paper did a front-page weekend story one day about what I considered to be Wells’ verbally abusive behaviour towards Duff at council meetings. I called Duff at home that Saturday morning to offer my support as head of a mental health agency. Such treatment in the workplace is a known negative stressor, to say the least, and can cause other the nasty health problems. The next week or the one following, and after your paper’s front-page article, many of us sat in council chambers behind Shannie Duff to show her she was not alone and to tell the mayor his behaviour was unacceptable and to back off.

So, St. John’s voters, as some in my former profession and other professions like to say, the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Think about that as you cast your vote.

And isn’t it time for change, in a big inclusive, positive, respectful way?

So, St. John’s voters, as some in my former profession and other professions like to say, the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.

Geoff Chaulk St. John’s