Election coverage favours incumbents
Re Term limits suggest voters can’t be trusted, Keenan, Oct. 25 I agree with Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon that incumbency is a big hurdle to overcome and we need more fresh blood on council.
I ran against her in 2010 because, like many I know, I think she has been a terrible councillor.
But I am not a fan of term limits. McMahon’s proposed limit of two terms is too short, as it means on the day a new council is sworn in, the most experienced councillors would have only four years of experience.
But people should not serve 20 or 30 years on council — there should be a lifetime limit. I also support ranked ballots, but even this reform is not enough. The big hurdle I faced when running in 2014 was name recognition and lack of fair media coverage. I had no name recognition, and the Star did not cover Ward 32, at least not until Sandra Bussin entered the race just before the deadline to register. I came in third, despite not getting any coverage.
The Star only covered a handful of council races in 2014. About 65 people ran for mayor, and I got more votes than 60 of them, yet the “also rans” for mayor at least got some coverage from the Star.
Most voters are apathetic about municipal politics. Voters preferences are largely shaped by media coverage and, sadly, many people vote at advance polls just as election signs are going up, because people have decided who they want as mayor and do not wait to find out more about the race in their ward.
I have not decided if I will run again or not but, because McMahon is not running, our ward is certain to get media coverage. Meanwhile, incumbents in most other council wards will coast to victory because of a self-fulfilling prophecy — the media assume the incumbent will win and the lack of coverage assures it will happen. Brian Graff, Toronto