Election09: Vote for Change!

Election 2009 (Sunday November 1): A clean sweep! New maire & 6 new councilors for municipality of Lac Simon. (1) Paul Malouf 549 - 224; (2) Gilles Robillard 501 - 292; (3) Robert Johnson 432 - 369; (4) Louise Houle Richard 468 - 328; (5) Pierre Paquin 515 - 276; (6) Richard Crete 490 - 219 - 84; and for maire Denis Papin 531 - 270.

Note: We will be sworn in on Friday November 6. That same day we will review the various portfolios with the dg & assistant dg. On Monday November 9 we will have our 1st council meeting; Hope to see many a Simonets there!

UPDATE (Saturday October 31): Correspondence: 26 more votes cast (received as of Friday night). Total correspondence: 15 + 96 + 20 (refused: 6 votes) = 131 . Total votes: 450

Note: It would have been 467 as of Saturday, but for the 17 refused.

UPDATE (Wednesday October 28): Correspondence: 96 more votes cast (received as of Wednesday night). Total correspondence: 15 + 96 (refused: 11 votes) = 111. Total votes cast: 430

Note: It would have been 441 as of Wednesday night, but for the 11 refused. Why? Because some Ontario citizens used driving licenses without photo. Should have been a Canadian passport!

UPDATE (Sunday October 25): advance poll: 319 votes cast. Correspondence: 15 votes cast (received as of last Friday). Remember: The electoral list has grow from around 800 (2005) to around 1200 (2007) to around 1500 (2009). Participation records will be broken! Get out & vote!!!

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Municipal elections ~ Lac Simon
Advance poll: Sunday October 25, 2009 12:00 – 20:00
Poll: Sunday November 1, 2009 10:00 – 20:00

These past four years we Simonets have witnessed an administration that has made far too many poor decisions. Fortunately, we Simonets have helped save our lake and our community several times. The current administration has unanimously:

• Voted for the 2007 merger referendum. The population voted 76.6% against!
• Raised taxes by approximately 40% during their 4-yr mandate. The maire has publicly stated that he wants to raise taxes even more during the next mandate!
• Increased spending from $1,911,246.00 in 2007 to $2,822,451.00 in 2008. By increasing spending by $911,205 in 1 year, the council created a huge deficit and nearly erased our accumulated surplus!
• Cancelled in 2008 the issuance at council meetings of the monthly cheques being issued by our government. What are they hiding?
• Cancelled in 2008 the first of two question periods at council meetings. Why are they afraid of our questions?
• Approved roads & projects in 2 sensitive areas without plans. The environmental degradation of sensitive areas like Ile Canard Blanc & Baie L'ours must be stopped!
• Allocated less funds in 2009 to protect the environment than in 2006. The council even refused a $57,000 grant in 2008 from the MRC Papineau!
• Voted for the construction of a $2.0 million new town hall and a $500,000 caserne expansion in spring 2009. The citizens registered 436 signatures against, double the required 216 on an early spring day June 2!
  

We Simonets have stood together and have pushed back several times. The journey has been long. Clearly, this comedy of errors must end!

I, like many of the people I have spoken with these past 3 years, love this lake. We need a government that has that same passion ~ our passion! My promise is to provide: integrity, honesty, transparency, sound judgement, and of course damn good government.

It is time for change!

The objectives are clear. We must:

• protect our lake & respect our environment & ecology;
• create a superior quality of life for our community;
• have more efficient operations;
  
• have solid financial discipline; and
• institute proper planning & sound objectives.
  

To achieve these goals, I have joined L’equipe Papin. For maire: Denis Papin. For counselor: Paul Malouf, Gilles Robillard, Robert Johnson, Louise Houle Richard, Richard Crete and Pierre Paquin. All seven have homes on the lake!

A final thought: I propose that although the arc of our journey towards better stewardship of Lac-Simon has seemed long & somewhat tumultuous these past 3 years, it will bend slightly more (an understatement) towards our destination, if on November 1 we, as a community, act in unison and elect me, Paul Malouf (you're independent editor/activist) and perhaps counselor. Then instead of constantly reacting to horribly poor management we can act and build that healthy & happy community in harmony with nature we so richly deserve.

The moment is now for we Simonets to create that change. We need Change! We need a clear majority! We must exercise our rights as citizens: vote on October 25 and November 1!

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lacsimon.blogspot exists because this fragile Lake deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.