Raise the Hammer

@highasageorgiapine

'first, this article has nothing to do with hamilton.'

RTH's submission guidelines (you can read them on the site) allow for non-Hamilton focused articles at the Editor's discretion. Variety is the spice of life. I submitted this because Hamilton has long been a hot bed of NDP support and I thought it might be of interest to some RTH readers (you read it and commented, so...). Pls keep in mind that it takes time to craft an Op-Ed piece. Whatever your thoughts on the content and validity or the article your comments should be respectful not smug.

'the libertarian creed of "the market is a perfect, efficient machine" as espoused in this article '

You took a leap there didn't you? I provided 2 examples of how one employer in the private sector routinely evaluates the value of it's employees and services. This was an anecdotal example making the point that employee costs verses value should be measured. The private sector is very wasteful and I don't espouse that 'libertarian creed' (yikes, are we in the Eton debate club? ;) ) at all.

@ KevinLove
'Democracy costs money. In the context of the decisions being made, $1 million is a comparatively small amount.'

If Olivia could convince me that she'd save us more than she will cost us then I'd be interested. Certainly as mayor, if she'd have run an effective campaign and been able to corral the council into kiboshing the Gardiner hybrid nonsense then she would indeed be worth many more of her by-election boondoggles. But she has yet to convince me that she can save me more than she costs.

@RobF
'It's a bit rich quoting Adam Vaughan, her opponent in the riding, who resigned his council seat to run in the by-election when she vacated her seat to run for mayor. Isn't his comment a bit like the coffee calling the kettle black?'

Yes it is! Good point. But I can forgive one resignation for the sake of career mobility. Olivia is just job hopping now. How many times is too much?

'I also find the smear of comparing the cost of a by-election to alleged fraudulent expenses by senators a little off-side ...'

Why? We vote people in (or not, in the case of the Senate) and they waste our money. We should call them on it. Olivia is wasting our money by quitting all the time. Find a job and stick with it. What will she move onto next before coming back again?

@matthewsweet
'Politicians who decry the dollar figure cost of elections should not be allowed to run in said elections'

I don't believe Vaughn is decrying the cost of elections per se - just the additional cost of running unnecessary by-elections. And why shouldn't he or anyone question the cost of elections? If we can find a way to control the costs better and get the same or better value shouldn't we embrace that?

Thanks for the comments folks. It's heartening to see that we are all willing to pay for our democracy (warts n all) :)