仔细分析万锦市和约克区的市政选举 (三)

 

 

自从2010年首次当选以来，万锦市第二选区一直是何胡景的天下。何在2010的选举中以微弱的优势击败了关荣恩，但在2014年以绝对优势连任。该选区2014年的候选人比前一届多，导致了关荣恩的选票跑到其他候选人手中去了。

Ward#2 has been Alan Ho's domain since he was first elected in 2010. He narrowly defeated Jim Kwan in that contest but gained ground in 2014 when there were more candidates than the previous race and this caused the splitting of Jim's votes.

今年有6名候选人参加该选区的竞选。除了何胡景寻求连任外，其他都是新人。这些候选人是：Tammy Armes，Tom Brindley，Charles Jiang，Larry Lau和Bola Ortaraki。

This year, there are 6 candidates contesting the ward. All of them are rookies running in this ward except for the incumbent. They are: Tammy Armes, Tom Brindley, Charles Jiang, Larry Lau, and Bola Ortaraki.

 

不久前，何胡景卷入了万锦市有史以来最有争议的事件。在何自己的第二选区里，有人树了一座价值120万元的塑像，目的是为了纪念一头名字叫“慈善”的奶牛（塑像为踩在高跷上的奶牛）。高达11米（相当于三层楼高）的塑像安置在大教堂镇住宅小区的公园里。奶牛戴着青铜花圈，高高耸立在树丛之上。

Recently, Alan Ho was involved in one of the biggest blunders in Markham's history. A controversial $1.2 million statue named “Charity” (a cow on stilts) was installed in Cathedral Town (his own ward#2) at eleven metres (over three storeys) above the centre of a residential crescent’s park in Cathedral Town Community. The cow wears a bronze-leafed wreath and towering over the trees.

作为万锦市艺术顾问委员会的一员，何胡锦在市府工作人员“疏忽”，连续两次没有向市议会报告顾问委员建议不要设此塑像的情况下，没有要求市议会拒绝这个塑像。在居民抗议后，市议会投票决定将这座塑像挪窝。捐赠塑像的建筑商拒绝挪窝，将市府告上法庭，同时寻求法庭禁令以阻止移走塑像，并寻求经济赔偿。如今，这座塑像最终被拆除了，但是此官司还没有完结。

Alan, as member of Markham's Art advisory committee did not stop the Council from accepting the statue from the builder after the staff “ignored” and did not reveal the Art Advisory Committee's recommendations (twice) to “reject” the statue. After protests from the residents, the Council voted to remove the statue. The builder refused to comply and took the city to court, seeking an injunction to stop the remove and demanding monetary compensation. As far as we know, the statue was eventually removed but the claims for money is still out-standing today.

 

这一事件激怒了许多大教堂城镇周围的居民，这可能是候选人Tammy Armes（Armes是大教堂城镇社区纳税人协会核心成员）参加第二选区议员竞选的原因之一。

This incident angered a lot of the Cathedral Town residents and is probably one of the motivations for Tammy Armes  (Cathedral town Community Ratepayers Association core member) to come out and run for the ward#2 election.

另一位候选人是蒋嘉勤，这里不需要太多介绍。在今年的省选举之前，蒋曾竞选安大略省进步保守党Unionville选区的提名，但输给了6月当选为省议员的彭锦威。蒋与市长候选人吕善华还参与了8月份在万锦市政厅门前抗议“非法偷渡者”的活动。蒋在中国大陆居民中有很多的追随者，很可能会威胁何胡锦的连任。

Another candidate, Charles Jiang will not need much of an introduction. Charles ran for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party nomination for Unionville riding prior to the Provincial Election this year and lost to Bill Pang who was elected as MPP in June. Charles was also involved in the protest incident in front of City Hall in August against “Illegal Border Crossers” along with mayoral candidate Shan Hua Lu. Jiang has a strong following within the Chinese Mainland residents and may yet offer a challenge to Ho.

 

对于其他候选人来说，这将是他们学习如何在未来的竞选中进行拉票的好机会。竞选能否成功主要看候选人的组织和筹款能力。很少见到一个候选人突然想到要踏上政治舞台，决定参加选举并获胜的例子。要想战胜其他竞争者，你需要做四年的准备，包括在各个方面参加社区的活动，提高自己的知名度。

For the other candidates, this will be a good opportunity for them to learn how to campaign in their future contests. Campaigning is all about organization and fund-raising. There are not too many successful cases where a candidate woke up a month before nomination starts and decides to run in an election and win. It is about active community involvements at many levels and name recognition in the immediate four years prior to the election.

想要参加市政选举并在选票上加上自己的名字很简单。你只要花几百块钱登记和有25人为你提名（今年的新规则）就搞定了。你将有机会参与各种选举论坛和在选民面前辩论。许多人参选只是将竞选看作获得高薪工作或在自己从事商业冒险的简历上增加一个亮点。即使被邀请参加与选民沟通的活动，许多候选人根本就不到场。

The entry into the municipal election and putting one's name on the election ballot is way too simple and convenient. For a few hundred dollars and 25 names and their information placed on a nomination form (new rule this year), one can get a chance to be involved in public forums and debates in front of voters. Many just look at this exercise as a chance for a well paying job or an addition credential on their resume towards their business ventures. Many candidates will not even show up for public engagements when invited.

 

在某些族裔群里，有人认为那些参加市长或议员竞选的候选人实际上是为了增加自己商业信誉，让客户觉得他们更“可靠”。许多庞氏诈骗的受害者曾说，他们将自己钱交给这些人，部分原因在于他们的政治形象。他们认为这些人有政治背景，可以减少不必要的环节，让自己的投资实现高收益率和回报，而这些高回报是根本实现不了的。拉丁语有句俗语：“Caveat Emptor”，英文的意思是: “买家要小心”。

There is even a perception in certain ethnic groups that being a candidate in a mayoral race or councillor race actually enhances the person's business profile and making them more “trustworthy” to their customers. Many ponzi scheme victims testified that they entrusted their monies to investors and agents partly because of the schemer's political profile. They thought that there will be political friends that can help with the perpetrator and would help to cut the red tapes necessary and achieve the improbable high yields and returns in financial projects. Let us remind ourselves that there is the Latin saying: “Caveat Emptor” or in English - “Let the buyer beware”.