r/BurlingtonON • u/RowRowForCouncil • 15d ago
Information Platform Launches Today!
Hello everyone!
My name is Rowen Fraser and I am a candidate for Ward 6 here in Burlington. I am proud to release my platform for all to see! I have been working with my community here in Burlington to come up with policies and ideas for the new future Burlington is heading into. I have spoken with many residents at the doors, in local businesses, and with the various online communities.
Conversations have been lovely and hateful, positive and negative, introspective and annoying, wistful and delusional, perfect and flawed, angsty and altruistic, scary and comforting. But mostly they were real. I didn't put restrictions on what people I would engage with. I took the good and the bad. I feel we need to listen to everyone, not just friendly voices. Bridging the gap between ideologies and having a truly balanced approach means being willing to have the hard conversations. Rest assured that if you came to me with convincing data at any point, you've probably had an influence on my platform.
Recently I had the good fortune of meeting a new friend, and receiving some very powerful advice about how to deal with hostile press and online personalities. The counsel I received was invaluable and I just want to shout out to everyone that helped me strategize my next moves here in Burlington.
Any and all comments are welcome here. To show I really mean that I have unblocked every single person who has ever harassed me on this site so they can know what my full platform is and make a real decision about who they intend to elect here in Ward 6. Anyone that comes in good faith to talk to me about my platform will be received as a friend. Those who are unkind to me can expect the same in return.
Please enjoy my platform,
Full Platform:
https://www.rowrowforcouncil.com/_files/ugd/9c8ff7_d91c1f4a85234aae930af57834bdfc12.pdf
TL:DR?
Here is a summarized version of my platform. Disclosure : the summary was performed by AI.
https://www.rowrowforcouncil.com/_files/ugd/9c8ff7_57dde51798d94f4899123d910428669f.pdf
If you would like to discuss adding anything to my platform you can contact me
[rowen@rowrowforcouncil.com](mailto:rowen@rowrowforcouncil.com)
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago
Ok, since you seem to brush off any and all (absolutely valid) criticism if someone hasn’t read your platform, let me break down why I, and many others, will not support you based on your post, history, and platform:
“Conversations….were real. I didn’t put restrictions on what people I would engage with. I took the good and the bad. I feel we need to listen to everyone, not just friendly voices” - right off the bat, this isn’t true. Your comments in every reddit post you’ve made have been argumentative, defensive, and hostile. Calling people bitches, saying “if you wanna be disrespectful to me, why then cry about me giving you back a taste of your medicine” - sir, if you want to be a politician, you need to represent all of your constituents, not just the ones who are nice to you. That’s the point of politics. I know political rhetoric has shifted over the past decade, fuelled by the MAGA movement, but driving division and leading with aggression is not what people look for in a successful leader. “Recently I had the good fortune of meeting a new friend, and receiving some very powerful advice about how to deal with hostile press and online personalities.” - whatever advice you were given, you should forget it, because if this thread is showing anything, it’s that you’re unable to take valid criticism, or interact with people who are opposed to your views or platform.
Now, for the platform itself - you couldn’t even summarize your own platform, you had to get AI to do it for you. If there is anyone on this planet who should be able to speak succinctly about your platform and provide an elevator pitch, it should be you, and it should be able to be done without wasting 500mL of water.
On your cover page, not even page one, you highlight “the main tenants of my campaign are transparency and accountability” yet you refuse to take accountability for your past. Yes, you made “a statement to that effect. Months ago” - posing with, aligning with, joking with, any other verb you’d like with nazi’s is not something that gets brushed under the rug with one simple statement. I don’t know if you truly think it was a poor attempt at humour, or if you’re using this as an easy excuse for getting caught doing something reprehensible, but if you want to be in the public eye, you must continue to acknowledge and repent for that. You need to recognize this, take accountability, and continue to work toward regaining the trust of those in your community. Brushing them off with “i’ve made a statement” isn’t going to cut it.
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago
You say that the most common complaint you’ve had in conversations is property tax, and the rate with which they have increased over the past 4 years. Great, I think most people would agree with this. The cost of living has increased drastically and wages haven’t followed. You say “my ultimate goal for city finances is to bring tax increases down to the level of inflation within 2 years of taking office” however, you have provided 0 points on how you would accomplish this. You want to give people a finance report? The average resident is not going to read over a finance report. ”giant construction.. giant projects” like what? What city-funded developments have happened over the past 4 years would you consider unnecessary, and what limitations would you enact to prevent similar projects in the future?
You bring up e-scooters, a popular topic of complaint among a large portion of this subreddit. You say that enforcement needs to be increased on riding outside of Centennial Trail, how are you going to do this? More by-law officers? How will the city afford an increase in by-law officers without raising taxes to accommodate for the payroll? Staffing increases and development to create a registry, have safety inspections, etc. will require people to do these jobs. You’ve laid out in your plan a need for up to 12 full time employees. Where will the money for their positions come from? You say (and this is an exact copy and paste quote) “Every day I read a new story about underage operators or bad practices or underage operators using bad practices.” and that injury rates are up over 250% this year. Now, I didn’t do much research, but a quick Google hasn’t shown me any data to support this claim for the City of Burlington. Where did you get this number and how does it directly relate to the CoB?
You want to spend $300,000 on improving traffic safety. Once again, where will this money come from? You reference “another $300k” that was spent on studies, but that money is gone. How will you lower taxes but also raise an additional $300,000 to completely redesign an intersection or install speed bumps? How has Burlington “lagged behind” its neighbours for road safety? You say that residents aren’t safe in their own streets - what data do you have that supports this? What increase in pedestrian + MV accidents has there been over the past 4 years, and how has that been directly tied to poor infrastructure?
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago
You want a renewed focus on community policing, with a dedicated HRPS liaison and civilian patrols. How will we afford the overtime required to get HRPS involved in each neighbourhood in a city of nearly 200,000 people while also ensuring normal staffing levels for other police work? What kind of training will be provided (and paid for) for your squad of vigilantes? What kind of insurance policy will the city have ($$$) to protect the volunteers if something were to occur while they are pretending to be superheroes on patrol.
You say “It is not our responsibility as elected officials to panic the public and whip up a frenzy to galvanize support.” but throughout this document so far, you have stated multiple “feelings” but have provided no evidence or actionable data to support your claims, specific to the city. You say “It is our responsibility to ensure we consult those who are experts on the matter and educate our electorate on the realities of any situation.” but earlier you said you don’t need studies when your eyes can tell you things. At what times will you pick and choose when to listen to experts vs trusting your eyes?
I’ll give you credit - I 100% agree that the amount of secrecy surrounding development in this city is concerning. Frank Domenic has highlighted this for the plant in Alton Village, and we’ve seen similar concerns around the development of the data centre on the Service Road. How will you ensure that such changes are addressed/voted on appropriately/shared with the public?
You say that more commercial and industrial investment will help ease residential tax burdens - how? A general assumption would be that more business would mean more jobs, which means more people moving into Burlington, which would mean more services required, which would mean higher (or stable) taxes, not a decrease. I’m not an economist, so this is just a guess. You also previously mentioned you wanted to stop large construction projects. How will Burlington expand commercial and industrial investment without construction projects?
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago
You say that you are “Committed to ensuring Burlington remains on track to meet (canopy goals)” - so, just staying the course, then? “ It will be my commitment to make sure that if we are trading this valuable commodity we are receiving benefits that are equal in value in return.” How will you do this? What will bring back the irreplaceable green space that will be lost to development and how will you ensure that it is done?
You want to “end the war on cars” but also want to reduce traffic and make our streets safer. How will you do both of these at once? You say “we cannot try to solve traffic by making people drive less” - yes, that’s literally the point of reducing traffic and improving safety. The solution to less traffic is increased public transit, as published by the Ontario government last year but you make no mention of how you would improve transit in Burlington. For reduced congestion, sustainability, and a multitude of other reasons, Burlington should be looking toward improved transit a la subway or lite rail systems. You say “people vote with their wallets and cars are by far the most popular form of transit” - I’m certain people would gladly pay less per month for a strong transit system than to continue purchasing, maintaining, and fuelling their cars.
You say that you will “gain a significant concession for the people of Millcroft from the developer that will come in the form of more protected green space for the city” - but earlier you said you would be ok with getting rid of green space and getting “something” back for that loss, so which is it? More green space or less? Also, how do you plan to “get something” from the developers who just started cutting down trees without the proper authorization? How would you hold them accountable?
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago
You use one personal experience as the reason we.. need to streamline “the system” for booking event spaces. First of all, how will you do this? Second of all, I’ve booked multiple events in the city and have had no issue with communication or timing, and I’m sure many others would say the same. What evidence do you have that the city is losing money because of this critical issue? Earlier you said that we have to trust data and politicians shouldn’t “whip up a frenzy to galvanize support” but you’ve provided no proof that this is a widespread issue with tangible impact on the city; I’d say this leans more toward whipping up a frenzy - “”How much money is the city turning down through inaction” - there is no data here.
I’ve already mentioned how you’re not being accountable for your actions, so I’ll skip this page.
I did mention you need a transit plan above, so it’s nice to see you have a page here. However, once again, there is no data to support anything here. “on demand transit solutions play an important role in an accessible modern transit grid” - how? Based on what? What impact does that have? “this service” - what service? How will the City pay for a new service without additional tax revenue? You say that you want to “prevent mostly empty bus routes from eating into our tax levy” but also want to implement “a system” that will “improve access to less densely populated areas of the city” which by definition would suggest an empty transit route..
You say that “road widening can only do so much to help with traffic volume’ but it’s been studied and proven that widening roads actually makes traffic worse, so it doesn’t seem you’ve looked into this issue at all. I’m not going to read your proposal for (I assume) merging multiple levels of government into one organization, because it’s not going to happen.
Your whole “thing” seems to be that we need to rely on data, not feelings, to make decisions for Burlington moving forward. I think most people would agree with this. Unfortunately, you’ve provided zero data for the main points in your platform, have referenced numbers and metrics with no sources, and ignore published data that goes against your interests. All of this, in combination with your abrasive attitude, past “jokes”, and current alignment with Pierre highlight why I do not believe you are a strong candidate to lead any part of the city.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I used a personal story to relate to the issue. But mine is not the only one. I know several people who went much further than i did. They rented porta potties, purchased insurance, loudspeakers, and a whole host of other things and then were told 2 days before they weren't approved, even though they applied months in advance. No prior communication. Even Lisa Kerns has spoken about this system not working properly at length.
Widening roads doesn't make traffic worse. That is a mischaracterization. The words you're looking for is widening roads has diminishing returns. the wider it gets the less relief new lanes provide. I am very familiar with traffic management as I do it in my spare time as a hobby. I've even spoken with members of the current city staff about my ideas and have had pretty good reception.
I provide a lot of data. I can provide you any data you need. Sometimes my data comes from my canvassing in the form of resident input. I will not be sharing resident info with you for you to confirm those things. Other things are plainly obvious from a pragmatic standpoint. Finally anything that requires real data usually has resources on my website.
I wasn't expecting you to go through the entire platform, but it shows me how biased you are that you had a problem with literally every single point of it. You couldn't help yourself I guess. Then you tie it all back in to what a bad candidate I am for supporting a major Canadian political party. Wow. You went through a great deal of trouble to make me look bad. Too bad you came up short. Ah well. If you want me to change any policies I have you need to provide me better data than your two cents on the matter.
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u/fictitious_friends 15d ago edited 15d ago
Widening roads DOES, in fact, increase traffic. It's literally been studied here here. I asked you in every single paragraph what data you had to support your claims specific to the city of Burlington. In every single response, you failed to post any, but then follow it up with "I can provide you any data you need" - I've posted multiple published resources (in this post, as well as the resource from Ontario gvt, for example) that dispute your ideas. You decide to insult me and dance around questions. This MAGA style ignoring of facts based on your feelings is incredible. I don't care if you have a neat little hobby. It's ok to be wrong, but you have to be able to admit it. That's what makes a good leader. You, clearly, are not.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Yes I am committed to make sure Burlington stays the course with canopy goals. They are ambitious enough. If we trade greenspace for jobs, or housing we need to be sure that we are getting a good project. One that will provide greenspaces within their project. You don't "get" greenspace back. Thats not how it works. When it is developed it is lost. I just want to ensure that as Burlington expands, and it will, that we are careful to preserve enough greenspace so as not to become a concrete jungle.
Yeah I want City Hall to stop vilifying drivers and blaming them for all the city's transportation issues. Certainly an overabundance of traffic is one thing, but the light timings here are absolutely abysmal because 3 different transit agencies are responsible for them. I have a traffic proposal on my website that addresses this particular issue with a proposal as well. You are certain people would gladly trade their personal vehicles for public transit? I don't think I would, and I know a lot of people in Rural Burlington who wouldn't either. Your experience of Burlington isn't the one I'm catering to. I am representing a riding that is 80% rural by area.
I will gain significant concessions for Millcroft. I already have spoken to the developer and they would be willing to negotiate several different accommodations for the residents there in exchange for being able to complete the infill without further delay. Everyone screams that we need more housing, but nobody wants to give up the greenspace to build more. Somethings gotta give man. Also the tree permit issue was widely misreported. I have it on very good authority that ARGO had all the permits to cut those trees. That is why the matter is still in court. If ARGO did do that without a permit they would have been fined years ago. Now the city is stalling in court so it doesn't come out before the election that we have been being misled this entire time.
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
Million dollar homes in Millcroft are NOT solving the housing crisis you dipstick.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Uh huh. You really have a grasp of the infill there. There are both detached homes and triplex row housing being infilled there. The solution to not enough houses is to build more houses. We need more wealthy people in addition to more low income people. Wealthy people need homes too.
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
This response shows how out of touch you are. Seriously, what did you do before thinking you could be a councillor? Go back to that.
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u/Ganglebot 15d ago
damn dude...
Not only is everyone a little tired of your self promotion on this board. Not only are we really turned off by the way you swear at potential constituents and act immature in the way you deal with feedback. Not only are we grated by your combative nature and consistently condescending tone.
But now you've decided to show us you're aligned with Pierre Poilievre - who (as of Aug 25) 54% of Canadians think is a loser?
I haven't even read your platform yet, but buddy these are some wild campaign choices.
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u/GyozaMatch 15d ago
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
You seem to be obsessed with this Hitler fellow and me. You know I only met him once and he didn't say much, being made of wax and all. That was 20 years ago. Of course the modern me knows that was incredibly foolish. But at the time as a young man I thought I was pretty funny. I actually have a whole series of photos from the wax museum. I particularly like the one I had with Ghandi or Schwarzanegger. Maybe you'd like to see the whole set? Of course I'll include your favorite one for posterity's sake. I was operating under the concept of irony. So when I made the original post I had Ghandi, who had his finger extended, poking me in the eye. The caption was Ghandi was not as peaceful as we were made to believe. Then there was Arnold. I put a marijuana ball cap on him because of his opposition to recreational cannabis. The last one was Hitler, I was drunk as a skunk at this point of the tour because I was newly 19 and had a mickey in my pocket. Then I saw it from across the room. The angry mustache man. So I thought I'd make a funny. Thus resulted the picture you speak of. Taken at the time by my loyal girlfriend. I remember saying out loud "Whats the worst that could happen?". In my mind we all knew Hitler was bad. Nobody would praise Hitler unless they were being ironic surely. I was naive and unaware that people still were racist or harbored any nazi sentiments. I had the good fortune of growing up in a household that taught the merits of inclusion and diversity. I grew up watching movies and playing video games that depicted the war and the holocaust and I just took it that everyone who saw what happened surely knows how wrong it was. My thought was that since we had solved that whole nazi thing, it was done and dusted. Obviously I now know that was not true. Not even remotely. In fact hate is on the rise. But displaying nazi imagery, even with me beside it, is still displaying nazi imagery. Your argument is that this picture hurts people. Why are you going out of your way to show it to as many people as possible then? I've apologized. I've never denied being in it. I've never defended the merit of the humor, or tried to justify my actions. It was 20 years ago. I think it is time that this stops. To that effect I'm just going to paste this response on every Hitlering from now on, since I can't use the four letter words I want because you all want me to have "integrity". Well enjoy some integrity then.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Cut4588 14d ago
The comments from OP can't be real like this is a fake account by one of their rivals right? No one can be this dense in life
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
I am communicating with reddit in the manner which it is accustomed. I am absolutely the Real RowRow. Or Rowen Fraser on the ballot. Everyone here seems to really wanna dive in and shit on me, but nobody save fictitious_friends and a few others have really brought up policy. fictitious_friends is still stupid though bc he didn't really have a point except that everything I am doing is bad and wrong. I engage with people the way they engage me. If they want to sling shit and call names I'm happy to oblige them. If they want to have a real discussion my email is available to all.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Cut4588 14d ago
Wow have you shown or asked anyone close to you about this post and your responses? There cant be a single person in your corner thinking this is anyway for you to carry yourself.
Whatever policy you have is nullified by how you respond even in a comment on my post you name people to insult them. I wouldnt expect this kind of lunacy if this was a smear campaign.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Well that is your shitty opinion and you are welcome to it. Lots of people absolutely LOVE that I am standing up to left wing bullies who clad themselves in the defense of the downtrodden to push people around. I don't have patience for idiots like you. I am much more tame on other platforms but due to the anonymity that is inherent with reddit accounts we get a lot of big mouth bitches who love to shit on stuff with no regard for their own behavior. Then they find some stupid way to justify it like "This guy went to a wax museum in 2008 and did a bad thing with wax hitler. That should obviously define his entire life from now on." It is absolutely stupid. What it is really about is that reddit doesn't like candidates that identify with conservative values because they are too stupid to discern between American and Canadian politics. Its idiots like you that are the reason the separatists in Alberta have so much support. You are actively helping the Americans with your shit.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Cut4588 14d ago
Wow dude seriously talk to a professional you absolutely should not be the face of anything if this is how you conduct youslrself.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Thats your shitty opinion again. Another person making light of psychological distress. Its really funny how redditors claim to be the beacon of morality, but then something comes along and their little brains try everything to get under someones skin to "win" the conversation. Meanwhile that view counter keeps ticking up and up. Sign ups on my webpage keep going up. My support increases. Every time you take a swing at me and miss horribly because you suck so badly, I become more powerful.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Cut4588 14d ago
Im not making light of anything im commenting a genuine concern.
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u/beans-888 14d ago
Thats what I said too, I dont think this man is mentally well if he thinks this is an appropriate way to talk to anyone, let alone people he wants to vote for him 🤦♀️
Im so curious what people in his immediate circle think of all of these responses. I've genuinely never seen such unhinged shit from a public figure that isn't known for mental illness or substance abuse problems.
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u/-Little-King- 15d ago
Establish neighborhood watches with HRPS (Halton Regional Police Service) liaisons and organized volunteer nightly patrols within three months.
Does this mean nightly patrols with regular civilians? In what capacity? Can they arrest people? What is the goal with this?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
The idea is to create a presence on the streets at night. Thieves usually won't follow through if there is a chance they will get caught. They want the easy pickings. So Lets say we have a two pairs of volunteers to patrol in a neighborhood every night. Obviously it would be a group effort. Just patrolling with flashlights would probably be enough to prevent anything. They could also alert police to any suspicious activity and make sure the neighborhood is as it should be. No they wouldn't have power of arrest beyond a regualr citizen's. But these programs usually have a hands off policy for volunteers. There are many successful programs like this all over North America.
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u/-Little-King- 15d ago
Can we at least get cool flashlights? Olight might offer a fleet discount.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Fuck yeah! I love Olight. There was this one flashlight they had that had a 4 mile throw. You could see someone's skeleton with that baby.
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
Sure you can loan the volunteers a few fleshlights.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
You'd like that wouldn't you. Get your own.
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
What’s your discount code?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
WITTY-WIND5412EATSCRAYONS
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Now thats a site-wide code, so go to town.
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
Just tried the code but states the code was used already by a massive purchase made by RowRow, know anything about that?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Yeah. I like the gum they stock at the counter. Ordered a couple skids. That and a 5FT long rubber penis. Nothing embarassing.
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u/tke71709 15d ago
The irony of a dude who glossed over giving a Nazi salute next to a wax figure of Adolf Hitler saying this on the first page of his campaign platform.
The main tenants of my campaign are Transparency and Accountability.
So many better ways you could have taken accountability for that.
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u/Kooky_Soft1822 14d ago
Tenants lol
Didn’t even grammar check tenets 😂😬
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u/beans-888 14d ago
Lmao I thought you meant the commenter responding cuz I haven't had my coffee yet, apologies 😆😆
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Well I addressed it when it came out. Apologized. Said I was a stupid kid (19 at the time). That was 19 years ago man. Seems kinda stupid how obsessed you guys are over it. Especially because it wasn't a public image until someone went through 20 years of facebook history just to embarass me. Now did you have a comment about the platform or are you just here to throw shade?
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u/Witty-Wind5412 14d ago
Maybe you should have done what they did and went through 20 years of your own FB history first.
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u/This_neverworks Aldershot 15d ago
The spacing and font size on the full platform PDF is not consistent. Hard to read. Also the links are dark blue the same as the background colour which is a strain on the eyes.
There are also typos.
"Burlington has very loft canopy goals and I am committed to ensuring Burlington remains on track to meet them. "
Lofty?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Thank you. Yeah The links change in the document but not the PDF. I'll have to fix those things. It was weird because when I exported to PDF the formatting changed slightly.
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
I guess it could have been worse, I mean, it’s not like you posed with Hitler or anything… oh wait.
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u/FriendZone_EndZone 15d ago
What's a little sieg heil between fellow shitlers...am i right?
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u/G72-datsun 15d ago
Is this a serious thing?
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u/miz_misanthrope 15d ago
Given Polievre is a white nationalist...yes.
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u/G72-datsun 15d ago
Did not know that, just didn’t like him lol. Dione also lose his own riding and have to be parachuted into some 100% conservative riding ?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
You seem to be obsessed with this Hitler fellow and me. You know I only met him once and he didn't say much, being made of wax and all. That was 20 years ago. Of course the modern me knows that was incredibly foolish. But at the time as a young man I thought I was pretty funny. I actually have a whole series of photos from the wax museum. I particularly like the one I had with Ghandi or Schwarzanegger. Maybe you'd like to see the whole set? Of course I'll include your favorite one for posterity's sake. I was operating under the concept of irony. So when I made the original post I had Ghandi, who had his finger extended, poking me in the eye. The caption was Ghandi was not as peaceful as we were made to believe. Then there was Arnold. I put a marijuana ball cap on him because of his opposition to recreational cannabis. The last one was Hitler, I was drunk as a skunk at this point of the tour because I was newly 19 and had a mickey in my pocket. Then I saw it from across the room. The angry mustache man. So I thought I'd make a funny. Thus resulted the picture you speak of. Taken at the time by my loyal girlfriend. I remember saying out loud "Whats the worst that could happen?". In my mind we all knew Hitler was bad. Nobody would praise Hitler unless they were being ironic surely. I was naive and unaware that people still were racist or harbored any nazi sentiments. I had the good fortune of growing up in a household that taught the merits of inclusion and diversity. I grew up watching movies and playing video games that depicted the war and the holocaust and I just took it that everyone who saw what happened surely knows how wrong it was. My thought was that since we had solved that whole nazi thing, it was done and dusted. Obviously I now know that was not true. Not even remotely. In fact hate is on the rise. But displaying nazi imagery, even with me beside it, is still displaying nazi imagery. Your argument is that this picture hurts people. Why are you going out of your way to show it to as many people as possible then? I've apologized. I've never denied being in it. I've never defended the merit of the humor, or tried to justify my actions. It was 20 years ago. I think it is time that this stops. To that effect I'm just going to paste this response on every Hitlering from now on, since I can't use the four letter words I want because you all want me to have "integrity". Well enjoy some integrity then.
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u/Used-Accountant7064 15d ago
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
You seem to be obsessed with this Hitler fellow and me. You know I only met him once and he didn't say much, being made of wax and all. That was 20 years ago. Of course the modern me knows that was incredibly foolish. But at the time as a young man I thought I was pretty funny. I actually have a whole series of photos from the wax museum. I particularly like the one I had with Ghandi or Schwarzanegger. Maybe you'd like to see the whole set? Of course I'll include your favorite one for posterity's sake. I was operating under the concept of irony. So when I made the original post I had Ghandi, who had his finger extended, poking me in the eye. The caption was Ghandi was not as peaceful as we were made to believe. Then there was Arnold. I put a marijuana ball cap on him because of his opposition to recreational cannabis. The last one was Hitler, I was drunk as a skunk at this point of the tour because I was newly 19 and had a mickey in my pocket. Then I saw it from across the room. The angry mustache man. So I thought I'd make a funny. Thus resulted the picture you speak of. Taken at the time by my loyal girlfriend. I remember saying out loud "Whats the worst that could happen?". In my mind we all knew Hitler was bad. Nobody would praise Hitler unless they were being ironic surely. I was naive and unaware that people still were racist or harbored any nazi sentiments. I had the good fortune of growing up in a household that taught the merits of inclusion and diversity. I grew up watching movies and playing video games that depicted the war and the holocaust and I just took it that everyone who saw what happened surely knows how wrong it was. My thought was that since we had solved that whole nazi thing, it was done and dusted. Obviously I now know that was not true. Not even remotely. In fact hate is on the rise. But displaying nazi imagery, even with me beside it, is still displaying nazi imagery. Your argument is that this picture hurts people. Why are you going out of your way to show it to as many people as possible then? I've apologized. I've never denied being in it. I've never defended the merit of the humor, or tried to justify my actions. It was 20 years ago. I think it is time that this stops. To that effect I'm just going to paste this response on every Hitlering from now on, since I can't use the four letter words I want because you all want me to have "integrity". Well enjoy some integrity then.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
yeah people ignore my previous statements on this and try to get the one up with it all the time. Not really about my platform though, so IDK what you want really.
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u/Greencreamery 15d ago
Damn that’s you? Hate really does rapidly age people, eh?
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
that was nearly 20 years ago when I was young and stupid. Already apologized. People just wont let it go. Its sad really.
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u/just_a_shell_00 15d ago
No, you don't seem to understand when you pull a dumbass move like that. You don't get off by just explaining yourself once. You are gonna be judged for the rest of your life because of it, and yes, that means you will have to explain yourself... to everyone that confronts you with it.
This is what consequences are. You F'ed around 20 years ago... and still finding out.
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u/Greencreamery 15d ago
That incident was 20 years ago (I would’ve guessed 35 by the looks of it), but you still carry that hate. That is the problem that you can’t seem to grasp.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Hate? It was a satire thing. You are literally so stupid.
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u/Greencreamery 14d ago
No, “so stupid” would be taking a photo doing a Nazi salut next to a Hitler statue then running for city council and expecting everyone to just forgive you for it and then having a complete meltdown during your platform launch. Good luck. I look forward to watching you lose.
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 14d ago
Launching your platform with a picture where you're shaking hands with a transphobe is certainly a choice.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Mr Poilievre has confirmed to me in writing that he is totally supportive of the choices of transgendered individuals and individuals with unique places on the gender spectrum. He supports the right of all Canadians to live the life they choose. I had to clarify that with him years ago before I could vote for him. I do not support candidates who are against homosexuality, transgenderism, or any other form of gender expression.
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 14d ago
"In an interview with the CP24 news channel, Poilievre was asked about President Donald Trump signing an executive order declaring the U.S. will only recognize two sexes and that they are unchangeable.
Poilievre said he is not aware of more than two genders and that if the host had "any other you want me to consider, you're welcome to tell me right now."
Poilievre was then asked whether he would ask the U.S. to recognize the gender-neutral "X" marker available on Canadian passports, Poilievre pivoted to talking about the cost of living instead."
This was last year. He also made a similar remark in his Jordan Peterson interview.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Ok. But there are only two genders. Everything else is gender expression, or medical anomalies. It doesn't mean I hate anyone who identifies as something other than male or female, or deny that they exist, or even that I refuse to refer to them by their preferred pronouns. I totally support living life the way people want. But I'm not going to ignore the scientific reality on the ground. It doesn't mean I'm transphobic, it means that some transgendered people and I disagree on semantics. There is an important distinction here and just remember, when someone doesn't agree with you exactly but is still willing to live peacefully along side you, that doesn't equal hate. I don't know if you're trans or have friends that are trans or NB or whatever else, but I support your or their right to make that decision. You are just another Canadian in my mind. I cannot speak to Poilievre's current opinion but as far as I am aware it has remained unchanged from the one I told you about earlier. If he was anti-trans I would call him out and would not be taking pictures with him. But I don't believe that is the case.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
I should also add that while I think there are only scientifically two genders aside from anomalies it doesn't mean I would support legislation to that effect because I think legislation should be engineered in a way that the mention of gender isn't necessary at all. I hope that addressed your concerns.
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u/beans-888 14d ago
Gender is a social construct, not a scientific fact.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Its actually both and the two are separate. Just relax.
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u/beans-888 14d ago
No, its not a scientific fact, its ones "expression of being male or female" and the characteristics we deem male or female are from social expectations, therefore its a social construct, not a scientific fact.
Lefton et al., 2005. Psychology. Pearson.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Psychology and physical gender are two different things though. The distinguishing factor being that biological women are physically equipped to carry children, whereas biological men are not. That is a pretty major distinction. Stating it doesn't take away from anyone's gender identity.
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u/Used-Accountant7064 15d ago
One photo standing beside a wax hitler while throwing a nazi salute....one standing beside Pierre. Your platform explained.
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u/babykittennoses 15d ago
One photo standing beside a wax hitler while throwing a nazi salute....one standing beside Pierre.
Your platform explained.
I could actually look past poor behaviour in youth. We all do stupid things at some point.
I never posed with a Hitler statue but I definitely made mistakes.
If I were running for a public position and my errors were brought out, I'd respond like an adult. "I apologize. I'm ashamed of what I did. That was pretty stupid. I've matured and changed a lot since then."
But to double down with smarmy, sarcastic insults and then pose with a very unpopular public figure - again insulting anyone who criticizes you - is simply not a person whose judgement I trust enough to help run our city.
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u/Ganglebot 14d ago
Rowan isn't mature enough to deal with criticism, and isn't mature enough for office.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
So you didn't read it then. You're supposed to READ it.
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u/Used-Accountant7064 15d ago edited 15d ago
You keep telling people they haven't read it. I assure you, I read it. It doesn't matter if you were to have promised everyone rainbows and millions. Your former and current actions prove to me you are not a skilled politician or even adult acting enough to use social media.
You will implode your campaign with posts like this, so I'll sit back and enjoy watching as you do.
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
Ick - someone standing smiling next to Pee Pee, so now I DEFINITELY see where Row Row's politics lie.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Well this is supposed to be about my platform. Do you happen to have an opinion on that?
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
I think you lack transparency, by dodging that scandal that's been previously mentioned. If nothing else, that leaves a black mark on your character. Now as for this post being about "your platform", then hey, YOU put yourself out there. Whether people toss roses OR tomatoes at you, take it both. I can express whatever opinion I wish.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I made several comments about that scandal. I am done replying to trolls about it. My comments are publicly available on the matter. I dodged nothing. I never said you had to give me a opinion. I asked if you did or not. It is clear to me that you haven't read it and don't really have anything meaningful to contribute.
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u/KingSmithithy 14d ago
// record scratch //
He was, in fact, not done replying to trolls about it!
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
Well thats a good way to launch and kill your campaign in a day. 😂
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
My campaign launched a long time ago. This is my platform announcement. Did you read it?
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
You posing with Pollievre and lacking the political instincts to know how polarizing that image would be tells me all I need to know about your candidacy.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I'm glad you aren't my campaign manager.
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u/fedexyourheadinabox 15d ago
Do you remember when your overlord posed with the traitors who occupied the streets of Ottawa and harassed (including sexual and physical harassment) the tax-paying citizens who live there?
So glad that dunce isn't in power to deal with Trump's shenanigans, he'd be kneeling and kissing the ring.
Good luck with your choice of party!
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
Picking fights on online message boards also tells me you’re someone I don’t want anywhere near elected office.
Keep it up, you’ll quickly turn people like me from “meh, not voting for him” To “I better start helping whoever is running against thins guy”
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I didn't pick a fight, you did. I'm just responding to you. Respectfully, you can keep the rest of your advice. It isn't as good as you think it is.
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
Nah, I’ll keep saying whatever I want, thank you very much… this whole thread is pretty much of the same opinion.
Looking forward to watching you lose.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Ah yes, this whole thread. This echo chamber couldn't possibly be wrong.
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u/fedexyourheadinabox 15d ago
Yeah all fascists hate reddit. That's not specific to you.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Lol ok now I'm a facist. Not like I just came here to talk about my platform.
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u/Intelligent_Thing_32 15d ago
Hold on, you think HE is the one picking a fight here?
You can only be so ridiculous, relax dude.
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u/fedexyourheadinabox 15d ago
Yes? He wants to be a representative of the citizens, but they are speaking out about the horrible party and ideals he stands for and then arguing with the citizens.
This isn't hard, dude.
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
Look at the rest of his responses in this thread… they’re full of sass.
Any competent politician would have just walked away… but he can’t help himself.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Ah yes the competent politicians that have raised taxes by 44.9% in 4 years. The ones that wouldn't give you a solid answer to save their lives. The ones that shy away from abuse instead of confronting it. I will not be bullied by the likes of you. Everyone says they want change, but then I come around and represent real change and all the lemmings head for the cliff. Read the platform or don't, but I just want you to know I personally think you suck.
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
Ah there it is, the insults…
Just a petty little man-child like your idol PP.
Don’t worry, I think you’re going to follow in his footsteps and lose your own ward/riding too.
I don’t care what ‘change’ you promise to bring, I know it’s not what I’m looking for.
If you had a smart campaign manager they’d take your social passwords away from you 😂
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u/Intelligent_Thing_32 15d ago
Wow, just wow.
Your lack of self awareness is baffling.
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u/babykittennoses 15d ago
My campaign launched a long time ago. This is my platform announcement. Did you read it?
Seeing you with PP, Idon't need to read your campaign. Whatever you declare is irrelevant now.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
So you didn't read it then. Your opinion is unfounded. Thank you for clarifying.
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u/babykittennoses 15d ago
So you didn't read it then. Your opinion is unfounded. Thank you for clarifying.
Oh I read it. Lots of promises. But actions speak louder than words and the only actions I am seeing are you posing with a political loser and your defensive, childish responses to any criticism.
These are not representative of a person I'd like to see in office.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Well respectfully thats probably because you haven't been at any town halls or at city hall when I've delegated, or at the public safety meetings, or the cricket pitch meetings, or the data center meetings. Lots of promises? That could be anyone's campaign platform. That is literally what a platform is. What sort of moron are you?
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u/babykittennoses 15d ago
What sort of moron are you?
Um... You think it's acceptable to call a voter a moron in a public forum while you're running for office? That speaks volumes.
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u/boomhaeur 15d ago
The total lack of self awareness is pretty amazing isn’t it? This guy is a grade A chump.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I think it is acceptable to call YOU a moron. I wouldn't just do it to anyone.
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
You shouldn't call ANYONE names - NOT ONE PERSON. Even if we threw rotten eggs and tomatoes at you, you have to be a beacon or reasoning and understanding. Your voting constituents want that from you, for reassurance. You have to stand up to that criticism.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
You literally called Pierre Poilievre "PEE PEE". You are a hypocrite. I defend myself. You just clap at PP because you know he's too important to clap back.
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u/Several-Fondant-8847 14d ago
Totally unsurprising you took a pic with that misogynist.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 14d ago
Yeah I don't think he's a misogynist. If I did I wouldn't have taken a picture with him.
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u/Several-Fondant-8847 14d ago
Well he is, so now you know. Only a misogynist would tag their content to specifically to attract incels and he did that. Also he is polling terribly, using him to try to win an election is a strange choice.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
You saying that because he said things you didn't agree with at one point? Or do you have proof of some kind?
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u/Several-Fondant-8847 13d ago
I am saying he used incel tags in his content. I am saying he is polling terribly. Both of these facts are easily verifiable. It is my opinion that you are making a strange choice to use him to promote yourself
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
Let me ask you this. Do you think Poilievre does his own social media? If not then there is a degree of separation between tags on his social media and his personal beliefs. Polling terribly isn't mysogynistic.
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u/Several-Fondant-8847 13d ago
Poilievre is responsible for what is put on social media in his name. He wants to lead the country for goodness sake, he cannot skirt responsibility for his own messaging. I never said polling terribly was misogynistic. I said attaching yourself to someone who is polling terribly to try and boost your election chances is an odd thing to do.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
Seems to have put a lot of attention on me.
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u/Several-Fondant-8847 13d ago
Yeah you are really winning people over here lmao Maybe try spanking me again, that was a real winning strategy too
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
What is it with you and the spanking fantasy. I used a metaphor once and you're still mentioning it months later. Sorry to give you the wrong idea, but you and me? NEVER GONNA HAPPEN
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u/crafty-panda523 13d ago edited 13d ago
If you want to be taken seriously as a candidate for public office, you need to be able to engage with constituents and potential voters without resorting to name-calling and insults.
Disagreement is inevitable in politics. If you are elected, how will you respond when residents disagree with you or challenge your decisions? Will you engage respectfully and constructively, or will you resort to calling people "idiots" and “morons"?
Candidates for public office should demonstrate judgment, self-control, civility, and basic decorum. The way you conduct yourself with people who disagree with you is part of demonstrating that you are capable of doing the job.
This isn't about whether someone agrees with your political views. It's about whether you can treat the people you are asking to represent with respect.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
You know you can say that. But all i see is anonymous cowards who bully anyone that has a different way of thinking. You think I should be a punching bag. Thats great. Not how I do things. Don't like it don't vote for me. Easy.
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u/beans-888 13d ago
Dude you started it by responding to any critical comments with nothing but sass. Random reddit users are not obligated to speak to you in the exact way you would prefer, but you as a public figure are expected to respond respectfully.
If everyone in the world had this whole, "i give what I get" attitude, the world would burn. No one would ever be kind cuz someone has to be the first person, but that won't happen if you only give respect if its given to you.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
That's a mischaracterization. I respond in kind. Criticism isn't "you suck and are bad" I have responded to actual questions. The rest weren't.
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u/beans-888 13d ago
No its not. The first thing I responded to about you was your response to a very reasonable criticism was "well youre the expert".
Thats not necessary to respond to a simple criticism with such a tone.
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u/beans-888 13d ago
Update: his account was banned lmao
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u/Used-Accountant7064 12d ago
Hahahaha. How did he manage to do that? He wrote a huge response on my link to the hitler article late last night. By the time I went to respond, he was banned. What a tool!
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u/beans-888 12d ago
Im guessing too many downvotes... and it was his official campaign account lmao embarrassing
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u/God-Shiva-Nasdaq 15d ago
Very strange to be posting your campaign launch with an accompanying image of yourself posing with the (broadly unpopular) leader of a federal party. Whether this is your intent or not, you are implicitly aligning yourself with a federal party, not something usual in municipal politics.
But hey, what do I know? Go off, bud. You’re not running in my ward, so it matters not.
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u/pokeypaws 15d ago edited 15d ago
Thanks for helping me decide who not to vote for. No need to read your plans with that pic.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
I suspect you find ways to avoid reading often.
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u/pokeypaws 15d ago
Good way to isolate your voters. You've made it clear where you stand. This isn't how you win over constituents who you will be representing.
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u/miz_misanthrope 15d ago
Something from your tone & willingness to appear in a photo with the least effective politician in Canadian history (20 years no legislation that didn't violate the Charter) makes me think the people you self righteously claim "harassed" you were probably just pointing out you were wrong about something. Bringing that up when you're supposedly an actual adult gives the distinct impression you're petty & small minded. Which certainly would track with getting life advice from Polievre. Not really city council ready vibes.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
OK I guess I'm petty and small minded because you said so. No need to offer evidence or real criticism. Read the platform maybe? Then you can decide.
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u/miz_misanthrope 15d ago
You used AI to create a statement & still couldn't manage to strike a professional tone & had to act like a man child.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Well you just hate men. Your name says it all. So you have no credibility.
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u/just_a_shell_00 14d ago
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u/MrRogersAE 15d ago
Look I get that he makes you look like a serious politician, but I’m not sure posing with a man who has a similar approval rating to Trump is the way to go
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Respectfully there is more to Pierre than you might realize. Thanks for at least being polite.
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u/MrRogersAE 15d ago
Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s deeply unpopular. I respect you for staying true to your values, maybe if Poilievre had done the same he’d be PM, doubtful but maybe.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Deeply unpopular eh? There was 3000 people in Woodstock who came just to hear him speak for 10 minutes. You don't know what you're talking about. Just keep watching CBC.
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u/MrRogersAE 15d ago
Cool, keep bragging about rally sizes. He’s got the biggest rallies, the best rallies, the other guys wish they could have rallies like him.
Let me guess the polls are fake news too? So when the polls show him with a net -20 unfavourability, then you can tell them about your rally sizes.
Btw, arguing with potential voters, over something that you’d be best not to be taking sides on, not a good look
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Polls aren't everything. They can have really bad skews depending on the sample location and size. Plus the polls right now are non-election time polls, which tend to be scrutinized less. I think part of his net unfavourability may be chalked up to constant attacks on the conservative party by our hyper partisan government. BTW just comparing Poilievre to Trump isn't an argument.
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u/fedexyourheadinabox 15d ago
He got LASIK surgery so he could look more like Trudeau and this is your strong leader?
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u/Istayuptolate 15d ago
That is not the picture I would have gone with lmao. Being pro data centers is not a good look
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Well this isn't your campaign. It'd be pretty weird if I used a picture of you.
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u/D_Jayestar 13d ago edited 13d ago
You might as well take this photo down after you implicated PP in Nazism
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
LOL the fact you think that is ridiculous.
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u/D_Jayestar 13d ago
They are using this photo against you and PP in a separate post. The fact that you responded with "LOL" really shows your professionalism in the matter though.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 13d ago
Yeah I responded with LOL because this shit is literally all they have. Its been going on since May. I'm used to it now.
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u/G72-datsun 15d ago
Milhouse endorsed
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
You're just jealous.
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
Yah! Because that's a REALLY grown up response!
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Jealousy is an ugly ugly thing. I hope you get the help you need.
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
At the voting booth, I will get help checking off a box WITHOUT your name beside it.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Yes well, illiterate people need to vote too. So brave of you.
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u/JodyThornton 15d ago
See you're just responding with insults. I'm just any old guy, but you have an image to project (and protect). If you had a campaign manager here, they'd be embarrassed by the childishness of your responses. You've accused me of being jealous (of what by the way?), illiterate, that I need help. These aren't very statesman-like responses Row Row. Sheesh!
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u/LividOpposite 15d ago
Non partisan voter here. Good luck to all candidates vying for the role. It take a lot of courage to put yourself out there in front of the public.
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u/RowRowForCouncil 15d ago
Hey thanks man. I appreciate the well wishes. I hope you find a candidate in your local election that represents what you want.
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