1) Representation

Whenever I have met with my elected representatives it seems that they will listen and then just explain why they are going to do what they want to do. This is incredibly insulting. We are adults, we are freeborn and our consent is required! Why is it then that our political leaders get away with ‘governance’? A fancy word they use to reduce us to children in need of their guidance.

I learned about representation when getting my real estate license. The real estate agent is supposed to ‘represent’ the interests of the person (principal) buying or selling a house. This means that the real decision maker is the principal NOT the agent. All the agents do is shuttle messages between the principals. The agent can provide advice to their principal, but at the end of the day it’s the principal that makes the decisions. Being in multiple representation (i.e. representing the buyer and seller in a transaction) can be more challenging but if you stick to the basics of full disclosure and simply following the lawful guidance of the principals, the job gets done, well.

As an elected representative I need to make the effort to find out how people feel about issues before making decisions. I also need to be prepared to change any position I have taken if clear signals from the electorate indicate I need to do so.

This job is all about representing you, not governing you.

This video does a good job of describing liberty. Once we understand what a free person is, it is much easier to understand the appropriate role of a leader of free people.

2) Taxation

Taxation is a culturally accepted form of armed robbery. Don't believe me about the armed robbery part? Stop paying your property tax and see how long it takes for men with guns to show up. It may take years, but eventually some one is coming to take payment or take the property.

So why do we accept taxation if it's armed robbery? Because it's not armed robbery when consent is acquired. This is Canada and we expect some basic services from our government and for those services we don't mind paying our share.

One problem with taxation right now is that too many decisions are being made with regards to future obligations without public input. When is the last time your city councilor, your MP, or even your MPP called you up to find out how you felt about an issue, before the decision was made? Well if I get in, expect a phone call or a knock at the door, because I want to know how you feel before I make any decisions. Step two of my plan is to hire someone to bring you information and ask your opinion on the issues I am addressing. Consent, it's required. So do it and do it well.

Another problem with taxation right now is we don't have informed consent. How many people actually know all the services that the city of Ottawa offers? How many people are we employing with our tax dollars and what are they doing? We have a say in that matter. The problem is that we don't have sufficient amounts of information publicly documented. How can we acquire consent if citizens cannot find out how their money is being spent? As a city councilor I can really help in this area by being supportive of citizens groups like Open Data Ottawa.   

3) Water Fluoridation

There are sufficient links from this web site to show very serious concerns with Ottawa's fluoridation program (i.e. bone cancer). It's like willingly spending 300,000$ to play russian roulette with 1 in a couple millions odds of death by 20. The water fluoridation program is wrong on so many levels. Let's give everyone back that couple of cents each it costs us to add Hydrofluorosilicic acid to the water. Or use that $300K to save another program that is important. I don't know what to do with the cash savings yet, I have to hear from the people of Ward 11 before I will make a decision on this.

The solution to the water fluoridation program is very simple. We just stop adding it to the water. Fluoride in tooth paste is appropriate. Cavities are caused by bugs that live on your teeth. These bugs eat sugar and secrete acid that burns into the enamel of your teeth. Bathing them in toxic waste will kill them, which will reduce cavities because dead bugs don't poop acid on your teeth. Remember! SPIT the fluoride OUT!@