The Hobbits have done it. It’s too soon to know whether or not Keith Hobbs is the right choice for mayor of Thunder Bay but one thing is clear: his team knows how to win an election.
The voters of Thunder Bay have spoken…sort of. They want change but not too much. They have chosen their scapegoat and her name is Lynn. Time will tell if they picked the right goat.
Mr. Hobbs doesn’t have a bold, new vision for the city but he does offer a new management style for the mayor’s office. He referred often to his door-to-door campaign and the clear message he got from city residents. He said he will allow the citizens of Thunder Bay to set the priorities. From where I sit the priorities he listed seem to fit very nicely with his personal agenda.
Anybody who has ever watched a western movie will recognize Mr. Hobbs’ approach.
There’s a new sheriff in town and he intends to clean up our city streets. During the mayoralty candidates debate last week he recalled several violent incidents from his policing career, including being shot at three times in his first five years. I hope he does better in council chambers.
He says he is an excellent negotiator and used the example of having a shotgun pointed at his chest during a police confrontation. He talked his way out of that one. He may find that dealing with the business of a city with 100,000 people is a little different from dealing with the business end of a 12-gauge. In some cases though, the stakes are just as high.
It is obvious to me that democracy is not a spectator sport. As a citizen of the world, a product of Canada and a resident of Thunder Bay I feel I have a personal stake on Election Day.
That’s why I take the time to vote.
The limit of political involvement for many local residents is moaning and complaining at the coffee shop while chewing on a cruller and washing it down with a double double. Some people will never vote in an election unless the poll is at a Tim Hortons and they get a free coffee with their ballot.
I saw the mayor’s debate last week and I can’t believe I watched the whole thing. It didn’t sway my vote one way or the other but I did hear a few interesting ideas and I felt encouraged by some of the comments.
During the debate Mr. Hobbs remained fairly soft-spoken and controlled but his message was harsh (and graphic) at times. He came with both guns blazing even if he did have the silencers on. He was a cross between Fox newscaster Bill O’Reilly and Yosemite Sam. He seemed to know something we didn’t know.
Jeff Irwin made some very astute observations and a passionate testimonial about the city. He was the only candidate who expressed a clear vision for Thunder Bay. He said it was time to see ourselves as the biggest operating business in Northwestern Ontario and conduct ourselves accordingly.
Mr. Irwin explained he has done business in many cities in many locations and he chooses to live in Thunder Bay for one reason. He considers this to be the best small city in North America and he seems eager to unlock its potential. Now there’s a vision that would do us all well to achieve.
Mr. Hobbs responded, only half jokingly at the time, that when he was elected mayor he would be calling on Mr. Irwin. Well, Mayor-Elect Hobbs, make it so. I think Jeff Irwin would be a great fill-in for you during your walkabout Wednesdays.
Also, bravo Ken Boshcoff. He is a very popular man in these parts. Ken has taken on the roll of Thunder Bay’s senior statesman and time will tell if that role is best filled here or in Ottawa. Stand by, Lawrence Timko. There may be a warm seat waiting for you yet.
City council is almost exactly the same as it was. The voters didn’t like what they saw last time around and they clearly blamed the mayor. Maybe the new mayor can whip them into shape. He says he has the skills to do the job.
Congratulations to Mr. Hobbs and his team. They accomplished what they set out to do. Your city awaits.
In the meantime, pour me another coffee to wash this cruller down.
The voters of Thunder Bay have spoken…sort of. They want change but not too much. They have chosen their scapegoat and her name is Lynn. Time will tell if they picked the right goat.
Mr. Hobbs doesn’t have a bold, new vision for the city but he does offer a new management style for the mayor’s office. He referred often to his door-to-door campaign and the clear message he got from city residents. He said he will allow the citizens of Thunder Bay to set the priorities. From where I sit the priorities he listed seem to fit very nicely with his personal agenda.
Anybody who has ever watched a western movie will recognize Mr. Hobbs’ approach.
There’s a new sheriff in town and he intends to clean up our city streets. During the mayoralty candidates debate last week he recalled several violent incidents from his policing career, including being shot at three times in his first five years. I hope he does better in council chambers.
He says he is an excellent negotiator and used the example of having a shotgun pointed at his chest during a police confrontation. He talked his way out of that one. He may find that dealing with the business of a city with 100,000 people is a little different from dealing with the business end of a 12-gauge. In some cases though, the stakes are just as high.
It is obvious to me that democracy is not a spectator sport. As a citizen of the world, a product of Canada and a resident of Thunder Bay I feel I have a personal stake on Election Day.
That’s why I take the time to vote.
The limit of political involvement for many local residents is moaning and complaining at the coffee shop while chewing on a cruller and washing it down with a double double. Some people will never vote in an election unless the poll is at a Tim Hortons and they get a free coffee with their ballot.
I saw the mayor’s debate last week and I can’t believe I watched the whole thing. It didn’t sway my vote one way or the other but I did hear a few interesting ideas and I felt encouraged by some of the comments.
During the debate Mr. Hobbs remained fairly soft-spoken and controlled but his message was harsh (and graphic) at times. He came with both guns blazing even if he did have the silencers on. He was a cross between Fox newscaster Bill O’Reilly and Yosemite Sam. He seemed to know something we didn’t know.
Jeff Irwin made some very astute observations and a passionate testimonial about the city. He was the only candidate who expressed a clear vision for Thunder Bay. He said it was time to see ourselves as the biggest operating business in Northwestern Ontario and conduct ourselves accordingly.
Mr. Irwin explained he has done business in many cities in many locations and he chooses to live in Thunder Bay for one reason. He considers this to be the best small city in North America and he seems eager to unlock its potential. Now there’s a vision that would do us all well to achieve.
Mr. Hobbs responded, only half jokingly at the time, that when he was elected mayor he would be calling on Mr. Irwin. Well, Mayor-Elect Hobbs, make it so. I think Jeff Irwin would be a great fill-in for you during your walkabout Wednesdays.
Also, bravo Ken Boshcoff. He is a very popular man in these parts. Ken has taken on the roll of Thunder Bay’s senior statesman and time will tell if that role is best filled here or in Ottawa. Stand by, Lawrence Timko. There may be a warm seat waiting for you yet.
City council is almost exactly the same as it was. The voters didn’t like what they saw last time around and they clearly blamed the mayor. Maybe the new mayor can whip them into shape. He says he has the skills to do the job.
Congratulations to Mr. Hobbs and his team. They accomplished what they set out to do. Your city awaits.
In the meantime, pour me another coffee to wash this cruller down.
