Who is running for mayor of Winnipeg?

I really hope this is true. I only saw mention of it in a Uniter article, in which some city councillors were suddenly complaining about "politics" entering city council (because we know that Winnipeg city council is thoroughly non-partisan.)

This would be AWESOME!!

Yes, actually there is a meeting this Thursday evening (7pm? I think. Or 7:30?) at the Millenium library, Buchwald room, for the Winnipeg left to discuss strategy.

Thursday, April 1st, 7 (or 7:30) pm, Millenium Library, Buchwald Room.

Probably better to be early than late.

I'll be down there if I can make it

I think if Judy WL threw her hat in the ring, we'd see Lillian Thomas withdrawing and throwing her support behind Judy. I always got the sense that Lillian's candidacy was more of a "if nobody else is going to run against this clown, I will"-type bid as opposed to a "I think I can really beat this guy"-type bid. In other words, a stalking horse for a more credible 'left' candidate. I think Lillian is politically savvy enough to know that Judy would actually have a chance to win, but her presence on the ballot would split the anti-Katz vote. Progressives, people who care about urban issues, supporters of public transit, neighbourhood activists, and environmentalists (ie left-leaning types) need to get their act together and get behind one high-profile, credible candidate if they want to have any hope at all of beating Sam Katz and his pro-development, Chamber of Commerce, suburban sprawl, business-as-usual acolytes. 

Yes, this is completely independent of the citizens coalition, it's put on by the New Socialists

First, if you were looking for a discussion on how we can get Judy WL elected and maybe get 8 centre-left city councillors, this was the wrong event.

I thought all the speakers had some good points throughout the night.

Marianne - talked about her campaign in 2006, about why she's not an MLA anymore, said "I believe in revolution, but...", talked about mobilizing people on issues instead of the "values" thing the WCC seemed to gather from some consultants, thinks it's useful to run for office and use that office to help people mobilize around issues.  At the bar afterwards, she said "now I know what it feels like for everyone else in the NDP when I'm around"

David - talked about experiences in Canada in other cities, such as David Miller in Toronto and Vision Vancouver, and how things went wrong there.  Distinguished between the "center-left" and "hard left", and got the point across that we shouldn't be naive and then act surprised when the "center-left" does something to "backstab" us.  Put forward the idea that leftists should only vote for candidates who are "independent of corporate power".  Honestly, I thought he came off a little doctrinaire at times in his recommendations, but did come at it with a lot of knowledge of the situation.

Garth - Wobbly, former NDP candidate who said that running in the 2000 federal election was the most disempowering thing he's ever done, talked about building movements and radical neighborhood assemblies and unions, about how voting is a very individual act, how electoral campaigns don't really build up people's confidence and skills and whatnot.  Questioned how politicians are accountable to you when it came up, and the whole idea of "lets elect someone okay and then push them".  Played ukulele and sang about a general strike (yeah, I said he was a wobbly).

The audience - fucking nuts.  I felt sorry for the moderator.  I think a lot of people came there to make their own points, and there were a bunch of people who were interrupting, or trying to move up the speakers list.  There were a couple good questions which I think could have taken the discussion to somewhere positive, but it quickly went back to angry people arguing their own positions in the room.  Positions varied from "everyone should be working on Judy WL's campaign" to "lets use the election to promote socialism" to "lets do something else instead" to "fuck that shit"

A lot of people were saying things to the effect of "why are we talking about organizing instead of doing it?" and a sign-up sheet went around the room.  But I think there was no consensus on what to do or where to go from here, so I can't imagine that going anywhere.

I'm coming out of it a bit more informed than I went in, and the event did inspire me and a friend to start writing an article possibly for submission to Canadian Dimension.

In the end, I sympathized mostly with Garth's position, although I thought all the speakers had at least a few good points.  The main points I got from it

- Don't be naive and let yourself be backstabbed by center-left politicians, don't be shocked when someone like David Miller pulls some shit like he did during the strike

- Lots of discussions on power, state power, and power from the streets.  I think in the end, we on the left need to work on building counter-power on the streets and in communities, instead of shortcuts like trying to take state power or "get okay people in and push them"

- (this one will be controversial on babble, but...) don't bother working for Judy.  Maybe give her a vote.

- Trying to mobilize people for election campaigns for center-left politicians is at best a waste of time, at worst very disempowering and counter-productive.

I think there was also a divide on organizing strategy - do we organize people to try to push politicians to fight for incremental reforms, or start with something like a temporary reclamation of space to build confidence and capacity - something like a large smudge ceremony or a impromptu street ball hockey tournament.

As usual, the post-event discussion at the bar was also rather enlightening.

jas wrote:

Still, why advertise the panel evening as a discussion of "strategy", when two of the panelists are not interested in supporting any candidates?

I think you might be confused on strategy and tactics.  This event seemed to be a question of strategy for the Winnipeg left in general in light of the municipal election, not election tactics for Judy's campaign.

But to be fair to your statement, yes, I was confused initially, at the meeting. As were a few others. I'm not now, though. Certainly seeing the name New Socialists should have tipped me off.

I think that poll is excellent for Judy W-L. First of all it included the names of a bunch of other people who won't run and whose support will likely go to Judy. Second of all incumbents in mayoral election usually start off with a huge advantage - so for Katz to be at just 51% of decided voters - I'm not impressed.

On another note, if Judy goes ahead and runs - it means a vacancy in the safest NDP seat in the country. I've heard that Judy is adamant that her successor be a woman. There must be tons of women in the NDP in north Winnipeg who could fit the bill - including MLAs, city councillors and others. Any Winnipggers care to speculate?

Stockholm wrote:

I've heard that Judy is adamant that her successor be a woman.

I think Stock's analysis of the poll is spot on. No incumbent facing a strong challenger would be excited about leading them 50-30 in a poll before the challenger has even entered the race!

And I think it's SUPER AWESOME is Judy W-L is pushing for a woman to replace her. Losing such a strong female leader as Judy, I think it would be best for caucus if she could be replaced with another woman (ideally a younger woman, IMHO).

2dawall, it's my impression that issues like privatization of city services is one of the issues that would be drawing W-L into civic politics. If we can take the provincial NDP as any indicator, whatever centrist tendencies they have, privatization is not one of them.  I would think that Layton would also be against such things. She is supported and endorsed by both, and, imlo (limited opinion), she would be the one candidate who has a chance at reversing this trend. Just my opinion.

JWL's position on the wall has actually come up both locally and nationally in terms of both divisions within and outside of the NDP on . Others mentioned it as to why they would not activity work for her and the Wall is hardly as marginal as Biafra despite Stockholm's snarkiness. The issue is her history of caving into Conservative locamotive easily and quickly and her past is relevant to that. Straw man attacks aside, she is a heavy centralist and not worth supporting.  Glen Murray ended up supporting privitization and there is a good possibility that she will too.

2dawall wrote:

JWL's position on the wall has actually come up both locally and nationally in terms of both divisions within and outside of the NDP on . Others mentioned it as to why they would not activity work for her and the Wall is hardly as marginal as Biafra despite Stockholm's snarkiness.

Maybe not marginal, but it holds absolutely no relevance whatsoever to municipal politics.

Again, this goes to those who might otherwise be motivated to work/support her. At the meeting others cited that as a reason not to and I am inclined to agree with them.  One silver lining would be that if she left her federal seat, the fed by-election would give an opening to push any replacement candidate to take a different stand.

If that is the worst reason that you can come up with for progresives to not support Judy, that is a pretty weak reason. Judy is a well-respected politician with a very good reputation. It has absolutely nothing to do with her attitude to "social movements" in general, but a disagreement on one particular issue. Maybe a few people are uncomfortable working for her over the issue of the wall, but I have no reason to believe that it constitutes a large group. And if it wasn't the wall, then there would be another issue over which some people would say, "Judy isn't a real progressive because of this issue." No matter who you are,  you're never going to please everybody. I could see it being an issue in her capacity as an MP, but frankly it isn't an issue people care about in municipal politics.

I think there is a difference, though, between disagreeing on one particular issue and a couple of things she was quoted saying either as an MP or on the CPCCA which were pretty much attacks on leftie activists and things which were concerning - especially to the leftie activists she had attacked.  I don't understand why we constantly have to suck it up and support politicians, I think it should be the other way around.  Admittedly, most of those issues are more concerning on a federal level (or even a provincial level, given the motions condemning IAW in Ontario and Manitoba), but I think it is still a valid concern for people on the left, albeit not a central issue.

If you still want to support her, that's fine.  I'll probably still get off the couch and vote for her, for all the good that that might do, but I won't work for her.  I'm just concerned that volunteering and marshalling support for another center-left politician is a waste of time, not building communities or empowering anyone, and something that I've been burned in the past on.

Again I my concern goes to the political character of JWL and supporting the suppression of dissent is not the least of them. I have seen nothing in her history that would suggest she is going to stand up to privitization. Moreover, her history as an MLA does not point out toward any opposition to Winnipeg's constant expansion outward, exurbanization and suburbs that at sometimes have cost the city $40 000 per lot in the provision of city services ie Lindenwoods in the 80's and 90's.

Re: panhandling and privitization I referred to the Wpg Left in general. Work, effort but not success. As the Wpg Left refuses to assess or evaluate or brainstorm the worth or lack of worth in any particiular method of doing anything I never use the word 'success' in any relation to anything the Wpg Left does.  What I meant was that many more Leftists would say more, do more, write or speak more about defending panhandling ( a knee-jerk bleeding heart position as opposed to anything 'radical') than they would privitization. Yes CUPE does its dance of duty or goes through the motions of fighting privitization but the Left in general does not.

The Left, particularly in Winnpeg, has degenerated into either sloppy liberalism or some neo-pagan neo-primitivism. Defending panhandling has nothing to do with helping those who do panhandling. And no I am not an echo-chamber for the Chamber of Commerce on this one notwithstanding any assumed similarities. The Wpg Left or most of it happens to be just plain wrong on this one.

According to CBC radio, Judy is resigning her seat today and will make an announcement regarding running for Mayor of Winnipeg later on.

[url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/04/30/mb-mayor-election-wya... Wyatt is out[/url]

When it comes to municipal politics, I frankly couldn't care less about the CPCCA. It's a non-issue. As for the differences? It's still too early to tell, as she has not yet released her platform. As mayor, she would control who sits on the city's EPC, and she would give more of a voice to those who advocate on issues such as housing, sustainable transportation, aboriginal issues, community centres, etc. Certainly a great deal more than has been the case under Katz.

I don't know that JW could do a great job but at least it would include the possiblity of being heard, Katz hears only what benefits him, look at the sleazy way the "Youth for Christ" deal was done.

Downtown will only thrive when people can live there affordably, forget the $250,000.00 condos.

Yes, that is my impression of Murray.

And ennir, the city is full of "affordable" housing - mostly decrepit. Beautiful buildings going to pigeons because of 1) the Wal-Martization of Winnipeg retail, 2) the attendant continuing build-up of the suburbs -- in direct opposition to the re-urbanization trend occurring in every other city in North America in the last 20 years, and 3) this misguided notion that rent control helps poor people. Rent control does not help poor people. It helps landlords.

Winnipeg Federal Electoral Map

Winnipeg Provincial Electoral Map

Aristotleded24 wrote:

When it comes to municipal politics, I frankly couldn't care less about the CPCCA. It's a non-issue. As for the differences? It's still too early to tell, as she has not yet released her platform. As mayor, she would control who sits on the city's EPC, and she would give more of a voice to those who advocate on issues such as housing, sustainable transportation, aboriginal issues, community centres, etc.

Again, her behavior of censoring critics is the issue and again she has no record as an MLA of seriously raising the issue of wider suburbs and exurbanization. Winnipeg is too wide and that is a civic issue that nobody is addressing. She registered as a candidate today and will have a news conference at the Forks tomorrow. If she was as progressive as so many here claim she would do it at one of the suburbs indicating how much the city loses per lot.

ghoris wrote:

Rumour has it Judy WL will be announcing her mayoral bid tomorrow.

[url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/05/04/mb-wasylycia-leis-may...'s now a fact[/url]

Stockholm wrote:

Good to see that she has the support of Liberal Senator Sharon Carstairs and former mayor Bob Norrie (who I think is a PC).

Norrie was definitely backed by the business community. Thing is, he wasn't exactly a gem himself when he was mayor.