More Observations on MMP

I'd posted about conversations I'd had regarding MMP with some friends of mine. One opinion that I thought indicative was "I vote for the party anyway." While politics junkies are more attuned to the particular candidates and are aware how Randy Hillier is a different kind of PC candidate than David Shiner, I suspect that a great many voters just pick the party they prefer anyway. If more people are just voting for the party anyway (anyone have stats on that? Greg?) MMP allows them to what they'd rather do anyway. In addition it may cause them to pay a bit more attention to the local candidates - since they can vote for their party and then see who might best represent their riding.

Who does David Shiner work for?

If you're a Toronto taxpayer then the answer is "not you"* since he's too busy running for provincial office to be a city councillor. Now it would be bad enough if he were drawing a salary from the city and maintaining his seat on council (incumbency goes a long way in Toronto). But no, now he's using his spot on city council to campaign for the PC party on the council floor! An account from Spacing.ca:

"In the midst of questioning Mayor David Miller on the cost containment measures, Shiner took the time to remind everyone what John Tory would offer cities before asking if the mayor would show more support for provincial party platforms that provide financial relief for Toronto."

So it's not enough for Shiner to run for another office while drawing a taxpayer salary, he's going to go stump for his party boss while under the guise of a representative of the people of this city! This man deserves to lose. I used to live in Willowdale and I wish I could vote in more election there just to have the opportunity to vote against this self-serving asshole.
*Unless John Tory pays taxes in Toronto, then it's "probably not you"