This is not a column exhorting you to get out and vote. We've done that (see above) - well, perhaps in a more benign manner than we have in the past.
It is also not a column telling you who to vote for. We don't believe in endorsements by newspapers - although some newspapers feel compelled to share their picks, usually in federal races.
We don't even believe that federal politicians (or provincial politicians) should be sticking their endorsing eager noses in city politics. And, yes, we've written an editorial about that.
We still believe that newspapers should try to report as much debate in local elections as time and space allows, and hopefully readers will attend allc andidates meetings to see the runners up close and personal, chat with neighbours, read campaign hand-outs, and review resumés to determine who deserves their support.
In a nutshell, we think that our opinion on who to vote for, if one actually followed it, might skew the process, or simply interfere with the process of natural selection in city politics.
And, frankly, given the size of New Westminster and the relatively small number of voters who turn out - we don't want to be accused of trying to impact the outcome. We already get accused of that enough.
But now we have local bloggers who have stepped into the endorsement void and have published their picks - albeit online.
Briana Tomkinson, Will Tomkinson and Jen Arbo of 10th to the Fraser, and Daniel Fontaine of City Caucus are New Westminster residents with solid credentials.
Fontaine comes from a political junkie's position. The 10th to the Fraser trio look at the election from a very personal position. It's clear that the trio represents a "young couples with kids" demographic with a cottage sensibility. Drawn to green issues and keen on hyper local, they approach issues in the city somewhat like explorers in a new country. Briana's take is refreshingly uncluttered by layers of grudge fights in the city, or seemingly untainted by the knowledge of "behind the scenes" alliances. Sometimes ignorance in this city is a good thing. She makes no apologies for taking a personal approach. She notes that she is endorsing personal friends.
Of course, she's taken heat for that in the past. Readers confuse her blog with a news article and take her to task. She always tries
to stay above the fray and keep things positive. Not an easy task in political reportage of any kind.
Fontaine's blog, City Caucus, of which he is a cofounder, is an Non-Partisan Association friendly blog, that dips its toes into suburban waters. Fontaine is the former chief of staff to former NPA Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan.
Fontaine lives in Queen's Park.
His endorsements are clearly right-of-centre political pushes.
The question is - will these blogger endorsements make any difference in the elections?
Do readers give more credence to "personal" endorsements compared to "political" endorsements?
In an election where every vote truly counts - Wayne Wright got into the mayor's chair with a slim margin of 18 votes in 2002 - these bloggers may make the difference.
The endorsements may also trigger a backlash or renewed campaigning from those who weren't endorsed.
As I write this two days before the election, I expect there will be counter endorsements and more right-versus-left endorsements. In a left-leaning city, this could make more of an impact than any blogger might.
But I stand by our traditional election advise for city voters: whoever you vote for, it is almost always better to trust one's own thinking than follow someone else's.
At least then you can only blame yourself if you make a poor choice.
Pat Tracy is the editor of The Record and Burnaby NOW.
