Local politicians more important than you think
Everyone is familiar with the name
Stephen Harper, and the politically savvy
can list a few more prominent politicians;
however, the odds of any of these individuals
directly providing a service to you are
slim to none. The more accessible politicians
aren't nearly as well known, even though
they serve as advocates for the layman.
City councillors are some of the first people that you can contact when you need them. They, or their staff, can provide information on what documents you need to travel, what kind of insurance you'll need and just about everything else you need to know before booking that ticket. Councillors are very active in the community, visiting schools, community sites and participating in public forums. Councillor Matt Brown spoke at an Economics class here at Fanshawe and encouraged students to take an interest in the political process. If you're interested (for some reason) in the annual operating budget of London Transit, ask your councillor for details.
Councillors are voted in every four years on a set date, with the last one being in 2010 and the next one lined up for 2014. So in lieu of the "upcoming" election, here is the lowdown on city councillors in London.
Before taxes, London councillors earn $39,132 per year. It isn't a very lucrative position, which means the council is, generally speaking, made up of political hopefuls or retired professionals. Just for information's sake, Mayor Joe Fontana annually brings home $121,916. Council members can earn additional money for being members of agencies or committees, but only if that organization does not provide compensation. Some of the boards that have a city councillor on staff include London Transit, London Hydro, the Police Services Board and the library board. A quick online search can tell you which councillor sits on which board. The benefit of this is that you're always able to contact a councillor for more information about these organizations and the decisions they're involved in making.
The responsibilities of a city councillor are extremely difficult to define because there isn't a job description. The City of London recognizes that the position of city councillor is one that requires significantly more than a 40-hour commitment per week. Councillors are "on-call" for any event occurring in their riding or that could have an effect on their constituency.
When examining politics at a federal level, it appears as though, beyond casting a vote, citizens have no influence on the political agenda, yet at all times the purpose of politicians is to represent the interests of the people who voted them into power. Because of the number of people voting on a federal level, it's virtually impossible for one person to have their voice heard. City councillors are the voice of the people in their riding, and in a city like London, that means each councillor represents roughly 21,000 people. If you have something to say, look no further than tinyurl.com/ldncouncillors2012 for the person to say it to.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
City councillors are some of the first people that you can contact when you need them. They, or their staff, can provide information on what documents you need to travel, what kind of insurance you'll need and just about everything else you need to know before booking that ticket. Councillors are very active in the community, visiting schools, community sites and participating in public forums. Councillor Matt Brown spoke at an Economics class here at Fanshawe and encouraged students to take an interest in the political process. If you're interested (for some reason) in the annual operating budget of London Transit, ask your councillor for details.
Councillors are voted in every four years on a set date, with the last one being in 2010 and the next one lined up for 2014. So in lieu of the "upcoming" election, here is the lowdown on city councillors in London.
Before taxes, London councillors earn $39,132 per year. It isn't a very lucrative position, which means the council is, generally speaking, made up of political hopefuls or retired professionals. Just for information's sake, Mayor Joe Fontana annually brings home $121,916. Council members can earn additional money for being members of agencies or committees, but only if that organization does not provide compensation. Some of the boards that have a city councillor on staff include London Transit, London Hydro, the Police Services Board and the library board. A quick online search can tell you which councillor sits on which board. The benefit of this is that you're always able to contact a councillor for more information about these organizations and the decisions they're involved in making.
The responsibilities of a city councillor are extremely difficult to define because there isn't a job description. The City of London recognizes that the position of city councillor is one that requires significantly more than a 40-hour commitment per week. Councillors are "on-call" for any event occurring in their riding or that could have an effect on their constituency.
When examining politics at a federal level, it appears as though, beyond casting a vote, citizens have no influence on the political agenda, yet at all times the purpose of politicians is to represent the interests of the people who voted them into power. Because of the number of people voting on a federal level, it's virtually impossible for one person to have their voice heard. City councillors are the voice of the people in their riding, and in a city like London, that means each councillor represents roughly 21,000 people. If you have something to say, look no further than tinyurl.com/ldncouncillors2012 for the person to say it to.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
