SOME ELECTION REFLECTIONS

After a hectic grueling campaign, I offer a few personal reflections before we have our campaign debriefing and analysis:

1. It was an exceedingly worthwhile experience, although I remain convinced that a younger candidate, preferably a woman &/or a minority would have been preferable.

2. I think I did reasonably well but am forced to admit that gains remained elusive. Once again we flat-lined, perhaps even declined some.

3. Although I'm shocked, even saddened, to see the departure of Andrew Telegdi (if he doesn't win the recount) & Karen Redman, I affirm loudly & resolutely that so-called strategic voting renders both the NDP and the nation poorer. Such a "strategic vote" weakens a people's party inevitably & in the long haul benefits the corporate elite.

4. I remain convinced that our strategy of galvanizing the non-voter (especially the poor & marginalized non-voter) & linking it with our existing base was the way to go. Lack of time & other factors did not lead to success in this strategy.

5. My hope for the future is that our party in Kitchener Centre will cease to be solely an electoral group but will instead begin to build a younger, more mixed downtown social movement.





Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

Strategic voting

I appeal to all voters of Kitchener Centre to vote for me to join the New Democratic team in Ottawa.

If you are one of the 80% of Canadians that are working harder, for less, if you are a Canadian who is barely able to live on ODSP or Ontario Works, if you are a Canadian whom has lost or is likely to lose a stable reasonably paying job in the manufacturing sector, if you are a senior citizen, if you're a post-secondary student who cannot afford more education without incurring a huge debt load, if you're a minority or new Canadian, then your STRATEGIC VOTE is for Oz Cole-Arnal & the New Democrats.

I came from the U.S., where a vote for either party was a vote for one of two big business parties & I would choose the lesser of two evils. I'm glad to be Canadian where we have a party that is not owned & funded by the elite 10% of the population. Our NDP is that party, the only national party that can make that claim. We are not the party of ruinous trade deals; we opposed them. We are not the party that sells out our companies to the highest bidder. We are the party of the vast majority of Canadians, those "extraordinary" Canadians who just get by, who struggle daily to care for their kids & elderly parents, the single moms who live on crummy minimum wage jobs. I seek your support, because I and my party will fight for & with you against that tiny elite who has sent our resources elsrwhere. I seek your vote on Tuesday, & I thank you in advance.



Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

Peace-keeping

Although foreign policy & the military have been off the radar for most of the campaign, there have been questions from the floor on this topic at All Candidates Meetings. As well, I've received numerous direct appeals to speak on Darfur. Every time the issue of Afghanistan has arisen at All Candidates Meetings, I have appealed to pull our troops out from this NATO-led, U.S. driven military action, and appealed to using our military strictly in Peace-Keeping missions. On at least two occasions, I have cited Darfur in particular.

As a member of our Region's Holocaust Education Committee, I have linked up with the University of Waterloo support group for Darfur. Our committee co-sponsored an awareness event at the University. This "peace-keeping" vision has in past been Canada's key international reputation, right up until the current regime (and even the earlier Liberals) diverted our military resources to American imperialistic & oil-interests-driven wars.



Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

Three Cheers for Popular Culture

I distinguish between POP culture & POPULAR culture. The first, POP culture, is the vapid mindless shows we see on the TV ("Entertainment Tonight", reality shows, & Hollywood action flicks, dominated by car chases & special effects). Don't get me wrong! I'm no cultural elitist! My tastes are unruly & eclectic. And I must admit that I go to the occasional mindless "shlock" as a form of mind-numbing escape. Nevertheless I celebrate that we New Democrats support serious efforts to preserve & enhance our various national heritages, protecting them over against neo-colonial efforts from south of our border. I celebrate our CBC news coverage in contrast to the blatant right-wing special pleading of Fox News & the superficial chummyness & repeated banalities of CNN. Also I congratulate our party's promotion of the Aboriginal heritage & the international renown of our francophone creativity. Our resistance to the Harper government's censoship bill is further cause to support our NDP cultural efforts.

Personally, however, I cite two local examples of POPULAR culture to demonstrate how very important our grass-roots artists are both in what they produce and the sacrifices they take economically. Driven by inspiration, they live from hand-to-mouth & on the edge because their art consumes them beyond security to offer their gift.

1). I went with Chris, my young media savvy bro, to the Boathouse to give my political spiel! While there, over a glass of red, I heard a rapper-type poet named Mike throw his whole physical & emotional being into a relentless, rapid barrage of images that tore into my soul. They gripped me, inspired me, made me angry, brought tears. This gritty culture, brought to light in much personal sacrifice & in an atmosphere of raw engagement, is the kind of culture that changes the world bit by sacrificial bit.

2). At St. John's Kitchen I met Colin & Jerry, two filmakers who are creating a documentary on local poverty & homelessness. They're doing this on a shoestring. Why? Because they've been here! They've lived the hell of such marginalization, & now they turn their skills to speaking out through the medium of film. This is POPULAR culture--- culture that matters, culture that cries out for justice & dignity. Colin & Jerry, I admire you! You do our society honour.

This is why our governments seriously need to fund not just our Centres in the Square & our Stratfords but also the gritty raw culture that emerges from the edge & calls us to unite to form a humane & just Canada.



Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca/

Painful Frustration

Numerous times I have received phone calls or visits to our New Democratic campaign office from people with special needs. Often they are on disability income (ODSP) and always they are living on the economic edge. In every instance they have hit a crisis wall due to a combination of far too little income & a relentlessly complex & demeaning bureaucracy. They are sent from one office to another, told to fill out endless forms or produce letter after letter for this or that little pittance of money or this or that reduction of bills they have incurred. No wonder these citizens despair.

The system is designed to wear them down. It lacks compassion & sensitivity. It is so complex & does not take into account both the personal & economic costs of poor citizens accessing this dehumanizing system.

When I hear these stories I too become angry & feel that sense of helplessness. Our governments must provde humane funding to live fully & not just exist on the edge of desperation. And our community systems must include serious input by those who access their services.




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca/

Musings on Education

For all the rhetoric on youth being Canada's future, our governments seem little concerned to act concretely on the matter. Given the much higher rate of unemployment among young adults, and given how much energy is required to write complex resumes for minimum wage jobs, it is time we put some serious government money into post-secondary education. Here I refer to universities, colleges and apprenticeship training in the trades.

1. Our New Democratic Party has made strong moves in that direction. In colleges and universities we will give $1,000 grants to all loan-qualifing students. In addition, we will restore the student loan system to government control & allow loan repayment to be stretched out without penalty, & based on ability to pay. Medical school students will be given debt cancellation if they commit to working ten years in family practice. To my view, this is not enough. Given crippling debt loads for far too many students & given the reality that most students need to hold jobs during their education, I would push for free tuition for all students who are able to meet entry requirements, covered by federal tax revenues given to the provinces for that express purpose.
   
2. An NDP government would set-up apprenticeship programs in trades emerging through a transitional period toward "green jobs." In this process workers entering such programs will be fully funded without any clawbacks to their EI. In fact, we will restore EI to its full funding capacities of 80% before Paul Martin reduced it to 37%, plundering it to the tune of $9 billion.

Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca/

Campaign Open House Address

On Saturday evening (September 20) three of our local riding associations opened our shared campaign office for refreshments & an opportunity to meet the three candidates. Since I was quite sick my dear Bonnie read my letter of regret to the assembled group. I enclose the text below:

Dear Sisters an Brothers,

Sadly I am unable to be with you tonight to celebrate the opening of our three-fold campaign office. On top of an earlier back spasm, I have been laid low by a stomach flu. So I send greetings through my cherished friend and partner Bonnie.

Even more intensely than before and especially as the campaign heats up, I stand solidly behind the platfrom and dreams of our New Democratic team both nationally and locally. One journalist called Jack "cheeky" when he said, "I'm applying for the job of prime minister." What! When the polls give us less than 20%! Yep, it is "cheeky"! We are the "cheeky" party. We've bucked odds for 75 years since that rag-tag bunch called the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was born in Regina. Without us and our "cheekiness" we would not have Medicare and oher people programs.

So here we go again in the Fall of 2008----taking on the corporations, the banks, he two big-money parties and the polls. How do we help Jack become prime minister in these three ridings, two called safe for incumbents Telegdi and Redman and Ktchner-Conestoga called a "no-chance for us? We do it b dropping our personl turf battles, by stretching our resources of time and money to pound the pavements, by reaching out to our despairing base of voter--- workers, minorities, environmentalists,women, the poor, middle-class idealists (all tose forgotten by the elite and powerful and their political friends). If we're "cheeky" enough to embrace the marginalized of our society and their needs loudly and clearly, then we're "cheeky" enough to win all three ridings.

Though my body prevents me from being with you, Bonnie brings you this letter and my heart.

Shalom & Solidarity,
Oz




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

Hurrah for Elmer Thiessen!

One Final Remark on the article in "The Record" entitled "What are the issues?" Hurrah for Elmer Thiessen! With reference to budgets & taxes he says: "Ultimately budgets make an ethical statement. We need to talk about the ethics underlying any budget and its supporting tax base." All programs cost money, & cutting programs & taxes cost money also. Tax cuts cost money too, but who pays for these, "the rich" or "the rest of us" (to use the language of one key study on the widening wealth gap)?

For me, taxes must be progressive, that is, fall most heavily on those most able to pay. And these monies should be raised to close the wealth gap via the provision of "people & community-building programs" & not to line the pockets of the super-rich & their corporations. In this campaign, spending, taxes & budgets will be a high priority for me in terms of an ethics that underscores human need & not cororate greed.





Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

A public pledge

In my last blog I underscore my appreciation of the article in Saturday's "The Record" entitled What are the issues?" Immediately below that piece was Andrew Hunt's excellent editorial, "Be thankful Canadian elections don't sink to the depths of American elections." Yet, at the same time, I fear American-style electioneering is dribbling into our electioneering. So I applaud the pieces by Lori Straus, Sarah McCob & Jen Kellett.

As a candidate in this federal election, be sure & challenge me in public debates, & throw these words back to me if I violate them in this campaign:

1). I will focus on the issues that you find highlighed on my website & in our party's platfom.

2). When I mention personalities I will do so only in terms of their relationship to the issues, such as their positions & how they stood by them or failed to do so.

3). I will do my best not to be diverted by side issues & will say so in publc debate.




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

The Record's "What are the issues?"

I appreciated very much the piece in "The Record" called "What are the issues?" by the newspaper's "Community Editorial Board. Probably, to those who know me, it will come as no surprise that I echo the fine words of Theron Kramer in his piece, because I believe that his his terse three paragraphs summarize quite nicely my overall vision & the reason I am running for office for the New Democrats.

Also, it was a delight to run into him just days before the election writ was dropped. We had joined years ago in communty justice issues. So, Theron I always welcome your pieces & surely agree with them at least 95% if not higher. And it was a special delight to say "hi" face to face after, lo, these many years.




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

Let's hear it for the sisters!

I had the honour of joining a handful of men in support of the "Take Back the Night March" last Thursday (September 18), an annual resounding "NO!" to violence against women in our community, in our nation & in the world. And it was women saying "NO" loudly and clearly, taking charge of the issue and organizing to roll back direct and systemic violece against women. I am blessed with a partner and three stepdaughters who continue to be my teachers and models on women's issues. So, I was privileged to join my partner last night at Kitchener City Hall in support of the sisters & the Kitchener-Waterloo Sexual Assault Support Centre who stand tall in publicizing the issue and in providing solid support for victimized women on an inadeqate budget and far too few supporters I was sddened by how few men were present to lend support, since we guys are the bulk of "the problem." How sad it is when this powerful event was not heightened on page 1 of "The Record", & sadder yet is the fact that beside the article on "Take Back the Night" was this headline: "Kitchener Man convicted of sex asaults on pregnant wife."




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca

A Time for Introductions

My name is Oscar Cole-Arnal, but I go simply by the "nickname" Oz. I have the privilege of being the federal candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the Kitchener Centre Riding. I do not use the word "privilege" lightly, precisely because in my willingness to accept our Riding Association's nomination I take on the awesome task of representing the only political party in Canada that has stood historically for the non-elite members of our society. Our party is the party of Tommy Douglas, of Agnes MacPhail, the party of farmers, workers and justice advocates from the 1920s to the present. And by accepting the privilege to run under the NDP banner, I take upon myself the responsibility of representing that history with openness and integrity.

Please visit the About Oz page on my website to read more.




Musings from the desk of Oz.
Visit my website at http://www.ozcole-arnal.ca