Barinder Rasode begins to shine

Although I'm not voting for Barinder Rasode, she's my second choice of the three main candidates. Linda Hepner would be my last choice among all the candidates simply because Surrey First proved without a doubt to be Surrey's Worst. Ever. The bullying, the sweetheart deals, the tax and spend trips galore, the refusal to enforce the law and arrest crack dealers was unprecedented.

This morning I was driving down 108th at King George and I finally saw the back of one of Barinder Rasode's campaign signs. It says one tough mother. I had to smile at the slogan. Evidently that's been her slogan since she announced her candidacy.

I am told that there's no bickering going on between McCallum and Rasode. The only bickering is between Hepner and Rasode but it's not really bickering it's more like bullying. Dianne Watts and Linda Hepner has consistently bullied their former running mate ever since Barinder came clean after the murder of the hockey mom in Newton and said you're right we haven't done enough on crime and need to do more. Instead of supporting her on making this needed course correction they devoted all their energy and resources into bullying her. Sad.

I have one friend who said they're not voting for her because she's brown. They claim the Indo Canadian gangs are way more violent than the Hells Angels and if she gets elected they will be out of control. I was dumbfounded. I can't believe someone said they're not going to vote for someone because of the colour of their skin. If she does what she claims if she's elected she will combat crime not promote it.

My only concern is that Dianne Watts said the same thing and did the exact opposite. Yet that's kind of like being in a bad relationship and then saying all men or women are like that. Everyone is different. However, my concern with Barinder is her position on the Gatewy casino fraud and the Campbell Heights Industrial centre sweetheart deal. She was involved in all the dirty deals Surrey First was and we have yet to see anything other than talk to prove otherwise.

One blog reader who doesn't trust Barinder as far as she can throw her sent me a link to a mayoral debate and conceded Barinder won the debate saying the others sounded like air heads. I don't think public speaking is one of McCallum's strong points. Some people are talkers others are doers. I'm not saying he is either I'm just saying that just because he might not be a great speaker doesn't mean he wouldn't make a good mayor again. Even Moses wasn't a very good speaker and had Aaron do the talking for him.

Although I am voting for McCallum I can't say I can throw my full endorsement behind him like I can for Kirk LaPointe and the NPA in Vancouver. McCallum won't answer what his position on the Gateway Casino fraud is and that concerns me. However, I do think he is capable of following through with his promise to address crime in Whalley and Newton and I do think he will disband the Surrey Development Corporation so that's why I'm voting for him.

I think the selection of the Councillors to fill City Hall are even more important than the mayor's role because the mayor only has one vote and not even that if they sit as the chair. I have three questions for those running for council: 1) Will you sell the new City Hall and go back to the old one? 2) Will you get rid of the SCDC? and 3) Will you oppose any Gateway casino bid?

I hear Grant Rice is another candidate for mayor. They say he's a great guy but has no money. And why should that mean he doesn't have a fair shot at mayor? Something needs to be fixed.

Advanced ballot error

The Surrey Now is reporting that there was an error on the Advanced ballots. They failed to put the name of the political party beside two of the candidates councilors. That basically invalidates the ballot. Great going guys. Nobody remembers all the names for councilors. they often just go by party name.