Matt Todd's Pursuit of Idyll Minds

MYTH
Matt Todd doesn’t live in White Rock.

FACT
I live in White Rock [full stop].

It was a personal goal to own my home before I turned 30. I beat my deadline by 5 days. I bought the apartment I live in at Merklin and Thrift in November 2004.

The renovations took a long time, but I’ve now been a White Rock property owning resident for over 3 1/2 years.

You expect your elected representatives to be honest with you.

I’ve told you the truth, even when it wasn’t politically convenient. Because public trust depends on it.

MYTH
The City lost $600,000 of interest in the Town Centre land sale.

FACT
The choice was between $6.3 million or $7.7m. City Council chose to get more money for taxpayers – an additional $1.4m by opting for phased payments secured by a second mortgage.

Over the length of the payment period, this is the equivalent of earning an annual interest rate of over 5.4%.

The risks were analyzed prior to entering the agreement. It was a good deal that made more money for taxpayers.

You expect your elected representatives to get their facts straight before making critical statements.

I do my homework. Because sometimes common sense by itself isn’t enough.

Is James Coleridge lying?
It looks like he is. There is no evidence to back up his claims that he did not send the “Baker” emails and is a victim of identity theft.

Three weeks ago, an email full of lies about a number of candidates was sent to a lot of people by “Alison and Tom Baker”.

It seemed suspicious. The language used sounded just like James Coleridge and the text contained mangled interpretations of facts – facts that would be hard for most people to compile just because it would take sifting through lots and lots of tedious reports… unless provided by a councillor.

I don’t know very much about computers, but I know enough to ask the right questions. I searched on the Internet to find out how to track down where an email message came from. I followed the instructions and it appeared as though the message from “Alison and Tom Baker” actually came from James Coleridge’s computer. Read on »

Three incumbents should be embarrassed by their terrible attendance record. The Councillors occupying Council chairs the longest (21 years for Coleridge, 15 for McLean) attended the fewest meetings. Now that they’re criticizing Council decisions, the question has to be asked, did they actually attend the meetings when the information was provided and decisions made?

It should be no wonder that Mayoral Candidate Ferguson and Councillor Coleridge aren’t aware of some key information. Were they there when it was presented and discussed? Looking at their attendance record, it’s clear, chances are they weren’t.

Some candidates have anchored their campaigns on statements about “common sense” and how hard they work. I’ve written several times about why I think “common sense” is an intellectual cop out. But let’s look at this claim of hard work by Ferguson. Read on »

Some of the comments from candidates and citizens during this election is depressing. They make it sound like this is a horrible place and nobody likes living here.

Someone wrote a letter to the editor saying White Rock isn’t as good as it used to be. I’ve lived here 30 years and I’ve listened to many stories from people who pioneered this community. So, I was left wondering… not as good as… when?

• Not as good as the 40′s when the whole area was essentially a clear cut?
• Not as good as the 50′s when they still had gravel roads?

Read on »

MYTH
The terms of the Town Centre land sale were secret until now.

FACT
The price and payment details were announced by a front page article in the Peace Arch News on March 19 2005.

The full contract was posted on the City’s website home page for about two years. It has remained available on the Town Centre Information page since December 2007.

Both councillors now claiming ignorance were provided with detailed explanations during their Council Orientation on December 01 2005.

You expect elected representatives to get their facts straight before making critical statements.

I do my homework. Because good decisions depend on it.

MYTH
White Rock is growing rapidly.

FACT
From 2001 – 2006, White Rock grew an average of 1/2% each year (total increase of 505 people). South Surrey grew 4X faster (6,397 more people).

Statistics Canada data shows that the rapid growth this community is experiencing is not actually occurring within the City of White Rock boundaries.

You expect your elected representatives to do their research before making decisions about your community.

I do my homework. Because sometimes common sense by itself isn’t enough.

Contrary to recent comments by some candidates, the Bosa Properties second mortgage has been public knowledge for years.

The Purchase and Sale Agreement describes the payments required by Bosa Properties. The City used a second mortgage as an added layer of protection for taxpayers.

This was certainly no secret. In fact, Jean Kromm, a director for both the White Rock Ratepayers Association and Citizens for Positive Renewal, had this to say in her 2005 Annual Report to the WRRA:
Read on »

In a Peace Arch News article posted today, Councillor Coleridge, who has sat in a White Rock City Council chair for over 20 years now, says this of Mayoral Candidate Peddemors:

I find it very peculiar that, in the middle of a campaign, we would release one document because one candidate has asked for it. He should have asked for it to be made public sometime in the past four years, not during an election.

So, help me figure this out:

• Coleridge is concerned that people have been asking for this information;
• Coleridge says Council should have released the document sooner;
• Coleridge has been on Council for the last 3 years;
• … why hasn’t Coleridge requested that the document be released?

Why is Coleridge criticizing Peddemors for not making the request sooner, when he’s had 3 years to do it himself, but didn’t?

I’ve compiled a small booklet for my election platform. I’m hoping the pictures are engaging enough and text simple enough that people will flip through it all.

I hope the booklet conveys clearly that, as dysfunctional as this current council may be, I was still able to get a lot done. The list on pages 2 and 3 are items that probably would not have happened had I not pushed hard for them. Other councillors would like to take credit now, but the truth is, there was almost no support on council to pursue them before I first started working on each of those issues.

The girls on pages 6, 7 and 10 are my little sisters. Another sister, Shambrai, took most of the pictures. Pasted below is the text from my 2008 Campaign Platform booklet. Read on »