IF I HAD A DIME FOR EVERY TIME I GET ASKED THIS!!!

By Joe Ingino It is no secret that for the past 35 years, I have earned the reputation and status of being the only bona fide political critic across Durham Region. As such, it carries a huge responsibility. The question I get asked all the time is: Who should readers be voting for? In the past, the question was hard to answer, as most candidates had some sort of qualification. In today’s world, anyone can fly, and everyone is an expert. Across the region, quality of life is slowly eroding. Taxes keep going up, and people are fed up. So, my advice: If you have a choice between an incumbent and a new candidate, take a chance on the new candidate, as the incumbent is responsible, at least in part, for the current state of our community. The thinking often leans toward the idea that an incumbent has more experience than any new candidate. Here is where the problem lies. The experience that many incumbents hold is not necessarily experience that has proven to benefit taxpayers. So, when faced with the choice of an incumbent versus a new candidate, go with the new candidate.Let’s look at the shit show in Oshawa. For mayor, you have nine candidates running for the position. One would think someone left the door to the pig trough open, and it is open season for anyone looking for a step up in the job market—or incumbents looking to legally get a pay raise. In Oshawa, out of the nine candidates, three are former or current council members. Three council members who have served and have little or nothing to show for their achievements. The problem with having a nine-person race is that the three council members are splitting the incumbent vote. The other six candidates get to split the general vote and possibly a fraction of the incumbent vote. So, what does this add up to? Well, if any of the readers believe in miracles, one had better happen—one that will bring forward, from among the six new candidates, someone who can capture both the general vote and some of the incumbent vote. On one side, you have candidate Henry. He has shown potential but needs work. On the other side, you have Tito, a self-proclaimed winner whose confidence appears heavily dependent on the belief that his years of working within the political establishment have given him enough momentum to take the mayor’s seat. After all, the City of Oshawa is coming off the Carter era. The three-way split may prove to bring some surprises. As for the rest of Oshawa: Ward 1: Being an open ward, it is a total toss-up. The level of ignorance displayed by some of the candidates in this ward makes the selection scary. I would refrain from supporting Martin Franssen. I would go with someone else.Ward 2: I would put my vote on Olaleye Oluwaolorunlanke—a professional with the right attitude and intentions. Regional Ward 3: I would put my vote on Rizwan Javed. He has a lot of learning ahead of him but appears to have potential.Local Ward 3: Anyone but Roger Bouma.Regional Ward 4: Jeff Davis is the people’s choice. Even though he is rough around the edges, he connects with the people. Kerr is fighting to keep the gravy train flowing, while Sanders wants it back. These are two council candidates who have had their chance and, in my view, failed taxpayers. Local Ward 4: This is an important ward. I think the best person for the job is Dave Thompson. Through the years, he has proven himself to care about Oshawa. Regional Ward 5: I know what I said at the beginning: If faced with a two-horse race, go with the new candidate. I think this should be the exception. Out of the two choices, I think Brian Nicholson would be the better choice.Local Ward 5: This is a mess of a ward. Out of the ashes, I believe the best choice is Scheshawna Lemaire. She is heavily involved in the community, and she genuinely cares.Another interesting battle is happening in Pickering.The vacant City Ward 1 seat appears to be an open run to the finish. All are new candidates, and most do not appear to have a strong understanding of the inner workings of the city. Taxation seems to be a foreign word, as each candidate interprets it differently.This is an important seat that appears likely to be won by someone with limited experience in the position.On the upside, Regional Ward 3 is a two-man race. Pickles, by his actions, appears to be campaigning as though he has already won. Azmat Mujeeb, however, may be coming from behind and could make the race much more competitive than expected. The City Ward 3 battle is between incumbent Shaheen Butt and Nada Rajkumar.This race could produce a major surprise, particularly as rumours have begun circulating concerning current Councillor Butt and questions surrounding the purchase of a number of properties following his 2022 election victory. These remain allegations and rumours unless supported by verified evidence.The rumours have also brought Regional Ward 3 candidate David Pickles into the discussion. If credible evidence were to substantiate any allegations involving either individual, the political consequences could be significant. Stay tuned for next week, when I take another look across Durham and offer more predictions.