Random Access

If you go to Jason Roti’s political web site, you’ll find a blog that’s written in Latin.
“I’m trying to appeal to the niche voter,” laughs the 21-year-old Ward 3 council candidate with good humour when asked about it.
When you’re a first-time political candidate, strange things happen. Roti has been having difficulty with the website he established for his first run at municipal politics. A block of Latin “dummy text” was used to demonstrate to the former John Cabot Secondary School council president and valedictorian how the text would eventually look on the site. But, the site keeps riverting to that demonstration mode.
Well, Jason isn’t the first politician to try to speak to the voters in a language most of them can’t understand.
The website problem is just another little glitch in a campaign that has already hit several bumps.
If one wanted to be cruel, one could say that Roti is already a political veteran because he’s working on his third ward in just seven months of campaigning for a seat on City council.
He registered Jan. 2 to run in the new Ward 10 because there was no incumbent. “I thought it was a good opportunity.”
But, when his older brother Graziano entered that race a couple of weeks later, Jason switched to Ward 11 where he would face George Carlson.
While out campaigning, he left his car in Ward 3 where he grew up and still lives.
It was broken into. The car stereo and a number of other possessions were stolen.
That’s when Roti decided to run in Ward 3.
“It was like a sign that I should focus in my own community. That’s where a lot of help is needed. The Bloor-Fieldgate area is in rough shape,” he said.
It’s going to be a tough ward to crack. Not only is he facing long-time incumbent Maja Prentice but former ward trustee and now Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Chair Peter Ferreira has jumped into the race. John Busic is the fourth candidate so far.
As if that isn’t enough Roti, who started a group called Youth Active in Politics to try to get young people more interested in local politics, was in a traffic accident July 9 at Dundas St. E. and Stanfield Rd. He’s still recovering from back and neck injuries but expects to be ready for the fray that leads to the Nov. 13 election.
Asked if there are any circumstances in which he can foresee switching wards again, Roti laughs heartily.
“Pina would probably kill me,” he says, in reference to the City’s no-nonsense election co-ordinator, Pina Mancuso.
While he’s laid up, Roti can always work on his campaign platform, or, if need be, brush up on his Latin.