La Parrish strikes already.
Look up flamboyant in the Mississauga election dictionary and you’ll see a shot of Carolyn Parrish, leaning out of her newly-leased Smart Car, smiling and waving away.
Of course, you may not notice the candidate right away, because you’ll be too distracted by the neon red-orange wrap on the vehicle and the numerous strips of type along the sides repeating the name of the Ward 6 candidate for council: Carolyn Parrish, Carolyn Parrish, Carolyn.... You get the idea.
Brilliant first campaign stroke, or moral violation of the election sign bylaw which prohibits campaign signs until nomination day? (Sept. 29) Depends on your point of view.
“There are no rules on rolling election signs,” the former Mississauga-Erindale MP and Peel Board of Education chair explains. She had it all checked out before she leased the car.
The intended message, of course, is that the woman who fought so hard to oppose the widening of McLaughlin Rd. past the Britannia Farm which would have cost hundreds of trees, is a committed environmentalist.
Darren Bryan of the City’s planning department confirms that vehicles aren’t covered. “It’s no different than a delivery vehicle having graphics on it and driving around.”
When Ward 6 council candidate Ron Starr encountered Parrish and her vehicle
outside the temporary City Hall in the old Consumers’ Gas building recently, he was amazed.
“I asked her if that wasn’t going to be an awfully expensive deduction for the campaign,” said Starr.
Turns out it’s no deduction at all, as Parrish explained to her opponent (Terry Pierce Jr. and Olive Rose Steele are also candidates).
“I guess if it’s going to be that type of election, I have to roll with it,” said Starr this morning. “I think it’s breaking the spirit of the law. The intent of the signage is clearly for the election,” he said.
The principle of the thing is obviously an issue for Parrish too, since she’s not going to add decals that say “Elect” and “Ward 6” until nomination day when signs can legally go up.
Parrish is recycling her federal lawn signs (minus the Liberal logo obviously) and reusing them.
She’s said often in the past that she wouldn’t put up campaign signs at all if she didn’t have to. But she’s fallen hard for the Smart Car and plans to buy it if she wins the seat. That’s one campaign sign she’s quickly learned to love.
So: Does this put Parrish in the driver’s seat in Ward 6 or just mean she’s already got a little too much political mileage on her?
Comments (8)
The Carolyn Cruiser spotted?
Well scooped the Mississauga News again and no credit for it - you guys watch my web-site rather than hit the streets?
This piece is very much like the cheap shots we have all come to expect from our “media” and as I am studying the political history of Mississauga there is enough REAL items of concern on most candidates not to bother these kinds of comments. Or maybe some people are a little jealous they didn’t think of it & do it first? It is a very creative way to make yourself known in the community. If a person is to make comments about it, why not start off wondering about the character of a politician who drives around a car with their name repeatedly plastered on it with their overblown picture to boot, well before the election starts?
Then there is the matter of the “breaking the spirit of the law.” and this really makes me sick!
Why the hell do we carry on about “breaking the spirit of the law.”, when there are so many cases of the law being broken or bent to the point they may as well be broken by politicians right here in Mississauga? Good examples, I was entrapped by City Councillors and staff when they changed the rules regarding Public Question Period. Then they tried to claim no FOI requests due to bail conditions and now the City clerk is saying no contact with City staff expect by way of a lawyer to ensure it will cost hundreds of dollars for every little thing! This is what Mississaugans are told is good government by our local media. Then there is how FOI Requests are being denied to me and anyone the City cares to claims is working with our group, even the leader of the Ontario Green party!
While we are on this I remember an item about a boys camp that went before the courts with a strange outcome regarding a candidate noted in Mr. Stewart’s BLOG. Lecturer us about something so minor will you, maybe you hope we will forget or not recall what are real issues in the up-coming election. If the Carolyn Cruiser was the worse transgression of our laws and/or their spirt, we would be blessed but in fact we are cursed, mostly by media that is too supportive & forgiving of incumbents transgressions of our laws and/or their spirt at the cost of our very Democracy.
Posted by Don Barber | August 12, 2006 2:33 PM
Posted on August 12, 2006 14:33
Since former Social Services Minister, David Tsubouchi , had brought the costs of tuna fish down to 69 cents ,it’s about time we brought the commodity exchanges down on pizzas too!
Posted by Wayne Nagy | August 11, 2006 9:52 AM
Posted on August 11, 2006 09:52
John you also can put signs on a lawn
Parrish is Coming
Roy Wilis Will Be Here
This is not a election sign.This was checked last election with City clerks office and it is legal.
Roy Willis
Posted by Roy Willis | August 9, 2006 11:50 PM
Posted on August 9, 2006 23:50
It's hard for me to believe that this wouldn't be classified as an election expense, especially if she adds "vote for..." or similar signage later. Exactly how does that differ from signs on lawns?
Posted by Walt | August 9, 2006 7:21 PM
Posted on August 9, 2006 19:21
I read Stephen Wahl's comments and checked the photo on the front page and agreed, it DOES look like a pizza delivery.
Which makes Parrish BRILLIANT in my books!
Canadians LOVE pizza! So Parrish first gets their attention with prospect of pizza then...
The Mississauga News reports:
"It certainly smacks of not living up to whatever rules are there for everyone," said Parrish opponent Ron Starr, a former Ward 7 councillor. "I think it's breaking the spirit of the law."
EXACTLY! And THAT'S why it's brilliant!
Mr. Starr forgets that the "spirit of the law" --and make no mistake about this-- is to keep the Incumbents incumbent! Incumbency can be accomplished by crafting an election sign bylaw that severely limits election signs!
Parrish shows she can get around rules and do so creatively and masterfully. That's Precisely the kind of candidates that Mississauga citizens need to breach the steely, secretive gates of The Evil Empire.
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
Posted by The Mississauga Muse | August 9, 2006 12:51 PM
Posted on August 9, 2006 12:51
Hell on wheels, I guess.
I don't know why, but it puts me in mind of that old Joan Rivers joke about how you know you're a dirty old man when you go cruisin' in a school bus.
What's next? Donald Barber with his name plastered all over an army surplus tank, rolling up the steps at City Hall ...
Advice to Ron Starr ... let the air out of her tires, because you'll never get all the hot air out of ....
Posted by Doc | August 9, 2006 10:37 AM
Posted on August 9, 2006 10:37
Smart Car, clever idea. Some people/competitors are upset because they did not think of it first.
One little suggestion though . . . . . keep the name, keep the photo but change the colour; first impression is looks like a pizza delivery.
Stephen Wahl
Mississauga
Posted by Stephen Wahl | August 9, 2006 10:23 AM
Posted on August 9, 2006 10:23
Hope this doesn't start a trend in municipal politics. Could you imagine 100 of those cars going up and down city streets in a major municipal election (like toronto mayoral?)
With the pre-election Parrish on wheels sign, the municipal election this fall, a likely federal election in 6 months and a provincal election starting up in a little over a year were going to be drowning in election signs over the next 12 months.
Posted by OJ | August 9, 2006 12:29 AM
Posted on August 9, 2006 00:29