Archive for February 2010
Vote on Tuesday
One day I came up to a door and the woman who answered started to say she wasn’t interested, then she stopped, took a closer look at my brochure and said, “You’re Liberal?”
She then proceeded to tell me that she is a Liberal supporter but hadn’t been that interested in voting for a long time because it always seemed like her vote went nowhere, that the NDP always got in.
I hear this a lot.
About half of Concordia didn’t vote in the last election. It makes me wonder what kind of change we will see if all the people who want to see change make sure they get out there and vote.
All over the riding, people have told me that:
- they think I am the most qualified candidate.
- they like the ideas of our party (like changing the way we do health care, using evidence-based approaches for crime, addressing the problems in children’s services, helping pet owners keep their pets with them in apartments, and combatting workplace bullying and disrespect)
- they are tired of the NDP and are ready for a change.
I think it’s time to find out what would happen if all the people who are tired of the lack of progress get to the polls. Your vote is your voice.
February 28, 2010
Campaign update
I and my campaign team have knocked on almost every door in Concordia riding. If you haven’t seen us, you most likely weren’t home or you are in an apartment building that is hard to access. If you would like to talk to me personally, please call the campaign office at 663-3101 or email judiheppnercampaign@gmail.com
February 28, 2010
Radio spot tomorrow
Tomorrow morning CKUW 95.9 has asked all the candidates to be on at 8:00 a.m.
February 28, 2010
CTV News coverage
Find the link to today’s coverage of the Concordia election here.
February 27, 2010
From the Facebook Fan Page
This comment appeared on our Facebook page:
“Hi Judi!! Tonight you knocked on my door and changed my whole view on the Liberal Party and the upcoming election. You were the only canidate to take the time and ask me what was going on with my family and what needed to be changed. For the first time ever, I felt as though I have been heard and finally something will be done. I just want to thank you so much for knocking on my door tonight and taking the time to listen to what I had to say and listen to all the problems that have been going on with me and my family. Thank you so much!! And thank you to Jon Gerrard who took the time to sit at my kitchen table and listen to our problems and take notes. Thank You!! You have made me believe that things will change.”
What can I say? That’s exactly what I’m going for – to listen, to respond, to work for change wherever I have the capacity to influence it. Jon Gerrard is the same way, which is one of the reasons why the Liberal Party was such a good fit for me.
February 25, 2010
More on Lucentis
I continue to hear more about the Lucentis issue and in the last few days received emails and a phone call from an individual concerned with the NDP’s approach to this issue.
Specifically, he cited a letter than came from Matt Wiebe, NDP candidate for the by-election, addressed to “the Voters of Concordia” in which Mr. Wiebe states, “At the moment, this condition can be treated at Misericordia Eye Care Centre of Excellence at no cost to the patient”.
This statement seems to imply that this issue is not as serious as it is. It leaves out two very important points that Manitobans should know:
- The treatment offered at Misericordia is a drug called Avastin. This drug is not approved by Health Canada for injection into the eye for the treatment of Wet Macular Degeneration. The side effects are not known for it’s use in this way.
- There are patients who are unresponsive to Avastin. Their choice is to either pay for Lucentis out of pocket (at around $1000 a shot) or to go blind.
Wiebe goes on to say that “Recently some legitimate concerns have been raised that Manitoba Health should provide another publicly funded treatment option using the drug Lucentis.”
The trouble with that statement is that it’s not recent. It has been three years that the NDP government has heard from people about this without providing coverage. The people that I have had emails from and discussions with are tired of reassurances that it will happen and they want action.
I do hope the NDP carries out it’s latest reassurance that Lucentis will be covered by Spring. I wonder, however, how many people lost their sight in the last 3 years waiting. I am also concerned with the lack 0f forthrightness of the current government, which includes no explanation for the delays and seems to placate and mislead the people of Manitoba as to the seriousness of this issue.
My career has been built on being responsive to the needs of those I have a responsibility to. Do you feel it’s time for a change? On March 2nd, vote for Judi.
February 24, 2010
Radio interview
I’ve been invited to be a part of The Great Canadian Talk Show on 92.9 Kick FM tomorrow around 4:35 pm on Wednesday. Check out their archives if you can’t catch it in real time.
February 24, 2010
Campaign update
My team and I have been around to most of the residences in Concordia, I’ll estimate about 80-90%. Many people have been telling me how much the door to door means to them so we do as much as we can. At the same time many people are not home when we come, and there are apartments we may not be able to enter because they don’t have intercoms.
So if you were hoping for a chance to meet me and ask your questions, please don’t wait. Just give the campaign office a call at 663-3101. We can either talk on the phone or I can stop by your home when I’m in your area.
February 23, 2010
Feedback at Child Care Forum
Last Thursday we held a child care forum at the Munroe Library. Pat Wege, Executive Director of the Manitoba Child Care Association joined us as well as interested child care providers and members of the public.
Some points that stood out for me in the discussion:
- There is a lack of planning for child care. For instance, in the new development Waverly West, the government has plans for how many liquor stores will go in there but not how to meet the needs of families in the area who will need child care.
- Family child care providers are concerned about the age rate differences, as they lose $10 a day once a child turns 2.
- There is competition from unlicensed care providers, who might charge more but do not necessarily provide high-quality care. They can do this because of the desperation of parents who can’t access licensed child care because there is not enough spaces.
- Workers reported their waiting lists as being up to 130 people. One worker I talked to after the forum said she has calls from people who aren’t even pregnant yet, are just planning a family, because they know if they wait until they have a baby they might not get care.
- Pat Wege said “The system relies on the altruism of the workforce,’ and talked about how we can’t build a system on sales of chocolate bars.
- While there are some incentives for new workers, longer term people have been taken for granted, and are leaving for jobs with better hours, better wages and better benefits.
We need to address these short-comings and start to build a system that meets the needs of children, parents, and child care workers.
Thanks to Michelle Nyhof for organizing the event and the people who came out to let us know their opinions.
February 22, 2010
Teachers, late assignments, and hierarchy
I had a great discussion with a teacher who works in a school in the riding. Similar to concerns about the no-fail policy that I have written about previously, he talked to me about his hands being tied around the marks he gives students. The division policy is that students can hand in assignments late, even up to the last day of school, without a penalty for lateness. The teacher reflected on how our youth will gain the skills they need for post-secondary education and for the workplace, where doing things in a timely manner will be expected of them.
He also talked about how this policy was implemented by those in high positions without consultation or agreement by the teachers who are required to follow it. That is one of the things that concerns me about how government delivers services, whether it be education, health, or social services. Hierarchical structures sometimes lead to bad decision making unless we are conscious of how we wield power. It is my belief that our systems operate better when we give more autonomy to front line workers in deciding how to perform their jobs, and that policies are decided with front line staff, not for front line staff. There can be too much disconnect between administration and the people actually serving the public, which often results in policies that look good on paper but don’t work well in practice. Hierarchies without respect for staff in lower branches of the organizational chart frequently become ones where bullying and disrespect reside.
Can government, one of the most hierarchical and bureaucratic organizations, become more creative, more flexible, and function at a higher level? It will take time and vision and will, but I believe it can be done.
I welcome your feedback on this. Write me at judiheppnercampaign@gmail.com.
February 22, 2010
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