Do you ever find yourself doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? It actually doesn’t matter what the activity is, if you keep doing the same thing, the outcome will be the same.

In the classroom if my students do not understand a concept I am teaching and checking my evidence of learning shows me my students haven’t learned what I taught them, what is it that I do? I must re-teach them, but not in the same way. I need to teach them differently. I need to try a different approach. It doesn’t matter if it is the way I have always taught. It is not working, so what do I need to do to help my students learn, I need to teach them but do it differently. Find out what works. Just because what I did worked before doesn’t mean it will work now. Sometimes change is simply to stop doing what doesn’t work.

When looking at a business if I am selling a product and no one is buying the product what do I do? If I don’t change anything about my marketing strategy, perhaps the product or my approach; unless I do something different my sales, my results will not change.

Well we have an election coming up and if there is anything that can be agreed on, it is that the way we are running our city, operating as a Municipal Government must change. Simply to change the face of the Mayor will not change the way the city does business or operates.

This Tuesday I will vote for the candidate who offers that best chance for a change. I like many people remain undecided. In the past, I have made strategic votes, voting for someone to keep the person that I don’t want out. Many people vote that way, voting for the less of two evils. This time and I know it may not look that way when people examine the results but I will be casting a vote that will make a statement. The statement is simple. We need change.

I don’t want my city, my province, my country run by politics. The politics of favoritism, back room deals and special interest groups. I want to vote for someone who understands that being the Mayor, being a city councillor is a matter of civic duty and responsibility. It is about making a decision, making policies that benefit people now and in the future. It is not about garnering votes. It is not about worrying about getting re-elected.

There are two candidates who are clearly running campaigns based on political agendas, two candidates who during the debates didn’t answer questions. A candidate who talked about not raising taxes for ten years was a good thing, something to be proud of. It kind of reminds me of the person who thinks by saving $150 dollars a year by not doing the three oil changes on their car saves them money. Then when the car breaks down and needs major repairs that are no longer affordable blames the car.

The other candidate and this was hard to believe when asked about the PST increase said “It is not my place to tell the other governments how to do their job”. I couldn’t believe it. If it isn’t the Mayor’s job to stand-up for the people of Winnipeg, whose job is it? I could have respected her saying I agree or disagree with the increase and here is why? I want a mayor who will stand-up for Winnipeg. I want a Mayor who understands the way things are need to change.

These candidates are supported by special interest groups, and clearly will say what is needed or they think needs to be said in order to get elected. It is about getting votes, not making a better Winnipeg.

We need someone who helps us all look at our current problems as opportunities. This is an opportunity to look at what we are doing, where we are going and do something different, make a change. The high infrastructure costs are directly related expenses because of ignoring road repair as well as the expense of a city addicted to urban sprawl. The expense and cost of new infrastructure required to provide roads, transit, city services to communities further away from where they work. The creation of more transit routes with low ridership makes having an affordable transit system a very difficult task. We need someone who understands building walkable communities means us looking at a different way of doing things. A city with fewer cars, smaller, friendlier neighbourhoods for people to shop and live as we focus on building strong, safe, vibrant local neighbourhoods. Green Spaces, community gardens, community centres and local shops and stores that bring people together and require fewer people to be car dependent. If we want to address infrastructure costs we also need to change how we develop our city. If we keep doing things the way we are there will never be enough money to address infrastructure needs.

We need a city with corridors for public transit as we strengthen the major transportation arteries that will take people to where they need to go. Create incentives to drive less and use public transit more. We need to change the way we see our city, change the way we address this problem?

We need a city that uses planning, data and information to guide decisions. A city that is transparent about why we are doing something. A city that consults with people, listens to people. We need a city where all people matter not just a select few. A city that has a plan to move us forward. This requires a change, a change in not only who, but how we do things.

I will vote for a change. My vote will be about doing things differently. My vote will be about being smarter and doing the right thing for people not for politics.

My vote will be for the person who puts our city, our people first.