The road has been well travelled.
I am satisfied with what we have accomplished.
The youngest member of our team was Devin Bott, aged 13, closely followed by Daniel Rempelt, aged 14.
The most senior of our Team is 85.
We engaged a wide spectrum of individuals in our incomparable City.
Electronically, we had a massive presence.
On the ground, I had planned to reach 25,000 homes.
I ended up with 19,126.
It would've been great if I were able to cover all homes, but something unexpected happened during the campaign.
So many citizens ended up inviting me into their homes.
"Stay for a cup of coffee, Franklin." "Try the biscuits I just baked."
In the end, quality trumped quantity but I gained a base of friends I could only dream of having.
They were from Karen Walk to Beechwood, and from Sunnydale to Eastbridge and all areas in between.
How fortunate I am.
A young immigrant comes to Canada, scores of years ago and you- the Canadian citizen, generously give me access to the finest Canadian educational institutions. From Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, to Acadia U in Nova Scotia, and finally, the crowning glory of the University of Toronto, where I completed my doctorate.
These institutions provided me with the tools to consult the world over , to companies and government and equipped me to teach at Wilfrid Laurier University for 20 years, garnering over 10,000 former students- most of whom are my friends now.
Today, at the Waterloo Park event, I saw Rich, whom I first met 16 years ago and Mike, a student from 18 years in the past.
Brendan drove from Toronto with his lovely wife.
He was in my classes 4 years ago.
Jas was there also, having graduated 3 years ago.
What an absolute joy it was.
Now, I have been blessed with the opportunity to run for Mayor and with your support, I will be elected.
I could have stayed in my comfortable job, without worry for anything.
Yet, I have foregone my consulting activities and sacrificed much income to run for the Mayorship.
I'm not in this for the money.
I'm not in this for the power.
I'm the in election because of my love for the City and what has been happening to it.
Focusing your life solely on making money shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. It's only when you have a larger ideal, in seeking the betterment of those around you can you then achieve what we were put on this earth for.
If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.
In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of
hope?
I saw our City going nowhere very fast and took a stance.
I opted for hope with a generous helping of sound management principles and fiscal responsibility, for job creation and for our environment, for Northdale and for providing access to the Mayor's office by everyday citizens.
People don’t expect their municipal government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that we makes strides in improvement in each aspect of our City of Waterloo.
Now even as I type this, there are those who practicing peddlers of not really caring for people but themselves- those who embrace the politics of anything goes.
I have seen some ugly things on the trail as I got to know the candidates.
One day, I hope to be able to talk about the politics of lies, the politics of insincerity, the politics of greed and the cynical politics of simply not caring.
At one debate, the question was asked, "What did you like about your fellow candidates and whom would you vote for if you were NOT running in the election.
A simple question, I thought.
Each of the other candidates skirted the question.
One waffled one and one.
Another talked about voting for self.
A third said "this is confidential information."
Give me a break.
We were having a serious debate and the organizers, in their wisdom, decided to ask a light hearted question.
To my dismay, each of the other candidates treated this as a major political issue and acted as incorrigible politicians- the ones who give the word "politics" a bad name.
I addressed the question directly, without playing politics.
I am running for office, not to be and not as a politician.
I am running as a human being who cares and wants to make things better.
In this improbable dream that is the Mosaic of Canada, in this blissfully blessed City that is Waterloo, where a young immigrant can grow into a man who wants to help his City, I ask you to think about what has transpired in the past few weeks.
Whom do you want as you Mayor?
Elitists?
Career politicians?
Or would you prefer someone with a clear vision, a concerned heart and a determined drive to help us achieve all of which we are capable?
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