STV for BC - Vote Yes!

Friday, March 25, 2005

Fair and Balanced

Just so you know I'm not trying to snow you, and that I want you to make an informed decision - here are links to three STV opposing sites:

Know STV
No2stv.ca
Single Transferable Vote in B.C.

Update (April 6): This post originally contained a complaint that the third site listed above didn't clearly express its 'No' position on the referendum, but the site has since been modified so I have adjusted this post (to remove my complaint)accordingly.

posted by Declan at 5:50 PM

3 Comments:

  • My website tries to present my attempt to figure this thing out. I think it's obvious to anyone who looks at the website that I'm opposed to STV, the site shows some of the reasons why. It was not my intent to "pretend to be objective", it was (and is) my intent to debate this referendum on rational grounds and to give evidence to back up any stance I take. I put the site together because I was irritated by the misstatements at the fairvoting.ca site and the CA website (the pie chart, the link to Gibson's diatribe about parties). But, you have me thinking, perhaps in order to avoid confusion I should state at the beginning, in big flashing letters, my opposition to STV so that those with closed minds can ignore it.
    On another note, it appears that I (and you) have to register our sites with Elections BC. Something about that bothers me, but how do you feel about it?

    By Blogger Mike, at 1:22 PM  

  • Hey Mike, thanks for the comment.

    I don't know about flashing letters, just a simple statement of your position would be fine by me (similar to what you put in your comment).

    Don't get me wrong, I think your site is valuable or I wouldn't have put up a post just to link to it, I just personally felt a little misled when I first visisted the site, so I wanted to spare others the same experience. Perhaps it should have been obvious but I didn't find it that way myself.

    If people have a closed mind and they want to avoid anti-STV sites (or vice-versa) then that is their right as far as I'm concerned, even if it seems unwise.

    As for Elections BC, your comment is the first I've heard. I would have thought the absence of any money flowing in any direction involved in my blog would have meant it didn't fall under any referendum advertising rules but maybe I should read them more closely.

    I'd have to know more about their rationale or what 'registration' entails before stating an opinion but it sounds a bit over the top to me.

    Does every blog which writes a post on STV have to register? Just the ones which take an opinion one way or the other? Is there a % of posts threshhold that requires registration or perhaps a % of words written.

    What about posts to message boards and forums?

    Does Bill Tieleman have to register because of his anti-STV columns? Does the Georgia Straight have to register because his columns have given the Straight a decided anti-STV bias?

    Do people who comment on my posts have to register?

    I guess that's a lot of specific questions which are all getting at one general question which is what are the rules for deciding who needs to register. I would have thought it would have been anyone spending money but if what you say is true then there must be some other criteria.

    I tried to look up Elections BC but their pdf documents seem to be dysfunctional (empty) so perhaps I'll send them an email.

    By Blogger Declan, at 5:49 PM  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Declan, at 5:50 PM  

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