WHOA, you would expect a seasoned councillor and mayoral hopeful to KNOW and FOLLOW the rules, no?
But Linda Hepner and her Surrey First seemed to have jumped the gun as they started erecting their election signs on Thursday – a day BEFORE what is permitted.
The City of Surrey’s political signs guideline states: “Installation: Signs may be erected after the close of the nomination period (October 10, 2014).”
That is, Friday.
One of our readers emailed this photo of a Surrey First team erecting this sign at King George Highway and 64th Avenue.
The VOICE phoned Hepner’s media contact and left a message. We have yet to receive a response.
When one of our readers approached the volunteers and told them that they were violating the guidelines, they arrogantly told him: “We are doing this for Surrey First – THEY are the law!”
AFTER The VOICE broke the story, CKNW’s Drez Live really ripped into Surrey First as they had Surrey First’s campaign manager insist they had WRITTEN PERMISSION from the City’s Chief Electoral Officer – while she told CKNW she DID NOT given any written permission:
http://www.cknw.com/2014/10/
How shameless can Surrey First get?
Can you trust mayoral candidate Linda Hepner or any Surrey First candidate?
And as CKNW noted, why have guidelines if you are NOT going to follow them?
This letter was emailed to The VOICE by
Marq C Smith of Surrey
I read with interest the interview with Linda Ferriswheel, and cannot get over the contradiction between what she says and what she does; …”Frankly, our community and our citizens deserve a more serious conversation about crime and public safety…”—Unless the person who says it is in your party, as was Barinder Rasode, who suggested that maybe “We could do better,” and was subsequently ostracized for speaking her mind.
You cannot have it both ways; when someone suggests that you can do better, most of the time it’s true, and to send someone to Coventry for having an opinion is just too much. It seems that Surrey First really don’t want anyone in their group to speak up, especially if you happen to even remotely criticize them.
Now, of course, there is the sign controversy; Linda Ferriswheel’s campaign manager says that they were allowed to put their election signs up before anyone else, and that the elections officer confirmed that in writing. Yet the elections officer says she wasn’t even asked.
This goes to show the sense of entitlement that Surrey First now has; they don’t have to follow the rules, but everyone else does.
I, for one, am fed up with Surrey First, and it’s time to move on.