Don’t let fear of change determine vote

It is a truth universally acknowledged that human beings don’t just dislike change; we fear it. That’s as true for moving house as it is for getting a divorce or ousting a political incumbent.

That’s because our brains are hardwired to seek comfort and security, not uncertainty.

We may not be happy with a person or situation, but at least they’re familiar. So we stick with it, whether it be an unhappy marriage, a job that we hate or a politician who doesn’t reflect our values.

That way there’s no need to cope with the fear of the unknown.

But here’s the thing — fear of change can wind up making you miserable and doesn’t allow much room for growth. And in politics it can lead to the kind of complacency that virtually guarantees that a leader who doesn’t align with your values remains in office term after term.

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,” seems to be the mantra of far too many voters.

But if you actually listen to what a candidate says, or better still, seek out information on their background and election platform, you might just find one who does align with your values.

So, for example, if you value a city that’s greener, more livable, and inclusive — one that’s as good for your kids as it is for your aging mother — why would you vote for a mayor or councillor who’s more concerned about urban expansion and using your hard-earned tax dollars to build new and wider roads?

Why would you vote for a mayor who spent more than $340 million — or 25 per cent of the city budget — on police services and less than $1 million to help the more-than-8,000 people living in shelters or on the street? Not to mention the tens of thousands of housed, low-income families currently accessing food banks every month.

If you believe in democracy, why would you vote for a mayor who has consolidated power in his own office and ensured that his executive policy committee happily does his bidding? A scenario which leaves 10 other councillors, including those who may even align with your values, largely locked out of the decision-making process?

In other words, why would you re-elect Scott Gillingham and the councillors who support his policies? Or worse, assume that his re-election is somehow inevitable?

Beats me, because the first time around Gillingham won by the skin of his teeth. So why would you vote for him this time, if you didn’t vote for him in the last election?

Will you vote for him because he opened up Portage and Main, hiked property taxes and the price tag on water and waste? Those are tax increases that won’t fund social programs or efforts to green our city but will be used to pay for new roads and more cops to patrol them.

So, if you didn’t vote in the 2022 civic election, maybe you should consider doing it this fall. Because the reality is that we tend to get the governments we don’t want when we don’t vote.

And, please, don’t trot out those old saws about how your vote won’t make a difference or that the re-election of an incumbent is a done deal, or worse, that you just don’t care about politics.

As a recent meme observed, saying you don’t care about politics simply means, “This isn’t hurting me yet, and I don’t care if it’s hurting you.”

The truth is this city is hurting, whether measured by its lack of greenness, its homelessness statistics, its plethora of potholes, parking lots and polluted rivers or the endless lineups at food banks.

But wait, I hear you say. How much can the mayor or city council actually do to fix those problems, when they don’t have the power to take on big issues like poverty or climate change or energy and food costs?

To which I would respond, read the City Charter. Once you do, you’ll soon discover that the mayor and council have remarkable discretionary powers when it comes to enacting bylaws and resolutions aimed at the protection and well-being of its people.

They just don’t use them.

So, if you care about building a just and livable city, then please, put aside your fears, give a little time or money to a candidate you can support, or better still, consider running for office.

If you can’t afford to do that, at the very least ditch your anxiety and vote for a big change in the upcoming civic election.

Erna Buffie is a Winnipeg writer. Her book, Out on a Limb, is available at McNally Robinson Booksellers.