The Editor,
With the provincial election results almost finalized, it appears there will finally be real consideration of limiting, if not banning, union and corporate donations in B.C. elections.
I hope it happens, and I hope the province extends the limitation to municipal elections, too, because there is way too much money being handed out.
As a region, we struggle with housing affordability, yet every municipal election we ask developers to cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars to prop up candidates. That money needs to come from somewhere — and developers funding elections = potential for increased new home prices.
Unions are propping up elections, too. In the current system, how else is there a chance to balance the development industry’s money and influence on election marketing?
In my opinion — and, I believe, in the opinion of the majority of B.C. residents — big money, no matter where it comes from, is a no-win for democracy and needs to stop.
Bonita Zarrillo, Coquitlam city councillor
Editor’s note: Coun. Zarrillo, in her last city election campaign in 2014, collected some $38,000 in campaign contributions, with more than $10,000 each from unions and corporations, and the latter group including several developers.
