Experience

Sometimes I hear from undecided voters, “well Vaughn, you seem like a nice guy, but you just don’t have political experience.”

These voters are right, and thank goodness for that. 

I don’t have experience banging a gavel, pointing and yelling at residents to kick them out of Council Chambers. 

I don’t have experience staying silent at Niagara Region Council when amalgamation was on the table, or when the budget for a roundabout in St. Davids was getting approved.

I’ve never attended a fancy party at Queen’s Park or had an expensive dinner with Doug Ford’s friends and Ministers, and I’ve certainly never boasted about all of those insider connections on social media.

I’ve never made choices that were good for my family members or my business partners, and bad for local residents.

I haven’t had the chance to get a little too attached to being in power.  I’ve never let a title and a role go to my head.  I’ve never forgotten where I came from, and who I was before I ran.

I write today to say that this year, I’m proud of not having political experience.

Niagara-on-the-Lake has had enough of this kind of political experience.  And we certainly don’t need more of it for the next four years.

Let me tell you about the kind of experience I do have.

I have experience building a team.  With Union Energy, Mr. Furnace and the Right Time group of companies, I recruited staff and hired talented people.  I connected my team from the front line with customers right up to the top executive level.  I worked with organized labour and created good jobs.

I have experience listening.  The only way I could succeed as a CEO was by listening to people, including things that were sometimes hard to hear.

I have experience solving problems, and making things happen.  When I made the big decision to sell my group of companies, it was a complex transaction that involved hundreds of factors.  I guided and led this process by including expert opinions, team input, and strategic goals. 

I know that running a government is different than running a business.  And I also believe that it is important for government to imagine that every voter and every resident and everyone who relies on public services is a kind of stakeholder, and shareholder, in the business of public trust.

If you are interested in trust, see my last post about that.

And I have experience giving back to my community.  

I have made things happen by giving donations to local causes like the local Museum, Rotary, Red Roof Retreat, Upper Canada Heritage Trail, Niagara College, Yellow Door Theatre Project, Music Niagara and the Wilderness.  I give time as a Board Member with Palliative Care.  I have invested in our community and the public good, right here at home.

Simon Sinek says “You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude” because skills can be learned but attitudes are much harder to change. 

How does this all relate to the Lord Mayor’s race this year?

Arrogance is toxic.  Negative attitudes destroy team morale and ruin psychological safety.  “Us versus them” thinking is not leadership, that’s a scare tactic.

I am running against two people who have WAY more “political experience” than I do.  They have been at the Regional and Council table, and our town is in trouble because of that.

“Political Experience” has had its turn.

My experience tells me we need to go forward in a different way. 

Come with me, and let’s get this done together, full time.

Online voting and advance polls open next week.

Learn more and share your support at vaughngoettlerforlordmayor.com