Someone asked me a question on Facebook and I thought I'd post my answer here, too, so none of you miss it. 

Sheena Houston:
You state on your website "The cost of housing alone is frightening - but what about the taxes? And at the rate they are increasing how will you, I or our children be able to afford to pay them?" As a self described non-homeowner, where are you coming from in your worry about taxes when you don't currently (and never have) paid into our municipal tax pot?

Do you have any experience, besides being a mother of 4 and taking some college courses, that would lead me to believe that you can handle making decisions for all of Abbotsford? If elected, you have to be able to represent lots of different ideals. 

Me:
Sheena, please don't kid yourself into thinking that property taxes don't affect renters. When property taxes rise, landlords are forced to increase rents. Often, tenants wind up paying more than the mortgage and taxes combined so that the landlord can make a profit. This alone makes it quite the task to save a 5 or 10% down payment while renting. Now, take into account that CMHC recommends not spending more than 30% of your household income on housing - which is difficult with Abbotsford's average income being below the Provincial average. 5 out of 7 of Abbotsford's most popular jobs median hourly rate is below the living wage, (Admin Ass't avg $14 hourly, MOA $16.32, CSR $10.48, & AR clerk $12.67).

Where I am coming from is that I intend to purchase property, but not while taxes are increasing far beyond the rate of inflation. It's a safer bet financially to secure a rental property where you know that your housing increase cannot be more than the rate of inflation + 2%.

And Sheena, keep in mind that Abbotsford needs renters. Renters are consumers. The idea that renters don't have as much say as home owners is part of the problem - it screams classism.

 Aside from previously making decisions for all of Abbotsford, is there any other experience that would absolutely support anyone being able to make decisions for all of Abbotsford? I suppose this is where one would run on about experience running businessees, but a City isn't just about business - it's about the people in it. I'd be weary of any candidate who claims that they could walk in and accept the position of Mayor, without having done it before, and not face a serious learning curve.

What do I bring? I can budget. Raising 4 kids as a single parent is an excellent lesson in budgeting. The fact that I am getting this much exposure with a campaign of $79 speaks volumes to the fact that I can stretch a dollar & am able to use creativity and intelligence to find cost-effective alternatives to issues that others may be tempted to throw money at. My fiance & several friends are immigrants, and through them I've learned how difficult it can be to start a life in a new country - which lends to my compassion & respect for our multi-cultural community. I've known people with addictions and realise that there is a strong need in our community to assist rather than to judge and ignore. I've seen the struggles close family members have gone through while trying to run small businesses and keep up with inflation and taxes. I've known people who were absolutely working poor, keeping degrading jobs because it was their only option to support their family and ultimately, they still lost their homes. 

I'm not running for Mayor because I think it will be a walk in the park and I am not one to set myself up for failure. I am running for Mayor because things need to change and I am confident that I have the abilities to clean up the mess the current council is leaving for us and our children.