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•Th e IF P• H al to n H ill s • Th ur sd ay , O ct ob er 1 6, 2 01 4 6 OPINION Though it has come along too late for the election currently underway, munic- ipalities throughout the province will have the option of going with ranked ballots in 2018. Halton Hills, and others, would be well advised to take advantage of this opportunity, as it gives people more say and results in representatives that more accurately carry the favour of a major- ity of voters. In a ranked ballot system, voters mark the candidates in order from their most preferred to their least. If no candidate has more than 50 per cent of the vote after the first round of counting, the last-place candidate is removed from the running and anyone who voted for that candidate will have his or her ballot redirected to support their second choice. This process continues until a winner is declared. Not only does this prevent someone from winning with, for example, a mere 21 per cent of the vote (the other 79 split among four competitors), it should encourage more positive campaigns, as candidates strive to be the second choice of voters, if not their first. With electoral reform at the munici- pal level, perhaps it'll inspire change at the provincial and federal levels, where it is arguably more needed. Like the current municipal system, upper-tier governments are selected on a first-past-the-post basis, which usu- ally leaves the wishes of a majority of voters unfulfilled. The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of sev- eral Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copy- right. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ ontpress.com or call 416- 340-1981. The Independent & Free Press Ranked is the right way to go Letters to the editor On Thanksgiving Sunday my heart was troubled. I was sitting in the backseat of my friend's car on Main Street. You see, I have a leg in a cast and we were out for an af- ter dinner drive when she realized she needed to stop at a store for pop and chips for the next day. I was waiting for my friend when I heard the sound of sobbing. There was a woman walking down the street in obvious distress. She must have passed several people and no one stopped to ask what was wrong. If I could have gotten out of the car (or even rolled down the window) I would have tried to help this poor woman. By the time my friend came back, the woman was out of sight. We fol- lowed the route she took but could not find her. I truly hope that woman will be okay. She sounded so agonized. I am also hurt that I could not help her and ashamed of those who turned a blind eye. I don't know who you are but if you read this please know that someone does care. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Beth von Richter I and many of my friends and colleagues would like to know how you intend-- as future leaders of our community-- to address the critical issue of climate change. It would be wonderful if you were not just cognizant of this growing threat, but prepared to work with the province, other municipalities, school boards, etc. to create climate change mitigation and adaptation plans. This coming election shouldn't be just all about holding the line on taxes; it should be about creating a vision and action plan to create more resilient communities. It should prepare us all for a stormier climate, especially so that today's kids and grandkids will bet- ter be able to handle what is com- ing. As they grow up, they will have to deal with more extreme rain/ wind/snow/ice storms, droughts, and possible floods, etc. as a result of the delayed effects of greenhouse gases that we are emitting into our atmosphere now. By building more energy efficient public housing and resilient infra- structure (stronger bridges, better culverts, sturdier buildings) we will employ more workers, improve the economy, and give hope to coming generations Geraldine Walsh Flu clinics begin this week. Do you plan to get a flu shot this year? • No (58%) • Yes (42%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Someone does care about you The environment is a priority Letters must include the author's name, address and daytime phone number. Anony- mous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publica- tion is not guaranteed. Email: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 haltonhillsclassads@metroland.com Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage.