Originally, I posted here anonymously as ‘Bluegreenblogger’. I like the handle, and it’s descriptive, simple, and true, so I’ll keep it, but I don’t think anonymity is serving any useful purpose any more.
My name is Matthew Day, I am married with two daughters, and I live in Etobicoke Lakeshore, in Toronto. I joined the Green Party of Canada 4 weeks before election day in the June 2004 general election. I helped to form the first Etobicoke-Lakeshore GPC EDA after that election, and remained as CEO until after the 2006 election. I was recruited to the GPC finance commitee in 2004, which while it wasn’t particularly useful body, it did give me the opportunity to study the elections finance act in detail. I set up, and managed a telephone campaign in the shared GPC/GPO office on Gerrard St. in Toronto, to renew and upgrade GPC memberships in the fall of 2004. I also helped Jim Harris, and a couple of other volunteers to canvas the EDA executives, and membership during that years Leadership race. (Remember Tom Manley?). I helped organise Jim Harris’ Beaches East-York campaign in the election that wasn’t in the spring of 2005. I managed the Etobicoke Lakeshore federal campaign in 2005-6. I returned to active GPC politics during Elizabeth May’s Leadership bid, where I filled the slot of Ontario Organiser for the EMay campaign. After my (failed) bid to win a city council seat in Toronto’s Ward 6, I headed straight out to London North Centre by-election, where I worked on the GOTV efforts.
I have owned and operated several businesses, and have particular expertise in marketing, and sales management, as well as a solid understanding of Lean manufacturing methodologies and techniques. I am currently self-employed as a building designer, designing and supplying buildings for Industrial, Agricultral, and Commercial end users.
Interesting site…. but who writes these erudite words? This page doesn’t say anything about you at this time. Mysterious!
Aha! My first unsuspecting commentator!
Sites only been up for two days, and I’m chipping away during my lunch breaks, and before beddy byes.
You say you don’t want to suffer the usual torrent of abuse for voicing your opinions publicly in Green Party circles but I don’t think that’s the reception you would get on the GPC blogs (or maybe you speak from experience). If you were to suffer a torrent of abuse, well, then if you’re going to go down you may as well go down in flames.
Your analysis would be more valuable to the GPC on a broadly read forum like the GPC blogs than on a blog relatively few people are going to find (I found yours quite by accident as a link from somewhere else).
Besides if you’re ready to dish it out and “rip comments down” from those who disagree with you on this blog, you should be able to take it as well from people who might criticize you on GPC blogs.
You’ve got some good ideas to contribute and you’re making a considerable effort. Why not speak to a larger audience? In the meantime, I’ve book marked your site and I’ll check in from time to time.
Cheers, Ard (if that’s my real name)
Hi Ard,
Thanks for dropping by.
I wouldn’t really rip down anybody simply because I disagreed with them intellectually. Dissent is the path to truth. If some miserable troll started libelling me, or anybody else, down they come! Silly profanity, it’ll be a judgement call, but I at least trust my judgement. Of course, if it was one of those ‘bad hair days’ … After all, who can say what evil lies within the hearts of men?
I do not like the GPC blogs because they look like crap. That font colour! Also, images are an important part of look and feel. Also, I will reach a different, and wider audience here. I am patient, and my traffic is really getting up there now. The GPC spends too much time arguing the same old.
Please note the above comments were all written when I first started blogging anonymously.