Nash's Platform Stresses Empathy And Caring
Sharing and the spiritual values that come with it are the driving forces which lead Nancy Nash to throw her hat into the ring and try to become mayor of Moose Jaw.
“Saving Wakamow Valley for all time is the reason why I ran,” Nash said.
Nash along with John Kot and Fraser Tolmie are the three candidates vying for the mayor’s job. All three appeared in the mayoralty candidates forum on'-line forum put on buy the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce this past Thursday evening.
Nash began her speech recognizing the numerous First Nation tribes “who once lived and camped upon this land including Chief Sitting Bull and his people now rest here in peace time.”
“My motto is there is enough for everyone,” she said going on to speak about her music career and all of the famous people she had helped and worked with in the music business. She used the story of her involvement making music to illustrate her message of sharing and helping others. She spoke about bring native hoop dancers into a music video she was part of.
“Both of these events wove pop music and native traditions for the very first time in this world. Now that is good sharing.”
“I’m wired to problem solve, work hard and to serve,” she said, adding that her own life experiences were prime examples of this she wanted to bring to the Mayor’s chair if she were to be elected.
Her life took her to helping elders a word she used for “my term for seniors.”
She said she had been with a great variety of people including ordinary people as well as “Bob Hope to John Bon Jovie who still owes me money. From Cher to Stompin’ Tom to a homeless Vietnam vet.”
She spoke about working with music engineers who were green and had no idea how to do cleaning.
“Everybody’s journey has a start I still clean my own toilets,”
She is also involved in the “rescuing, rehab and rehoming abused animals if possible,”
Nash said she worked hard to help feed those less fortunate.
“My religion is feed the hungry, actions are all that matters. The plight of native children came to my attention I was able to help a few raising them on my jigle money according to their people’s traditions, Today I’m still in service as a cashier it doesn’t matter if we serve groceries, meals or songs I consider all of it show business,”
During her life she managed to acquire people skills “something we can all improve upon” before going on to explain the trauma many children have suffered trauma and ensuring their life journeys needed to heal for the better.
“Happiness takes really hard work and it is the result of actively sharing our purpose. Empathy is a results of both service and sharing. Empathy through this service of sharing opens our hearts so we can actually feel.”
The personal tragedy of losing her son could have turned into an angry person but instead fortunately her heart was transformed into empathy for others.
“Yoda says do or don’t there is no try.”
Her journey through life and the empathy she possesses will allow her to be a good mayor.
“I will do the very best I can serving each one of you with empathy and accountability using the Cities Act as my guide with Moose Jaw citizens we can all pave a way to a brighter future.”
On the issue of helping businesses recover and thrive after COVID - 19 Nash said she would adopt a two pronged policy. One which hands off of the individual and one that also offered incentives for already established businesses.
“I trust and respect the citizens and believe they are smart enough to decide for themselves how they want to conduct business. For their families and friends and especially their elders the treasures within our city,” Nash said.
Make the city more presentable was a necessity that everyone could do working together.
““And clean this town up because it is looking notoriously unpretty.””
She spoke about how people had lost their rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and how important it was for people to be aware of them that they should read the Charter.
“If elected I will do everything to helping folks get back their freedoms as well I will open the books and you the citizens of Moose Jaw and not the Council will decide what to do about safeguarding ;your money before it gets flushed sown the toilet,” she said. “Our focus will be to serve the citizens already living here. We will offer incentives for industry and small businesses.”
Nash stressed the fact that Moose Jaw not being a big city is one of its main selling points and the city should look inward at itself to find and develop the entrepreneurs necessary for the city.
“Bringing large corporations isn’t a small city vision. Tons of folks here are artisans and creators of products and these folks are entrepreneurs waiting to happen. Industry, manufacturing and others that say made in Moose Jaw. We can start with the Canadian flag no more China, No more made in China,” Nash said adding heritage was important to focus upon because it would be “paving the way to a brighter future.”
She would also like to see more events and concerts to bring in people living in surrounding communities calling them an integral part of Moose Jaw’s economy.
She reiterated her point of helping locals first with a hand up and not a hand out and that there needed to be help from citizens and be counted.
Nash would like to increase the police presence in the city and have officers who are “protectors and friends” go back to walking the beat.
“Respect and courtesy at all times from both ends…We want to get the local citizens back to work and this includes the Native people who I am a kin to. I want you to feel welcome and wanted.”
Regarding the issue of attracting hi-tech firms and jobs Nash said “tech has a place in society but it should never control our lives.”
She said she supported on-line school at home “as long as nothing is mandated or controlled when it is something else. Maybe it is something notorious in the works before we worry about getting bigger we need to think about getting better.”
Nash spoke about tech and people not having the freedoms guaranteed to them under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“I am against any foreign or domestic agency that is against my country that would seek to silence Canadians and keep them in a quarantine state especially when our veterans gave their lives for our freedom to breath and live a good life without all of this fear about repression,” Nash said.
On the issue of drug addiction and the crimes it is helping to proliferate Nash said she would like to see more resources used to combat it. She did not know however if there should be more police to arrest people or more of a social worker approach to stop it.
“A lot of times people think the guys with the guns are coming to arrest you…we need more officers who are qualified to deal with mental illness…mental illness is a huge part of the crime and drug related absolutely so getting that on track. I would like to see cops on the beat walking being very accessible so if you are in trouble or you are overdosing yo can approach a cop and say I need some help.”
To be more inclusive Nash said a mayor takes an oath to serve all people.
“I heard there are monopolies especially work given out by City Hall”
About relationships with the senor levels of government Nash challenged Premier Moe “to get on board and ensure all reservations have clean water. I know water people ready to make this happen. It is the least we can do,”
Nash said people needed to work together to make Moose Jaw a better place.
“Let’s bring back the friendly and peace this land once was.”
Second in a three part series. Next up Fraser Tolmie.