Dear readers: the more I think about these ideas on this site and your feedback over the last few months, the more I believe I need to run for mayor in order to deliver them.
   What’s quite sad as I examine the candidates for the mayoral elections on October 9, 2010 is that these issues, which I consider no-brainers, aren’t apparent on their agenda.
   Don’t take this the wrong way. I have met many of these councillors and they are fine men and women. Some, I know first-hand, are honest, decent people. And yes, they listen, as I am prepared to listen.
   But there’s listening, and then there’s leading.
   If the issues that you and I have discussed on this site mattered to them, they would have come up long ago during their terms.
   As for some of the rumoured candidates who are seeking the mayoralty for the first time, let me say to at least one of you that Wellington is not prepared to be divided by the sort of time-wasting party politics that are in the national sphere.
   What we need is a fresh vision from someone who has consistently been ahead of the curve. Wellington is not a city for reactionaries, but visionaries. In fact, many of us who choose to live here have a vision of a multicultural, modern, vibrant city—not one muddied by same-again, reverse-looking, twentieth-century politics.
   I ask those who share the vision of a modern Wellington to put their hands up, either as potential councillors, or as willing voters, on October 9, 2010.
   We have a lot of work to do to make these ideas realities for Wellington. Please let me know your thoughts, whether here, on Twitter, or on my Facebook page. I love this city, and I want to unite us. And I want to build the Wellington you want.

2010 · 2010s · culture · election · Facebook · future · Jack Yan · local body elections · mayoralty · multicultural · Politics · Twitter · vision · Wellington · Wellington City Council · Whanganui-a-Tara · wifi

It has totally surprised me, when chatting to former mayor James Belich, that Wellington is not sister cities with San Francisco. In fact, we lost this connection in the 1980s. The benefits are obvious: not only are the two cities similar in terms of culture, politics and topography (let’s count the fault lines going through the city!), but the technological and special effects’ sectors are strong in both San Francisco and Wellington.
   This means we can each benefit from the other: Wellingtonians from access to the market, San Franciscans from access to the independent, innovative thinking than goes on down here. I accept there is a population difference, but I cannot see down sides with connecting the two cities with more exchanges, and letting companies reap the rewards. San Franciscans and Wellingtonians think alike in many ways, too, which says to me that there is room for alliances, JVs and remote working. We grow the sectors in both cities, and we cement Wellington’s reputation as the leading creative city in the nation.
   To this end, late last month I wrote to Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco to see if he would put this matter before his council. Some of you who have followed my writings and work over the years know that I have known the Mayoress, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, for some time, and I think it is worth using our connection to reach her husband. It is worth re-establishing this connection with a city that most Kiwis regard as the “most Wellington” in North America; equally, more than a few Americans regard Wellington as “the San Francisco of the south”. At the very, very least, we should establish a dialogue with the City.
   I am also surprised this very logical step has not been taken over the years by our Council. I realize there have been other priorities in line with the thinking of an older generation, and there have been other sister-city relationships that Wellington has, rightly, pursued. However, San Francisco is such a no-brainer, and the potential connections and benefits so obvious, that it should be done.

alliances · Aotearoa · Business · business exchanges · California · Gavin Newsom · high-tech · Jack Yan · Jennifer Siebel · joint ventures · New Zealand · Politics · San Francisco · sister cities · special effects · tech sector · technology · USA · Wellington · Wellington City Council · Whanganui-a-Tara

Earlier this year, Wellington City Council was proposing to get rid of the green recycling bins, due to a shortfall in the budget, and replace them with plastic bags. Public outcry and a petition ensured the status quo, and the Council has been forced to look for ways to save money elsewhere.
   It seems a no-brainer to continue the recycling programme rather than use more resources to make plastic bags, or sting Wellingtonians with an extra c. $60 per annum.
   We’d be interested in your comments, and if there are more things we can do with our recycling to become even more environmentally responsible.

Creative Commons photograph by

Environment · green bins · recycling · sustainability · waste · waste management · Wellington · Wellington City Council · Whanganui-a-Tara