Raise the Hammer
A mayoral candidate has told RTH he will not respond to requests for comment unless we buy products from his company.
By Ryan McGreal
Published September 08, 2014
Last week, RTH published an article about mayoral candidate Brad Clark's new position on the City's light rail transit plan. RTH contacted all the mayoral candidates to ask for their comments on Clark's press release and included all the comments we received.
One mayoral candidate, Ricky Tavares, did not respond until after the article was published. However, his response was rather bizarre:
I would accept your offer and invitation on the condition that you go to one of my seed vendor locations listed on my website of [website] and purchase 10 packs of seeds. Please submit to me a proof of purchase notary RECEIPT after purchasing my seeds at anyone of these locations listed on [website]. Thank you.
RTH responded:
Are you saying you will only answer a policy question related to your mayoral campaign if I buy seeds from you? Surely you understand how bizarre and inappropriate that request is.
Tavares replied again:
YOU MUST SUPPORT MY HAMILTON STORE VENDORS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SUPPORT OUR RETAIL STORES AND OUR LOCAL [website] JOBS then please do not bother me. My workers and thier [sic] jobs are the most important thing in my life right now and I am dedicated to that.
My [website] business currently helps employ and feed over 50 Hamilton employees. They need me. I must protect them.
Raise the Hammer has always tried to avoid sorting electoral aspirants into "mainstream" and "fringe" categories. We try to give every candidate a chance to share their policy ideas and comment on issues.
We don't believe media and civic organizations should marginalize candidates who are not considered "serious" enough - for example, the Mayoral Candidates Breakfast Forum hosted by Hamilton Business Leaders, which has only invited Brad Clark, Fred Eisenberger and Brian McHattie.
That said, some candidates do a fine job of marginalizing themselves.
By Rimshot (anonymous) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 08:29:16
Q: Does he accept Farmbucks at par?
By moniz (registered) - website | Posted September 08, 2014 at 09:00:13
No point in being charitable here. When it comes to politics, this guy is an idiot!
By KevinBrowne (registered) - website | Posted September 08, 2014 at 09:16:42
What a seedy way to drum up business!
By carny666 (anonymous) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 09:33:32
This looks like it may be the end of someone's political career. I'd be happy if he disappears completely.
What kind of "seeds" are we talking about here? Asking for a friend.
By Stinson (registered) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 12:46:31 in reply to Comment 104372
Baldasaro type seeds
By UrbanMom (registered) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 11:42:36
So very bizarre! Does Tavares respond to CHCH and The Spec that way?!
By Core-B (registered) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 13:22:16
Best laugh I've had in days!
By Borrelli (registered) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 13:35:29
OMG, this is awesome. Does anyone remember when RickySeeds had a storefront on King by Locke? Looked to be a bunch of tomato plants in the window, but I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of seeds he was selling...
By MattM (registered) | Posted September 08, 2014 at 17:32:10 in reply to Comment 104377
He also had a store at Melvin and Parkdale for awhile in the dilapidated George and Mary's building. It definitely was the kind of seeds that Ricky and Julian might be interested in. The place lasted maybe a year and the store has been abandoned ever since (as is most of the building).
Comment edited by MattM on 2014-09-08 17:32:52
By Seajay (anonymous) | Posted September 09, 2014 at 21:08:57
That's not good news. He'll end up splitting the vote with Baldasaro and neither one of them will win.
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