Angry Nurse

This is a good take on the political system. Scroll down to read the top ten. Does number 8 refer to Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier? See this recent article by Suzanne Wilton from the Calgary Herald:

Mayor to refill campaign war chest: Fundraiser costs $200 a plate

Mayor Dave Bronconnier is topping up his 2007 election war chest with an annual $200-a-plate fundraiser, which could restore the campaign kitty to nearly $1 million.
Bronconnier is holding his ninth-annual "House Party" at La Caille Restaurant on June 27.
It's a high-end affair that last year pulled in about 2,000 people and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Whatever is raised during this year's event, and another one in 2007, will be added to the $360,083 Bronconnier left in the bank after the 2004 election, almost equal to what he spent for his second term re-election.
The long-time city council member was first elected mayor in 2001.
According to campaign financial statements filed by the mayor, $622,148 was generated from fundraising events during the three-year period between elections.
Assuming a similar amount is raised before next fall's municipal vote, Bronconnier's war chest could hit $1 million.
The mayor was not available for comment on this story, but in the past has made no apologies for his fundraising efforts and defended the city's campaign finance rules.
In Calgary civic politics, there are no limits on campaign contributions, no cap on campaign spending and nothing to prevent candidates from pocketing any unspent dollars once they've left politics or after the vote.
Alberta's provincial politicians, meanwhile, must put their campaign funds in trust between campaign periods. As well, the most that any person, union or company can give to a candidate during the campaign is $2,000. Donations to a political party can total $30,000.
Critics have repeatedly called for tighter rules and greater transparency.
In the last couple of years, council has made minor tweaks to the rules. It's contemplating an additional change that would require candidates to report how much they spend on efforts to raise money.
Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, a city hall watchdog, said that's a far cry from creating the kind of transparency and accountability that's needed.
"The fact that an incumbent can raise virtually an unlimited amount of money helps perpetuate a system that pushes out competition," said Kelly.
"Serious contenders are really hamstrung. . . .
"We would be interested in seeing some cap on how much (municipal politicians) can raise or caps on how much they can spend during a campaign."
Kelly said he's recently had potential mayoral candidates "sniffing around."
"I get calls, and recently met with somebody who is thinking of running for the mayor's office. And one of the first things they said is that it's going to be very difficult without access to the stream of cash."
It's virtually impossible to unseat an incumbent in civic politics, and name recognition can be as important as the campaign kitty.
There has been speculation that Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart is readying herself for a run, while Calgary Flames president Ken King has been been touted in some political circles as a potential candidate to take on the mayor.
However, King assured the Herald that "while he loves the city and expects to make whatever contributions he can, it will not include an electoral bid."
When asked about the daunting nature of the war chest that would be needed to take on Bronconnier, King suggested a good candidate wouldn't have a problem raising funds for a solid campaign.
However, he agreed that there ought to be limits on spending.
"I think the democratic process is best served by effective communication for policy rather than the weight of marketing," King said.
Associated Cab president Roger Richard, who has been active in Conservative politics, said the municipal financing rules are adequate.
"The fundraising is all about the ability of the candidate to raise it," said Richard, who plans to attend Bronconnier's event.
"If he draws a few thousand people to his event, that shows how much support he has."