Western Expresso - Page 222

BuildUpWpg · #**4421** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 6:32 PM**

I passed through downtown Fargo again this past weekend. Broadway there continues to get more dazzling. And it was hopping on Monday night. They are also building an 18 story highrise on Broadway:

https://www.prairiebusinessmagazine....ne-draw-people

Winnipeg downtown businesses and politicians should take a look at what's happening in Fargo.

esquire · #**4422** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 7:12 PM**

What a nice project. That will really change the feel of downtown Fargo. But I don't know that we should feel too badly... I mean, we have a 42 storey tower going up, among other buildings.

wardlow · #**4423** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 7:51 PM**

Was in Fargo overnight this summer and could see this new building under construction from my hotel room. It's going to be impressive, I'm sure.

And downtown Fargo is a great place to visit. Great little walkable downtown, and I especially loved a cider brewery, Wild Terra in an area just west of downtown, which was not unlike Winnipeg's Centennial or South Point Douglas.

I think what Fargo's Broadway does that Winnipeg should aspire to isn't buildings as much as it is in redesigning streets to be more pleasant and safer. Broadway shows what streets in the Exchange or elsewhere could look like when snowplows, fire trucks, and rush hour traffic aren't the chief considerations.

BuildUpWpg · #**4424** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 8:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What a nice project. That will really change the feel of downtown Fargo. But I don't know that we should feel too badly... I mean, we have a 42 storey tower going up, among other buildings.

I was just mentioning their new highrise as an afterthought. My main point is how impressive their Broadway is...full of restaurant and pubs, little or no low end shops (ie. dollar stores), no vacancies, well preserved buildings, lots of glitzy lighting, and of course, many people visiting in the evening. Have you been there?

esquire · #**4425** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuildUpWpg

I was just mentioning their new highrise as an afterthought. My main point is how impressive their Broadway is...full of restaurant and pubs, little or no low end shops (ie. dollar stores), no vacancies, well preserved buildings, lots of glitzy lighting, and of course, many people visiting in the evening. Have you been there?

I have been there, but not in the last five years. It sounds like it must have improved a lot since then because while I always liked it, I was never blown away by it or anything like that.

headhorse · #**4426** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 9:06 PM**

cops sure are doing a lot of complaining and fear mongering now that they are being called out on their ridiculous salaries

BuildUpWpg · #**4427** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 9:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What a nice project. That will really change the feel of downtown Fargo. But I don't know that we should feel too badly... I mean, we have a 42 storey tower going up, among other buildings.

I was just mentioning their new highrise as an afterthought. My main point is how impressive their Broadway is...full of restaurant and pubs, little or no low end shops (ie. dollar stores), no vacancies, well preserved buildings, lots of glitzy lighting, and of course, many people visiting in the evening. Have you been there?

esquire · #**4428** Posted **Nov 13, 2019, 9:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuildUpWpg

I was just mentioning their new highrise as an afterthought. My main point is how impressive their Broadway is...full of restaurant and pubs, little or no low end shops (ie. dollar stores), no vacancies, well preserved buildings, lots of glitzy lighting, and of course, many people visiting in the evening. Have you been there?

Huh? Check above, I already responded to your question.

buzzg · #**4429** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 4:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by headhorse

cops sure are doing a lot of complaining and fear mongering now that they are being called out on their ridiculous salaries

They've run out of excuses really as they get more funding than any other force in Canada. So if you need more bodies, take pay cuts. And when people retire, pay new cops less. Pretty simple.

They have nothing to stand on in asking for more money, they already spend way too much.

Gm0ney · #**4430** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

They've run out of excuses really as they get more funding than any other force in Canada. So if you need more bodies, take pay cuts. And when people retire, pay new cops less. Pretty simple.

They have nothing to stand on in asking for more money, they already spend way too much.

But if we cut back on police, who's going to stop the LC thefts? Oh wait...

rrskylar · #**4431** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by headhorse

cops sure are doing a lot of complaining and fear mongering now that they are being called out on their ridiculous salaries

It's not an easy job but salaries are out of control with the average being well over $100K with a minimal education requirement.

For the most part cops in this city are paid more than teachers, nurses, pharmacists, engineers and even architects all which require more than a three year arts degree!

Pensionable overtime is a perc only WPS members receive and no other job in Manitoba or Canada (including every other police service) for that matter are afforded that!

Crime has spiked about 30% since the current police chief was hired so why does he still have that job?

Labroco · #**4432** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

It's not an easy job but salaries are out of control with the average being well over $100K with a minimal education requirement.

For the most part cops in this city are paid more than teachers, nurses, pharmacists, engineers and even architects all which require more than a three year arts degree!

Pensionable overtime is a perc only WPS members receive and no other job in Manitoba or Canada (including every other police service) for that matter are afforded that!

Crime has spiked about 30% since the current police chief was hired so why does he still have that job?

I believe there are over 2,500 individuals from police and fire who are making more than $97,000... Yes, it can be a dangerous job, but so is social work these days. The compensation is really a result of their unions not, the expertise and education of the individuals.

I say freeze the compensation and give the requested increases to The Bear Clan. Their approach seems more effective in troubled communities and definitely better received. A more compassionate approach with a firm hand to lift one up is always better than sitting in a warm cruiser on a cold winter night waiting to push someone down.

bomberjet · #**4433** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 6:44 PM**

Construction work is more dangerous than police work. Stats prove it. Just because you deal with criminals who may have weapons, doesn't mean it's more dangerous than standing on a street while huge lumps of metal fly by you.

cheswick · #**4434** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Construction work is more dangerous than police work. Stats prove it. Just because you deal with criminals who may have weapons, doesn't mean it's more dangerous than standing on a street while huge lumps of metal fly by you.

When is the last time a cop was killed in Winnipeg? I'm pretty sure its been multiple decades in which construction workers, grocery clerks, bus drivers, taxi drivers have all been killed on the job since then.

headhorse · #**4435** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 7:22 PM**

that's not fair - there's been a least a few officers who have been injured while they were drunk driving

rrskylar · #**4436** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 7:57 PM**

An interesting comment from the Freep on a story about the Police Chief whining about only a 2.5% increase in the WPS budget!

The police budget increased from ~$125M in 2012 to ~$290M in 2018. THe number of police dropped from roughly 1475 to 1350. Salaries and benefits eat up about 85% of the budget. So in six years the cost of one police officer went from $72k to $188k. This is 260%!!! I did not make this up, you can find it all here https://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/Bud...italBudget.pdf Between 2000 and 2017 crime rates fell by about 50% across pretty much every category. There has been a slight uptick in the last two years but not much. So this jives with the reduction in police on the streets. It also shows that the Police chief is pretty much grandstanding on the personnel reductions he is shouting about as the average reduction over the years 2012 to 2018 has been about 20 offlcers (boots on the ground) per year. He is claiming they will have to reduce the staff by 59 people over 4 years, which is only 15 people per year, so actually an improvement over the previous six years. Also 0.5% (2.5%-2.0%) is only $1.5M on a $300M budget, so where did the $2.8M number come from? Also an interesting stat from the Police Collective Bargaining agreement which you can find on line shows that a constable starting at ~$55K per year will be earning ~$105k in 5 years. My wage increase over the last 5 years has been $5K. I find these numbers startling and a bit alarming. Certainly unsustainable.

esquire · #**4437** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 8:10 PM**

^ Unsustainable is the key word. I don't think anyone begrudges police a good living and a decent pension, but it has just spun out of control. The money has to come from somewhere.

rrskylar · #**4438** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 9:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Unsustainable is the key word. I don't think anyone begrudges police a good living and a decent pension, but it has just spun out of control. The money has to come from somewhere.

No there is nothing wrong with having the police being paid fairly well with a reasonable pension but the problem is that the average police salary is closer to $140K per year, WPS also stack their pensions in the final years of their careers by moving into the traffic division to accumulate tons of pensionable OT sitting in court.

$105K after five years not counting OT without a professional degree is ridiculous for what is essentially a blue collar job!

rrskylar · #**4439** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 9:50 PM**

So when did Uber come to Winnipeg (it didn't) but Klueless Kinew wants to protect Uber drivers, kinda like how he tried to protect the cab driver he assaulted and threw a racist insult at!

bomberjet · #**4440** Posted **Nov 14, 2019, 9:51 PM**

Do the Police ever get put on blast about this? Or it just gets swept under the rug? It feels like a Trumpian thing. The press is too scared to ask the real question in fear of being barred in some way.

Simple question like this: "Mr. Police Chief, can you explain why you the cost of a single officer has increased 260% over the last number of years while crime has generally decreased?" You'll get a blank stare and an "uhhhhhh". Then never be called on again to ask a question.