Municipal Election (September, 2013)

[jeddy1989]

Hahaha, yeah really though!

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that we're getting some recognition in the media off the island (however small it may be), but I would rather see higher quality work to reflect our city.

agreed!

[christopher_chafe]

"glass and steel office tower or yet another condo complex"

Yeah, because we have so many of those... :rolleyes:

Ya really......from reading that article it is abundantly clear that Mr. Locke is a staunch supporter for O'Leary.

[PoscStudent]

I'm pretty sure Locke is one of the anti-developers. I think he may have done that discoloured photo going around of the Fortis building expansion.

[christopher_chafe]

Taken from :http://www.geoffchaulk.simplesite.com/


Hi, and thanks for checking out my blog...Geoff Chaulk for Mayor

Here are the key elements to my platform to be Your new Mayor:

PROTECT our downtown; its heritage, culture, land and city-scapes

Move to one way traffic on Water St.; opposite direction on Duckworth St.
Two-way traffic and all heavy equipment via Harbour Drive

BUILD mixed use buildings in the downtown; office buildings will have AFFORDABLE, apartments at ground level

BUILD more affordable HOUSING across Our city for SENIORS, the working poor and the socially excluded - working with the Provincial and Federal Govts.

Implement a TOLL-FEE for all commuters who do not live in St. John's but come here to work, shop, etc. We ALL have to pay for the City's infrastructure

ENGAGE Our youth in the City, what do they want/need the City to be to them for them to live and work here!


Sweet Jesus.....as every day goes by I get more fearful for the future of this city.

[SignalHillHiker]

He sounds great to me! :haha:

Except I don't support the idea of ground-level apartments in office towers. I'd prefer to see the exact opposite, residential on top.

And I don't think we need to mandate that buildings be specifically for seniors. I hate that. Then they wonder why they don't see any life, any children, have any visitors. The logic behind mixed-use neighbourhoods applies within individual buildings as well. I have no doubt seniors would be happier and healthier in a building that has all sorts of different age/family groups.

But one-way driving on Water/Duckworth would be great to me.

And the toll fee... it's a guilty pleasure I'd enjoy seeing at first, but I know it won't happen. And, really, it shouldn't.

[christopher_chafe]

He sounds great to me! :haha:

Except I don't support the idea of ground-level apartments in office towers. I'd prefer to see the exact opposite, residential on top.

And I don't think we need to mandate that buildings be specifically for seniors. I hate that. Then they wonder why they don't see any life, any children, have any visitors. The logic behind mixed-use neighbourhoods applies within individual buildings as well. I have no doubt seniors would be happier and healthier in a building that has all sorts of different age/family groups.

But one-way driving on Water/Duckworth would be great to me.
And the toll fee... it's a guilty pleasure I'd enjoy seeing at first, but I know it won't happen. And, really, it shouldn't.



For me he sounds like a fanatical :koko: that could do more harm to the city than good.

[jeddy1989]

He's Looney Tunes! (This is Walter Harding)
Have a look at his response to an article about affordable housing


At the same time , St. John's city council has given their approval for yet another hotel....and another hotel has a public meeting associated with it tonight . The struggling , the people that are being left behind, ( middle class included ) are becoming a very small blip in the rear view mirror of our council. Surely , we can do better.

Responses:

What's your point?? A hotel is a private enterprise.

I agree with Al. What is your point? Another hotel development just provides more employment...for people who want to work anyway

Then he responds under another account

Mr. Al Cluney....my point is very clear...... land seems to get passed very , very quickly when it is a hotel...but , sadly, affordable housing for our seniors and less fortunate in our community do not enjoy the same success. Thankfully, a 15 unit apartment building has been approved for 640-642 Empire Avenue but the proposal that was denied for Kilbride a short while ago did not enjoy the same success. You may want to also think of the financial hit that you are going to take as a tax payer if the hotel gets approved for New Gower-Springdale-Pleasant . The city has admitted that over 400 feet of new , dual pipes may have to be laid to connect to Water Street as the hotel is asking for 84 percent of green space to be turned into 107 parking spaces...the water run off will flood the entire down town as the existing pipes have not the capacity to clear the water. Who is paying for this multi million dollar expense Mr. Cluney . You and I as tax payers or the hotel ? These are questions that I will be asking at the public meeting tonight. We pay too much tax as it is Mr. Cluney. We need not pay for new infrastructure that will only serve the Hilton, while at the same time, people cannot afford to heat their homes or eat properly because of high taxes and rent brought on by this phantom " prosperity ". That is my point.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/02/11/nl-housing-advocate-wants-more-affordable-housing-211.html

[christopher_chafe]

He's Looney Tunes!
Have a look at his response to an article about affordable housing




Responses:





Then he responds under another account



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/02/11/nl-housing-advocate-wants-more-affordable-housing-211.html



hmmmm walter harding perhaps????

[jeddy1989]

hmmmm walter harding perhaps????

yup I ment to say that in my post

[Copes]

I'm personally not too big on the social justice idea. I really don't see how it has much of a place in municipal politics.

I do agree that the prison is awful though, and the potential for that land makes me drool. :slob:

Mixed use downtown is good, but the guy seems to have heritage goggles on which worries me about what he'd build and what sort of exposure he has to urban planning theory. People who come out and yell "WE MUST PROTECT HERITAGE" or "WE MUST BULLDOZE AND BUILD ALL MODERN" kind of miss the bigger picture when it comes to urban planning. A thriving neighborhood needs both.

I'd still vote O'Keefe.

EDIT: Referring to Chalk.

[PoscStudent]

This is perfect! He'll eat into O'Leary's votes!

[christopher_chafe]

This is perfect! He'll eat into O'Leary's votes!


Exactly.......never thought of it that way till you mentioned it!!!!!! Wonder can we get another anti-development individual to run......that would almost ensure DOC will win!

[Townie709]

Exactly.......never thought of it that way till you mentioned it!!!!!! Wonder can we get another anti-development individual to run......that would almost ensure DOC will win!

Never thought of it like that! But yeah, the more the better. That will fragment the heritage vote and ensure Doc takes the cake :cheers:

Chris, you can run for mayor and act as a nutzo heritage protectionist/ anti-development for 7 months, right?? :haha:

[christopher_chafe]

Never thought of it like that! But yeah, the more the better. That will fragment the heritage vote and ensure Doc takes the cake :cheers:

Chris, you can run for mayor and act as a nutzo heritage protectionist/ anti-development for 7 months, right?? :haha:

If I thought it would ensure DOC winning in September, I'd be worse than a combination of Walter Harding Shannie Duff SignalHill Hiker and O'Leary.

[SignalHillHiker]

Doc will get a significant portion of the heritage vote as well. I've no doubt he'll preserve what we have, especially its most valuable elements - such as the rowhouse districts, Water Street, and so on.

I just believe Doc recognizes that, while we have to preserve our heritage, we also need modern infrastructure and amenities for a modern city and economy. St. John's didn't need a 351 or a Convention Centre in 1892. It does today. And those needs include office towers, effective public transit, more mixed-use residential developments, etc.

They just don't have to come at the expense of heritage. We could almost double the size of our downtown by pushing west without ever putting a dent in a single heritage building.

People who insist this is development versus heritage seem convinced we have to cram everything we need between Waldegrave and Temperance. We don't - we couldn't even if we bulldozed the works and started over. It's not a big enough area. We have to expand our downtown west. And, luckily, we have nothing but one heritage strip that has to be preserved there (Newman Wine Vaults and surroundings). Everything else is nothing but empty lots and gas station-quality buildings. They have to go.

[christopher_chafe]

Doc will get a significant portion of the heritage vote as well. I've no doubt he'll preserve what we have, especially its most valuable elements - such as the rowhouse districts, Water Street, and so on.

I just believe Doc recognizes that, while we have to preserve our heritage, we also need modern infrastructure and amenities for a modern city and economy. St. John's didn't need a 351 or a Convention Centre in 1892. It does today. And those needs include office towers, effective public transit, more mixed-use residential developments, etc.

They just don't have to come at the expense of heritage. We could almost double the size of our downtown by pushing west without ever putting a dent in a single heritage building.

People who insist this is development versus heritage seem convinced we have to cram everything we need between Waldegrave and Temperance. We don't - we couldn't even if we bulldozed the works and started over. It's not a big enough area. We have to expand our downtown west. And, luckily, we have nothing but one heritage strip that has to be preserved there (Newman Wine Vaults and surroundings). Everything else is nothing but empty lots and gas station-quality buildings. They have to go.

You are forgetting one major thing tho SignalHill, he has come out and said he is open for business and for development. The majority of the Heritage folk will take that as open season on their values. I agree everything can not fit between Waldergrave and Temperance, and we need to expand west, but to say that on the empty lot next to Fortis it must only have something that is 4 storeys high becuase it is in a Heritage area is just plain stupid.

[SignalHillHiker]

Doc saying he's pro-business and pro-development only scares people who assume he means he wants to bulldoze the old town and start over. The vast majority of us don't want that and know he doesn't mean that.

[christopher_chafe]

Doc saying he's pro-business and pro-development only scares people who assume he means he wants to bulldoze the old town and start over. The vast majority of us don't want that and know he doesn't mean that.

However the DT people don't realize that.

[christopher_chafe]

Doc saying he's pro-business and pro-development only scares people who assume he means he wants to bulldoze the old town and start over. The vast majority of us don't want that and know he doesn't mean that.

Ryan, for everyone that thinks like you do, there are atleast 5 or 10 that think like Walter Harding. That is what scares me the most. At least with you there is compromise.

[Townie709]

However the DT people don't realize that.

But thankfully, downtown people only make up about 10% of the city's population. Hopefully that number is alot higher in 10 years and it will be filled with urbanists living in condos who support development!! :D

[jeddy1989]

interesting lol

Councillor Takes Big Stride for Charity

St. John's city councillor Sheilagh O'Leary is taking on an extraordinary effort to try to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Mental Health Association. O'Leary, who is an avid open water swimmer, will swim the 5 km from Bell Island to Portugal Cove this summer in the 'Tickle Swim for Mental Health'. She says it's something she's always wanted to do, and rather than just take it on as a personal goal, she decided to try to help out a cause that she feels very strongly about.




The executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, George Skinner, says he's delighted that O'Leary has taken it upon herself to raise awareness in such a way.




The swim is scheduled to take place towards the end of August when water temperatures will be at their warmest. O'Leary is working with mountain climber, TA Loeffler and triathlete Dr. Michelle Young as mentors for her physical and mental training.
http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=30916&latest=1

[SignalHillHiker]

Good for her. No matter our views about her suitability for the position of Mayor, I'm sure most of us can agree her social activism/service record is impressive.

Interesting timing, too - with that other candidate announcing on a mental health platform.

[jeddy1989]

Good for her. No matter our views about her suitability for the position of Mayor, I'm sure most of us can agree her social activism/service record is impressive.

Interesting timing, too - with that other candidate announcing on a mental health platform.

coincidence? hahahahaha hmmmm :yuck: :sly: :P

[PoscStudent]

Younger Galgay running for Ward 2 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/02/19/nl-galgay-running-municipal-elections-219.html?cmp=rss)

Jonathan Galgay was interviewed last night on CBC, nothing regarding policy was mentioned though.

[jeddy1989]

If I get on council I'm going to push hard for:

1) The designation of the CBD in the west end of DT

2) The revamp of the bus system

3) The redevelopment of kenmount road

among other things of course

[AnUrbanLife]

Hey Jeddy and rwspencer, I think you guys were the ones who expressed an interest in maybe running for council maybe this will help.:D

Some Election info for you and anyone else who's interested:

------------------2001---------------2005----------------2009-----------

Mayor-------:---Andy Wells---------Andy Wells-----------Dennis O'Keefe
----------------16,525 votes-------25,136 votes---------20,994 votes
----------------won by 5,580------won by 21,028--------won by 7,567

Deputy-----:----Gerry Colbert-------Dennis O'Keefe-------Shannie Duff
----------------19,016 votes--------25,689 votes---------19,091 votes
----------------won by 4,642--------won by 16,466-------won by 2,974


Ward 1-----:----Art Puddister-------Art Puddister---------Danny Breen
----------------2,860 votes--------3,168 votes-----------3,402 votes
----------------won by 1,372-------won by 278-----------won by 218


Ward 2----:-----Frank Galgay--------Frank Galgay-------Frank Galgay
----------------5,265 votes---------4,733 votes--------3,652 votes
----------------won by 3,412-------won by 2,582-------won by 2,187

Ward 3----:-----Keith Coombs-------Keith Coombs--------Bruce Tilley
----------------6,772 votes---------4,604 votes---------3,635 votes
----------------won by 3,412-------won by 2,054--------won by 1,769

Ward 4----:-----Kevin Breen---------Ron Ellsworth--------Debbie Hanlon
----------------4,244 votes---------3,302 votes---------4,268 votes
----------------won by 2,047-------won by 1,164--------won by 1,583

Ward 5----:-----Jon Dinn------------Wally Collins---------Wally Collins
----------------3,657 votes---------1,888 votes----------2,565 votes
----------------won by 2,393-------won by 551----------won by 879

Councillors:-----Dennis O'Keefe-------Shannie Duff--------Sheilagh O'Leary
at Large--------26,122 votes---------21,193 votes-------24,056 votes

----------------Shannie Duff---------Gerry Colbert-------Sandy Hickman
----------------21,193 votes--------13,635 votes-------17,562 votes

----------------Paul Sear------------Sandy Hickman------Tom Hann
----------------19,761 votes--------12,724 votes--------17,079 votes

----------------Dorothy Wyatt-------Tom Hann-----------Gerry Colbert
----------------10,644 votes--------11,946 votes--------16,183 votes


* So here's the breakdown as I see it: Wards 1 and 2 would be most vulnerable. Ward 1 is consistently won with the smallest margin and a well run campaign could certainly push the few hundred votes needed to win.

Ward 2 is probably the most interesting, notice the trend lines for Frank Galgay, both popular vote and margin of victory diminished at a good clip in the three election suggesting voter fatigue which will attach itself to Galgay the younger. Jeddy if you live in ward 2 you should definitely consider this contest. Finding out where Galgay the younger lives would be useful as well. If he doesn't live in the ward use that against him.

Good luck and if multiple forumers are planning to run, talk to each other so that you don't end up splitting the youth, pro-development vote which will almost certainly be central to your platforms.:notacrook:

[PoscStudent]

Mayoral Candidate Shocked by Council Decisions

St. John's mayoral candidate Geoff Chaulk says he is shocked by some recent moves made by city council. Chaulk sat in on Monday's meeting when council voted unanimously to allow Manga Hotels to build a 12-storey hotel in the west end of the capital city if they agree to three terms. Chaulk, who worked in healthcare for 30 years, says he was shocked council would allow a hotel over the recommended number of floors.

Chaulk says the neighbours should ask what the development will do for them. He says council should look more at what the people need from development.

Chaulk says it was also surprising that Quidi Vidi Village is not a designated heritage site.

He says it is beyond belief that a council, many of whom have served for a long time, could allow the village to be unprotected.
http://www.vocm.com/mobile/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=31542

I love it!

[jeddy1989]

http://www.vocm.com/mobile/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=31542

I love it!

and now we know what this guy is all about lol

you can see when candidates are doing things just for votes and when they make decisions for the greater good. Again he is 'Shocked" due to height ... may I be the first to say WTF.. in great frustration lol also I was at that meeting .. signal was at that meeting.. copes was at that meeting the developers were at that meeting .. even Dave Lane from happy city was at that meeting .. and guess who I did NOT see there!? Chaulk ... so he's talking a talk without walking a walk ..

[Copes]

Everyone's favorite CBC commentator is blowing out hot air:

City Council Candidate wants Wage Freeze

A candidate for St. John's city council is proposing a wage freeze for the city's elected representatives.

Walter Harding, a candidate for Ward 3 in the fall municipal election, said officials are making enough already.

He said anyone running for mayor, deputy mayor or councillor should state up front if they would freeze salaries at the current level.

According to Harding, many town councils in Newfoundland and Labrador are run on a volunteer basis, and he thinks the salary for a councillor is already more than generous.

Harding said anyone who is against the salary freeze is probably running for the wrong reasons.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/03/03/nl-walter-harding-candidate-council-wage-freeze-303.html

Quite frankly, I'd pay $200,000 a pop for Councillors if it meant we got doctors, lawyers, CEOs, and Jeddy in there.

[jeddy1989]

Everyone's favorite CBC commentator is blowing out hot air:



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/03/03/nl-walter-harding-candidate-council-wage-freeze-303.html

Quite frankly, I'd pay $200,000 a pop for Councillors if it meant we got doctors, lawyers, CEOs, and Jeddy in there.

I'd take that! :D hahaha

[SignalHillHiker]

Yes, that's what a booming capital city needs: a volunteer town council.

Gawd...

[Copes]

I can't find a link, but his letter to the editor in Saturday's telegram is even more outrageous.

Councillor Hickman made a comment in a January interview stating that the great thing about St. John's council is that positions are part-time, so folks who have other jobs can still run. His exact quote was "A municipality is and should be comprised of a cross-section of the community, and in the larger cities it requires full-time Councillors, which makes it a little more difficult, but in St. John's, the brilliance of it is it's a part-time position. Therefore, if somebody has their own business, they can run, or a teacher can run, or a doctor can run, and that's what makes it so well rounded and that's important."

Harding didn't like this quote though. In fact, he completely disagreed with Hickman and went on at length about how Hickman should have more respect for cooks, truck drivers and daycare workers, and how they should be encouraged to run as well...

I don't think Hickman suggested that those people COULDN'T run. In fact that was the exact point that he was making. That the way council works makes it easy for ANYONE to join in if they have the desire.

That being said, I also have no interest in voting for someone who doesn't see the benefit of society's most educated running a city. Maybe that's controversial, but I don't want someone with a high-school diploma (hopefully) balancing the budget for St. John's. Not suggesting that is the education level of most people in the careers Harding discusses, but its safe to say Harding is trying to turn Hickman's incredibly non-controversial and positive comments into something negative, and make it about bias towards "the little guy".

Personally, I don't want the little guy running the city. And I have no problem saying that. I don't want Walter Harding running this city either. He's making more issues out of non-issues than anyone in this election so far.

[SignalHillHiker]

I agree that we need high standards - we need more qualified people running for council, like Naheed Nenshi.

Of course, exceptional municipal bureaucrats help ensure qualified leadership as well. In some ways, they're more important. I've covered municipal politics in one city and one town in my previous career as a journalist, and in both cases the Chief Administrative Officer ran the show. Council did have passionate debates and disagreements, but the CAO framed the debate, provided the options, etc.

[Copes]

I agree that we need high standards - we need more qualified people running for council, like Naheed Nenshi.

Of course, exceptional municipal bureaucrats help ensure qualified leadership as well. In some ways, they're more important. I've covered municipal politics in one city and one town in my previous career as a journalist, and in both cases the Chief Administrative Officer ran the show. Council did have passionate debates and disagreements, but the CAO framed the debate, provided the options, etc.

Yep, intelligent people behind the scenes are probably more important than an intelligent council. Really, both are necessary.

That being said, my biggest issue with the article was the words being put in Hickman's mouth. He used examples, he didn't say that "doctors, buisness owners and teachers" were the only group who should run. I think that was very unfair of Harding.

[PoscStudent]

I don't really agree with Hickman's point though about part time councillors. We can still get teachers to run for council if they were full time, they'd just need to give up their job if elected. Having part time councillors does mean some people won't be able to run, to Hardings example (hehehe) of truck drivers they are people who probably couldn't be on council if they are driving across the island on shift work and what not. There are other professions that would likely have trouble too, if you're someone who travels a lot for work then it's kind of hard to be a councillor. I know of someone for instance who travels around the world in their job and could end up leaving at the last minute.

However, I don't know if having full time councillors will increase the calibre of people we have running or not. What's done in similar sized cities?

[Copes]

I don't really agree with Hickman's point though about part time councillors. We can still get teachers to run for council if they were full time, they'd just need to give up their job if elected. Having part time councillors does mean some people won't be able to run, to Hardings example (hehehe) of truck drivers they are people who probably couldn't be on council if they are driving across the island on shift work and what not. There are other professions that would likely have trouble too, if you're someone who travels a lot for work then it's kind of hard to be a councillor. I know of someone for instance who travels around the world in their job and could end up leaving at the last minute.

However, I don't know if having full time councillors will increase the calibre of people we have running or not. What's done in similar sized cities?

I agree with you. Harding was trying to make it seem like Hickman only wanted "the elite" in council, which was not what he was saying. I don't necessarily agree with Hickman either. I don't think part-time is a benefit. I think its a negative. But Harding's attempt to put words in his mouth (or lack of reading comprehension maybe) was a negative for me.

Not sure what other cities do. If you want to increase the callibre of people running, you have to increase the benefits IMO.

[PoscStudent]

O'Leary is holding a news conference to announce her intentions for the election tomorrow.

[jeddy1989]

O'Leary is holding a news conference to announce her intentions for the election tomorrow.

ohhhhhhhh

thanks

[Townie709]

I wonder what it could possibly be about!?!?!:???:

I called it though, didn't I! I said she would announce her intentions right after a major development was brought into the news..I was thinking 23 would be announced and very soon after she would say she's against it and running for mayor. Of course, that never happened, but I can still say it was around the time as a major development :haha:

I look forward to hearing her views on development and see if we have the correct picture of her intentions. I am sure we will have our answers in the coming weeks!

Jeddy, when are you planning to officially throw your hat into the ring? I have an idea: right before oleary makes her big announcement tomorrow, you jump up on stage and steal her thunder by announcing your intentions to run :haha:

Let the race... BEGIN!

[jeddy1989]

From twitter

sheilagh o'leary will run for mayor. She just made the announcement at city hall. #cbcnl

[Chew]

God help us if she is successful.

I get the feeling I'll be a more and more enthusiastic supporter of Doc O'Keefe as this wears on, cause there's nothing more motivating for me to support a candidate I already prefer than an alternative I just can't stomach.

Last go-round I felt this way in the Deputy Mayor race. I started as a tepid supporter of Shannie Duff. The more I heard from Keith Coombs, the more I wanted Shannie to win. By the end of the race, it had become a big deal for me that she win.

[Copes]

:yuck:

[PoscStudent]

Is there no throwing up smily?

[Marty_Mcfly]

I hate to say it, but she could have a shot at winning this.

[PoscStudent]

It depends who else enters and how motivated people are. Just like in the 2011 election PC seats were lost to NDP because of motivation, for the most part. Who else enters also plays a role, that other lefty running may hurt O'Leary. If nobody else runs who is similar to O'Keefe it could give him the upper hand against the three. I think the two will have a similar level of support.

[Townie709]

Here is O'Leary's speech and interview with CBC from today if you guys want to watch it. I have to say, I did agree with pretty much everything she said. The only thing I'm unsure about is her stance on development. She seems to be a little too heritage centered for my liking, but I'm sure we'll find out more on that in the coming months!

I encourage you guys to watch it!

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NL/ID/2342781879/

[SignalHillHiker]

And don't forget, everyone: the mayor's position is largely symbolic. In many ways, the mayor has less power than a councilor. For example, I believe the mayor only votes in the event of a tie - is that correct?

Basically, the mayoral race is about the tone we want our city to take. It's about who we want our city to get into bed with, what sorts of things we want our city to be talking about, how welcome we want developers to feel bringing proposals.

It's a very important decision... but I don't think it's going to be a disaster no matter who gets in.

*****

Personally, I love Sheilagh O'Leary's image. A young, attractive mayor - male or female - is just something we haven't had... ever, really. (Not that the current and past ones aren't good-looking, ha!). It's a fresh face for the city, literally.

It's a minor thing in terms of importance, but I like that. And I think a lot of voters will as well.

Doc has greatly impressed me lately - not just with the subjects he's choosing to talk about, but also with some actions he's taken (meeting with people for coffee, etc.).

I think he's in for a very tight race. But, ultimately, St. John's likes its mayoral dynasties. In a one-on-one race, I expect Doc would narrowly defeat O'Leary.

[Marty_Mcfly]

I don't think it's a problem to be pro-heritage, I just fear that she'll be anti-development. We need balance. I also fear that she'd be too quick to jump to conclusions on certain developments and projects (she's already done it twice: once with the harbour fence and once with the Encanex laboratory)

[AnUrbanLife]

I think this is probably a good thing as it opens up a Councillors position that would have been almost certainly filled by O'Leary and if she loses she's out.

A positive development for any young hopefuls, Jeddy Cough Cough. :)

So is Doc the most pro development candidate?

[Townie709]

I think this is probably a good thing as it opens up a Councillors position that would have been almost certainly filled by O'Leary and if she loses she's out.

A positive development for any young hopefuls, Jeddy Cough Cough. :)

So is Doc the most pro development candidate?

As of now, most certainly!

[Townie709]

Cbc's point of view tonight is on the mayoral race. Okeefe vs oleary vs chalk. (But everyone knows its only Dennis vs. Sheligh) it will be interesting to see the comments

[PoscStudent]

I don't see anything "fresh" about the woman.

[jeddy1989]

LOZ

O'Keefe Expects more to Enter Race

St. John's Mayor Dennis O'Keefe says he welcomes Sheilagh O'Leary into the race for mayor. The councillor officially announced her intention to run for the mayor's chair at a news conference yesterday. Geoff Chaulk rounds out the three-way race for mayor in the capital city. Incumbent O'Keefe says the more choice voters have, the better it is for the city. He expects others will come forward before the September municipal elections.



O'Keefe says O'Leary's entry into the race won't have a significant impact on his election campaign
http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=32000&latest=1

[Townie709]

Apparently it is now a four way race. According to a friend, (I can find nothing online as of yet) Ray O'Neil announced on VOCM that he will be running for mayor as well.

Anyone know who he is or what he is about??

Edit: I looked at the past election statistics on the city's website. He ran for mayor in 2001 and again in 2005 and both times he got the lowest number of votes out of all candidates.. by alot! So it seems this guy will by no front runner but he might take a small bite out of O'Leary's voter-base :tup:

[SignalHillHiker]

Google search...

He seems to have been Deputy Mayor in the past (like DECADES ago). And he ran against Jack Harris as well.

[SignalHillHiker]

:haha:

http://therockhockey.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=NHL&action=display&thread=1241

Ray O'Neill actually got thrown out of Mile One, during the dinner for that huge conference of municipalites. He tried to go behind the bar and was saying he never got drinks he paid for and shit. Not to mention it was a formal dinner and he was wearing a white cape (looked like a bed sheet) and he some weird looking white hat on.

Ray said on NTV news tonight that he has no regrets about his campain and he feels that it was well ran.

He also said that if he doesn't win the election that he wants to start a spray painting business with Doc O'Keefe. " O'Neill and O'Keefe spray painting". He said they could both sprary paint and design many types of signs.

I honestly never made that up. He actually said that himeself in an interview.

He was probably there trying to rob another hat like the one he stole from the village mall.

So I guess he's going for O'Leary's voters then?

[J_Murphy]

Just to add to the spray painting story, the man allegedly spray painted "Lair" on a Dennis O'Keefe campaign sign. No, that is not a spelling error on my part, he actually spray painted Lair. I don't think he is well mentally.

[Townie709]

Hahaha the mentally unstable always get my vote! :D

[Chew]

Just to add to the spray painting story, the man allegedly spray painted "Lair" on a Dennis O'Keefe campaign sign. No, that is not a spelling error on my part, he actually spray painted Lair. I don't think he is well mentally.

I believe it was 'LIER'.

Regardless, I voted for him the time he ran against Andy Wells because I cannot stand Andy Wells and saw it as the ultimate protest vote - 'I'm so disgusted by Wells that I'll vote for this clown' was the statement I was going for..

[Townie709]

I believe it was 'LIER'.

Regardless, I voted for him the time he ran against Andy Wells because I cannot stand Andy Wells and saw it as the ultimate protest vote - 'I'm so disgusted by Wells that I'll vote for this clown' was the statement I was going for..

What?? How could you not like Andy Wells? He was by far the best and most interesting mayor the city has ever seen. He always knew what had to be done and didn't put up with anyone else's crap. He was great and if he decided to run, he would win hands down haha

[Chew]

What?? How could you not like Andy Wells? He was by far the best and most interesting mayor the city has ever seen. He always knew what had to be done and didn't put up with anyone else's crap. He was great and if he decided to run, he would win hands down haha

I found him to be a disgusting lowlife of a person.

When you hear someone talk about pissing on someone else's grave, calling city staff down to the dirt for no reason etc. and still vote for them you're no better IMO, no offense.

I remember working tourism years ago when a cruise ship was in. The city had much of Harbour Drive designated as no parking. In comes Andy Wells in his Land Rover, parking right in front of a no parking sign. Upon exiting his vehicle he then threatens to fire the meter maids who were there and looked at him. "Don't even think about it if you value your job" he said.

One of the best things Danny Williams did was appoint Wells to a job where he has his filthy mouth taped shut.

[PoscStudent]

Andy Wells is my favourite recent mayor, I don't know enough about ones going back to far.

I think a lot of his "ignorance" was suppose to be jokes.

[Townie709]

I found him to be a disgusting lowlife of a person.

When you hear someone talk about pissing on someone else's grave, calling city staff down to the dirt for no reason etc. and still vote for them you're no better IMO, no offense.

I remember working tourism years ago when a cruise ship was in. The city had much of Harbour Drive designated as no parking. In comes Andy Wells in his Land Rover, parking right in front of a no parking sign. Upon exiting his vehicle he then threatens to fire the meter maids who were there and looked at him. "Don't even think about it if you value your job" he said.

One of the best things Danny Williams did was appoint Wells to a job where he has his filthy mouth taped shut.

Maybe that was a joke? Or just arrogance. Either way, I still love the man!

[PoscStudent]

I saw him one morning at Tim Hortons, two woman asked him if you had to money in the metres before 9 because they just had. He told them no, but not to worry the money was going to a good cause!

[Townie709]

I saw him one morning at Tim Hortons, two woman asked him if you had to money in the metres before 9 because they just had. He told them no, but not to worry the money was going to a good cause!

Well that's obviously just a joke! :haha:

[Chew]

Maybe that was a joke? Or just arrogance. Either way, I still love the man!

The meter maids certainly looked like they took it quite seriously and the tone most certainly didn't suggest it was any kind of joke.

Anyway, I always wondered who are these people who liked Andy Wells? Apparently it was you guys (obviously among many others). I only personally know a couple of his supporters. Much like federal Conservatives - who the hell are they? I guess I don't know many grumpy old men (referring to the Harperites).

[Copes]

Andy Wells is my favourite recent mayor, I don't know enough about ones going back to far.

I think a lot of his "ignorance" was suppose to be jokes.

I know Andy. I talk to him quite frequently. While this may hurt your opinion of him, there is no doubt in my mind he was not joking.

He is a very smart man. He knows a lot. That being said, he has no time for political correctness, and he doesn't care about what other people think of him. He also can be hard to debate with because he doesn't put much value into opinions that are different from his own.

I would vote for him because I think he is the ultimate honest politician. And I think he is right 90% of the time. However, I can see how he can be off-putting, and even offensive, to many. If you have soft-skin or are easily offended, I do not recommend a conversation with Andy Wells. And I do think he has taken his honesty and dismissiveness too far on some occasions (the grave pissing comment). You can't let a disdain for the idea of political correctness override the ability to account for other people's feelings, which I think has happened on a number of occasions.

He is not for everyone, but I guarantee you his opinions are informed, he stands for what he thinks is best regardless of politics, and he is a very intelligent man.

[PoscStudent]

Oh I don't care if she was joking or not, the truth hurts!

[mrjanejacobs]

Aren't NDP views on development artsy, fartsy, don't build anything over two stories thats not made out of bracelets, be historical and die a slow painful death but we'll still be short and have arts views??

This is nonsense - The NDP has no public-views on development. This is posturing.

O'Keefe can take it, he just needs to be more vocal and become a bit more of a personality. I like the guy. He has done an excellent job, and like some of our councilors, I believe, has seen the light and will only get better as time goes on. I think he deserves another term and I will be rooting for him all the way.

Someone cannot learn to be charismatic or to have a personality. It's like when Stephen Harper was trying to be a cozy politician with his piano songs and knit sweaters… haha... it was phony and everyone saw through it. I would also argue when we say he has done 'an excellent job'… I would definitely call him competent on a budgetary level, but excellent? Nah. It's really easy to do an 'excellent' job when you're guaranteed to have a surplus. It's never been so easy to be the mayor of St.John's as it has been the past 2 terms. Should we praise doc for being in the right place at the right time? Hell no. I will, however, hold him accountable for not being more active and progressive considering the leverage the City has had recently.

I fear if O'Leary becomes mayor and if we get a majority of council being NDP/arts related we as a city will be royally screwed…

What we need is a Mayor who is pro-development WHILE at the same time protecting the 6 or so buildings are are true Heritage buildings…

This is fear-mongering, and it's nonsense. It's a complete fallacy that the conservatives have propagated about the NDP being lavish spenders and irresponsible. There is absolutely no proof to believe it. In fact, Socialist governments have a long track record of being just-as or more responsible public administrators than conservatives. Conservatives execute budget cuts with a machete - hacking away. Socialists do it with a scalpel. *my opinion*

And you're a joke if you under-estimate the heritage of our City to be 6 buildings. And 6? Pull that our of your a$$? That's so short-sighted and I definitely don't want you to have any part in planning this City. Our old town is our greatest asset and it's what make St.John's a place worth protecting and being proud of. I prefer pride than profits.

Who knows what the future holds gotta get in there first and im gonna need a team behind me!

I don't live in St.John's - but I would be happy to help, haha. I have extensive experience in branding, graphic design, public relations, writing and debating. If you need help… haha.

I mostly disagree. I do want a mayor who is pro-development, but not at the expense of our heritage.

I'd hate to live in the type of city I imagine you want St. John's to become. It's a sacrifice to me to live in a town of just 106,000 people and I do it because what St. John's offers, what makes it unique, is so valuable to me. Our old town is why I'm here, it's why I love it.

Every time I drive down Freshwater Road and come up over the hill into the old town, I smile. That's the city I want to live in.

And it frustrates me so much that some people think we have to give that up in order to be modern. We don't. We need to grow our CBD by pushing west and north, not destroy the areas that make our city a beautiful, wonderful place to work and live for the sake of a couple of towers we could easily build elsewhere.

Old town St. John's is so unique and spectacular not because of the quality of its heritage buildings, but because of their quantity. Saving a rowhouse here and there is insufficient. We'll lose the immersive atmosphere that our beautiful old city creates.

Furthermore, even if we demolished old town completely, we'd only gain a handful of modern buildings. The Rooms alone, moved down the hill a bit, could wipe out most of our residential rowhouse district.

We need to preserve old town while growing and expanding our downtown. They're not mutually exclusive.

Knowing there are people out there who think they are is the main reason I'd be inclined to support O'Leary, just because the risk of people with those views destroying the city scares me too much.

Beautifully said, Signal. I agree with you entirely.

I wish Danny would run for Mayor

Haha, be careful what you wish for… I like Danny as much as the next person for his no-bs attitude and charisma. However, he is still a staunch conservative with little understand of urban planning. Look at Glencrest/Dannyville… That is going to be another blight on the North East Avalon and it will continue to exacerbate the problems with commuting and development in the region. He is not a competent or responsible municipal leader.

Harper has done enough crap to this province, however if Mulcair got in and with his stance on oil being the "dutch disease" in Canada, 80% of this province would be so screwed it would not be funny.

This is so misinformed I don't even know where to start. Mulcair's argument against the OIL SANDS (not Newfoundland oil) in the name of dutch disease is TOTALLY justified and it's a convincing argument. It makes sense too if you know anything about the economic theory and what's going on in Canada. The Harper government have shamelessly obliterated environmental regulations and barriers to development of the Oil Sands… not only is it sacrificing our natural environment but the EXAGGERATED profit for oil royalties (without the deductions for environmental reviews) impacts manufacturing in Ontario because of an exaggerated Canadian dollar… With that said, it has nothing to do with Newfoundland, so quit fear-mongering and talking about the NDP when you don't have a holistic grasp of the issue. And 80%? Making up numbers again, Mr.Chafe?

[jeddy1989]

:previous:

Thank you for your support :)

[mrjanejacobs]

So I just read like 15 pages of this thread, so I won't even excuse myself for this second longgggg post - I deserve it :P

Ok - So I'm sure some forumers may have noticed that I support O'Leary and am pretty steadfast in my opposition to O'Keefe.

First, I will not so quickly praise O'Keefe for his fantastic performance in the past two terms just as he sat idly by as money rolled in and he congratulated himself for it.

Second, a lot of forumers gave O'Leary a hard time for her endorsement from Mulcair and the NDP. I'll point out that it wasn't her decision - it was Mulcair's prerogative to interfere. I know for a fact that O'Leary likes the non-partisan nature of City Hall. How are her associations with the NDP any more bothersome than Doc's associations with the Conservatives (an association which he is openly vocal about). Yet we aren't going to rag on Doc for his former political affiliations? That seems arbitrary.

I will argue again that development and heritage conservation are not mutually exclusive concepts (a note that Signal brings up often but doesn't seem to be appreciated, haha). Would members of this forum support O'Leary if she cam out tomorrow in support of rezoning and developing the west-end of downtown with a masterplan?

O'Leary has lots of great ideas about Creative Economy which I have discussed with her. She talks a lot about Ken Greenberg and Richard Florida (really prominent urbanists who have really progressive ideas about urban planning in Cities about walkability, transit, place-making, vibrant communities with gay/lesbian populations, attracting young people to the City, innovative industries and creative talent, etc.)
Richard Florida's site is http://www.creativeclass.com
I suggest you look into it.

It's not fair to use the expression 'anti-development' - she is NOT anti-development. She talks a lot about modernizing and sustainable development. Sure, O'Keefe is for development but it's unsustainable and not really thought-out, because he doesn't really know anything about it (in my opinion, he doesn't really care much about it either).

I want a councillor who is not a damn coward, as most of them are - I don't think that O'Keefe really GETS IT. I trust him with budgeting the public purse but I have zero faith in his competence at envisioning a future for this City. He is out of touch with it. No-bulls**t politicians are great - it's what we like about Danny Williams and Andy Wells (despite both of them being pretty arrogant). Sheliagh O'Leary is 20x closer to a no-bullshit politician than any other councillor I can think of, particularly O'Keefe, who kind of just sits on the sidelines letting the commotion pass by him, afraid of being outspoken (or perhaps he's not afraid, he just has nothing to say!)

I will not defend O'Leary when forumers accuse her of posturing. She totally does. Which politicians don't? At least she does it over important issues unlike Doc who does it over issues like people abusing handicap parking spots…

[Townie709]

mrjanejacobs, just so you know, none of us here share the same views as Mr. Chafe. He seems to want to bulldoze everything that makes this city unique and replace it with highrises just so we draw more business.. (which is a foolish and flawed way of thinking)

For all we know, he was just trolling the entire time to get a reaction out of us. Most of us don't share any of his views and to be honest, I didn't enjoy putting up with his views or the weird things he would sometimes randomly private message me..

So just a reminder to not generalize our opinions based on the things he said (I don't think you were in your comment, just letting you know for future reference :) )

[Townie709]

On the whole Doc vs O'Leary issue, I will agree that in the past I, personally, judged her too harshly based on what others said. Right now I'm not sure who I support. If she is really the candidate you describe, I look forward to hearing much more about what she plans to do as Mayor, her views on development, how we move forward, and how she will turn around our system which is, in many regards, flawed.

I would like to hear more from Doc, but he has said he isn't beginning his campaign until the end of summer (about a month before the election) which doesn't really make sense to me. I will agree that O'Keefe is not much of a personality. He does seem to sit on the sidelines and certainly isn't very vocal. We just don't hear enough out of him, I find.

I hope to hear much more from both candidates in the coming months about their platforms before decision time in the fall :tup:

[mrjanejacobs]

So just a reminder to not generalize our opinions based on the things he said (I don't think you were in your comment, just letting you know for future reference :) )

haha - don't worry. I was not trying to generalize. I knew fully that Chafe's views certainly stand apart from most commentators. If i gave the impression that I was generalizing, I apologize (I definitely knew better). Most of my hostile comments above were targeted at Chafe... ha (no offence Chafe... it's politics). :)

However with that said, it can be hard not to generalize when everyone seems to be so relentlessly opposed to O'Leary and pro-O'Keefe (like Chafe). I think her name is far too associated with 'anti-development' which is incorrect. I also think that her views on creative economy, transit, happy communities and sustainable planning are under-valued and get lost in her reputation as 'anti-development' (which is kind of exaggerated).

I mean, let's ask ourselves - which developments has she being opposed to that were rejected? (1) Fortis - doesn't matter, all of council was opposed. (2) the pedway - I think is fair, pedways are tacky is sh*t...

She has been vocal on heritage protection but she has voted YES for LOTS of developments too...

[Townie709]

Yes, she has been very vocal on heritage preservation but she has never been vocal about the necessity of development. Not once have I ever heard her publicly proclaim (outside of agreeing with and following her coworkers in the vote) that she is in support of development, or how we need to grow and smart ways to do so. If she has all these wonderful ideas of urban growth and smart development then why doesnt she share them with us? The only thing I have ever heard her talk about before her mayoral candidacy speech is heritage preservation, flip-flopping on issues and complaining about motorcycles. I have never heard her offer solutions to any problem, only complaining and saying we need to find a solution. So if she is the great leader you say she is, I hope she will start to intellectually respond to issues at hand and offer solutions because the councillor I have observed over the past four years is not a leader. Just one who simply tells everyone what they want to hear.

[mrjanejacobs]

Yes, she has been very vocal on heritage preservation but she has never been vocal about the necessity of development. Not once have I ever heard her publicly proclaim (outside of agreeing with and following her coworkers in the vote) that she is in support of development, or how we need to grow and smart ways to do so. If she has all these wonderful ideas of urban growth and smart development then why doesnt she share them with us? The only thing I have ever heard her talk about before her mayoral candidacy speech is heritage preservation, flip-flopping on issues and complaining about motorcycles. I have never heard her offer solutions to any problem, only complaining and saying we need to find a solution. So if she is the great leader you say she is, I hope she will start to intellectually respond to issues at hand and offer solutions because the councillor I have observed over the past four years is not a leader. Just one who simply tells everyone what they want to hear.

That's a really good point (that even though she is not anti-development, per se, she has given us no reason to think that she's pro-development) - and I have not actually thought about it like that before. However, I watched her speech today and she spent a lot of time talking about the RoadMap2021 that offers some really explicit/clear objectives in terms of developing the City's economy as well as comments on modernizing the City through transport and innovation. They may seem like 'givens' but I rarely here these kinds of things coming from Doc.

And you can say "The only thing I have ever heard her talk about before her mayoral candidacy speech is heritage preservation, flip-flopping on issues and complaining about motorcycles." but I can say the same things about Doc... he complains about stupid crap too... and he is certainly more populist than O'Leary. haha

And I think that's really not true (that she's a politician who just tells people what they want to hear)... what do you have to support that claim?
What about the tree-fee? That's against the grain. What about her ideas about creative economic theory? That's against the grain too. A politician has to follow what people want, within reason, they are still accountable to all citizens...

With that said, I would certainly like to ask O'Leary some more targeted questions about how she proposes accommodating development in the downtown area? I think that's a super important question she will have to answer during the next few months. I would not be surprised if she endorses development in the west-end of the City as a compromise to unburden herself with her anti-development reputation. It would be wise of her to do so. We'll see though.... :)

[Townie709]

That's a really good point (that even though she is not anti-development, per se, she has given us no reason to think that she's pro-development) - and I have not actually thought about it like that before. However, I watched her speech today and she spent a lot of time talking about the RoadMap2021 that offers some really explicit/clear objectives in terms of developing the City's economy as well as comments on modernizing the City through transport and innovation. They may seem like 'givens' but I rarely here these kinds of things coming from Doc.

And you can say "The only thing I have ever heard her talk about before her mayoral candidacy speech is heritage preservation, flip-flopping on issues and complaining about motorcycles." but I can say the same things about Doc... he complains about stupid crap too... and he is certainly more populist than O'Leary. haha

And I think that's really not true (that she's a politician who just tells people what they want to hear)... what do you have to support that claim?
What about the tree-fee? That's against the grain. What about her ideas about creative economic theory? That's against the grain too. A politician has to follow what people want, within reason, they are still accountable to all citizens...

With that said, I would certainly like to ask O'Leary some more targeted questions about how she proposes accommodating development in the downtown area? I think that's a super important question she will have to answer during the next few months. I would not be surprised if she endorses development in the west-end of the City as a compromise to unburden herself with her anti-development reputation. It would be wise of her to do so. We'll see though.... :)

Yeah, I definitely agree that she's not anti-development (she made a reference to it in her speech when talking about heritage). It's just she has only ever spoken out on heritage protection and she has never really made her views on development known. I look forward to hearing what she thinks of development and I look forward to hearing her plans.

Maybe it's just me, but I have heard her speak of her ideas of wisely growing the economy, improving public transport, creating functioning neighbourhoods, etc, but I have never heard how she plans to do it. It's great that she has vision and ideas, I just want to know how she plans to implement them. That's what I mean by telling people what they want to hear. I have heard her say she has ideas, I've just never really heard what they are

I really want to hear her publicly answer more targeted questions. I know, it's a little early to expect that to have happened, but I look forward to when it does! When O'Leary and Doc start answering difficult, targeted questions, that is when we will be able to better make up our minds about who we want governing our city. I am not against either candidate at this point. It's going to be an exciting couple of months :)

******

On a side note, I actually really agree with the tree fee. Mostly because I cannot stand driving through new neighbourhoods that just feel bare and desolate; like a space colony on mars or something. If left to do it on their own, people seem to shrug it off as an extra expense and needless labour. I would love to see mandatory trees for every plot of land!

[mrjanejacobs]

I agree - the tree by-law is a natural progression for the City (it's already in place in most Cities in Canada). I ask myself if the fee itself is necessary, however. It is definitely a tax-grab. People are reacting as if it's a personal tax-gab though, which it isn't. It's a corporate tax-grab, which is fine by me as I think developers in the province are profiteers and building low-quality sub-divisions and communities. However, it makes it more confrontational. She could have just enacted a by-law requiring that developers have two trees for every lot developed.

Also, you may be right that she is talking about what she wants to do without any concrete examples. But I will defend her in that respect, and my defence is two-fold. (1) it's a little too early to hear about specifics and she did say that she will be releasing platforms in the coming weeks and (2) she is still a step ahead of doc, a man who not only has no concrete ways of meeting his ideas, but he also has no ideas...

And yeah - I'm looking forward to the race... the first time ever. haha :)

[Townie709]

I agree, It's too early to draw conclusions yet. We'll learn much more about O'Leary, and hopefully Doc, in the coming weeks and months :)

[Copes]

I like trees and think we need more of them. However I don't know if requirements and fees are the best way to get them. Any fee / tax / requirement of developers is simply going to get passed off to the home-buyer in the price of a house. So housing prices go up. I tend to be more in favor of some sort of tree planting INCENTIVE.

In regards to O'Leary and development, the reason I see her has anti-development has to do with the issues she has seemed passionate about in the past. Sure, she may vote for a development when it is clear it is a good idea / going to pass anyway / needed in the area, but I see her getting passionate and vocal when there is a development, amendment or zoning change that she DOESN'T like. So to me, it seems her passion lies in preservation as opposed to growth. Just my perception, and she has the entire campaign to prove me wrong.

[SignalHillHiker]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/03/18/nl-tessier-place-autopsy-318.html

The residents' letter went on to say that they have gone to city hall, the police and the property owner with their concerns over the goings-on at 8 Tessier Pl., but that nothing had changed until the man was killed. They say they have a meeting scheduled with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, city officials, and mayoral candidate Sheilagh O'Leary on Friday.

I have to say... that disgusts me.

At minimum, it's in poor taste.

I am very disappointed a mayoral candidate would respond to this situation in this way. There are far more tactful ways to use a situation like this to better our city.

[Townie709]

I wouldn't go so far as to say she set up this meeting solely for her own personal gain. There is a part of her that is probably trying to help. But, for the most part I agree. It's quite obvious that this is being done to get her name out there in a positive light and nab a few easy votes. But really, any politician would jump at the same opportunity so I don't really blame her.

[mrjanejacobs]

Signal, I think you might be looking into this one a little too much. And we shouldn't jump to conclusions. How do we know that the residents didn't seek her out specifically? We don't.

In any case, isn't this the kind of behaviour we want to see in a Mayor when tragedy hits? There are too many unknowns to assume it's for political gain.

But I really don't know.

[SignalHillHiker]

We'll have to see. If they asked her to help raise awareness, and she said it was inappropriate for her to do that in the context of the campaign but she would be willing to help them organize an all-candidates' meeting to air their concerns... and the CBC just shared the story as it was to that point, and the rest of the candidates just haven't confirmed yet...

Then it's fine. But those are the only circumstances under which I am find with this.

This certainly wasn't how councilors were dealing with this issues prior to the campaign starting.

[Copes]

It's instances such as this that make me feel alright accusing O'Leary of political posturing.

I'm sure she is not a bad person. But she has never, ever, done anything like this before. I don't want to accuse her of having an angle. Maybe she knew the victim. Maybe she was approached. However, if not, I expect to see her actively involved in all future crimes. I've never seen comments from her before regarding crime. However I certainly saw her on the news tonight.

[Marty_Mcfly]

I'm sure she's a nice woman, but it raises eyebrows when she's never cared about these issues before. As some of the residents of that area have already stated, they've made city council aware of the problems before with no action from anybody, including O'Leary. It's only now, in a high profile case that's bound to strike an emotional chord with residents that she's injecting herself. If she really cared about this issue, wouldn't she have spoken up when the city were notified of problems in the past?

Sure, O'Keefe isn't doing anything about this, but I suspect not many mayoral candidates want to step directly in between drug dealers and the police.

[jeddy1989]

I'm not commenting I'm just going to post this article:

Tessier Place Residents Upset Over Increased Criminal Activity

A St. John's city councillor is concerned about the well-being of residents in the Livingstone Street/Tessier Place area. Mayoral candidate Sheilagh O'Leary was responding to the situation following the death of a man who was badly beaten at a home in the neighbourhood last week. O'Leary says the area's residents include a mixture of people from young professionals to older families. O'Leary told VOCM Open Line with Bill Rowe today that she has heard plenty of feedback regarding the ongoing situation on and around Tessier Place, a situation that involves prostitution, the drug trade, and a myriad of illicit activities.



O'Leary says if you're a woman walking in that area, you're regularly being harrassed by 'Johns.' She says there is a house on Tessier Place known to be involved in the drug trade, and residents are worried about all the violence that comes along with having that in their neighbourhood.

O'Leary says criminal activity in the area is clearly escalating. She says the community and the RNC will come together at City Hall on Friday for a meeting that will ensure a safer community and support for those involved.



O'Leary says the quality of life there for residents is just intolerable at this stage of the game. She says the city will never eradicate prostitution, but they have to figure out how to deal with it and help those involved, who are already likely in crisis.
http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=32148&latest=1


and just a reminder of an incident that happened in 2011:


Update: Man in critical condition after shooting, stabbing incident

One man is in hospital in critical condition, being treated for serious injuries from gunshot and stab wounds following an altercation on Southside Road in St. John's Wednesday afternoon.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary responded to a call at 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday reporting trouble inside a home on the road.
RNC Patrol officers closed Southside Road to traffic until it was able to determine the road was safe for residents and motorists. It was later reopened.
RNC Major Crime and the Forensic Identification units remained at the scene of the incident Wednesday evening. No arrests or charges have been laid.
The RNC said the investigation is still in the preliminary stages. It asks anyone with information to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided to Crime Stoppers anonymously through its website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.
Earlier story:
Crime scene tape blocks the entrance to a house on Southside Road in St. John’s late this afternoon where police say a physical altercation took place.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says one man has been sent to hospital in critical condition following the incident, and members of the RNC’s Major Crimes Unit is at the scene carrying out an investigation.
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2011-10-26/article-2787127/Update%3A-Man-in-critical-condition-after-shooting,-stabbing-incident/1

[jeddy1989]

and another not nice incident recently :(

RNC seeking witnesses to assault on teenage boys in downtown St. John’s

The RNC’s criminal investigation division is seeking witnesses to a physical assault on two boys — aged 15 and 16 — in the Water Street area of St. John’s about 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
The RNC says the victims were walking in the area of Water Street when five or six individuals attacked them and then fled on foot. The victims received moderate, but not life-threatening injuries.
Investigators would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-222-TIPS (8477)
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2013-03-08/article-3195937/RNC-seeking-witnesses-to-assault-on-teenage-boys-in-downtown-St.-John%26rsquo%3Bs/1

[Townie709]

I'm not commenting I'm just going to post this article:


Probably best not to judge the possible future boss lady behind her back, haha :P

Btw, this is the election thread, not the crime thread Js :haha:

[Townie709]

Article on CBC this morning about Geoff Chalk (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/03/18/nl-chaulk-mayor-candidate-platforms-319.html)

St. John's Mayoral Candidate Calls for Tolls

Geoff Chaulk, one of the candidates hoping to be elected as the mayor of St. John's, says he believes the city should consider the idea of a toll system for commuters in surrounding areas.

Chaulk said many people come into the city for work, shopping or education and they need to pay their share.

"What is it that we need to get them to contribute to the costs of our infrastructure," said Chaulk. "So I know it will be contentious and it will not win me any votes in the outlying areas, but I do think it's something we need to think about."

Chaulk admitted that he is not sure how it might work but he has asked the Newfoundland and Labrador government whether any legislation would prevent such an idea.

Better city planning needed, says candidate
Chaulk also said the city council needs to get a better handle on planning, and ask hotel and office tower developers to give back by building parks, daycare spaces or affordable apartments.

"Those companies, those big corporations, want to come here, they need to come here, because there's so much growth happening," said Chaulk.

"But I think corporately, they have to show us what their conscience is, what their responsibility is, and give back directly to the city."

New to politics
Chaulk, a former public and health policy analyst and the former executive director with the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, is one of three people who have said they are vying to become the city's mayor in the next municipal election.

Current St. John's mayor Dennis O'Keefe said last year he will seek re-election, and Coun. Sheilagh O'Leary announced her plans to run for mayor last week.

Although Chaulk has had little previous political experience, he said he has been attending St. John's city council meetings regularly to get a handle on the issues and how the current council deals with them.

St. John's voters will go to the polls on Sept. 24.

This guy doesn't have a chance. :yuck:

[SignalHillHiker]

It is a guilty pleasure I'd like to see... but it serves no productive purpose. It won't help us have a better, more effective relationship with suburban municipalities or achieve better urban planning.

[PoscStudent]

The tolls are again, IMO, a dumb idea. If St. John's were to start, which they're not allowed, then every community will end up having them.

[Copes]

Tolls will never happen, but I like preaching for them simply because it is a way to charge the folks who drive in every day for work and out every day to go home and pay their lower taxes in a suburb.

But yeah, realistically it's probably a bad idea. :haha:

[mrjanejacobs]

On the crime issue with regards to O'Leary - I really won't defend her posturing. She certainly does it.

But a few remarks - just because residents of Tessier place have notified city hall does not mean any councillors have caught wind of it. Believe it or not, councillors don't have time to individually sift through every single citizen phone call and personally respond to it.

Moreover, whether posturing or not, this is the kind of behaviour we want to see in a Mayor - not just to get elected, but in general. A mayor who actively engages in the events of a City - not just the ones that will make them look good. Perhaps we should be asking why doc, as current Mayor, isn't responding to this incident (an incident which is pretty serious given the context).

And tolls - haha, certainly not something you should campaign on. Plus, it's poorly thought out. If you put tolls on the high-ways then city roads will just become more congested because people will effortfully evade the tolls on their way to their destination. It's a fair discussion to be had (I like the concept of tolls - anything to make owning a car more expensive interests me) but this campaign is not the time or the place for that discussion.

[statbass]

Tolls will never happen, but I like preaching for them simply because it is a way to charge the folks who drive in every day for work and out every day to go home and pay their lower taxes in a suburb.

But yeah, realistically it's probably a bad idea. :haha:

Yeah, not the best platform to run your campaign off of. I don't think taxpayers want to hear about the potential of more money coming out of their pockets. Personally, I don't have any qualms with paying a toll; it'll help supplement our roadways and infrastructure - I do use it, of course. But the fact remains, it's still a poor angle to play when trying to get elected as mayor.

[J_Murphy]

Yeah, not the best platform to run your campaign off of. I don't think taxpayers want to hear about the potential of more money coming out of their pockets. Personally, I don't have any qualms with paying a toll; it'll help supplement our roadways and infrastructure - I do use it, of course. But the fact remains, it's still a poor angle to play when trying to get elected as mayor.

I think he means that people from surrounding communites (not St. John's residents) would have to pay to enter, and hence, use city services. I don't think this will have much impact on his campaign as it will have no effect on the people that are actually voting for him (St. John's residents).
I assume that St. John's residents would be exempt from paying tolls as we already pay our taxes towards the road infrastructure.

Either way, I think it is a bad thing to base your campaign on. He should learn from the reaction of this and focus on other aspects of his campaign from hereon in.

[PoscStudent]

Tolls will never happen, but I like preaching for them simply because it is a way to charge the folks who drive in every day for work and out every day to go home and pay their lower taxes in a suburb.

But yeah, realistically it's probably a bad idea. :haha:

Some suburbs aren't paying lower taxes now, I think Mount Pearl has a higher mill rate than St. John's.

Some roads in St. John's are also provincial roads.

[jeddy1989]

Probably best not to judge the possible future boss lady behind her back, haha :P

Btw, this is the election thread, not the crime thread Js :haha:

ops .. I started to post about O'Leary because it related to what you were talking about then I remembered a similar situation from a few years ago then I remembered that thing with those kids .. half right thread then I got carried away with my thought train and it should be in the crime thread :P

[statbass]

I think he means that people from surrounding communites (not St. John's residents) would have to pay to enter, and hence, use city services. I don't think this will have much impact on his campaign as it will have no effect on the people that are actually voting for him (St. John's residents).
I assume that St. John's residents would be exempt from paying tolls as we already pay our taxes towards the road infrastructure.

Either way, I think it is a bad thing to base your campaign on. He should learn from the reaction of this and focus on other aspects of his campaign from hereon in.

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here but, IMO, not charging a toll to SJ residents would be tough to pull off. What happens if a SJ resident decides to leave the city for the weekend or go for a Sunday drive, wouldn't he or she have to pay the toll to get back into the city?

I still think some type of efficient tolling system can be put in place (provided it is allowed by the province/etc.); the Mac bridges in Halifax are tolled. Just my 2 cents.

[jeddy1989]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here but, IMO, not charging a toll to SJ residents would be tough to pull off. What happens if a SJ resident decides to leave the city for the weekend or go for a Sunday drive, wouldn't he or she have to pay the toll to get back into the city?

I still think some type of efficient tolling system can be put in place (provided it is allowed by the province/etc.); the Mac bridges in Halifax are tolled. Just my 2 cents.

I think how they would manage that is that you would have to show your licence and it says your address i dunno :shrug: