Decision 2010: Calgary Municipal Election

[Ferreth]

Originally Posted by freeweed

People like this have completely ruined the usefulness of telephones for me. I don't even answer mine anymore it's so flooded with crap. Dog bless caller ID and answering machines.

Hell, I don't even pay for caller ID. My friends/family know if they want to get a hold of me LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP. Kent Herr just lost my vote - I got the same robo call today too, along with another 3 hang ups that were some sort of robo call too, that's why I'm so against these things - should be illegal for non-solicited calls outside of emergency services.

[MalcolmTucker]

Who is going to make a law against these auto calls?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Ferreth

Hell, I don't even pay for caller ID. My friends/family know if they want to get a hold of me LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP. Kent Herr just lost my vote - I got the same robo call today too, along with another 3 hang ups that were some sort of robo call too, that's why I'm so against these things - should be illegal for non-solicited calls outside of emergency services.

Same. Caller ID comes with the cell (it's amazing how many unsolicited calls I get on my cell these days; I thought it was illegal). At home, I still have an old-fashioned stand-alone answering machine, so that I can hear when people start talking and pick it up if it's anyone important. You can always tell an auto-dialer: I have a VERY short "leave a message", and the auto-dialers think someone has answered, but the human it's transferred to doesn't hear the message as it's so short. So I get 4-10 messages a week of "hello? hello? hello?"

Unsolicited phone calls to private residences should be illegal, period. Failing that, there should be a way for me to set my phone that way. Something like a "do not call me, EVER" list. I wonder if we could ever get something like that legally in place.

[MalcolmTucker]

Something like a "do not call me, EVER" list. I wonder if we could ever get something like that legally in place.

The existing do not call list exempts: newspapers, companies you already have contracts with, or have had recently, political parties, survey companies, and charities. (there may be others as well)

You can argue that without the ability to call, each of those organization that provide a societal good, or provide(d) you a service would be harmed enough to make society function less well.

That being said, the do not call registry still doesn't work as well as in the USA, where they have stopped the 'win a cruise' calls outright. In Canada the problem to begin with was never as bad as in the USA either.

[DizzyEdge]

re: candidates dropping out, looks like Nenshi isn't planning on it anytime soon as he posted on Facebook that his campaign office is almost ready.

[mersar]

Yep.

So far we have:

• McIver at Macleod and Glenmore
• Hehr at Macleod and 25th
• Nenshi on 16th Ave NE

I haven't heard anything about any of the others setting up their campaign offices yet.

[MalcolmTucker]

I am surprised Hehr stuck in the race. I expect a rather low key campaign from him compared to the 'front runners' due to a shortage of funds.

[Bigtime]

I thought Connelly had an office just east of the Calgary tower in the Palliser complex?

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by mersar

Yep.

So far we have:

• McIver at Macleod and Glenmore
• Hehr at Macleod and 25th
• Nenshi on 16th Ave NE

I haven't heard anything about any of the others setting up their campaign offices yet.

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I thought Connelly had an office just east of the Calgary tower in the Palliser complex?

Yeah in this building
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...durtmItC2XS07YAWow&cbp=12,139.15,,0,2.83

or was that Hawksworth, I think it said Connelly

[MalcolmTucker]

^ must be Hawksworth, saw Connelly here:http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...2,-114.062028&spn=0.004864,0.010332&z=17

(the CRU with the blacked out ad panels in street view)

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

^ must be Hawksworth, saw Connelly here:http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...2,-114.062028&spn=0.004864,0.010332&z=17

(the CRU with the blacked out ad panels in street view)

Ok then it was Hawksworth, I doubted myself because the mailing address on his website is to a Kensington road address.

[devonb]

I've received 3 messages from Hawksworth so far. It's annoying and impersonal. Met Nenshi and Hehr at the Sunfest and both seemed nice, though Nenshi was more enthusiastic (probably due to my purple button).

[Wooster]

Nenshi Better Idea #8 Council reform and accountability.

http://www.nenshi.ca/new/2010/183

[freeweed]

Global had a piece last night about some new contender who's thrown her hat into the ring. Apparently her entire platform is a) reduce all fees for parents to zero, and b) cut the mayor's salary in half.

[Bigtime]

She's also a communist, and apparently a bunch of the fees she wants to eliminate are not controlled by municipalities.

I think that puts her firmly in the "lunatic fringe" category of candidates.

[mr.steevo]

Originally Posted by Wooster

Nenshi Better Idea #8 Council reform and accountability.

http://www.nenshi.ca/new/2010/183

“Part of the problem is the process. Council members know no one is paying attention, and this can lead to outrageous behaviour, from charging for dry cleaning to spending hours discussing whether someone can keep a driveway that’s been there for 70 years when they do a renovation."

Hi,

That sounds like my neighbour's driveway debacle which has been going on for 7 years.(!) Apparently it has firmly divided the neighbours from each other to the point that they don't speak to each other.

Nice work.

s.

[Wooster]

No political race is complete without a good commie! it's so awesome. Rainbow party too, anyone?

[Bigtime]

Not just rainbow party anymore, we need the double rainbow party man!

[gantenbein]

I received an automated call last night asking me to participate in a survey "about my participation in the mayoral election". There were four questions -- whether I voted last time and plan to vote this time, how I describe my politics (fiscal conservative, progressive, or populist), and then I was given a few policy statements and asked which I agree with the most.

What I found curious was that I was told at the end of the call which candidate's policies were most closely aligned with my outlook (Nenshi, no news there).

This made me wonder who is really behind the phone call (i.e. whether it's really an impartial organisation or perhaps from Nenshi's campaign). Would be interesting to know if they would have really given me the result 'McIver', had I answered 'fiscal conservative' and gone down that path, but I guess we'll never know.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by gantenbein

I received an automated call last night asking me to participate in a survey "about my participation in the mayoral election". There were four questions -- whether I voted last time and plan to vote this time, how I describe my politics (fiscal conservative, progressive, or populist), and then I was given a few policy statements and asked which I agree with the most.

What I found curious was that I was told at the end of the call which candidate's policies were most closely aligned with my outlook (Nenshi, no news there).

This made me wonder who is really behind the phone call (i.e. whether it's really an impartial organisation or perhaps from Nenshi's campaign). Would be interesting to know if they would have really given me the result 'McIver', had I answered 'fiscal conservative' and gone down that path, but I guess we'll never know.

If I get the call I'll choose all conservative answers and see.