Municipal Politics

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by bigcanuck

Ward 6 has the incumbent Richard Pootmans running against the outspoken diamond Joe Connelly (plus others). If people can remember back to when Joe was the Alderman (and whether they liked him at the time), this could be a good race.

I read in the paper that the moist and garrulous Connelly has put up signs all over Ward 6 taking credit for City projects that he had little or nothing to do with.

Glad to see he's not letting something as trivial as fact get in the way.

[Bigtime]

Connelly is such a blowhard.

I still remember him butting in front of Littletime at the Vic Park LRT station when we were handing out Nenshi info before a Flames game.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Brent Alexander is going to split votes away from Druh and we'll get stuck with Taylor.

So stupid.

Ya, I was wondering about that. Do not want Taylor...

[You Need A Thneed]

I'm getting a little jealous of most of you, with actual websites to review for councillor positions...

[bigcanuck]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I read in the paper that the moist and garrulous Connelly has put up signs all over Ward 6 taking credit for City projects that he had little or nothing to do with.

$8 million west side Recreation Centre - Promised, Delivered
West LRT - Promised, Delivered
No to New Taxes - Promised, Delivered

Fix 85th Street - Promised

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by bigcanuck

$8 million west side Recreation Centre - Promised, Delivered
West LRT - Promised, Delivered
No to New Taxes - Promised, Delivered

Fix 85th Street - Promised

I was driving down 85th this weekend, and saw that sign. I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. Then I saw some of the others. I assume the 85th St sign is a parody put up by residents?

[bigcanuck]

Originally Posted by freeweed

I was driving down 85th this weekend, and saw that sign. I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. Then I saw some of the others. I assume the 85th St sign is a parody put up by residents?

I think Joe is using that as an election promise. 85th has been a mess for years so I'm guessing he is promising he can make it better.

[Wigs]

Hey guys, my friend Ben is part of Civic Camp. He and his girlfriend and a few others worked on campaign contribution data from the 2010 election to show how much and where money came from to the 2010 candidates.

check it out when you have the time. It's interesting!
http://www.election.civiccamp.org/

[kw5150]

Rant!

Who has seen the fear mongering web page "common sense Calgary". What a load of shit that whole page is.

Good thing these people are the minority.

The spread of mis-information in this city, province and country is absolutely ridiculous. The mass hysteria it creates should be punishable by law ''(in this time of social media where a lie can spread so quickly).

Stop the fear and anger mongering losers!

Rant over.

"Nenshi made my taxes go up 30%!!!!!!!!" <-----what a load of crap. The push for a bigger and better economy by the citizens of Alberta and Canada made your taxes go up, not Nenshi.......Alberta is a very popular place and we made it that way. I hope the economy does not boom much more, we need to learn how to control the economy and get rid of these massive booms and busts.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

If your "years as a renter" were your college or university years I understand, but that has more to do with your age and lifestyle than the fact you were a renter. The young people who party, own cars, and engage in illegal activities may be more visible than their quieter peers, but 50% of university students don't even drink, a number that is increasing as our society becomes more multicultural. It's not fair to persecute all young people, all poor people, or all renters because of a few bad ones. Responsible young people, middle class families and seniors who rent might take issue with your comment.

Is it fair to say that people who spend more on drinking, cars and illegal drugs save less?

Is it fair to say that those who cannot save enough for a down payment are more likely to be renters?

I would agree that there is no way that one should paint all with the same brush, but the above may influence skews in the make-up of different groups.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Is it fair to say that people who spend more on drinking, cars and illegal drugs save less?

Is it fair to say that those who cannot save enough for a down payment are more likely to be renters?

I would agree that there is no way that one should paint all with the same brush, but the above may influence skews in the make-up of different groups.

Is it fair to say there is nothing wrong with renting? Be it an apartment downtown or a McMansion in the burbs? Being a renter isn't an issue. Being a douchebag is.

Home-ownership is near an all time high in Canada, around 70%. meaning 30% are renting. that 30% number is obviously significantly higher in less affordable areas. As house-prices outpace wage growth, which they have for 30 years, more people will move to renting as they cannot afford the entry price into the world of ownership.

Calgary is higher (i.e. highest) than the average (~73%) but differs drastically by community. Did you know Altadore has only a 59% home-ownership rate?

Home-owners are not more responsible than renters. They are the same people. Some people want to not have any disposable income and "save" by spending 3,000 on a mortgage a month for 20 years. Some people would rather have the income. Some people switch between renting and owning several times in their lives. There is nothing wrong with any of that.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ca...e-match-between-farrell-taylor-1.1873184

Looks like Ward 7 may turn to a bit of a battle for Druh. Something about Kevin Taylor rubs me the wrong way. He sure has a lot of signs out....

Brent Alexander doesn't sound to bad either. Any skeletons in his closet? He's probably going to be a longshot anyway.

Take a peak at Taylor's donation list.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Is it fair to say that people who spend more on drinking, cars and illegal drugs save less?

Is it fair to say that those who cannot save enough for a down payment are more likely to be renters?

I would agree that there is no way that one should paint all with the same brush, but the above may influence skews in the make-up of different groups.

Can you draw a Venn diagram please.

That's like saying upper class people are soulless douchbags who live without morals.

[Wentworth]

Originally Posted by bigcanuck

I think Joe is using that as an election promise. 85th has been a mess for years so I'm guessing he is promising he can make it better.

Ugh, the least they can do is remove the digital sign and traffic cones that have been blocking the left n/b lane at Bow Trail for the better part of a year, thus making it easier for traffic exiting onto Bow to get out. Or better yet, take out the concrete barricades that block the second n/b lane at the intersection so that two lanes can flow through. This intersection is a complete clusterfuck at afternoon rush hour and especially when school gets out.

One thing I have to give Connelly credit for is that his neon letter signs are surprisingly effective. Of the thousands of elections signs that I drove past today, his are the only ones I remember.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

That's like saying upper class people are soulless douchbags who live without morals.

Statistically, compared to the middle class they are.

It's well-established that CEOs tend to be closer to the sociopathic side of the scale than regular folk.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Statistically, compared to the middle class they are.

It's well-established that CEOs tend to be closer to the sociopathic side of the scale than regular folk.

I wouldn't agree with you until this year where my employment brought me into those circles more often.

Definitely a statistically significant disproportionate level of douchery amongst these dead-eyed, chauvinistic sub-creatures; mere pale husks of the humans they once were.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Statistically, compared to the middle class they are.

It's well-established that CEOs tend to be closer to the sociopathic side of the scale than regular folk.

was it Businessweek or The Economist that had an article about CEOs and other executive level persons possessing more sociopathic traits than the average worker bee? lol can't remember

really off-topic below

The beverage brand "Honest Tea" did a sociology marketing experiment where they setup kiosks or stands of Honest Tea but purposely left unattended, relying on the honor system. There was only a box to drop money in-requesting $1 each bottle. These kiosks were setup all across the U.S.
The experiment found that 92% of Americans that participated were honest. The most honest states were Alabama and Hawaii with 100% paying for their drinks. Women were more honest than men, blondes more honest than brunettes or redheads.
in my opinion, the best story was a businessman from Boston who took 13 bottles of Honest Tea over the course of a day, without even paying a penny, uh I mean nickle. what an ass!
http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/...experiment-puts-honor-system-to-the-test

[Deepstar]

Question for the political experts here on SSP. I've noticed that Nenshi wants to get rid of a $4,800 subsidy from the city on new homes developed in Calgary. Yet at the same time I thought that all new homes already being taxed with some kind of levee, of around $10,000 dollars. I'm hoping some one can clarify this for me. Thanks.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Deepstar

Question for the political experts here on SSP. I've noticed that Nenshi wants to get rid of a $4,800 subsidy from the city on new homes developed in Calgary. Yet at the same time I thought that all new homes already being taxed with some kind of levee, of around $10,000 dollars. I'm hoping some one can clarify this for me. Thanks.

At the end of the day, the current structure still results in a subsidy.

I would also like to see neighborhoods that are undergoing intensification to have a surcharge added on their taxes, as the replacement / upgrade of utilities that is resulting is otherwise bankrupting the city, and also is in effect a huge subsidy.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by suburbia

At the end of the day, the current structure still results in a subsidy.

I would also like to see neighborhoods that are undergoing intensification to have a surcharge added on their taxes, as the replacement / upgrade of utilities that is resulting is otherwise bankrupting the city, and also is in effect a huge subsidy.

Would you like to see this levy added to all homes in these communities that are undergoing intensification or just the homes that are contributing to this problem (new in-fills, duplexes, condos, what have you)?

An existing 40-50's bungalow on a huge lot has added nothing to the strain of the system as compared to the two or three new homes that might replace it.