Municipal Politics

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by jawagord

Smith's comments are almost the same as the ones I posted on the green line route earlier this year, build the line south to the hospital, don't build two truncated lines that go nowhere. Guess I'll have to vote for Smith. Nenshi is lying his 🞵🞵🞵 off if he says the funding would go away, that's wrong, dishonest, stupid, smells of desperation?

The province only funded it once a route was finalised. I won't pretend to be an expert on how these things are administered, but changing up the project scope would surely ruin the funding decision. There's only one person lying on this subject, and it isn't Nenshi.

I don't believe the Green Line route and technology choice is ideal, IMO, either. But Smith naively thinking he can do a better job than the team which spent years deciding the route is arrogant and dishonest, and would only result in a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 ton of work going down the drain and us not getting a new LRT line for years.

If he does get in, I expect he'll have a rude awakening to the reality of the situation which he is currently unaware of (on many things). And will end up backtracking, not that he has presented many policies anyway.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by milomilo

The province only funded it once a route was finalised. I won't pretend to be an expert on how these things are administered, but changing up the project scope would surely ruin the funding decision. There's only one person lying on this subject, and it isn't Nenshi.

I don't believe the Green Line route and technology choice is ideal, IMO, either. But Smith naively thinking he can do a better job than the team which spent years deciding the route is arrogant and dishonest, and would only result in a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 ton of work going down the drain and us not getting a new LRT line for years.

If he does get in, I expect he'll have a rude awakening to the reality of the situation which he is currently unaware of (on many things). And will end up backtracking, not that he has presented many policies anyway.

The technology choice definitely should be revisited. The route will never satisfy everyone but what they've chosen seems to be as good as any.

As for the funding, it's hard to say what will happen. If we get a new provincial government which seems very likely and if Justin gets the boot federally which I hope happens, then who knows what would happen if the city tries to change things. Don't be surprised if Smith decides to cancel the project to save money and look good to his base. After the PCs lost in 2015 he and the president at the time got rid of all of the staff except for one person. Jason Kenney has also questioned the project and I think has ties to Smith. If he becomes premier and Smith mayor you can kiss this project goodbye.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

The technology choice definitely should be revisited. The route will never satisfy everyone but what they've chosen seems to be as good as any.

As for the funding, it's hard to say what will happen. If we get a new provincial government which seems very likely and if Justin gets the boot federally which I hope happens, then who knows what would happen if the city tries to change things. Don't be surprised if Smith decides to cancel the project to save money and look good to his base. After the PCs lost in 2015 he and the president at the time got rid of all of the staff except for one person. Jason Kenney has also questioned the project and I think has ties to Smith. If he becomes premier and Smith mayor you can kiss this project goodbye.

I'd personally be very surprised if the Green Line got canned. It's a couple of years until we see those changes of government and the project should be either under construction or close to being by then. And even if Smith gets in he's just one part of the city government and would be a fool to cancel a popular project like the Green Line.

I hope I'm not wrong.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I'd personally be very surprised if the Green Line got canned. It's a couple of years until we see those changes of government and the project should be either under construction or close to being by then. And even if Smith gets in he's just one part of the city government and would be a fool to cancel a popular project like the Green Line.

I hope I'm not wrong.

Construction doesn't start until 2020. If the project is going to be gutted or downgraded to a surface only line then they should cancel it. I don't want to see one cent spent on a project that will leave us with endless headaches.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Yeah, that's a great idea, re-start planning on a line which has been (over) studied to death for years and throw away the funding. I'm sure he'll find a cheaper way to build a railway, expert as he is on that.

The guy's an actual 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵, completely unelectable. A pawn serving his donors.

Here's the thing about Nenshi - sure he can be overstated and I can see why people criticise him for being argumentative, and he'd do himself a favour to tone it down a little sometimes. But when he calls people out for being wrong, or dishonest, or stupid it's because they are wrong, dishonest and stupid. He's always the one with the correct facts while his opponents are there with misinformed opinions and falsehoods.

Wow. So in addition to probably capitulating to all the Flames’ demands to fund a new arena he’ll likely end up shelving or further delaying the greenline. Wonderful! What a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 idiot. He represents the same ugly vein of ignorant politics that got Donald Trump elected. He’s not racist or bigoted or even that brash or loud. But he’s stupid. And the electorate seems to love stupid politicians recently. Being an ‘intellectual’ like Nenshi has become a slur. People want a slob they can see themselves getting hammered with at a bar. Someone not too ‘polished’ that doesn’t trigger their inferiority complex. I guess they want another Ralph Klein. Bill Smith has none of that man’s charisma or cunning though. He’ll just be a useless lump. Filling the chair in the mayor’s office and doing what his backers tell him to do.

[O-tacular]

This morning on the drive to work I saw the campaign signs for the mayoral candidates. Nenshi had one with his picture and branding. Chabot had one with his picture and branding. Even the candidates for school trustee had professional signs with pictures. Then the very last sign was on a letterboard and it said Bill Smith. Literally just a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 letter board. This is completely emblematic of his entire campaign. #neocitranhaze. Just the laziest, sloppiest campaigning imaginable. Imagine how he’ll run city hall. Cut every corner. Do the cheapest most expedient solution nevermind the long term consequences.

One of my co-workers went to one of his fundraisers. I asked him how it was. He prefaced it by saying he wasn’t the most well spoken candidate and that he was dressed in a plaid blazer with jeans and running shoes. Basically a slob. He had no details about the arena except it was needed and should be fair for Calgarians and the city. My co-worker still wants to vote for him because he’s not Nenshi.

[Calgarian]

Any chance of a Chabot vs Smith Debate? If I were anti Nenshi, it would come down to these two, and I would want to see them go head to head on these issues. Chabot can articulate a sentence, Smith has not done well from the limited part of the debates I've seen.

[suburbia]

This interview with the senior business columnist Deb Yedlin is quite good. I think she articulates the different positions / ideas when it comes to the Calgary economy quite well. Have a listen:

Deborah Yedlin on Calgary's business climate
http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/calgary-eyeopener/segment/14265845

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Any chance of a Chabot vs Smith Debate? If I were anti Nenshi, it would come down to these two, and I would want to see them go head to head on these issues. Chabot can articulate a sentence, Smith has not done well from the limited part of the debates I've seen.

🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 Bill Smith. I don't have any good choices for this election. A smarmy, annoying dude with a bad attitude who can't run a cohesive council, a guy who's overall pretty good, but is way down in the polls, or the guy who could unseat smarmy annoying guy, but doesn't seem bright enough to deserve it.

[suburbia]

Bill Smith and the Green Line
• Video Link

[Chinook Arch]

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 Bill Smith. I don't have any good choices for this election. A smarmy, annoying dude with a bad attitude who can't run a cohesive council, a guy who's overall pretty good, but is way down in the polls, or the guy who could unseat smarmy annoying guy, but doesn't seem bright enough to deserve it.

Bill Smith already had the 'get rid of Nenshi' votes. Not a bright move bringing up the green Line. Then again every time Trump did something dumb, it made him even more popular. It'll be interesting to see what happens as there are still a fair number who don't like Nenshi. It might not seem that way with Suburbia his minister of propaganda pushing Nenshi as much as possible.

[bigtown_smallcity]

Bill Smith: Make Calgary Late Again

(really? coming out as being pro-'Ready to Engage' and throwing more sand in the gears for the Green Line?)

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

Bill Smith already had the 'get rid of Nenshi' votes. Not a bright move bringing up the green Line. Then again every time Trump did something dumb, it made him even more popular. It'll be interesting to see what happens as there are still a fair number who don't like Nenshi. It might not seem that way with Suburbia his minister of propaganda pushing Nenshi as much as possible.

Nenshi's 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 but totally blind supporters are not helping his cause. The usual group on Twitter is actually hurting him by acting even worse than he does. They've learned nothing from the 2016 election despite constantly proclaiming how smart they are.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Nenshi's 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 but totally blind supporters are not helping his cause. The usual group on Twitter is actually hurting him by acting even worse than he does. They've learned nothing from the 2016 election despite constantly proclaiming how smart they are.

What's his group on twitter?

Can you provide an example?

What did you think of Bigtime's video?

I thought this interview regarding Twitter bots was very pertinent:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/programs/eyeopener/election-bots-1.4343817

[Doug]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

This morning on the drive to work I saw the campaign signs for the mayoral candidates. Nenshi had one with his picture and branding. Chabot had one with his picture and branding. Even the candidates for school trustee had professional signs with pictures. Then the very last sign was on a letterboard and it said Bill Smith. Literally just a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 letter board. This is completely emblematic of his entire campaign. #neocitranhaze. Just the laziest, sloppiest campaigning imaginable. Imagine how he’ll run city hall. Cut every corner. Do the cheapest most expedient solution nevermind the long term consequences.

One of my co-workers went to one of his fundraisers. I asked him how it was. He prefaced it by saying he wasn’t the most well spoken candidate and that he was dressed in a plaid blazer with jeans and running shoes. Basically a slob. He had no details about the arena except it was needed and should be fair for Calgarians and the city. My co-worker still wants to vote for him because he’s not Nenshi.

Yeah Smith’s campaign should invest in some 10 year old pictures that are heavily photoshopped to make him appear less bald and 50 lbs lighter...oh wait, didn’t one of the other candidates already do that?

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Doug

Yeah Smith’s campaign should invest in some 10 year old pictures that are heavily photoshopped to make him appear less bald and 50 lbs lighter...oh wait, didn’t one of the other candidates already do that?

While there has been lots of false-policy editorial, I think the election question comes down to if you'll vote for they guy that may irritate you but understands and puts forward policy, or the guy who has no platform and has basically been bought by the Calgary Flames as a mechanism to direct public dollars to their pockets.

• Video Link

[suburbia]

This is a ruling about the firm doing the Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald and Sean Chu's polling:
https://mria-arim.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Mainstreet%20Research%20Sanction%20Posting.pdf

[Doug]

Originally Posted by milomilo

The province only funded it once a route was finalised. I won't pretend to be an expert on how these things are administered, but changing up the project scope would surely ruin the funding decision. There's only one person lying on this subject, and it isn't Nenshi.

I don't believe the Green Line route and technology choice is ideal, IMO, either. But Smith naively thinking he can do a better job than the team which spent years deciding the route is arrogant and dishonest, and would only result in a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 ton of work going down the drain and us not getting a new LRT line for years.

If he does get in, I expect he'll have a rude awakening to the reality of the situation which he is currently unaware of (on many things). And will end up backtracking, not that he has presented many policies anyway.

The route likely won’t change, likely the phasing.

Provincial funding is a red herring as the new provincial government in 2019 may or may not revisit its capital budget (it will be a staggering $80B in debt by that point) regardless of Green Line routing or phasing.

The federal funding is already at risk as the re-election prospect of the two Calgary Liberals MP’s are bleak.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Doug

The route likely won’t change, likely the phasing.

Provincial funding is a red herring as the new provincial government in 2019 may or may not revisit its capital budget (it will be a staggering $80B in debt by that point) regardless of Green Line routing or phasing.

The federal funding is already at risk as the re-election prospect of the two Calgary Liberals MP’s are bleak.

No one is saying we’re worried about the route changing. We’re worried it will be delayed even further and watered down to the point of uselessness.

[Tropics]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

This morning on the drive to work I saw the campaign signs for the mayoral candidates. Nenshi had one with his picture and branding. Chabot had one with his picture and branding. Even the candidates for school trustee had professional signs with pictures. Then the very last sign was on a letterboard and it said Bill Smith. Literally just a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 letter board. This is completely emblematic of his entire campaign.

Which candidate's approach will have the smallest environmental footprint though?