Calgary 2010 mayoralty race

[speedog]

Please note that the following list is in no particular order, does not reflect the opinions of the OP and will be updated as information becomes available. Beyond members should PM OP with any verifiable discrepancies or available on-line supporting documentation.

Calgary 2010 mayoralty race - 15 hats in the ring as of Monday afternoon, September 20, 2010. Please note that this list is organized by the date that it became known that the associated person announced their intentions to run for the mayor's position...

Joe Connelly currently sits on city council as alderman
appears to be against the finger trap bridge
supported Race City's lease extension web site (http://joeformayor.ca/)Jon Lord past city council alderman owner of Casablanca Video web site (http://www.jonlord.ca/)Ric McIver currently sits on city council as alderman
appears to be against the finger trap bridge
supported Race City's lease extension web site (http://www.ricmciver.ca/)Craig Burrows past city council alderman web site (http://craigburrows.ca/)Naheed Nenshi Mount Royal University professor web site (http://www.nenshi.ca/new/)
is openly critical of the finger trap bridgeBob Hawkesworth currently sits on city council as alderman appears to be for the finger trap bridge
did not support Race City's lease extension web site (http://www.bob4mayor.ca/)Wayne Stewart retired oil and gas executive former Alberta education minister web site (http://waynestewart.ca/)Gary Johston retired railway workerBarb Higgins former Calgary CTV news anchor web site (http://barbhiggins.ca/)Bonnie Devine Social activistOscar Fech Social activistAmanda Liu Very little to reportSandra Hunter No known informationDan Knight No known informationBarry Erskine Former alderman


People who were in the ring, but have now bowed out...

Paul Hughes Now supporting Barb Higgins known in local media circles as the urban chicken activist web site (http://www.hughes4mayor.com/)Alnoor Kassam Now supporting Barb Higgins local businessman web site (http://www.alnoorkassam.com/)Greg Berdette Out after barely two weeks in Equities and Options Trader web site (http://berdetteformayor.ca/)Lawrence Oshanek Social activistKent Hehr current Calgary-Buffalo MLA web site (http://kenthehr.ca/splash.php)Derek McKenzie utility company employee web site (http://www.derekmckenzie.ca/)

Reference & supporting documents... Calgary Herald's list (http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/hallmonitor/archive/2010/08/30/the-list-candidates-for-council-and-mayor.aspx) Calgary Democracy's web site (http://calgarydemocracy.ca/) Council Minutes from 2009-09-28 regarding Race City lease extension (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=IysATKqKqV&msgAction=download&vernum=2)

[Team_Mclaren]

arggg.... McIver was the main supporter of the rc extension

[speedog]

Just thought the above would be good information to have on Beyond seeing as so many human beings have way too short of a memory and are too easily able to have their eyes glossed over by the various shiny baubles offered up to the masses by candidates come election time.

Still some items that need to be added IMHO - those candidates for/against the Bow River Flow event as that was something that elicited energetic responses from many Calgary residents.

There's probably other big issues from the past few years that I've forgotten (I am old BTW) and a friendly nudge by any Beyonder would be greatly appreciated.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
arggg.... McIver was the main supporter of the rc extension Massive brain fart on my behalf - fixed and I can't believe I missed that seeing as I have a link to the supporting documentation already there. Gotta get better with my cut-n-paste.

[lint]

isn't rage2 tossing his hat in the ring?

[D'z Nutz]

rage2010 :clap:

[GoChris]

So....definitely don't vote for Bob then.

[chkolny541]

i have never voted before, but if mciver runs , i WILL vote for him

[ZenOps]

Naheed Nenshi

Gary Mar

And actually a whole list of others seem to intend to run. Nenshi is interesting because hes the brown guy that was in the same graduating class and year as Rob Anders. (And not many white peeps even know of him, definite outside shot.) No question in my mind hes more qualified to be a politician than Anders ever was.

IMO, Nenshi doesn't have the incisors to be a great leader though.

Mar is interesting because he was our former education minister.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
Just thought the above would be good information to have on Beyond seeing as so many human beings have way too short of a memory and are too easily able to have their eyes glossed over by the various shiny baubles offered up to the masses by candidates come election time.

Still some items that need to be added IMHO - those candidates for/against the Bow River Flow event as that was something that elicited energetic responses from many Calgary residents.

There's probably other big issues from the past few years that I've forgotten (I am old BTW) and a friendly nudge by any Beyonder would be greatly appreciated. It should be noted that no aspect of this event was voted on by council.

A few notes:

- Wayne Stewart has not announced yet. Still officially considering

- Alnoor Kassam has not announced yet. Still officially considering

- Naheed Nenshi is considering. Council critic/watchdog, Mount Royal University professor, occasional Calgary Herald columnist, http://www.nenshi.ca

- Current Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart is considering. Ward 13 Alderman, former nurse, recently ran and lost in the Calgary-Glenmore byelection, http://www.aldermandiane.ca/

- Kent Hehr has been rumoured to be considering the job, current Calgary-Buffalo MLA, http://www.kenthehrmla.com/

- You have Alnoor's site listed under Wayne Stewart's name. I couldn't find a site for Stewart.

[speedog]

Initial post updated - thanx to ZenOps and frinkprof.

It is by all means quite an interesting list of announced candidates and those considering running.

[Melinda]

Alnoor is running again? I wonder if he'll stop after losing this one...

McIver for me I think.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by Melinda
Alnoor is running again? I wonder if he'll stop after losing this one...He is considering. He hasn't announced either way yet.

[speedog]

Bow River Flow festival, took some digging but there was a city council vote on whether or not to keep Memorial Drive fully open during August, 2009 down on May 11, 2009 - a thinly disguised attempt to disrupt the Bow River Flow festival.. See pages 26-28 of the May 11, 2009 minutes (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=KyKeyssAsR&msgAction=download&vernum=2).

Of note, in support of keeping Memorial Drive open - Aldermen Chabot, Colley-Urquhart, Connelly, McIver & Stevenson. Against keeping Memorial Drive open - Farrell, Fox-Mellway, Hawkesworth, Hodges, Lowe, Mar, Pincott, Ceci and Mayor Bronconnier.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
Bow River Flow festival, took some digging but there was a city council vote on whether or not to keep Memorial Drive fully open during August, 2009 down on May 11, 2009 - a thinly disguised attempt to disrupt the Bow River Flow festival.. See pages 26-28 of the May 11, 2009 minutes (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=KyKeyssAsR&msgAction=download&vernum=2).

Of note, in support of keeping Memorial Drive open - Aldermen Chabot, Colley-Urquhart, Connelly, McIver & Stevenson. Against keeping Memorial Drive open - Farrell, Fox-Mellway, Hawkesworth, Hodges, Lowe, Mar, Pincott, Ceci and Mayor Bronconnier. I was aware of this. This motion only dealt with the specific Bow River Flow Festival in a tangential and abstract way. That is to say that it didn't deal with it at all. Kind of a "Don't do what Donnie Don't Does" sort of thing. At that point, there had not even been an application to close the road yet. This motion dealt with road closures of Memorial Drive, for any or no reasons at all, in the month of August 2009.

[FraserB]

Doesn't Alnoor have some kind of criminal record? I think I remember hearing something like that last time around.

Diane probably shouldn't govern a special ed class, let alone a city.

Blinky has my vote, probably gonna help out on his campaign as well.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by FraserB
Doesn't Alnoor have some kind of criminal record? I think I remember hearing something like that last time around.I think he was up on significant embezzlement charges in his native Kenya or something to that effect. He of course downplayed and denied.

[CUG]

Originally posted by Melinda
Alnoor is running again? I wonder if he'll stop after losing this one...

McIver for me I think. For me it's McIver or Dianne. I didn't vote for Dianne to go provincial, I owe her a mayoral vote too. Wouldn't be too bad with a sensible (key word) woman in charge.


Originally posted by frinkprof
I think he was up on significant embezzlement charges in his native Kenya or something to that effect. He of course downplayed and denied. He also teaches a business course at Mount Royal. Wtfffffff

[atgilchrist]

I hope Hehr runs, he's done ag reat job representing downtown as MLA and actually takes a hard stance against violent crimes.

[sputnik]

McIver as mayor would be horrible for Calgary.

Al Duerr all over again, but with more blinking.

[speedog]

So what will be the major issues - deal breakers?

Southwest ring road should be one. It will need to built sooner than later and if it means houses have to go and a bridge has to built over the Weaselhead, then so be it. Neighborhoods have had rows of houses removed in the past (Crowchild Trail south and north expansions, 16th Avenue expansion, eventual McKnight expansion where city's already bulldozing houses, NW LRT and SW LRT) and we as a populace eventually move on, forgetting the past outcries as we enjoy better roads.

And what is the status of the various contracts with the unions representing city workers - are any of them up soon? Could certainly be interesting to hear what candidates stances are regarding any possible contracts that have to be renewed.

Fiscal accountability so that unnessecary pedestrian bridges don't suddenly happen. Yeah, I'm talking about the finger trap bridge which will be the sixth pedestrian crossing over the Bow river in 14 blocks (Center Street to 14th Street). Interesting architecture has it's place, but not where we already have an abundance of similar infrastructure already in place.

Whether or not anyone on Beyond likes it, Race City's future is but a minor blip as far as an election issue IMHO and I fully support having a motorsports facility in or near Calgary. It just is way too far down on most voter's radar creens.

Another possible issue that may read it's ugly head considering it's a late fall election - outdoor firepits/burning apparatuses. Was an issue last year and will be again and with an election looming, could certainly be made into an issue by possible zealous supporters of an outright ban of the burning of anyting outdoors in your yard.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
So what will be the major issues - deal breakers?

Southwest ring road should be one. It will need to built sooner than later and if it means houses have to go and a bridge has to built over the Weaselhead, then so be it. Neighborhoods have had rows of houses removed in the past (Crowchild Trail south and north expansions, 16th Avenue expansion, eventual McKnight expansion where city's already bulldozing houses, NW LRT and SW LRT) and we as a populace eventually move on, forgetting the past outcries as we enjoy better roads.The Stoney Trail and Anthony Henday Drive (Edmonton) ring roads are Province of Alberta projects. There is some cooperation with the Cities, but all the calls are the province's to make.


Originally posted by speedog
And what is the status of the various contracts with the unions representing city workers - are any of them up soon? Could certainly be interesting to hear what candidates stances are regarding any possible contracts that have to be renewed.Not sure about other departments/unions, but transit settled a few months ago.


Originally posted by speedog
Fiscal accountability so that unnessecary pedestrian bridges don't suddenly happen. Yeah, I'm talking about the finger trap bridge which will be the sixth pedestrian crossing over the Bow river in 14 blocks (Center Street to 14th Street). Interesting architecture has it's place, but not where we already have an abundance of similar infrastructure already in place.It is a needed piece of infrastructure as identified and called for (among other improvements) in the City Centre Plan. The distance between the two existing bridges in this location is about 1.2 KM. I usually don't like comparing Calgary to London, Paris, etc., but I will here. In Paris, the Sienne River has lots of crossings, which are often no more than 200 meters apart.

The need for short distances two pedestrian/cyclist crossings of a river may be a bit difficult to understand for people who don't regularly use such infrastructure. The distance between the two existing bridges in this location is about 1.2 KM. I had a similar discussion on another forum recently, so I'll reproduce my post here.


For an automobile, a distance of, say, 7 km between interchanges is too much for a section of freeway like Deerfoot Trail, because motorists would have to double-back on themselves too much to get to their desired destination after they exited the freeway. For instance, say your point of origin is Cranston, and your point of destination is Horizon Industrial. If interchanges were spaced too far apart (remove, say, 32nd Avenue exit, and 16th Avenue interchange to create that distance between exits), you would have to go as far as 64th Avenue and double back on yourself via other streets, or exit at Memorial Drive and do the same in the opposite direction. Nevermind the fact that everyone else would have the same idea, clogging up those other streets, since they need to get to destinations that lie between the two distant interchanges.

For a pedestrian or cyclist, the reasonable distance between crossings of a barrier is obviously much lower, due to the speed at which they can travel, and the desire to reduce the manual power needed to travel to a destination. Thus, the 1.2 KM between the two existing bridges is a long way for a pedestrian or cyclist, and the existing bridges are already clogged during peak hours. Hence, another access point is needed to reduce the congestion on the existing connections, as well as to provide a reasonable distance between crossings for the users of those connections.Perhaps not the best use of examples, but hopefully the point is understood. This congestion exists on the 10th Street bridge, and there is significant cyclist/pedestrian conflict. The added bridge addresses both these problems (especially the ped/cyclist issue).

The real issues are the premium paid for architectural/structural design services and the absence of a design competition, "sole-sourcing." So, we're talking (I think) $4M for architectural fee, and I think the premium on the "better" design (i.e. materials and construction complexity, etc.) was another $2-3M. So $7-8M premium paid for the project, plus the sole-sourcing.


Originally posted by speedog
Whether or not anyone on Beyond likes it, Race City's future is but a minor blip as far as an election issue IMHO and I fully support having a motorsports facility in or near Calgary. It just is way too far down on most voter's radar creens.That's true. However, there's all sorts of single-issue special interests that people attach themselves to and base their decisions upon. What's important to you is important to you.


Originally posted by speedog
Another possible issue that may read it's ugly head considering it's a late fall election - outdoor firepits/burning apparatuses. Was an issue last year and will be again and with an election looming, could certainly be made into an issue by possible zealous supporters of an outright ban of the burning of anyting outdoors in your yard. Not sure if this may be a significant election issue. However, I believe it was Ward 9 Alderman Joe Ceci who was most loudly musing about instituting a ban. He is not seeking re-election in his ward. Not sure about the mayor's seat. I can't remember who else may have made this an issue.

[ZenOps]

Yeah Tsuu Tina would be a gigantic issue.

Not that any mayor elected in 2010 would probably be able to actually get a treaty or a speck of land nevermind a road. But whoever does get in must lay the framework for future mayors and government officials to be able to build something say 20+ years from now.

And just to add: Chinese do have superstitions about people who blink too much. It completely relates to which side of the face is twitching, whether or not its good or completely disasterous.

[speedog]

If the SW ring road is built on city owned lands, then the Tsuu Tina won't be an issue and city owned lands can easily be transferred to the province, no? I'm just saying that there could be alternatives on city owned land for the missing SW ring road piece - yes, at a cost to a few communities and to the taxpayer, but how long do we wait to negotiate a proposal through non-city or non-provincial owned lands? It's been a gong show for too many years that doesn't appear to have any real solution on the horizon and maybe it needs to be made an election issue so things can get moving in the right direction. Maybe people should travel the existing ring roads and experience what free flowing traffic is all about in bypassing the city and compare that to the existing SW Calgary offerings.

[alloroc]

Originally posted by lint
isn't rage2 tossing his hat in the ring?

[FraserB]

I think that the stance the new mayor will take with the Tsuu Tina will be a pretty large factor as well. People are probably sick and tired of pandering to the demands of a few people that in the end result in massive headaches for 1 million+

[Crymson]

Looks like Ric's in! Huzzah!

I think he'll tread the line between do nothing doer and Bronconnier's shinanigans.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/McIver+will+Calgary+mayor/2935578/story.html

[01RedDX]

.

[ZenOps]

Haha, McIver is gaining a nickname already "Dr. No"

Come to think of it he does seem to be more opposing things as to actually creating things.

[derpderp]

.

[speedog]

sidelines for derpderp.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by derpderp
I'm curious, Airdrie is a part of the Calgary metropolitan area, but is still an independent city, am I allowed to vote in the Calgary elections? or do I have to just watch from the side lines? Sidelines. If you are interested in the Calgary region as a whole, you may want to check out the Calgary Regional Partnership. It is the organization of Calgary together with its rural and exurban neighbours where regional and cooperative planning occur.

http://www.calgaryregion.ca/crp/

[Sugarphreak]

...

[syeve]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Things generally cost money and cause disruptions... I am all for opposing things.

Go Ric Go!

[Feruk]

Originally posted by speedog
Ric McIver
I like this guy, but I trust men with moustaches about as much as I trust men in capes.


Diane Colley-Urquhart
Help me out here. Is she the one who proposed speed limits in residential zones be taken down to 30 or 40km/h?


Alnoor Kassam

Might have to pass on this "scam artist"*

*Opinion

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by ZenOps
Come to think of it he does seem to be more opposing things as to actually creating things. Because 90% of the things that come out of council are stupid.

Originally posted by Feruk
Help me out here. Is she the one who proposed speed limits in residential zones be taken down to 30 or 40km/h? No, that smells like Druh's doing.

[speedog]

Nah, was Colley-Urquhart - see related Beyond thread here (http://forums.beyond.ca/st/294507/new-provincial-residential-speed-limits/) and Sun story here (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/michael_platt/2010/02/17/12923036.html). Of note, Hawkesworth also stated a lower speed limit was worth a look.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by Eleanor
No, that smells like Druh's doing. It appears it was in fact Colley-Urquhart. I don't think it was a formal motion to council though, just that the Transportation Committee (Colley-Urquhart is the head) was looking at it as a possibility, based on a similar pilot program in Edmonton. Here's an article from February 2010:

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/michael_platt/2010/02/17/12923036.html

[speedog]

Updated initial post as Alberta MLA Kent Hehr has officially thrown his hat into the ring (Calgary SUN story (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/rick_bell/2010/05/05/13828676.html)).

[TurboMedic]

Originally posted by CUG
For me it's McIver or Dianne. I didn't vote for Dianne to go provincial, I owe her a mayoral vote too. Wouldn't be too bad with a sensible (key word) woman in charge.

He also teaches a business course at Mount Royal. Wtfffffff

Just say no to that alder-cow dianne. She is not mayoral material. Mciver, absolutely

[rage2]

Originally posted by speedog
Updated initial post as Alberta MLA Kent Hehr has officially thrown his hat into the ring (Calgary SUN story (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/rick_bell/2010/05/05/13828676.html)).
Try saying that name fast 10x haha.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by rage2

Try saying that name fast 10x haha.


I wonder if he's related to the ex-super. of the school board , Dick Hehr ?? :rolleyes: :facepalm: :clap:

[lint]

Originally posted by blueToy
I wonder if he's related to the ex-super. of the school board , Dick Hehr ?? :rolleyes: :facepalm: :clap:

That's his dad.

[rage2]

Really? You're kidding me right? Dick Hehr named his son Kent Hehr?

[lint]

Nope, they're father and son

[Godfuader]

Nenshi is definitely the smartest of the bunch, and brings a wealth of corporate (profit and non-profit) knowledge. Not quite sure about his political ability.

Just to clarify that there are two brown guys. One is the Nenshi the professor. The other is Alnoor "shadypast" Kassam.

[TorqueDog]

Originally posted by rage2
Really? You're kidding me right? Dick Hehr named his son Kent Hehr? The jokes just write themselves sometimes.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by TorqueDog
The jokes just write themselves sometimes.


I laugh every time i think about this . I'm surprised it hasn't gone viral in some fashion by now .

I can't even imagine going to school named Kent Hehr . You'd either be the toughest SOB around , or get used to being a McFly . WOW ....

[frinkprof]

^I read elsewhere that his mom was a longtime teacher at the junior high school he went to as well. So, comical name, teacher's kid, and the superintendant's (who also has a comical name) kid as well. Pretty rough deal if you think about it. Plus that whole getting shot in a random attack and ending up paralyzed thing.

[speedog]

6th mayoralty candidate now in - former alderman Craig Burrows tossed his hat into the ring today. Appears to be quite critical of the finger trap bridge. Herald story (http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Craig+Burrows+enters+mayoral+race/3043457/story.html) is worth a read.

[ZorroAMG]

Someone said that Alnoor looks like Gargamel from the smurfs. Someone.

[ExtraSlow]

you had me at
urban chicken activist

[speedog]

One would think that someone running for mayor would ensure that their web site's links go somewhere that's conducive to their campaign? See the fifth active link on Paul Hughes' web site - click through at your own risk especially if at work. Wonder how long this will take to get fixed or just disappear?

[ZenOps]

Don't underestimate the Urban Chicken Activist. His viewpoint would probably be considered "Green"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2432632/UK-General-Election-2010-political-map.html

The one undeclared vote in the UK election in the prominently Conservative riding - was won by "Green".

It has been said - that as you tend to go ultra conservative you tend to eventually go "green" and no so much "reform". I want to be able to raise my chicken and eat her too! That Rob Anders won't fight for my rights to raise a chicken must make him a pink commie.

I'd run a tank over someone for a fresh sunnyside up egg in the morn.

[Thomas Gabriel]

Originally posted by speedog
One would think that someone running for mayor would ensure that their web site's links go somewhere that's conducive to their campaign? See the fifth active link on Paul Hughes' web site (http://www.paulinate.com/) - more specifically 2011 New Growing Spaces in Calgary by 2011 (http://www.2011calgary.ca/). Wonder how long this will take to get fixed or just disappear?

Dude, come on. I opened that at work.

[speedog]

Guess I could've been a little bit more explicit in my warning, but yesterday it wasn't going to as much of an explicit (read: not work safe) web site as it is now.

So without further delay, tread carefully with respect to any of the links off of Paul Hughes' web site as at least one of the link's off of his web site is pointing to a location that has been hijacked and is currently probably not work safe for most people. I'll also edit my previous posts to get rid of the offending link.

[dezmarez]

http://www.660news.com/news/local/article/59691--naheed-nenshi-runs-for-mayor


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

[ZenOps]

Yup Naheed is finally officially running.

I always wondered how he got that UN posting and how one takes the diplomatic route (instead of the militant or political route)

Naheeds definitely, well, socialist... Rob Anders loves Naheed.

Alnoor is almost ultra capitalist.

Theres no doubt Naheeds got brains though, if Klein is any indicator maybe too much.

[masoncgy]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG
Someone said that Alnoor looks like Gargamel from the smurfs. Someone.

http://home.elka.pw.edu.pl/~miwanejk/images/gargamel.jpg

http://www.alnoorkassam.com/images/sectimg-approach.jpg

Wow... striking resemblance! lol... all Kassam needs to do is grow out his cul-de-sac and he's a dead ringer.

[speedog]

Seventh person tossed their hat into the ring - Naheed Nenshi.

[Redlyne_mr2]

I hate discrimination but I feel it's important to bring this up. Minorities never seem to fair well in politics in Calgary or even Alberta for that matter. John Mar is the only non caucasian alderman and unfortunately the only time you hear of non caucasian politicians is when news is made because they broke the law. The actions of little have ruined it for many, case in point Devinder Shory (mortgage scam), Rahim Jaffer (drug charges and fraud charges). :(

[speedog]

Eighth person to drop their hat into the ring - current ward 3 alderman Bob Hawkesworth.

[slinkie]

soon they're gonna have more candidates than voters

[ExtraSlow]

In cases like this, I wish we had some kind of prelim election to weed out the number of candidates. Having eight candidates is confusing even for people who take an interest in politics.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
I hate discrimination but I feel it's important to bring this up. Minorities never seem to fair well in politics in Calgary or even Alberta for that matter. John Mar is the only non caucasian alderman and unfortunately the only time you hear of non caucasian politicians is when news is made because they broke the law. The actions of little have ruined it for many, case in point Devinder Shory (mortgage scam), Rahim Jaffer (drug charges and fraud charges). :(

Minority politicians are mostly there to appease the minority voters. Quality are usually lower than typical politician.

IE a white guy will never win in NE.

[masoncgy]

Bob Hawkesworth.... hahaha... that's funny.

Next Druh Farrell will throw her hat in the ring... just to ensure it's a slate of liberal douchebags on the ballot.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
Eighth person to drop their hat into the ring - current ward 3 alderman Bob Hawkesworth. Ward 4.

I heard that Wayne Stewart will announce next week.

[bspot]

Why is the pedestrian bridge such a focus in this election? Because McIver cried about it in Rick Bell columns filling the sun with useless one liners every day?

Its what, $24 million?

The ring road was $5 or 6 BILLION?

What's the west LRT?

SE LRT?

All of these things are WAY bigger potatoes and worth actually worring about it.

Lets complain about those fancy manhole covers with a picture of Calgary that some areas got while we're at it :banghead:

[4lti]

Originally posted by GoChris
So....definitely don't vote for Bob then.

Exactly what I thought hahaha.
He wants that stupid bridge and no race city?
Idiot...

[bspot]

^Another avid Calgary Sun reader chimes in I see.

[ryansteg]

I am going to vote for the brown kid who has no experience.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by bspot
Lets complain about those fancy manhole covers with a picture of Calgary that some areas got while we're at it :banghead: Since they probably buy a large batch of manhole covers at one time, as a custom order from the steel works, having them decorated is likely a negligible additional expense.

Also, wasn't the ring road paid for by the Province, Feds and the P3 private companies?

[speedog]

Originally posted by bspot
Why is the pedestrian bridge such a focus in this election? Because McIver cried about it in Rick Bell columns filling the sun with useless one liners every day?

Its what, $24 million?That $24 million could easily fix up some of the crumbling infrastructure in my 55 year old neighborhood. And besides that, is this $24 million pedestrian bridge really needed?


Originally posted by bspot
The ring road was $5 or 6 BILLION?Not a city issue - see ExtraSlow's post above.

[RecoilS14]

Originally posted by speedog
That $24 million could easily fix up some of the crumbling infrastructure in my 55 year old neighborhood. And besides that, is this $24 million pedestrian bridge really needed?

Not a city issue - see ExtraSlow's post above.


You sir just nailed my "Against" argument on the head.

also, those people who lost their jobs due to budget cuts could still have their jobs with that 24mil.

[bspot]

Originally posted by speedog
is this $24 million pedestrian bridge really needed?


Yes.

Have you ever tried to bike over 10th street bridge or the Eau Claire bridge in rush hour? It's absolutely needed.



Originally posted by RecoilS14



You sir just nailed my "Against" argument on the head.

also, those people who lost their jobs due to budget cuts could still have their jobs with that 24mil.

Yes, lets keep jobs for the sake of keeping jobs and keep our municipal government as inefficient as possible.

[whiskas]

Originally posted by speedog
That $24 million could easily fix up some of the crumbling infrastructure in my 55 year old neighborhood. And besides that, is this $24 million pedestrian bridge really needed?

Not a city issue - see ExtraSlow's post above.

I used to have the same opinion. Until I moved to downtown and now that bridge will be only a few blocks from my house. So now my opinion is that there is no better use for $24m other than to raise my property values and give me a pretty bridge to walk on next to my place.

The main difference? If they used that money to fix up your neighborhood nobody would give a shit, yet alone even know about it unless they live there. However improvements done to my neighborhood improve the greater image of the city within the province and country. Not to mention encourage pedestrian traffic within downtown. A concept that doesn't exist in the suburbs.

[ExtraSlow]

A large portion of all visitors to the city will visit the downtown core. Also a large number of people work in the downtown core. Those two facts are good reason to spend more on a "per population" basis than on other areas of the city.
Maybe the procurement process for that bridge wasn't the best, there's no denying that there was a lack of transparency. However, that $24 million was pretty well spent.

[speedog]

So there are some Druh Farrell and Bob Hawkesworth supporters on this forum.

[atgilchrist]

I think Druh's a fool, but as bspot said, those TWO (why does everyone always forget there's a second bridge) are absolutely necessary for the amount of foot traffic in that area.

[TorqueDog]

$25 million bucks could have built two pedestrian bridges - we've budgeted for one with it. I say we've budgeted for, because the bridge isn't built yet, and Caltrava's designs have a tendency to go over budget by a fair margin. His bridge in Venice went nearly 4x over the projected cost.

I'm not at all thrilled with how the whole thing was really done behind Calgarians' backs. The designs that I saw after the fact were far better in my mind yet none even got a chance because the decision was made. Caltrava and his bridge can go straight to hell, and take Druh with them.

[atgilchrist]

Originally posted by TorqueDog
$25 million bucks could have built two pedestrian bridges - we've budgeted for one with it. I say we've budgeted for, because the bridge isn't built yet, and Caltrava's designs have a tendency to go over budget by a fair margin. His bridge in Venice went nearly 4x over the projected cost.

I'm not at all thrilled with how the whole thing was really done behind Calgarians' backs. The designs that I saw after the fact were far better in my mind yet none even got a chance because the decision was made. Caltrava and his bridge can go straight to hell, and take Druh with them.

Right you are, I was mistaken. The $25 million was the total budget for the design of both bridges and construciton of the Peace Bridge (Finger Trap).

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
So there are some Druh Farrell and Bob Hawkesworth supporters on this forum. I don't think it's a case of being a whole-on supporter of theirs necessarily, and more about supporting the project, or at least not agreeing with all the arguments of the detractors. For example, I think Joe Connelly is a terrible mayoral candidate and most certainly won't vote for him. That doesn't mean that I dislike every little thing he's done on council. In fact, I even like a few things he's done. Same goes for just about everyone else on council.

$24M in a $2B+ capital budget. Bridge is 1 project in 740 named in the audit report. It's also one small thing in an entire body of work for council and its members.

Wrongdoing? Absolutely. Miles upon miles of newspaper column space being dedicated to what amounts to small potatoes? Yes.

I think it's absurd to focus on the micro and ignore the macro.

[speedog]

A link (http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Second+Calgary+pedestrian+bridge+works/1901692/story.html) to a Calgary Herald article regarding the two pedestrian bridges with total estimated costs for the two bridges to be about $50,000,000. Please note that is estimated and these two projects could easily be either under or over budget.

$50,000,000 - I guess I have to be okay with that as I watch one of the main entrance streets in my neighborhood looking more every year like a gravel road then a paved street. Really, I'm cool with all of this as the continued degrading condition of the streets in my neighborhood just brings me back to the good old days in the 60's when I lived in a small southern Alberta town with gravel streets. Yupp, it's kind of cool that I don't have to relate these stories to my kids as they'll soon be experience them in real life - who'd have thunk that the current urban street infrastructure would below par from the towns I lived in in the 70's?

Anyhow, I digress and at least for me, the finger trap bridge will be an election issue and alderman Druh Farrell for sure will not be getting my ward vote this fall. Her support of this bridge and the Flow with the Bow (or whatever it's called) festival are but two nails in the coffin with regards to my voting for her. Sames goes for good old Bob - my current alderman now running for mayor.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by atgilchrist
I think Druh's a fool, but as bspot said, those TWO (why does everyone always forget there's a second bridge) are absolutely necessary for the amount of foot traffic in that area. TorqueDog has already addressed this, but if you want more info (which is largely lacking in the whole "bridges" topic), I'll direct you to an earlier post I made:


Here's some facts to clear things up:

1. There are 2 pedestrian bridge projects. One is the Peace Bridge with landings in Eau Claire near 6th Street West and along Memorial Drive. The other is the St. Patrick's Island Bridge with landings in the East Village, St. Patrick's Island, and Memorial Drive.

2. The original $25M budget allocation was for the design of two bridges, and the construction of one. The one to be constructed is the Peace Bridge. All of the $25M has come from the Capital Infrastructure budget via the MSI funding source (provincial grant). Thus, no property tax dollars are going to these projects.

3. The St. Patrick's Island Bridge is being managed by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, which is an arm's length corporation from the city which is in charge of making infrastructure improvements in the East Village, including this bridge. There is currently a design competition being held by CMLC for this bridge that is down to 3 finalists. You can go to their site to see the finalists in the design competition for the bridge. www.calgarymlc.ca [Winning bid has since been chosen]

4. After the winning design is chosen, the final cost will be known, and it will be entirely financed through land sales in the east village. The idea is that the bridge will be a piece of infrastructure that will increase property values and thus the land sales will be higher.

5. This extra $20M you make reference to, is, at most, only tangentially related to the St. Patrick's Island bridge (not the Peace Bridge as you allude to). It is for improvements to the island itself. In fact, it is a loan from the City to CMLC, and will be paid back by land sales, just like the bridge. [The post I had quoted brought up what he thought were added costs to the project

Hopefully that clears things up a bit.Thread Link (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=295097&perpage=20&highlight=&pagenumber=2)

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
Anyhow, I digress and at least for me, the finger trap bridge will be an election issue and alderman Druh Farrell for sure will not be getting my ward vote this fall. Her support of this bridge and the Flow with the Bow (or whatever it's called) festival are but two nails in the coffin with regards to my voting for her. Sames goes for good old Bob - my current alderman now running for mayor. If Bob Hawkesworth is your current alderman, you will not be able to vote one way or the other on Druh Farrell. That is, unless you move to ward 7 before election day, or you live in an area where the ward boundaries are changing.

So far in ward 4, it looks like you're looking at:

Sean Chu http://seanchu.ca/

Michael Hartford http://www.hartfordward6.com/ (URL says ward 6, since he ran there previously, but is now in ward 4)

[ercchry]

jackc's dad or blinky ftw!

[speedog]

Voters do tend to focus on the micro though and not the macro - what affects them in their daily lives will largely determine the outcome of the X marked down by many a voter. My community's degrading streets are a concern to me - a micro problem on the city's whole picture and not even on the radar for some of the posters in this thread, but this one little micro problem will be a huge determining factor in my vote this fall.

Other micro issues such as the finger trap bridge and the Bow Flow festival also irk me and although micro, they will contribute to my eventual vote. The whole Race City deal - I'm not actively involved in the race scene anymore (used to volunteer at Race City about 20 years ago), but I do understand and support the need for a quality motor sports facility in the Calgary area and my opinion on this micro issue will also be used in my voting come election day. And yeah, I call the Race City deal a micro issue because that's what it is - it's nothing but a mere pimple compared to the issues that are first and forefront in many voting Calgarian's minds.

Just watch the public school issue regarding 200 or so FTE teaching positions being dropped become an election issue - most definitely not an issue for many beyonders, but still will be a major contributing factor come election day for many Calgarians.

Micro issues - political candidates can't ignore them. Pain in the ass for candidates to be knowledgeable and aware of the multitude of micro issues that'll crop up - yupp, but hey, them micro issues are really bigger than the macro IMHO.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by TorqueDog
$25 million bucks could have built two pedestrian bridgesNot unless the second bridge was one over an arterial road or something. A plain-Jane in the location of the Peace Bridge and to its specifications (single span, very low profile due to nearby heli-pad) would have cost $17-$18M.


Originally posted by TorqueDog
I'm not at all thrilled with how the whole thing was really done behind Calgarians' backs. The designs that I saw after the fact were far better in my mind yet none even got a chance because the decision was made.Which designs? As far as I know, there was just the Calatrava design, which was modified slightly after it was released (mostly materials changes to keep costs down). Are you perhaps thinking of the St. Patrick's Island bridge, which went to design competition and received 30+ entries?

[speedog]

Originally posted by frinkprof
If Bob Hawkesworth is your current alderman, you will not be able to vote one way or the other on Druh Farrell. That is, unless you move to ward 7 before election day, or you live in an area where the ward boundaries are changing.

So far in ward 4, it looks like you're looking at:

Sean Chu http://seanchu.ca/

Michael Hartford http://www.hartfordward6.com/ (URL says ward 6, since he ran there previously, but is now in ward 4) Am currently in ward 4, but my community is one of several that'll be transferred to ward 7 come election time - see this thread (http://forums.beyond.ca/st/305433/2010-calgary-ward-boundary-changes/) for more details on the upcoming ward boundary changes that will be in place before this fall's election.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
Micro issues - political candidates can't ignore them. Pain in the ass for candidates to be knowledgeable and aware of the multitude of micro issues that'll crop up - yupp, but hey, them micro issues are really bigger than the macro IMHO. Good points. I really should have worded my micro/macro comment differently. What I was going after was that it's a bit absurd to focus on a single issue. Elections are kind of funny like that. You elect a group of people every 3 years which will then go on to make decisions on hundreds of little issues. So in that sense, I think it's important to look at the whole body of work, or in the case of someone with little experience, what you think their body of work will look like.


Originally posted by speedog
Other micro issues such as [...] the Bow Flow festival also irk me and although micro, they will contribute to my eventual vote.Bow River Flow. Nothing to do with this event is the domain of council (i.e. the elected officials representing you at the municipal level). The event breaks down as follows:

- Hillhurst/Sunnyside community members have idea for event, of which a road closure would be part and parcel

- application to transportation department is made

- transportation department looks at traffic volumes for date and hours of application among other criteria.

- if closure applied for fits within standards for granting closures, closure granted. If not, closure denied

- if application is granted, event is organized and held by Hillhurst/Sunnyside community members

No decisions made by council, just as in any of the other community events in the city annually, and in any of the other hundreds of road closure applications annually.


Originally posted by speedog
A link (http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Second+Calgary+pedestrian+bridge+works/1901692/story.html) to a Calgary Herald article regarding the two pedestrian bridges with total estimated costs for the two bridges to be about $50,000,000. Please note that is estimated and these two projects could easily be either under or over budget.See my earlier post above. The St. Patrick's Island bridge (as detailed in the Herald article you posted) will be paid for by land sales in the East Village. This money would have gone to improvements (bridges or otherwise) in the East Village any which way. That leaves us at $25M. This money came from provincial grant money earmarked for (read: required to be spent on) transportation infrastructure. The bridge was a needed piece of transportation infrastructure as identified in the Centre City Plan.


Originally posted by speedog
$50,000,000 - I guess I have to be okay with that as I watch one of the main entrance streets in my neighborhood looking more every year like a gravel road then a paved street. [...]Fair enough. If this is the source of your gripe (money should be spent to improve streets and presumably other things in your community) why is it this particular $50M (actually $25M) that you take issue with? Why not, picking some random projects:

- SE BRT ($25M)
- (half of) Metis Trail extension ($49M)
- (5/6ths of) Road/Rail grade separation on Barlow Trail at 50th Ave. ($30M)
- (~30% of) NW LRT extension to Tuscany ($92M)
- (a little more than) 16th Ave./68th St. NW intersection improvements ($19M)

or

-Funnel funds away from myriad smaller projects, or some combination of the above?

To put it another way, if you want A, why is it that among dozens of other choices, it has to be B that is sacrificed to make A happen?


Originally posted by speedog
Am currently in ward 4, but my community is one of several that'll be transferred to ward 7 come election time - see this thread (http://forums.beyond.ca/st/305433/2010-calgary-ward-boundary-changes/) for more details on the upcoming ward boundary changes that will be in place before this fall's election. Fair enough. Carry on then.

[speedog]

Originally posted by frinkprof
To put it another way, if you want A, why is it that among dozens of other choices, it has to be B that is sacrificed to make A happen? It's not necessarily B that has to sacrificed, but B will come to fruition quicker than the promises of repaved streets in my community and yes, the city has stated that some of my communities streets were to be repaved over 5 years ago (was in their plan). So I'm no trying to be picky, but one less pedestrian bridge or less costly ones could've easily addressed issues in my community - a two block stretch of a regular street is all I'm talking about.

Bow Flow - yeah, council didn't really have anything to do with it, but it's taxpayer's money being spent on a festival that was quite unpopular and a festival for which no one wanted to release actual attendance figures. And several alderman were quite vocal in their support of this festival, bitching themselves up to it so to speak and thus it is a valid micro issue.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
It's not necessarily B that has to sacrificed, but B will come to fruition quicker than the promises of repaved streets in my community and yes, the city has stated that some of my communities streets were to be repaved over 5 years ago (was in their plan).Which community and streets? Just curious. I'll see if I can find anything on it. As for timelines, off the top of my head, both NE and NW LRT extensions were originally planned beyond 2023, bumped up during 2007 election campaign. It happens.

For the record - bridge project (which turned out to be the Peace Bridge) was part of an official plan in 2007, and informally before then. (Link (http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/planning/pdf/centre_city/centre_city_plan_one.pdf))


Originally posted by speedog
So I'm no trying to be picky, but one less pedestrian bridge or less costly ones could've easily addressed issues in my community - a two block stretch of a regular street is all I'm talking about....or one less road extension, or one less LRT extension (or less costly one, and believe me, just about everything in the city could be stripped down to bare bones to reduce cost), or one less intersection improvement, or a few less noise attenuation walls, or...

It comes back to my original question. If you want to see money spent on a particular thing, assuming you can't add to the budget, why is it that one particular project, among other factually equal projects (bumped up the priority queue, some premium spending) has to be sacrificed? Please don't think I'm hounding you with this point just to make it or be argumentative, but it seems that you're still singling out the one project as the cause of another one not being done.


Originally posted by speedog
Bow Flow - yeah, council didn't really have anything to do with it, but it's taxpayer's money being spent on a festival that was quite unpopular and a festival for which no one wanted to release actual attendance figures. And several alderman were quite vocal in their support of this festival, bitching themselves up to it so to speak and thus it is a valid micro issue. I'm pretty sure that no money went to the event last year. Reportedly, $10K will go to this year's iteration. Not 100% sure about the expenditure this year though.

[speedog]

Originally posted by frinkprof
Please don't think I'm hounding you with this point just to make it or be argumentative, but it seems that you're still singling out the one project as the cause of another one not being done. It is anyone's right to be critical of whichever project they wish to be and it just so happens that the finger trap bridge is a pet peeve of mine. Yeah, maybe an extra pedestrian bridge was needed, but at what cost and from what I can see, budget dollars seem to keep disappearing when it comes to repairing much of the decaying infrastructure in the older communities. Guess that's maybe one of the perks of living in an older neighborhood - wonderful tree lined streets and within walking distance of many amenities, but hey, don't complain about the needed infrastructure repairs. Guess I'll just suck it up, eh.


Originally posted by frinkprof
I'm pretty sure that no money went to the event last year. Reportedly, $10K will go to this year's iteration. Not 100% sure about the expenditure this year though. Oh, I would dare say that there was at least a few of our tax payer dollars that went into supporting last year's Bow Flow event - those barricades on Memorial Drive didn't just magically appear and then disappear at no cost to you and me.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
It is anyone's right to be critical of whichever project they wish to be and it just so happens that the finger trap bridge is a pet peeve of mine. Yeah, maybe an extra pedestrian bridge was needed, but at what cost and from what I can see, budget dollars seem to keep disappearing when it comes to repairing much of the decaying infrastructure in the older communities. Guess that's maybe one of the perks of living in an older neighborhood - wonderful tree lined streets and within walking distance of many amenities, but hey, don't complain about the needed infrastructure repairs. Guess I'll just suck it up, eh.I wasn't saying that the concern about the infrastructure in your community wasn't valid. It most certainly is. I was just questioning the seemingly direct connection you are making between that and another particular project, namely Peace Bridge. In addition to that, I was wondering what makes the Peace Bridge a pet peeve of yours? Anything other than procurement process and/or premium paid for enhanced design?


Originally posted by speedog
Oh, I would dare say that there was at least a few of our tax payer dollars that went into supporting last year's Bow Flow event - those barricades on Memorial Drive didn't just magically appear and then disappear at no cost to you and me. Well I do know that a fee (not sure how much) is paid to have a road closed. I'm not entirely sure if it makes up for all costs (transportation department personnel to move barriers, etc.). I do know that it is a fairly streamlined process that events such as the Calgary Marathon (held this past Sunday and which closed the south side of Memorial Drive), Mother's Day Run and Walk, Mardagras, etc. go through. I don't see why the transportation department would take a net loss on things like community-initiated road closures.

[speedog]

BTW frinkprof, you wouldn't happen to be a city of Calgary employee, would you? You do seem quite well aware of things that are going on within the city, even seem to have some insider knowledge when one goes back and looks at some of your 150 some odd posts. If anything, you appear to be somewhat critical of anyone who dares to question Calgary Transit or the city of Calgary or any other local civic body - one would almost think that you might be an alderman or a civic employee of some type who's job is to counter negative speak with regards to anything related to the city of Calgary.

Please remember, this is just an observation I've made and for sure, you have not once been critical of anything with respect to the city of Calgary - all you gush is goodness with respect to anything the city's done is or about to do, no negativity anywhere. Really, this seems odd because I've never met a person who hasn't been critical of the city in at least one way or another - that is until I started reading your posts. You, sir, are really a bit of an anomaly, but please do continue to what you do as your facts and figures and the associated constructive debate can only serve to make us all ponder things a bit more than we already have.

[BokCh0y]

How the hell did finkprof get a user rating of 102%? Tits somewhere?

Sorry. Carry on.

[sexualbanana]

I had Nenshi as a marketing prof at the U of C. Smart dude, but I think conservative voters might have a problem with his "lifestyle".

And I base that on nothing except a statement he made in class one day when he said if given the chance, he'd buy a VW Beetle Convertible.

:D

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by speedog
BTW frinkprof, you wouldn't happen to be a city of Calgary employee, would you? You do seem quite well aware of things that are going on within the city, even seem to have some insider knowledge when one goes back and looks at some of your 150 some odd posts. If anything, you appear to be somewhat critical of anyone who dares to question Calgary Transit or the city of Calgary or any other local civic body - one would almost think that you might be an alderman or a civic employee of some type who's job is to counter negative speak with regards to anything related to the city of Calgary.

Please remember, this is just an observation I've made and for sure, you have not once been critical of anything with respect to the city of Calgary - all you gush is goodness with respect to anything the city's done is or about to do, no negativity anywhere. Really, this seems odd because I've never met a person who hasn't been critical of the city in at least one way or another - that is until I started reading your posts. You, sir, are really a bit of an anomaly, but please do continue to what you do as your facts and figures and the associated constructive debate can only serve to make us all ponder things a bit more than we already have. No worries. I do get that a lot, including sometimes on here.

I do not, and never have either worked for the City of Calgary nor have I been an elected official or worked for one. Well, I was on student council back in the day I suppose. In fact, I don't even live in Calgary at the moment. Just finished up schooling out-of-province and will move back shortly and will work in the private sector.

No insider info really either. Most of any information I provide is based on publicly-available online documents (plans, open house information, council/committee meeting minutes, etc.) or media stories. There's a lot of info available out there, you just have to know where to look, and of course want to dedicate the time into looking into it. If I'm unsure or not 100% on something, I'll try to say so (like above re: money for road closures).

Re: any stance I seem to take. I'm sure I seem like some sort of City of Calgary cheerleader a lot of the time. For the most part I think you will find most of my posts are either providing facts and information, or debunking misconceptions. This thread is probably the place where I've focused on opinion the most (what election issues should be important, my own thoughts on candidates, etc.). For the record, I do have my own gripes with the City of Calgary as well as City Council as a unit and its individual members.

I think I come across the way I do because I think it's important to have all the information and facts you can. It's quite apparent that there is a lot of lacking information and/or misinformation about a lot of things, so a lot of my posts are geared toward giving information that I'm aware of.

At any rate I am aware that I can come across as a bit of an anomaly on this forum with the way I post and what I post about. For that reason, I try to be respectful toward people here. Sorry if I came off as otherwise toward you.

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What's a user rating?

[speedog]

No offense ever taken here, frinkprof.

[atgilchrist]

Originally posted by frinkprof

Re: any stance I seem to take. I'm sure I seem like some sort of City of Calgary cheerleader a lot of the time. For the most part I think you will find most of my posts are either providing facts and information, or debunking misconceptions. This thread is probably the place where I've focused on opinion the most (what election issues should be important, my own thoughts on candidates, etc.). For the record, I do have my own gripes with the City of Calgary as well as City Council as a unit and its individual members.

I think I come across the way I do because I think it's important to have all the information and facts you can. It's quite apparent that there is a lot of lacking information and/or misinformation about a lot of things, so a lot of my posts are geared toward giving information that I'm aware of.

At any rate I am aware that I can come across as a bit of an anomaly on this forum with the way I post and what I post about. For that reason, I try to be respectful toward people here. Sorry if I came off as otherwise toward you.

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What's a user rating?

Facts?!? What is this, some sort of factorium? We prefer to carry on with the incoherent ramblings of a Calgary Sun subscriber, set in our opinions, regardless of "truth" or "details". Your helpful and relevant posts just get in the way!

/sarcasm. Seriously, your posts are indeed helpful, and I appreciate your input.

And user ratings is based on your adherence to the official Beyond.ca rules, and how much the mods like you :).