Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
Perhaps but that's not what some people heard - if his approach was to go after the last council he picked the wrong specific issue to use as an example because now it's muddled his primary message.
|
He picked a perfect example. The police budget that was pre-approved is over $300M and is the department which represents the largest proportion of the overall budget. It was pre-approved in the face of a budget shortfall where cuts have to be made somewhere. Because it was pre-approved, the necessary cuts have been shifted disproportionately to other departments. Now, that's all well and good in principle if council had done their diligence and
then decided to not cut, but they didn't. The process was fumbled, horribly, and Nenshi called them on it. He did so at the time in June, and he did so again this past week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
Yup but Nenshi isn't an elected official.
|
He is not, but he is running for the same position as people who were elected officials in the position to do something he says, correctly, that they failed to do. Should track records not be questioned? Should Nenshi, or anyone else, not be able to use an example to illustrate how he would have done things differently? That's what an election campaign is about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
Moreover, the community outcry while the police budget issue was being discussed seemed to suggest that most of Calgary did not want to see the CPS budget slashed.
|
Cuts are tough to swallow, but they sometimes have to be made. During this budget process, this is the case due to the shortfall. Outcry is fine, but council still has to do their due dilligence before making a yay or nay call as to whether they should be made to each department. I would dare say that making no cuts while pre-approving the budget without scrutiny and debate is
worse, in principle than debating it and then making a few cuts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
If Nenshi's main goal was to point out flaws in the way the city manages it's money and the budget process itself that have at it - because I agree fully there appears to be some big flaws.
|
He did exactly that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JiriHrdina
But by using CPS as the example the issue has gone of course completely.
|
It couldn't be more on course. The process leading to the pre-approval of the police budget is up there with one of the worst examples of how this past council, and its members, failed this city horribly. It has to be fair game. Are you saying that the police budget is untouchable, just because? What about fire? Should their budget not have some questions asked of it? Are they too untouchable? Is calling for their budget to be scrutinized "off course?"