Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyler
Despite what many people think, Druh is very good for Calgary. Losing her would be a big loss.
Having a few councilors around who actually DO want to spend money, beautify the City, and make it a better place is a good balance to have in council.
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The only loss would be for the developers that have lined her campaign pockets with donations. Walking through Hillhurst/Sunnyside and seeing the developer signs is like reading a photocopy of Farrell's donation list.
It's hard not to think a conflict of interest is at play when certain candidates are so heavily financed by some sort of developer whether it be inner-city or suburban. It's great she stands against suburban developers making sure they pay their fair way but what about inner-city developers? Condo's place an incredible strain on ageing infrastructure in these old communities and the developers don't always pick up their fare share.
That said, better the devil you know than the devil you don't?
Not picking on Druh directly, the election financing rules are in need of a serious reform. With campaigns in the 100's of thousands it's hard for anyone to compete without getting the development industry behind them.
Art's, bridges, festivals and even everyone's beloved food trucks are generally insignificant issues in the grand scheme of things. Calgary is booming and expected to grow by 50% in the next 20 years. The steps council takes toward development are increasingly important to ensure Calgary handles this growth gracefully. It would be nice to see the interests of the citizen's, present and future, and not the interests of the development industry drive these decisions.