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Originally Posted by kevman
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.
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While I'm not a fan of heavy corporate sponsorship in elections, there has to be some context in this situation. To be fair to Druh, these developers
could be attempting to show their appreciation for the work Druh is doing on reducing the asinine barriers inner-city developers face. It is baffling how, at times, developers move out of their comfort-zone in an attempt to embrace the principles the City lays out in its MDP and various policies yet they face an array of challenges in getting approvals or a DP for plans that look to conform to planning regulations or meet policy goals/objectives.
I feel that Druh is one of the members of Council that recognizes this and does what she can to let logic prevail.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevman
Art's, bridges, festivals and even everyone's beloved food trucks are generally insignificant issues in the grand scheme of things.
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At the end of the day, this is what makes the difference. Calgary is competing in a globalized World and the competitors it has to worry about are not Regina and Tulsa but rather cities like Stockholm and Melbourne. These cities are all going to provide the business-friendly environments companies seek and Calgary can offer but they also provide the livability and high quality of life that employees seek. The latter is going to be the place where the battle is won or lost and simply providing a large house in the burbs is not going to cut it.