Calgary gets the Shaft on Transit Security Money

[fanforever1986]

Calgary will get just over $800 000 of the $37 Million money pot, while Edmonton gets $2.25 Million.
Vancouver will get close to $10 mil, which makes sense given the fact they need to prepare for the olympics.

Did ANY research go into this?
Does Ottawa even KNOW Calgary's current growth/transit chaos situation?

I thought having a Calgary based PM was supposed to improve situations such as this.

http://www.am770chqr.com/news/news_x...news_local.cfm

EDIT: just thought of another discussion point. Does The Harper Gov't take Calgary's support for granted? Do they figure they have our support regardless of desisions they make that affect us?
I can't think of any other reasons for the way this has been broken up.

**Sorry about the spelling mistake in the title.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by fanforever1986

Calgary will get just over $800 000 of the $37 Million money pot, while Edmonton gets $2.25 Million.
Vancouver will get close to $10 mil, which makes sense given the fact they need to prepare for the olympics.

Did ANY research go into this?
Does Ottawa even KNOW Calgary's current growth/transit chaos situation?

I thought having a Calgary based PM was supposed to improve situations such as this.

http://www.am770chqr.com/news/news_x...news_local.cfm

EDIT: just thought of another discussion point. Does The Harper Gov't take Calgary's support for granted? Do they figure they have our support regardless of desisions they make that affect us?
I can't think of any other reasons for the way this has been broken up.

**Sorry about the spelling mistake in the title.

I don't really understand the specific requirements/needs for this 'transit/security' money, but I wonder whether the fact that a significant portion of EDMs LRT is underground might be a reason

I have little doubt though that regardless of this issue the gov't likely does take Calgary votes for granted, similar to the Alberta situation

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by fanforever1986

EDIT: just thought of another discussion point. Does The Harper Gov't take Calgary's support for granted? Do they figure they have our support regardless of desisions they make that affect us?
I can't think of any other reasons for the way this has been broken up.

Absolutely. They would have to screw Alberta royally for the people her to vote differently. I can't see that happening.

But as a transit rider it is disapointing to get the short end of the stick with this transit money. I'm in the process of saving so I can move downtown (or close to) so I finally stop taking the train. It takes me an hour to get to work and back. Makes my work day an extra two hours longer.

[jolinar of malkshor]

I don't think this money is going toward inproving ridership or easier access. If fact it will probably make it harder to ride with more securty points and possibly screening.

[Reaper]

The transit security money is basically going to upgrade cameras. Since Calgary Transit has surveilance cameras at every station I would wager that they received comparitively less money because of that fact.

[JohnnyFlame]

Originally Posted by Reaper

The transit security money is basically going to upgrade cameras. Since Calgary Transit has surveilance cameras at every station I would wager that they received comparitively less money because of that fact.

Perhaps they can take this dough then and put some more security personell on duty.

[Shazam]

Well, we got Shaft, he's getting a bit old but I bet he's still pretty tough.

Oh wait, we got the Shaft.

Oh, I guess we all thought that electing a conservative government would give us more money or something.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

An in-law of mine walks the beat as a Transit Cop for the TTC. I've always thought of them as ticket writers but if you talk to them you quickly learn they do a lot more than just chase unpaid fines. Whenever threat levels increase they're all pulling OT, chasing down left bags and what not.

Worst are the "jumpers". He can't eat red meat because of that anymore.

Cameras are certainly one thing, but increasing human resources is also needed for things to be effective. Witness the beating reported in the Sun a while ago. I don't see a lot of Transit Cops in the town - except for the odd ticket sweep done during off hours.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlame

Perhaps they can take this dough then and put some more security personell on duty.

Seeing it is only a one time grant....we would have to fire the new people next year.

[Crazy Flamer]

I saw the Mayor's response to this. Yet AGAIN he complained about how this wasn't enough and how the Federal goverment needs to give more money. Maybe the provincial and federal governments need to give calgary more money for things like transit safety and roads construction, maybe they don't. But I'm getting so SICK of his whining!

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Crazy Flamer

I saw the Mayor's response to this. Yet AGAIN he complained about how this wasn't enough and how the Federal goverment needs to give more money. Maybe the provincial and federal governments need to give calgary more money for things like transit safety and roads construction, maybe they don't. But I'm getting so SICK of his whining!

I here ya. Yet he is able to spend $500,000 on town hall meetings and brochures about how Calgary is getting screwed.

[fanforever1986]

Toronto just re-elected a mayor that ran his campaign around promising whine to the feds for more money. Thats the job of mayors these days.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by fanforever1986

EDIT: just thought of another discussion point. Does The Harper Gov't take Calgary's support for granted? Do they figure they have our support regardless of desisions they make that affect us?
I can't think of any other reasons for the way this has been broken up.

Quite honestly, this is a given with any conservative government, especially minority. A key moment in the Reform Party movement was way back in 79 when Joe Clark showed his willingness to institute an excise tax on gasoline to appease Ontario. Given that it was a minority government and another election seemed likely, winning support in Eastern Canada seemed a lot more important than currying favour with Alberta, who had never demonstrated an inclination for voting for either the Liberals or NDP. The more unfailingly you support any party, the more likely they are to take advantage.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Crazy Flamer

I saw the Mayor's response to this. Yet AGAIN he complained about how this wasn't enough and how the Federal goverment needs to give more money. Maybe the provincial and federal governments need to give calgary more money for things like transit safety and roads construction, maybe they don't. But I'm getting so SICK of his whining!

but the fact is the SHOULD be giving us more money.....

[Crazy Flamer]

Originally Posted by Table 5

but the fact is the SHOULD be giving us more money.....

Maybe that's true. But the way Bronco has gone about it for the last few years is becoming nauseating. I always here the same things, "Yeah they gave us money, but its not nearly enough! We need more! We need more!"

Enough! His responses to me show a complete lack of accountability. He is portraying himself as a baby who can't deal with things on his own. Its narcacistic. Nothing ever pleases him!

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Table 5

but the fact is the SHOULD be giving us more money.....

The only money I see that should be given to cities from the Feds is some of the excise tax from fuel.

The only money I see that should be given to cities from the Province is some of the excise tax from fuel. I also think they province doesn't need to collect property tax. I could see how if the province stops taxing property the city would be able to increase their taxes without actually increasing overall taxes.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by looooob

I don't really understand the specific requirements/needs for this 'transit/security' money, but I wonder whether the fact that a significant portion of EDMs LRT is underground might be a reason

I'd say that this is exactly what it is. Toronto's system is almost entirely underground and they get a whopping $11 million because of it. Calgary has very little, so we get very little.

If this was developed as a direct response to the London underground train bombings, then the reported shares do seem to make sense (however much we like them or not).

[fanforever1986]

bombs work above ground too...

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by fanforever1986

bombs work above ground too...

True....but won't the energy disperse better and cause less damage?

[Looger]

more security apparatus = more drills

more drills = more terror attacks

vancouver, hosting the upcoming olympics, is a more advantageous place to have terror attacks so that it can be highlited during the olympics as 'a city standing proud in reborn democratic freedom'.

contingency plans are always in the works, there are doubtless elements of canada's security apparatus working on this very project.