MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[You Need a Thneed]

The reason why you see some street cars with a ramp to the ground, is because thats a retrofit to a system that previously had no accessibility at all. That's why you can use things like that.

When building new, you can't make that compromise.

But retrofits can be utterly absurd too. You might have seen this video that;s a retrofit:

https://youtu.be/vtsS29MKdBM?si=hTZrqRJeLNBHeRGp

I can guarantee you that the lift in that video has an installation cost of at least 4 figure dollars for every user that will ever use it. If not 5 figures. It would have been significantly cheaper for the hotel to tell people in wheelchairs that they can staty at the hotel for free, you just have to deal with a couple strong guys carrying you up the front stairs.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

https://youtu.be/vtsS29MKdBM?si=hTZrqRJeLNBHeRGp

The engineering absurdity of this is impressive. I wonder how hard it is to deal with the impacts of dust/water to keep it working.

It would be hard to not get frustrated with a simple set of stairs adding 5 minutes to every entrance/exit of a public space. My dad drives for Access, and the amount of waiting around people do for busses eats enough of their days to start with.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

The reason why you see some street cars with a ramp to the ground, is because thats a retrofit to a system that previously had no accessibility at all. That's why you can use things like that.

When building new, you can't make that compromise.

But retrofits can be utterly absurd too. You might have seen this video that;s a retrofit:

https://youtu.be/vtsS29MKdBM?si=hTZrqRJeLNBHeRGp

I can guarantee you that the lift in that video has an installation cost of at least 4 figure dollars for every user that will ever use it. If not 5 figures. It would have been significantly cheaper for the hotel to tell people in wheelchairs that they can staty at the hotel for free, you just have to deal with a couple strong guys carrying you up the front stairs.

I don't agree with it being absurd at all. This lift solution is amazing on all counts - engineering, design creativity and functionality. It is also appropriate for the streetfront. The hotel could have done something ugly, cheap and barely passable for functionality; yet, they've chosen to do something outstanding and be proud of their building. Very commendable.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I don't agree with it being absurd at all. This lift solution is amazing on all counts - engineering, design creativity and functionality. It is also appropriate for the streetfront. The hotel could have done something ugly, cheap and barely passable for functionality; yet, they've chosen to do something outstanding and be proud of their building. Very commendable.

The implementation is obviously very nice.

I'm just saying that it would be better for both the hotel, and for the disabled users to simply have someone ready to carry them up the stairs (or perhaps just take them around through a back door, and let them stay at the hotel for free.

Obviously, there is something about the dignity of being able to be independent. But would you choose to give that up to save a couple hundred bucks?

I wouldn't be surprised at all if that is a million dollar install for that lift. It probably gets used a couple hundred times in it's lifetime. Do the math.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to install this - but I think its worth thinking about what is actually better in some circumstances. Maybe what is better is to spend that million dollars somewhere else that would be significantly more beneficial.

[powderjunkie]

Carrying wheelchair users up the stairs is 100% a non-starter.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Obviously, there is something about the dignity of being able to be independent. But would you choose to give that up to save a couple hundred bucks?

Would you give up your dignity for a couple hundred dollars?

Having someone carry you up the stairs and a free room may sound cool to someone who can do it once on a lark. But if every time you wanted to stay in a hotel, you needed to call someone? What are the chances that the call gets answered right away? Or you need to pre-book a time and then are running late?

In addition to the practical hassles, how does it make the person feel to be treated that way?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

Would you give up your dignity for a couple hundred dollars?

Having someone carry you up the stairs and a free room may sound cool to someone who can do it once on a lark. But if every time you wanted to stay in a hotel, you needed to call someone? What are the chances that the call gets answered right away? Or you need to pre-book a time and then are running late?

In addition to the practical hassles, how does it make the person feel to be treated that way?

And these are good questions.

And I hope I didn't come across saying that this type of thing shouldn't be done. We absolutely need to do much better than we currently do for disabled people.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

The implementation is obviously very nice.

I'm just saying that it would be better for both the hotel, and for the disabled users to simply have someone ready to carry them up the stairs (or perhaps just take them around through a back door, and let them stay at the hotel for free.

Obviously, there is something about the dignity of being able to be independent. But would you choose to give that up to save a couple hundred bucks?

I wouldn't be surprised at all if that is a million dollar install for that lift. It probably gets used a couple hundred times in it's lifetime. Do the math.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to install this - but I think its worth thinking about what is actually better in some circumstances. Maybe what is better is to spend that million dollars somewhere else that would be significantly more beneficial.

A corporation paid another corporation a million bucks which likely went to local trades and local material suppliers and provided some income for some folks so it's not all unbeneficial.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Carrying wheelchair users up the stairs is 100% a non-starter.

What about a crude 'Rope & Pulley' system? Just lower the rope around their arms, get a couple Bellhops to haul them up the stairs and then go down and grab the chair and bring it up!

Couldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks to rig it up!

[para transit fellow]

this is more "Calgary region municipal politics"

Cochrane Census:

Cochrane's population is now at 37011 up from from 32,199 (counted in 2021)

https://cochranenow.com/articles/and...f-cochrane-is-

the Calgary region is growing!

[chemgear]

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...ulation-growth

Calgary city council is being asked by administration to approve a bigger tax hike than previously agreed to for the city to keep pace with a rapidly growing population.

The average property will therefore see a 4.5 per cent increase to property taxes — nearly one percentage point more than what council had previously approved for the coming year, layered on top of higher water, waste and recycling rates.

“It’s simply not possible to absorb as many new Calgarians as we have during a time of significant inflation without either having costs increase or services decline.”

[powderjunkie]

Heh. Remember when they told us the new arena wasn't going to mean any property tax increase? Hahahahahahhaa

[The Fisher Account]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Heh. Remember when they told us the new arena wasn't going to mean any property tax increase? Hahahahahahhaa

I don't think it's the arena that is requiring the tax hike. I think its the population of Medicine Hat that Calgary just absorbed last year and has to provide services for.

[PsYcNeT]

Alberta is Calling.

No wait stop moving into cities.

Rural Alberta is Calling.

[Bigtime]

Love him, hate him, or be indifferent of him but Gian-Carlo Carra was on the Eyeopener this morning and was spitting fire towards the provincial government in regards to the green line. When the interview link goes up I'll post it here.

Edit: Oh, and it is up already: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio...line-wind-down

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by chemgear

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...ulation-growth

Calgary city council is being asked by administration to approve a bigger tax hike than previously agreed to for the city to keep pace with a rapidly growing population.

The average property will therefore see a 4.5 per cent increase to property taxes — nearly one percentage point more than what council had previously approved for the coming year, layered on top of higher water, waste and recycling rates.

“It’s simply not possible to absorb as many new Calgarians as we have during a time of significant inflation without either having costs increase or services decline.”

Is anyone really surprised...

I eagerly await the new tax rates every time they say they are looking at ways to reduce them...

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Is anyone really surprised...

I eagerly await the new tax rates every time they say they are looking at ways to reduce them...

Someone clever will divide that tax increase by a unit of time to minimize the impact of them. Hell, this may be the first time I can actually understand an increase with the insane amount of people we have added.

The city feels like its headed into a 'The Warriors' universe with the toilet it has become. The roads are Edmonton like now. Every square block there is some sort of construction going on (which I guess is good). There is no way we can pay for all this at current rates.

It's like we said fata it, lets put it on the credit card, I'm gonna die soon anyway, let someone else sort out the mess.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Love him, hate him, or be indifferent of him but Gian-Carlo Carra was on the Eyeopener this morning and was spitting fire towards the provincial government in regards to the green line. When the interview link goes up I'll post it here.

Edit: Oh, and it is up already: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio...line-wind-down

Wow, ya.
"Lighting money on fire. Stupid. Malicious."


He's not wrong. The Smith government will go down in history as the stupidest, most malicious, incompetent collection of morons ever assembled in Edmonton(consider the competition!), and it's only year two. All those who voted for them should hang their heads in shame. Shame!

[Ozy_Flame]

I'd say the problem stemmed from High River, but then I'd be disrespecting the long, storied history and pioneering connection the Premier shares in Brooks-Medicine Hat.

[surferguy]

Doesn't she have a televised address today about our schools? I can only imagine what concentration of acid she is going to dump on them.