City of Calgary Layoffs [Split from Oilpatch layoffs]

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Hey Rhettzky - I heard 200 people on the news this morning, the OP's post say "as many as 200" - I missed the "as many as" part - where do your numbers come from... its hard to imagine why a elected group would press release more than they had to... especially if the real number boils down to 10% of whats reported...

I got my numbers from the City Manager via. e-mail this morning. I also talked with a friend of mine in Urban Development (Development and Building approvals) and she confirmed.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Dave did nothing his first term? If that's true, Duerr must have been a reanimated corpse the whole time.

I moved to the city around the middle of his last term, I lived in southern Alberta but didn't own a home here like I do now and was a lot less invested in the politics as they did not effect me much if at all... That said I have no argument... he kind of seemed like a corpse.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

I moved to the city around the middle of his last term, I lived in southern Alberta but didn't own a home here like I do now and was a lot less invested in the politics as they did not effect me much if at all... That said I have no argument... he kind of seemed like a corpse.

Dave did what Duerr couldn't do: He built things. Duerr was an out of touch twit.

Bronco's gone off the deep end, but he did the city a lot of good.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I guess I was talking about the 2 man race that the election was; between him and Al-Noor. Polls were showing Bronco with just a slight lead. Given Al-Noor's questionable past and some of his silly ideas (for example, that the Glenmore-Elbow interchange should not have been done unless all of Glenmore was done at the same time)- that is where I'm talking about it being an easy vote for me. And speaking of "doing nothing" how abut that GE5 interchange? Duerr had that on the books to be done around 2015, and Bronco got the province to kick in the extra dollars to get it done by 2008.

Well I didn’t vote for Al-Noor

As for the GE5, nice it was done early I guess... oooo fishes:

• The artist fee for Jumping Trout was $46,000.00. This commission covered only the artwork's design and a consultant fee.
• Jumping Trout was the first public art project which commissioned artists solely to design the artwork and consult on fabrication and installation. (Some other public art projects hire the artist for the artwork design as well as the fabrication and installation.)
• Transportation Infrastructure, who constructed the GE5 capital project, retained responsibility for the fabrication and installation of Jumping Trout.
• The cost of fabrication and installation was reported by Transportation Infrastructure as $425,900 (which included the $46,000 artist fee).
• At the time, GE5 had the largest budget and scope of any project undertaken through the Public Art Program.
• The project was a collaborative initiative by the Public Art Program and City of Calgary Transportation Infrastructure, the business unit sponsor.
• Funding for this project was made available through the "percent for art" strategy approved by Council in the Public Art Policy (2004), where eligible capital projects over $1 million set aside one percent of their budget for the creation of public art. >
• The capital project which provided the funding was the construction of the Glenmore/Elbow/5th Avenue interchange

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I got my numbers from the City Manager via. e-mail this morning. I also talked with a friend of mine in Urban Development (Development and Building approvals) and she confirmed.

Well then that’s better news, its not 200 families, 20 is not great but better…
Maybe that’s the reaction they hope for… oh phew its just 20.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Dave did what Duerr couldn't do: He built things.

Maybe why our property taxes are getting record hikes during a recession?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Maybe why our property taxes are getting record hikes during a recession?

Duerr kept our property taxes down by doing absolutely nothing. Is that what you want?

Yeah, I don't like the hikes either. Fact is though, this city is still decades behind in infrastructure. I really don't mind paying for that kind of stuff.

You do know that the Glenmore interchange was first proposed in the 1950s right?

[corporatejay]

What is the GE5 project? what about the Crowchild intersection right after Glenmore by Centennial, does anyone remember what a nightmare that light was? Bronco authorized OT and got that thing done well ahead of schedule.

Like shazam said, I don't like paying taxes either, but someone has to pay for police, EMS, roads, interchanges etc...

I'd be curious to see how much money is actually "wasted" by our city, or whether we just have a lot of needed expenses.

[urban1]

Anyone follow Toronto politics and Mayor David Miller? Be happy we Bronco. I cant really think of any city in Canada that has had a great mayor in recent history.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Duerr kept our property taxes down by doing absolutely nothing. Is that what you want?

Yeah, I don't like the hikes either. Fact is though, this city is still decades behind in infrastructure. I really don't mind paying for that kind of stuff.

You do know that the Glenmore interchange was first proposed in the 1950s right?

I've already stated I was not here for most of Duer's term, I didn't pay attention to Calgary politics during that time or previously, so I am not prepared to debate on Duer's behalf... you say he was useless too... ok. Sounds like Calgary has had useless mayors and councils since the 50's.

You'd think the voters would show up to remedy that situation.

[habernac]

Duerr's nickname was "Do Nothing". And he lived up to it.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

I've already stated I was not here for most of Duer's term, I didn't pay attention to Calgary politics during that time or previously, so I am not prepared to debate on Duer's behalf... you say he was useless too... ok. Sounds like Calgary has had useless mayors and councils since the 50's.

You'd think the voters would show up to remedy that situation.

Well, we did, ya know. That's how Bronco got elected and re-elected - he promised to do things and he did those things. Now he's a bit directionless, and he seems to only be able to spend money and little else.

If you want to talk politics, the Glenmore interchange was delayed for so long because there's some extremely influential people that live near there. They had been vehemently opposed to the interchange (and probably still are) for decades.

Wanna know why there's two 14th streets? Same thing.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by habernac

Duerr's nickname was "Do Nothing". And he lived up to it.

I still remember him bragging about the Stoney Trail bridge. His one accomplishment.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Well, we did, ya know. That's how Bronco got elected and re-elected - he promised to do things and he did those things. Now he's a bit directionless, and he seems to only be able to spend money and little else.

If you want to talk politics, the Glenmore interchange was delayed for so long because there's some extremely influential people that live near there. They had been vehemently opposed to the interchange (and probably still are) for decades.

Wanna know why there's two 14th streets? Same thing.

Seems to me he's always known how to spend money. Apprently fixing a few intersections is all that required to be a good mayor in Calgary...

Any thoughts on how some of these councilors have had their jobs since the 80's and 90's, given all the useless in the past?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

In an interview on QR77 this morning, Bronco mentioned that 50% of these laid-off employees have been moved to other departments.

They are all working for the luxury cleaning dept at city hall.

Broncrap. Worst Calgary mayor ever.

[Ozy_Flame]

How could anyone be trashing this move?

Half of the "laid off" employees will be shifted around to other areas, and the other half are just temporary contracts (LT's).

You guys want the fat trimmed? Well, there you go. I remember a whole whack of CP'ers lamblasting the City for having too many employees on "ridiculous" contracts, and then when they finally do something, people are calling for their heads. Ridiculous. DBA was having a less-than-stellar revenue streams, of which most of their operating budget is based on application fees, not property taxes.

And Fotze, not every employee starts out as an LT. Many transfer from one LT position to another LT position, and then after two years they are deemed unofficially "permanent." And you would be surprised at how many do that; working in one or two departments for your entire career is not very common.

[Stillman16]

rant/

The fat is top loaded, that is the point. They cut the front line customer service areas, but they still have WAY too many "bosses".

The whole system is flawed, the way the pay is determined for the "bosses" is they have to earn more than those below them, so what do they do, they hire/promote someone to be below them (create a new layer) so it bumps their salary!!!

Where one or two bosses oversaw the "operation", now there is up to 4-12 (depending on how you look at it) that do the same work!!!

And don't get me started on the the many "bosses" that are on special assignment (really a retirement training, as they do little to no real work)!!!

/rant

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Seems to me he's always known how to spend money. Apprently fixing a few intersections is all that required to be a good mayor in Calgary...

Any thoughts on how some of these councilors have had their jobs since the 80's and 90's, given all the useless in the past?

Because there is nobody else that is worth while in the races. Duerr got into office just because Klein left office, Bronco got into office just because Duerr stepped down. It seems that the only way you get someone new is if the current person steps down. Same in the alderman race, very few changes, but there have been a couple lately.
I think the big thing is that the people that could run a city would rather run a business and make 10x the money at least and not be under a microscope all the time.

I also think it is because nobody votes and when they do they vote for the name they know.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

What is the GE5 project?

GE5 = Glenmore-Elbow-5 Street

[Bobblehead]

Ward 3 booted the useless twit we had at the last elect. Jim Stevenson is head and shoulders above her. But outside of that I don't recall too many other incumbents to lose.

Here is the magic question - if you don't like the current council how do you get better people to run?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Stillman16

rant/

The whole system is flawed, the way the pay is determined for the "bosses" is they have to earn more than those below them, so what do they do, they hire/promote someone to be below them (create a new layer) so it bumps their salary!!!

Where one or two bosses oversaw the "operation", now there is up to 4-12 (depending on how you look at it) that do the same work!!!

Example please.