2010 Mayors Race

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by llama64

Because in Alberta we vote based on our "team". If the candidate once played for the enemy "team" or subscribes to anything that closely relates to the "evil team" philosophy then we can't vote for them no matter what. If you don't vote for team "Conservative" get the hell out of our province! At least that's what the Herald and Sun tell me.

I'm mostly kidding - but it is distressing to see people bringing the tired "fiscally conservative (ie, not scary religious conservative)" vs "socialist (everything else)" debate into a municipal setting. It just doesn't translate well.

I'm going to vote for the most level headed candidate with the clearest plan for improving Calgary. So far my choice is Kent Hehr but I am looking forward to the actual campaigns later this year.

My stance is if any election should really matter, it's the municipal one. Individual personalities directly affect the policy coming out - there is no munged party group think going on like there is in Provincial and Federal politics. And since Calgary doesn't change it's mayors up all that often, who ever we vote in is likely to stay there for well over a decade.

I completely agree. The municipal election is the one that has the greatest level of impact on our daily lives, so I hope people take a good opportunity to look at the platforms that each candidate has and figure out who best represents where they want to see the city go.

[Rhettzky]

I'm not so sure about Hehr now. Didn't his riding president just get disbarred over that whole mortgage fraud thing and then global was saying that Hehr lied about the date that he stepped down? Hehr said he stepped down in January of last year but there is documentation proving that he was still signing cheques as president as late as April. Anyway, something seemed really shady.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I'm not so sure about Hehr now. Didn't his riding president just get disbarred over that whole mortgage fraud thing and then global was saying that Hehr lied about the date that he stepped down? Hehr said he stepped down in January of last year but there is documentation proving that he was still signing cheques as president as late as April. Anyway, something seemed really shady.

No, that is not what happened here. John Casuga (the lawyer in question here) was the constituency president but did not stand for re-election in 2009. He was replaced in early February athte AGM of the constituency. The only thing he signed after that point was the financial statement for the constituency relating to the 2008 calendar year, which is a common practice. That statement simply details what came in and out of the constituency association through the year and it is signed by the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Officer of the association. There is no impropriety here at all, and certainly Kent did not lie about the dates or anything like that.

In actuality Casuga was suspended a few years ago as well and decided not the pursue reinstatement (at least that is how its been explained to me). There has never been a link between the constituency association and the law practice of John Casuga on a business level.

[Rhettzky]

Thanks for the explanation, but do you know why Hehr hasn't made any public comment on the issue yet? Avoiding interviews just makes it look worse in my eyes. Especially if the explanation is as simple as you suggest.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Thanks for the explanation, but do you know why Hehr hasn't made any public comment on the issue yet? Avoiding interviews just makes it look worse in my eyes. Especially if the explanation is as simple as you suggest.

He actually did an interview with CBC yesterday, but earlier this week he also released an email statement.

I do wish that he would've talked a little sooner here, personally. The thing that you have to understand is that he really had/has nothing to say here. There were no business dealings between the two, between the constituency and Casuga or between the Liberal Party and Casuga. Overall there is really not a lot to say here. Kent clearly had no idea that there were these allegations or any potential involvement (nor did anyone else, otherwise he never would've been elected as president of the constituency, right?). So the interview is kind of pointless in that regard.

Honestly I get the impression that the media wishes there was a bigger story here, but there is really nothing. I actually feel similarly about Devinder Shory. Its a little different now that the RCMP is investigating, but until that point these lawyers (and other parties) were simply named in a civil lawsuit. Just being named doesn't mean that you are guilty and it certainly doesn't mean that you committed any fraud. The civil suit is sort of a shotgun approach where everyone is named and people are weeded out as things progress. Its a similar situation to the babysitter being named in the house fire case (another thread on CP this past week or so).

[VladtheImpaler]

Casuga was in my class in law school (as was Hehr's sister) and Kent Hehr was a year behind us. As far as I know, Casuga and Kent Hehr were never friends or anything more than casual acquaitances, so I wouldn't read anything sinister into this... Of course, I may be completely ignorant.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Casuga was in my class in law school (as was Hehr's sister) and Kent Hehr was a year behind us. As far as I know, Casuga and Kent Hehr were never friends or anything more than casual acquaitances, so I wouldn't read anything sinister into this... Of course, I may be completely ignorant.

I think that is accurate given my knowledge of the situation as well.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by SebC

I don't pay that much attention to individual posters that much so I don't really know what you're refering to, but eliminating subsidies for suburbs seems like a fiscally conservative move to me.

Infrastructure for everyone, courtesy of the city centre's taxes is a lot more socialist.

Supporting taxes doesn't make you socialist. Only a fool thinks that a city can run efficiently without taxes and such.

I consider myself fiscally conservative and I approve of a well-placed tax.

I do not approve of stupid taxes that are levied against the population because the government can't control its spending.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I'm not so sure about Hehr now. Didn't his riding president just get disbarred over that whole mortgage fraud thing and then global was saying that Hehr lied about the date that he stepped down? Hehr said he stepped down in January of last year but there is documentation proving that he was still signing cheques as president as late as April. Anyway, something seemed really shady.

Well that ain't surprising. He is a liberal after all. Corrupt to the bone!

And if anyone takes that seriously please go jump off a bridge.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Azure

Well that ain't surprising. He is a liberal after all. Corrupt to the bone!

And if anyone takes that seriously please go jump off a bridge.

[Bill Bumface]

Seriously, that bridge is so awesome. Even if I never use it it's worth the $20-$40 it cost me just to get wicket pictures of the Calgary skyline with that in it.

[Azure]

Wait, that is an actual bridge? I thought it was just a mockup picture to make fun of someones crazy plan for a bridge.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Azure

Wait, that is an actual bridge? I thought it was just a mockup picture to make fun of someones crazy plan for a bridge.

I'm not sure why a bridge was needed so close to the 10th st bridge.

[Bill Bumface]

10th street is a really crappy pedestrian bridge. Keep in mind there is cycle/walker rush hour too and the bridges are always the most annoying part. I've almost killed several dogs/children on the Prince's Island bridge already this year.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I've almost killed several dogs/children on the Prince's Island bridge already this year.

Slow down?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Seriously, that bridge is so awesome. Even if I never use it it's worth the $20-$40 it cost me just to get wicket pictures of the Calgary skyline with that in it.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by troutman

It is an issue - my bike was stolen recently. There was a triple stabbing in Riley Park last month.

I had a bike stolen in Strathcona. Crime in Strathcona is an issue.

[Bunk]

$24 million


~$4 or $5 billion


Despite the issues with the process in which it was delivered and the poor communication by the City as to it's rationale for being built, the Peace Bridge will be good for Calgary. I think it's worth the 1/200th in cost it has compared to the ring road. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure is important too, and we shouldn't be buildings just any utilitarian piece of crap over our most valued asset - the bow river.

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by Muta

And in the inner city, you typically get more diverse neighbourhoods with a higher concentration of co-existing property types (ie. residential, commerical, institutional) mixed with higher structural densities in general.

If the trade-off for that is crime, so be it. That's the nature of the beast of living in a city of this size. But the amenities that I have available to me, combined with the institutional, cultural and recreational facilities all within my grasp, and work, fars outweighs the negatives that crime could potentially influence my standard of living.

And the types of crime you listed... that happens everywhere, even if it's not publicily in sight. I bet there's more grow-ops in the suburbs and just as much drug usage as there is in the inner city. Assaults, well, I'm not sure of the stats, but when you have alot more people living closer together, they're bound to happen. You just have to make sure you don't get into a situation where you're involved. You just gotta use street smarts.

There was a grow-op house down the street from our old house in Hawkwood. Crime in Hawkwood is an issue.