Calgary Civic Election Poll #3: The race heats up

[Reggie Dunlop]

[Addick]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Ward 9: Like wards 4 and 6, up in the air. Not sure on a prediction, but I hope for Gian-Carlo Carra.

Gian-Carlo has been really active in his community, especially with people likely to vote, and I believe this will be very helpful to him.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

That's why I don't understand why Connelly and Hawksworth are running for mayor - I can't imagine why either ever thought they had a chance. Though the mayor does make more money than aldermen.

Connelly is doing us all a favour by running for mayor so we won't have to see him again as alderman. He was right near the bottom with Fox-Mellway on the previous council, and I believe he is egotistical enough to think he could have won the big chair.

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Ward 8: With regrets to Zak Pashak, I think Mar will win again.

I think Zak could give Mar a run for his money (pun totally intended). Check out this sweet billboard he has up just east of Hotel Arts on 12th avenue:

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Ward 9: Like wards 4 and 6, up in the air. Not sure on a prediction, but I hope for Gian-Carlo Carra

I met Gian-Carlo at the Inglewood Jane's Walk. He is very involved in the community and seems very passionate about making ALL of Calgary's communities better places to live.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Someone has to send this to Nenshi, he'd love it!

[Bunk]

Ha ha. Love the Barni for mayor!

Mayoral hopefuls' websites reveal where they stand -- or not

By Adrienne Beattie, Calgary Herald September 23, 2010
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Ma...747/story.html

[WilsonFourTwo]

Having finally read through Naheed Nenshi's site, I can't help but vote for him. I'm a sucker for politicians that:

a) Have a plan for key topics.
b) Detail those plans for consideration.

I don't like his SW ring road solution (Don't build it, just play around with 14th Street), but I know we won't agree on everything.

McIvor and Higgins really need to step up their game. Neither of them have been supplying any substance to their ideas......it's annoying.

Anyhoo.....mark me down as a hesitant McIvor vote that found a happy new home with Nenshi.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Not really. Any member of council can have their motions to council put on the agenda, as can the various committees that the aldermen sit on (audit committee, transportation committee, corporate properties, police and protective services, etc.). Aldermen usually sit on a couple committees and each one will have 4 or 5 aldermen on them, and will meet and hear from various administration and outside sources during their own meetings that are held outside of the council meetings. The committees each have their own chair as well. For instance, Colley-Urquhart was chair of the transportation committee and Pincott of the audit committee. Items can also be added to the agenda during the meeting too, just as they would during a regular business meeting.

The mayor acts as the chair of the council meeting in that he/she sees that the agenda is adhered to, calls for votes, gives the right for members of council (aldermen) to speak and ask questions, etc, opens meetings, adjourns meetings, etc. Yes, he/she also acts as a tie-breaker. In the mayor's absence (they sometimes step out to make other appearances), I believe the deputy mayor usually steps in as chair until the mayor returns. The deputy mayor position is traditionally rotated throughout the aldermen on a monthly basis.

I've had it told to me, more than once by multiple people, that Bronco ruled council with a heavy hand and apparantly influenced a lot of alderman. Is there any truth to this?

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Someone has to send this to Nenshi, he'd love it!

Throw it up on Twitter.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

I've had it told to me, more than once by multiple people, that Bronco ruled council with a heavy hand and apparantly influenced a lot of alderman. Is there any truth to this?

I can see why some might get that impression, but the mayor isn't really given the powers to "rule with a heavy hand." Unlike federal or provincial politics, there's no party or caucus to kick malcontents out of, and no cabinet to shuffle. The aldermen are given the power to put forrth motions on whatever their little hearts desire, and every vote is a "free vote" as it were.

That said, the last council had a few members who generally agreed with Bronconnier on a lot of things in that they took similar stands on things. If that was a case of Bronconnier "influencing" them, then those aldermen allowed themselves be influenced, because there wasn't much Bronconnier could actually do if someone didn't agree with him or vote the same way he did. I would say that they just happened to agree with him on most things.

[HeartsOfFire]

nenshi

On a day of controversy, my new very favourite thing in the world: http://bit.ly/bySbHR #yycvote

Congrats CalgaryPuck.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

This.



Ward 9: Like wards 4 and 6, up in the air. Not sure on a prediction, but I hope for Gian-Carlo Carra

I live in Ward 9 and based on the number of Gian-Carlo signs I see, I think he's going to win. I've only seen one sign so far for an opponent.

[fredr123]

I've been out of the loop for a couple of days but has anyone properly responded to Nenshi's police budget comments beyond just saying his information is inaccurate? I imagine it may have already been hashed out in this or other threads but it's a bit disingenuous for Chief Beaton or John Dooks to say Nenshi's got it all wrong and then decline to elaborate because they don't want to get into a political debate. Seems it's a bit late for that...

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I've been out of the loop for a couple of days but has anyone properly responded to Nenshi's police budget comments beyond just saying his information is inaccurate? I imagine it may have already been hashed out in this or other threads but it's a bit disingenuous for Chief Beaton or John Dooks to say Nenshi's got it all wrong and then decline to elaborate because they don't want to get into a political debate. Seems it's a bit late for that...

I don't think so. Mostly seems to be the Chief getting upset that someone would even dream of looking closely at the police budget - wouldn't want him to have to cut back on the full-page ads in the Herald about why the police budget shouldn't be questioned.

[worth]

Originally Posted by stevinder

I'd like to see Pincott back, but the Audit issues might be too much to keep him around. BTW, Pincott doesn't live in his Ward either.

Pincott is a knob. James Maxim is his only competition. I really hope Maxim gets elected to Ward 11.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I've been out of the loop for a couple of days but has anyone properly responded to Nenshi's police budget comments beyond just saying his information is inaccurate? I imagine it may have already been hashed out in this or other threads but it's a bit disingenuous for Chief Beaton or John Dooks to say Nenshi's got it all wrong and then decline to elaborate because they don't want to get into a political debate. Seems it's a bit late for that...

I like how Nenshi 'went there.' Definate points in my book for calling out the police budget. I always thought it was bogus how McIver's cuts wouldn't also include scruntiny of the police budget. Hansen's not going to respond because there isn't an answer to justify their additional costs. Hence he'd rather debate the basis of the numbers rather than why.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I live in Ward 9 and based on the number of Gian-Carlo signs I see, I think he's going to win. I've only seen one sign so far for an opponent.

There will be candidates who win the sign war, twitter, facebook, etc.

Doesn't always equate into an election day win.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I like how Nenshi 'went there.' Definate points in my book for calling out the police budget. I always thought it was bogus how McIver's cuts wouldn't also include scruntiny of the police budget. Hansen's not going to respond because there isn't an answer to justify their additional costs. Hence he'd rather debate the basis of the numbers rather than why.

Hanson: Your numbers are inaccurate.

Nenshi: Well, we got our numbers from Stats Canada and the Police Budget. If they're inaccurate, we'd be happy to hear how so.

Hanson: No comment. We're not going to get involved in a political debate.

Me: ... but you're the one who issued a press release, Chief.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by worth

Pincott is a knob. James Maxim is his only competition. I really hope Maxim gets elected to Ward 11.

This is one of the only times I would support a liberal in Calgary, but Pinkocott has to go. His ward's biggest issue is the ring road and it seems based on what he says to the media that he would rather not have an expansion of roadways for 'evil cars.'

It also rubbed me the wrong way in the last election campaign that he mentioned on his website that he understood business because he had taken one MBA level accounting course. Like somehow just taking one course made him even remotely able to understand the needs and wants of business in the city.

[mykalberta]

I hope N^2 sticks to his guns on this. Police budget in this city has become the Canada health care debate. You cant reduce its budget because peoples lives will be at risk. - oh wont somebody think of the children.

Its the exact kind of thing he will have to have the balls to deal with as mayor. Civil servents who think instead of doing their job that they should get involved in matters that dont concern them. Captain mustache has to realize that he is nothing more than an employee of the city of Calgary, and he is easily replaceable with someone who knows his place in the City's hierarchy.

[Bigtime]

A great tweet making the rounds on the #yycvote hashtag this morning about the Nenshi v. Police Budget:

McIver questions a department's budget, he's a fiscal hawk. Nenshi does it, he's anti-cop. Yeah, that makes sense.