Calgary Civic Election Poll #3: The race heats up

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by 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.

Exactly. It would be irresponsible for us to look at a 332,000,000 budget line item and see if there are any savings there. Whether we're fiscal conservatives or not, we can't make the people with guns who keep us safe budget responsibly. </sarcasm>

**332 million dollar figure from City budget summary, here:
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/...ns_budgets.pdf
page 47 of the document, 58 of the pdf file

[yads]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

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.

I think Pincott actually has ties to the NDP and Green Party of Alberta.

[Muta]

I'm finding it unsurprising how pro-McIver the Sun is being, and very surprising how pro-McIver the Herald is appearing to be.

And good on Nenshi for suggesting an analysis of the police budget. In these frugal times, every budget should be scrutinized, and the emergency services in this city should be no exception. If they can prove that they're sufficiently funded for the services they provide, they shouldn't have to worry about anything. Hanson should shut his mouth if he knew what was good for him. Calling Nenshi's numbers inaccurate and irresponsible, without backing up your own reasons as to why, makes him look like an idiot.

[Ducay]

Quite the poopoo fight over this whole Police budget thing, my only concern is how old people (read: voters) will react to it.

Originally Posted by Muta

In these fiscal times, every budget should be scrutinized, and the emergency services in this city should be no exception. If they can prove that they're sufficiently funded for the services they provide, they shouldn't have to worry about anything. Hanson should shut his mouth if he knew what was good for him. Calling Nenshi's numbers inaccurate and irresponsible, without backing up your own reasons as to why, makes him look like an idiot.

I agree with what you're saying, but theres no such thing as a "fiscal" time, perhaps you're thinking frugal? Floppy? Fiskars? French Fries?

[Bigtime]

Nenshi is simply asking why we can't get more than an 11% increase in officers for a 23% increase in the budget. And why we have the second highest per officer cost in the country.

Sounds like he'd want more officers on the streets for our dollars, everyone should like that idea.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Quite the poopoo fight over this whole Police budget thing, my only concern is how old people (read: voters) will react to it.



I agree with what you're saying, but theres no such thing as a "fiscal" time, perhaps you're thinking frugal? Floppy? Fiskars?

My mistake, I meant frugal.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Nenshi is simply asking why we can't get more than an 11% increase in officers for a 23% increase in the budget. And why we have the second highest per officer cost in the country.

Isn't it obvious? They're getting an 11% raise!

[Bigtime]

Good ol' Oscar Fech is at a mayor's forum this morning talking about how city council wants to assasinate him.

They should really award him with his own chair in the council chambers, reserved for him and him alone!

[Slava]

Originally Posted by fotze

When does a guy like that become playfully crazy and move into possibly dangerously crazy. Some people who actually believes people are out to kill him when they are not can do some violent things.

A few weeks ago I received a phone call from a guy who was at that border in my opinion. I phoned the police and then found out that a number of candidates had a very similar call.

I didn't really know what to do; I don't want to be a wuss about things, but then again I don't want to think "that person is just losing their marbles" and then have something happen.

[Cscutch]

I think Naheed Nenshi just made a great political move. Yes there will be people that don’t like his comments about the CPS budget but he needed move his campaign to the next level. This election is all about fiscal responsibility and public safety is always on peoples mind, he just combined them both. He has moved his name from the smaller articles to full stories on the front pages of newspapers and all over the evening news, in return got his name all over the place.

Chris

[Bunk]

He's certainly getting a lot of political juice from this. It legitimizes him as a reformer of City-hall and someone who is rational and reasonable in how he's handled the issue.

I know judging reader comments of news websites is usually not useful at all, but the large majority that have bothered to comment are heavily in favour of Nenshi on this matter.

[Ozy_Flame]

[Ducay]

At least he's getting his name out there

[ben voyonsdonc]

http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/loca...l-game-changer

The times they are a-changin'!

[Ozy_Flame]

This entire election race has been kicked up a notch from the Nenshi/CPD issue.

And this is exactly the kind of talk that a third-place candidate like Nenshi needs to engage in to catapult himself up further.

Your moves, Barb and Ric!

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Your moves, Barb and Ric!

<crickets>


Edit: Well at least from Higgins camp. I would think McIver would like to respond in some way.

[Bunk]

Ric's move on the Police budget:

"yes I voted to not scrutinize the $300 police budget. But oh wait, then I voted to look at admin costs...also, I'm in favour of zero-based budgeting....peace bridge....taxes....ummmmm, NO!"

[Bunk]

BTW - Nenshi wrote this about the Barni on Twitter:

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

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

[Ozy_Flame]

That Barney pic is starting to spread over Twitter . . . Would love to see the spike in visits to CP today in a graph!

[Bigtime]

This whole CPS thing is just getting better and better, read the latest article over at the Herald and see how even they can't help but laugh at Hanson for speaking out and then refusing to actually counter Nenshi's numbers with anything.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Na...938/story.html