I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Fire

Nenshi would definitely try to implement a new sales tax if the provincial government would allow it. With the PCs and especially the Wildrose in power I would say their would be no chance, but with the NDP I really don't know how they would feel about it. They would probably want to implement their own sales tax in addition to it.

How do you know this?

[Weitz]

Why wouldn't Nenshi answer the question about the CTF figures yesterday on twitter?

Instead of answering it became a side show.

Where did he get his "millions" number?

[stampsx2]

Nenshi needs to go. I would prefer Rob Ford at this point.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

How do you know this?

He's asked for more taxing powers in the past.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Fire

He's asked for more taxing powers in the past.

Every mayor of every major Canadian city in the last 10 years or more has asked for more taxing powers. Provincial governments hoover money up from cities and dole it back sparingly.

[stampsx2]

What does he want to spend more money on? Art, more libraries, more pedestrian bridges or raises for city workers? I think we're fine where we are. Every mayor before him could make it work. Our world's greatest mayor should be able to work with what he has like everybody else has.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Nenshi needs to go. I would prefer Rob Ford at this point.

And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you instantly discredit yourself in a thread

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

What does he want to spend more money on? Art, more libraries, more pedestrian bridges or raises for city workers? I think we're fine where we are. Every mayor before him could make it work. Our world's greatest mayor should be able to work with what he has like everybody else has.

Infrastructure. Roads. Public transportation. The province hoovers up money from cities and returns less of it on a per capita basis. I shake my head at Calgarians who complain about transfer payments taking money out of the province but who seem perfectly fine with province taking money out of the cities to spend on rural areas.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Why wouldn't Nenshi answer the question about the CTF figures yesterday on twitter?

Instead of answering it became a side show.

Where did he get his "millions" number?

His intent was to say "lots and lots" rather than millions. Personally, I'd rather he said "gabillions". The point he intended to make was that he disagrees with a call for public consultation and then turning around and actively lobbying for the public to provide a specific answer. A plebiscite or referendum needs very strict donation/funding/lobbying rules.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Daorcey

His intent was to say "lots and lots" rather than millions. Personally, I'd rather he said "gabillions". The point he intended to make was that he disagrees with a call for public consultation and then turning around and actively lobbying for the public to provide a specific answer. A plebiscite or referendum needs very strict donation/funding/lobbying rules.

Except he used distinct numbers in hopes to confuse people on the issue and to side with him. Got called out on his BS and refused to say he made it up in his head.

Who cares what his intent was. I was disappointed he couldn't just say he made it up.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Just wondering about what appears to be an unfinished intersection redesign from last summer. 114 th and 24th in the SE.

At the risk of reinforcing how useless I am, I recommend a call to 311. Seriously, I've done the same thing for similar issues in the past and 311 gets the answers (and sometimes the action) I was looking for.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by Cappy

What is the timeline for construction on the 8th Street corridor?

No timeline on construction yet. To the best of my knowledge, this is not yet funded. The latest: http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ealm-Plan.aspx

[Addick]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

I don't think a city charter would force the provincial government to do anything though. They make the determination as to what percentage is sent back to cities.

Him saying he wants to expand the city's powers reads that he wants the ability to do something on the municipal level to increase revenue (increased municipal taxation).

A City Charter would bind them to whatever arrangement they make under the Act. Under the current system, they can modify any financing program at their will and discretion.

In addition to a portion of Income Tax, Calgary and Edmonton would probably like the ability to create more dynamic surcharges and levies like CRLs, tolls or Impact Fees as a Property Tax Surcharge.

Originally Posted by Fire

He's asked for more taxing powers in the past.

The only time that I have heard Nenshi mention anything close to sales tax was in regards to a penny tax, which would need to be placed on the Municipal ballot.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

I am confused. Our Mayor wants the city charter to have the ability to create a city sales tax, does he not?

A City Charter is most helpful because it clearly states what are municipal vs provincial responsibilities. For example, affordable housing or issues of poverty are traditionally considered provincial responsibilities, yet cities have been de facto governments responsible for those issues.

How to pay for those services is definitely part of the conversation. But, as mentioned, an ideal situation would be the Calgarians get more of a refund on the billions of taxes we send to the provincial government each year. Yeah, the mayor hates property tax... it is regressive and doesn't actually consider a person's ability to pay said tax. Being able to replace that with ANYTHING would be great. Right now, that option doesn't even exist. A City Charter would actually mean citizens can talk about how they want to do that. A City Charter won't actually provide a new form of taxation for cities... at best, it would open the door to citizens to have that conversation in more than just a theoretical way. This is the latest on the Charter conversation... likely more to come with the new government. http://calgarymayor.ca/stories/premi...t-for-charters

[blueski]

Here's a question per the thread title, how do the economics of Calgary's blue bin program compare to those mentioned in the article? http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...y.html?hpid=z3

Are we able to sell our sorted glass, plastic, paper and metal or does it just end up in the landfill anyway?

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Daorcey

A City Charter is most helpful because it clearly states what are municipal vs provincial responsibilities. For example, affordable housing or issues of poverty are traditionally considered provincial responsibilities, yet cities have been de facto governments responsible for those issues.

How to pay for those services is definitely part of the conversation. But, as mentioned, an ideal situation would be the Calgarians get more of a refund on the billions of taxes we send to the provincial government each year. Yeah, the mayor hates property tax... it is regressive and doesn't actually consider a person's ability to pay said tax. Being able to replace that with ANYTHING would be great. Right now, that option doesn't even exist. A City Charter would actually mean citizens can talk about how they want to do that. A City Charter won't actually provide a new form of taxation for cities... at best, it would open the door to citizens to have that conversation in more than just a theoretical way. This is the latest on the Charter conversation... likely more to come with the new government. http://calgarymayor.ca/stories/premi...t-for-charters

Thank you for the detailed reply.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by blueski

Here's a question per the thread title, how do the economics of Calgary's blue bin program compare to those mentioned in the article? http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...y.html?hpid=z3

Are we able to sell our sorted glass, plastic, paper and metal or does it just end up in the landfill anyway?

Recycling just seems like a huge waste of money and resources. Sure it makes you feel good about yourself, but it takes far more energy to recycle most products then to throw them in the landfill and the infrastructure required to support a city of 1.5M with curbside recycling seems exhorbitant.

"We made $200,000 in recycling this year!"

"Yes, but we spent $40M on the supporting infrastructure." etc.

I dunno, the Bull$hit episode Penn and Teller did sums my feelings up nicely

[Scrambler]

@CJAY 92 Calgary

New Nine Inch Nails themed shirts from the AB government.

"Notley Iveson Nenshi: Building Alberta Together."

Thoughts?

[Scrambler]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Recycling just seems like a huge waste of money and resources. Sure it makes you feel good about yourself, but it takes far more energy to recycle most products then to throw them in the landfill and the infrastructure required to support a city of 1.5M with curbside recycling seems exhorbitant.

"We made $200,000 in recycling this year!"

"Yes, but we spent $40M on the supporting infrastructure." etc.

I dunno, the Bull$hit episode Penn and Teller did sums my feelings up nicely

I like how we do it over here, no blue bins... just a big bag for burnable garbage, a big bag for non-burnable garbage and then give the recyclables (like bottles/cans/glass/etc) to the volunteers who come pick it up. Seems to be a system that works well.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Recycling just seems like a huge waste of money and resources. Sure it makes you feel good about yourself, but it takes far more energy to recycle most products then to throw them in the landfill and the infrastructure required to support a city of 1.5M with curbside recycling seems exhorbitant.

"We made $200,000 in recycling this year!"

"Yes, but we spent $40M on the supporting infrastructure." etc.

I dunno, the Bull$hit episode Penn and Teller did sums my feelings up nicely

I know what you're saying, but that's why the phrase is "reduce, reuse and recycle" in that order. Its much better to reduce than the other two, and still far better to reuse an item than recycle it. Recycling isn't supposed to be a great panacea to correct everything, its supposed to be the last choice.