MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Looks like she'll have plenty of time to work out new policing strategies at the jail.

Maybe she wants to check it out from the criminal side of things? She's just being thorough!

[puffnstuff]

May have a harder time with the trust issue...

[D as in David]

Sounds like she's more cut out for provincial politics, like, say, with Danielle Smith's UCP.

[DownInFlames]

Someone asked permission to access our building to do some door knocking for the upcoming election. My first instinct is to say come back in October but what does the law say about that? I don't see anywhere that states when the campaign officially starts so I guess we have to let them in.

[Slava]

I find it odd that people are against door-knocking at this point. Sure, the election is in October, but there are thousands of doors for them to try to reach. They can’t do all of them in the fall.

[btimbit]

I think for most people it boils down to 'piss off, don't bother me'

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I think for most people it boils down to 'piss off, don't bother me'

Right. I don’t want anyone knocking on my door randomly. I will read the candidates’s platforms and attend/watch any debates to get to know where they stand. I don’t need them interrupting my life to hand me a pamphlet.

I might actually have questions for them, but if it’s not close to the date of the election I’m not answering the door. I’m probably not even wearing pants.

[keenan87]

Jeff Davison was at a lot of the different events I attended this year. Very personable guy and really seems to care about the city. Seems like he has learned a lot over the past few years working with a charity and being humbled versus the corporate approach last time.

In my opinion, definitely a better option than some of the other candidates.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Jeff Davison was at a lot of the different events I attended this year. Very personable guy and really seems to care about the city. Seems like he has learned a lot over the past few years working with a charity and being humbled versus the corporate approach last time.

In my opinion, definitely a better option than some of the other candidates.

From his candidacy announcement. No way would I support this.

-Current council is horrible (I hate this attitude in politics)
-Freeze municipal taxes for 4 years (Don't paint yourself into a corner)
-Find "efficiencies" to do that (Code for "I will slash programs.")
-Blames current council for 1st arena deal falling through
-Cancel blanket rezoning (Pandering to/agrees with those whiny babies who claim their community is "special" and just can't increase density)
-Current council is "elitist" and Calgarians don't trust them (Candidates who claim others are elitist is a good red flag who not to vote for.)
-People want change (What are your ideas for change? I don't want change for change's sake. Give me an idea of your recommendations, otherwise "change" is just like "elitist," a term to get people riled up with no actual plans.)

[WideReceiver]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

From his candidacy announcement. No way would I support this.

-Freeze municipal taxes for 4 years (Don't paint yourself into a corner)

The mayor also doesn’t have that authority. A candidate who says this is pandering to ignorant voters, or ignorant him/herself. A council that falls into line with this is a weak council.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Slava

I find it odd that people are against door-knocking at this point. Sure, the election is in October, but there are thousands of doors for them to try to reach. They can’t do all of them in the fall.

Originally Posted by btimbit

I think for most people it boils down to 'piss off, don't bother me'

Thee months, three days before an election, don't come knocking on my door. It's annoying. Door knocking and election signs spammed all over the place are two relics of electioneering that need to go away

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

From his candidacy announcement. No way would I support this.

-Current council is horrible (I hate this attitude in politics)
-Freeze municipal taxes for 4 years (Don't paint yourself into a corner)
-Find "efficiencies" to do that (Code for "I will slash programs.")
-Blames current council for 1st arena deal falling through
-Cancel blanket rezoning (Pandering to/agrees with those whiny babies who claim their community is "special" and just can't increase density)
-Current council is "elitist" and Calgarians don't trust them (Candidates who claim others are elitist is a good red flag who not to vote for.)
-People want change (What are your ideas for change? I don't want change for change's sake. Give me an idea of your recommendations, otherwise "change" is just like "elitist," a term to get people riled up with no actual plans.)

- Current council is horrible - true
- Agree with maintain flexibility re taxes
- Find "efficiencies" doesn't necessarily mean slashing programs
- Blames current council for 1st arena deal falling through - true
- Cancel current blanket rezoning (just follow the LAPS not anything anywhere)
- Current council is "elitist" - don't understand
- People want change - true (see above)

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

- Current council is horrible - true

I don’t think they’re great but some people disagree. In any event it’s pretty subjective.

- Agree with maintain flexibility re taxes

Thats just common sense, no? So if they can’t figure that out it should be concerning.

- Find "efficiencies" doesn't necessarily mean slashing programs

True, but it also assumes “efficiencies” can be found that don’t include slashing programs.

- Blames current council for 1st arena deal falling through - true

Show your work. The team pulled out of the deal when they claimed the city wasn’t entitled to something they claimed was part of the deal both parties agreed to. If they weren’t entitled to it then there would be no reason for them to pull out of the deal, and if they were entitled then the team has to accept some of the blame if they agreed to something that was a dealbreaker.

- Cancel current blanket rezoning (just follow the LAPS not anything anywhere)

Which is most beneficial? Not perfect, most beneficial.

- Current council is "elitist" - don't understand

It’s a boogie man generally trotted out by people who are backed by powerful people and big money to make regular people think they’re just like them and not a puppet.

- People want change - true (see above)

Don’t you think they should specify what kind of change they are bringing before you agree that that is the change you are claiming people want?

[Amethyst]

To expand a bit more on my first and last points.

I'm not saying the current council is wonderful. I think some are good, some are meh, and some are awful. But even if they are horrible, that doesn't mean someone else is great. They could be horrible as well.

But my main point is I'm tired of the "he/she is awful, vote for me" argument. If you want my vote, tell me what you have to offer.

Which is also what I'm saying about the point that he's a vote for change. What is the change? If you have some changes for the better, I'm in. But you have to tell me what they are first.

"They're horrible and elitist and a vote for me is a vote for change," is not a winning argument in my opinion. And the specific things he does mention (freezing taxes, eliminating blanket re-zoning) are items he doesn't have the authority to do or lead us in a bad direction as far as I'm concerned.

[Fuzz]

In some cases, any change is an improvement. Ward 4, for instance...

[edslunch]

I'd support cancelling blanker rezoning if the city held to approved zoning more strictly and got away from all of these direct control applications that waste time on sham consultation and end up building what they want anyway. Make an application that meets zoning rules and you get a green light. Propose something with more height, more units, less parking. etc. and it's red light. There's more than enough higher density zoning around as far as I know.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

From his candidacy announcement.

-Cancel blanket rezoning (Pandering to/agrees with those whiny babies who claim their community is "special" and just can't increase density)

-People want change (What are your ideas for change? I don't want change for change's sake. Give me an idea of your recommendations, otherwise "change" is just like "elitist," a term to get people riled up with no actual plans.)

I think it's hilarious to say both of these things.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I think it's hilarious to say both of these things.

Okay, the one change he was specific on was a reactionary getting rid of the previous council's decision. Maybe he has a better idea for re-zoning, but based on everything else he says, it sounds like what he wants is to push density to the outskirts and "other" neighbourhoods.

If he's got an actual concrete plan, feel free to share it with me.

[WideReceiver]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Thee months, three days before an election, don't come knocking on my door. It's annoying. Door knocking and election signs spammed all over the place are two relics of electioneering that need to go away

I like seeing candidates at my door, but we’d be better off if signs went away. Don’t even get me started on compulsory voting — emphatic NO.

[Knut]

I do not mind the door knocking. I was able to tell our MLA that as long as Danielle Smith is in charge he is not getting my vote.