Calgary Civic Election: Mayoralty Poll #4 - The Heat is On

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

Rumor is that Bob has hired some "big guns" from Vancouver to help with his campaign. If you to the facebook pages, you'll see the same three people have liked each page. They're the supposed hired guns from BC who have started this smear campaign. It's pretty embarrassing. Couple with that and the way their new Twitter accounts have clogged up what was a decent conversation on #yycvote, he's losing a lot respect quickly.

I'm surprised that Bob has stooped to this level especially considering how low he is in the polls. He is obviously trying to take the veneer off of Nenshi to pull away some of his more progressive voters. Unfortunately, he is doing two things: 1) giving McIver a boost and 2) alienating a lot of people who had respect for him in the past. If he thinks alienating people is going to attract them his way, he is out of his ever-loving mind.

Bob is desperate. He has given up his seat on council for his quixotic journey towards obscurity. Instead of making a real difference and talking about issues, he has lowered himself to lashing out and smearing his fellow candidates. Bob will not only lose this election but will lose the respect of many Calgarians. Sad.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Too bad the Wayne Stewart campaign couldn't build some traction. Seems like he's a decent man with the required combination of private sector and public service on his resume.

Nothing wrong with being a bit bland if you're efficient.

He'd be a kick-ass alderman had he chosen that entry point.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by Kelekin

The whole thing on twitter is a disgrace. I watched Hawksworth's video with Nenshi's answer, but then when you watch the full video which someone else posted, he says directly after the cut that it makes more sense to hold on to Enmax. But his biggest concern was Enmax's debt, and he wanted to make sure the taxpayers wouldn't be held accountable for it. That's pretty reasonable.

I'd also love for Hawk to post his donor list. I'm pretty certain there is some interesting information that will come out of that one.

Read the ENMAX financial statements with detail, in particular the notes. When you see how they made their 200 million (ie look at the currency swap windfall) you will see there is trouble brewing there. The fundamental business units are suffering. No candidate touches this now though since its a minefield. ENMAX will become a major city issue in a few years and all the politicians will weigh in.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Read the ENMAX financial statements with detail, in particular the notes. When you see how they made their 200 million (ie look at the currency swap windfall) you will see there is trouble brewing there. The fundamental business units are suffering. No candidate touches this now though since its a minefield. ENMAX will become a major city issue in a few years and all the politicians will weigh in.

Are you saying the city should sell? I haven't looked at their financial statements, so I can't comment, but would be interested in taking a look actually! Common consensus seems to be that the company makes money and is a good asset. That doesn't seem like much of a stretch for a utility?

[Flames0910]

Is there a more recent poll? A lot has changed since the Herald's numbers and I wonder how things are looking now...

I'll be unbelievably upset in the democratic process if this city lets McIver in.

[Kelekin]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Read the ENMAX financial statements with detail, in particular the notes. When you see how they made their 200 million (ie look at the currency swap windfall) you will see there is trouble brewing there. The fundamental business units are suffering. No candidate touches this now though since its a minefield. ENMAX will become a major city issue in a few years and all the politicians will weigh in.

I see the same thing you do. I am busy prepping graphs. I even asked Bob Hawkesworth straight up about the debt totals versus the income totals, and the debt to capital ratio. I will be putting together a big article about this soon. If Enmax was publicly traded, it would've crashed hard.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Is there a more recent poll? A lot has changed since the Herald's numbers and I wonder how things are looking now...

I'll be unbelievably upset in the democratic process if this city lets McIver in.

so you don't believe in the democratic process then?

[CrunchBite]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

so you don't believe in the democratic process then?

Frankly, I've never felt voting to be all that essential to the process.

[Bunk]

McIver's snow removal plan seems to be getting a rough ride.

McIver plan called snow job

McIver floats private solution to snow clearing

By RENATO GANDIA, Calgary Sun

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/calga.../15539881.html


---

CBC article

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...al-policy.html

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Bunk

McIver's snow removal plan seems to be getting a rough ride.

McIver plan called snow job

McIver floats private solution to snow clearing

By RENATO GANDIA, Calgary Sun

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/calga.../15539881.html


---

CBC article

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...al-policy.html

I'm sure the approval process to be able to plow your own street will be pretty tough. I can imagine the legal fun the City would have if someone "plowed" their street only for it to be worse than if it wasn't plowed, or turned into a sheet of ice. There's a reason this was shot down when it was originally proposed last winter.

His promise that all roads will be cleared in heavy snow conditions is pretty funny though. If they can't get the main routes cleared during heavy snow, how will they get to the residential side streets?

[Cscutch]

A quick question to all. I am just trying to understand where are the McIver support is?

There is very little online, online forum polls he is down, no support on twitter, even the comments on the newspaper articles there is very little support for him.

I have been to multiple aldermanic & mayoral forums and I don't see many buttons and the crowds have been mostly against him.

I have talked to my friends and coworkers and nobody supports him. I have talked to my dad and he said that he doesn't know anybody that is supporting him as well.

So can someone please tell me where all his support is coming from?

[MarchHare]

So can someone please tell me where all his support is coming from?

Calgary Sun readers and people with ties to suburban housing developers.

[firebug]

A few personal observations from my involvement/interest in the election.

1) Yard Signs- I have been delivering yard signs for the Nenshi campaign throughout the week and have been watching what are on other peoples' lawns. So far McIver is in the lead (especially in Maple Ridge), but Nenshi is clearly in 2nd place. Surprisingly, I have seen either one sign or less for each of the other candidates (ie. they may have lots of signs out, but only on public property - not voters' yards).

Lake Bonaventure seems to have the highest concentration of yard signs. The Ward race looks like it will be interesting there.

2) Nenshi's appeal - I am impressed by the diversity of Nenshi's supporters. In one evening I delivered to a young family, a same-sex couple, a 13-year-old (and his family) who requested after doing a Soc. Studies project for his Grade 8 class, and a Townhouse dwelling Sr. couple. There has been no easily detectable 'camp' or demographic providing his support.

3) McIver & Developers - a family member works for one of the larger excavation firms here in town, and staff there have been told that they all need (have) to vote for McIver as all other candidates (Higgins & Nenshi) will destroy the construction industry. They are even holding a McIver fundraiser at their yard for the employees to contribute at.

[yads]

Originally Posted by Slava

Are you saying the city should sell? I haven't looked at their financial statements, so I can't comment, but would be interested in taking a look actually! Common consensus seems to be that the company makes money and is a good asset. That doesn't seem like much of a stretch for a utility?

Maybe they should sell or spinoff the trading desk as a publicly traded company. That way the city owns the generation assets, but isn't exposed to some of the risky speculative trading that the trading desk does. Epcor did the same thing with Capital Power.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Calgary Sun readers and people with ties to suburban housing developers.

I think your simplifying things a bit March. He's riding the crest of voter backlash.

As much as people want to deny it the Peace Bridge is a lightning rod of anger, I'm still pissed about how the whole thing unfolder, and I still think that the bridge isn't a stunning piece of architectural beauty.

Voters are pissed at how the contracts and procurement has spiraled out of control, and the lack of documentation for overpayments on contracts.

McIver took an opposite position from Bronco and the Farrells and Hawkesworths whether by design or by accident he's certainly benefited from that.

Everyone that I've talked to is viewing this election as almost a cleansing vote, McIvor and a couple of others have positioned themselves as the anti city council members in this election.

As I've stated before, I'm not voting for him because I firmly believe in tossing all of their butts out, but that doesn't neccessarily mean that I'm voting for Nemsi.

I have my doubts that he can close the distance and win the election, Barb Higgins for as much as a disaster as her campaign is, is splitting the no to McIvor votes.

[skins]

Can someone provide some background info or links that explain the Enmax situation? I feel like I'm a bit out to lunch as to what's going on there.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by firebug

Yard Signs- I have been delivering yard signs for the Nenshi campaign throughout the week and have been watching what are on other peoples' lawns. So far McIver is in the lead (especially in Maple Ridge), but Nenshi is clearly in 2nd place. Surprisingly, I have seen either one sign or less for each of the other candidates (ie. they may have lots of signs out, but only on public property - not voters' yards).

The only yard signs I have noticed in my immediate area are 2 Nenshi and one McIver.

All the boulevards are filled with tons of Barb Higgins, McIver signs and those the the aldermanic race. How I log for the day when you couldn't put a sign on public property. It seems most candidates are putting as little resources as possible into creating actual support and getting people to put signs on thier lawn and just assigning that manpower to spamming the green space around the community.

On a side note: Someone keeps kicking down my Nenshi sign and I am livid about it. It is on the metal pegs so it mostly springs back up but I am seriously tempted to sit on my steps all night in the dark with my pellet gun to catch who it is. I suspect it is the neighbour whose kid is so dumb he kept trying to ding and ditch, but was climbing onto my porch with rollerblades and falling as he ran away.

[jdso]

I've also seen very few yard signs. In New Brighton, there's about 5 Nenshi signs and 1 McIver sign. The rest are on public property. And yes, people keep knocking down my big Nenshi signs. It's hard to find time to put them all back up.

[Slava]

As a candidate I've tried to put signs on private property for the most part. The reality is though that public property is easy and creates a better buzz for you, not to mention the name recognition.

In ward 11 along 14th and 90th is a complete gongshow though....I have no signs there and I think that there are dozens! I do wonder what the point is by now. I really have to strain to bother picking out individuals....so people who barely care probably won't notice one more in the pile.

[Kelekin]

Originally Posted by skins

Can someone provide some background info or links that explain the Enmax situation? I feel like I'm a bit out to lunch as to what's going on there.

All the financial reports are up on the Enmax website, including the first two quarters of this year. If you ignore the "spin", there is great info there.