2010 Mayors Race

[Caged Great]

I think they need to get rid of everybody, all the aldermen, as well as electing someone who's not an alderman/former alderman for mayor.

[Ducay]

Hmmmmmm, while Burrows was my former alderman, I don't remember much about him aside from his getting booted from his seat. While I liked this statement:

He thinks the bridge deal should have been stopped but also laughs because that contract, though done the wrong way and without public say-so, is small potatoes.
"It's a shell game and while everybody is talking about the $25 million there's billion-dollar stuff over here."

This statement, however, threw me right off him:

He would end the west LRT at Westbrook and thinks there is no business case for running it up the hill to Bronco's neck of the woods.

You can't just take the WestLRT and chop it in half after construction is already going full bore. Its not like they're working on the LRT from downtown out, station by station, they're already working on all the line at the same time. The biggest progress of the line is all past the Westbrook station.

Why would you end a C-train line only 5 minutes from downtown?

Itd be like ending the South line at 39th Ave Station.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Yeah, that's a horrible idea. The West LRT is a very nice start, but Calgary needs more transit, not less.

[kermitology]

Holy idiotic Batman!

You build that West LRT and then you BUILD OFF OF IT. Yeesh.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Ducay

You can't just take the WestLRT and chop it in half after construction is already going full bore. Its not like they're working on the LRT from downtown out, station by station, they're already working on all the line at the same time. The biggest progress of the line is all past the Westbrook station.

Why would you end a C-train line only 5 minutes from downtown?

Itd be like ending the South line at 39th Ave Station.

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Yeah, that's a horrible idea. The West LRT is a very nice start, but Calgary needs more transit, not less.

Yeah, nevermind the fact that all the contracts are signed and the project is in the hands of the design-build consortium. Scaling back the project in any way would result in lawsuits.

Besides, by the time the election is over and you could get things in motion to scale back the project, construction work would be almost halfway done.

I really don't know why Burrows would be barking up this tree at all. There's a payoff for getting the line to Westbrook Station, but an even bigger one by getting it all the way to the Westside Rec Centre, Ambrose College, Rundle College, New Ernest Manning High School, and the Park N' Ride structure.

[nik-]

The guy is obviously just an idiot trying to grandstand and build off of anti-bronco sentiment.

[Bigtime]

This election could get really interesting, who can possibly predict a winner with all these nutjobs splitting votes that may have gone to McIver or others instead?

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

This election could get really interesting, who can possibly predict a winner with all these nutjobs splitting votes that may have gone to McIver or others instead?

I almost wonder if we will see some candidates drop out of the running and then endorse a remaining candidate if they feel they really don't have a chance and don't want to be the cause of vote splitting.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

I almost wonder if we will see some candidates drop out of the running and then endorse a remaining candidate if they feel they really don't have a chance and don't want to be the cause of vote splitting.

I for one, hope all the current/former aldermen (McIvor, DCQ, Burrows) stay in the race to the bitter end, all equally splitting the Calgary Sun votes.


Gah, I just hope Hehr (the only respectable option of the announced candidates), doesn't unveil a garbage platform. I don't want to vote Alnoor

[Muta]

I say we nominate an inanimate carbon rod.

Fiscally conservative, very neutral, won't say 'NO' to everything (cough*McIver*cough), will never go home early from work, and efficiently addresses the pressing issues facing modern society today. Plus, it will lead by example when it comes to weighing ap public servant's workplace production vs. their annual salary.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

We've strayed pretty far off topic on this, so let me steer it back.

Druh Farrell's twitter feed from a few minutes ago said that council has voted to approve the funds for the 2nd phase of the Devonian Gardens.

Thoughts?

Awesome! Also checked out the re-developed Central Memorial Park this weekend.

Glad to see some focus on inner city development.

I'd be interested to hear the candidates opinions on the East Village development. I admit I'm a bit un-informed on the status of what's going on down there - but it seems like things just aren't progressing very fast.

[frinkprof]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time Calgary elected a Rod as mayor.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Sykes

[Muta]

Originally Posted by llama64

Glad to see some focus on inner city development.

You might want to put your body armor on and hide now...

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by llama64

I admit I'm a bit un-informed on the status of what's going on down there - but it seems like things just aren't progressing very fast.

There's been quite a bit of work done to date and forthcoming. Raising the floodplain, all new underground services, road resurfacing, Langevin Bridge work. 4th Street underpass is just getting underway and Riverwalk work is ongoing, both of which are scheduled to open next year. Of the bigger projects, I believe that just leaves the St. Patrick's Island bridge and improvements to the island itself.

On the land disposition and development front, there was a national ad campaign a couple months ago targeting interested developers. Apparently quite a few developers have shown interest, particularly in the waterfront parcels. Should be hearing more on that soon.

There's a bunch of information, videos, etc. on the entire East Village rejuvination project at Calgary Municpal Land Corporation's website. It really is quite an undertaking.

http://calgarymlc.ca/

[Ozy_Flame]

The closest thing to an inanimate rod that was elected in Calgary was the "SU Rock" at the U of C, which garned a respectable 3rd place finish in the SU elections a couple of years ago.

And didn't a dog in the U.S. run in some mayoral election? I seem to recall that story vaguely.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by fotze

I agree they should do it, but any alderman should be fired instantly if they pay zero attention to the business case/economics of any project of this size.

I can understand why someone may not agree there is a business case to extending the LRT.

Why not just extend it to Bragg Creek?? Calgary needs more not less transit, right. It is the right thing to actually look at the business case for these massive projects.

The disagreement is what value is placed on the intangible/hard to measure benefits of projects like that. Its completely understandable that there would be disagreement with things like that?

You are gaining some momentum building all at the same time but that is a good argument for extending to Banff.

Why the fata am I defending Burrows, I met him once and he was a total bullsh@t artist clown.

Obviously I meant build off of it logically.

[Bigtime]

I was always under the impression that despite the much larger cost (~$1 billion) the Southeast LRT leg would have been the better line to build first.

More riders per dollars invested, or something like that.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I was always under the impression that despite the much larger cost (~$1 billion) the Southeast LRT leg would have been the better line to build first.

More riders per dollars invested, or something like that.

By some measures, yes. However, in 2007, the WestLRT was the biggest bang for buck. No new infrastructure downtown required, no adding of trains to 7th Avenue, no new maintenance facilities. It had been studied (multiple times) by that time, and after tweaking to get the exact alignment (routing was pretty much figured out), it was ready to go. Most of the SE routing had been determined, but they still needed to nail down the alignment of the downtown portion, which they are still trying to do right now. WestLRT was the quicker, easier, cheaper and most ready-to-go of the two.

Really though, both are needed.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by fotze

Thats why they get paid the big bucks, to make those trade off decisions based on facts, not on Iowa Flames Fan's political slogans.

Haters gonna hate....

[Rerun]

I'm not really getting too excited. The mayor, when it comes to power at city hall, is really just a glorified alderman. He may want to do something but if he doesn't have the majority of votes on city council... it doesn't happen.