Accusations of Drinking and Partying at City Hall

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Really? Last couple places I've worked in corporate Calgary have lots of lunch events where beer is available.

People need to lighten up. There are countries where company cafeterias have beer on tap. Having a beer or two =/= getting wasted.

That's been my experience too, beer or wine with lunch is pretty normal along with drinks in the office on Friday afternoons. I have no problem with aldermen having a drink or two.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by flameswin

That one gets a big who cares from me, but I understand it will probably create a big stir and get the sun going.

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Me too. If the event has alcohol and is being held outside of council time let them get wasted if they so desire.

Originally Posted by polak

Who cares? As long as it's not on our dime and it isn't affecting their ability to do their jobs then let them drink, smoke or snort whatever they'd like too.

If they are doing it on their own time, then I agree.

If they are doing it while acting in an official capacity then I think there is a problem. You can't go to an event, representing The City of Calgary and start shot gunning Pils. Like it or not, many people will take issue if they see a council member out pissed up even on their own time (I have no issue with it). Being in office comes with extra expectations than a "normal" job.

I suspect that many people have trouble seperating the public/work individual from the private/off work individual.

This story (which is painfully short of information) reads as if this was happening in an officail capacity at city hall.

[Wormius]

Why does Chu talk like that? Those are not the words of an adult.

[btimbit]

Now some of their decisions make more sense!


Well I've said for years Druh must be on crack, but Chu is hilarious

[HarryH93]

Let them, who cares. As long as I'm not paying for it

[troutman]

[nik-]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Sean Chu is not a smart man, but he knows what love is.

Unfortunately when Jenny told him to run, he thought she meant for a council seat.

[GGG]

The city has some sort of Alcohol and Drug policy. They should follow it and if not what ever consequences are in there should apply the same to alderman as well as staff.

I would hope it would be the standard if you drink to much at lunch don't come back to work kind of thing or a .05 or .08 policy. If they are having wine or beer at lunch between meetings all the power to them.

At community events where they are representing the city I think they shouldnt appear drunk so again that .08 type level is probably appropriate.

[polak]

Oh I took this as them being off the clock. If they're on the clock then they definitely to keep it in check.

"Community Event" could mean an off the clock party that just happens to be hosted at City Hall though in which case I think they should be able to party like they want, just like a company Christmas party. Sure it might not be smart of them to do that, but it shouldn't get them fired or anything like that.

[Locke]

If I had to work with Druh Farrell on a daily basis I'd probably need a few drinks too.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

...and somewhere in the afterlife, Ralph Klein is shaking his head and saying "amateurs"...

This has got to be the "Post of the Thread". Bravo!

This Council is probably the most dysfunctional City Council Calgary has ever seen. The amount of time being wasted at public hearings lately on stupid bickering, pointless point-making and posturing for no gain by a few councilors and the Mayor himself is simply bizarre.

[JonDuke]

Originally Posted by troutman

Couldn't resist...

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Zarley

That's been my experience too, beer or wine with lunch is pretty normal along with drinks in the office on Friday afternoons. I have no problem with aldermen having a drink or two.

The City is not a corporate workplace. Corporations can have their own rules and if the shareholders don't like it, they can voice their displeasure or sell their stock. Corporations can play with their profits however they so choose.

We are the shareholders of Calgary, and have no choice whether or not we pay taxes to the city. If one beer could have bought more pencils for students, it's funds wasted. If they actually have a float for "fun things" it is still money wasted. Taxes are not profit. They are to be collected and redistributed back into the city, not parties at City Hall. If they want to spend their own salary on booze and drugs, and do it at a private function or party, go for it.

These people are publically elected figures, not board-appointed CEOs. How they conduct themselves in public is important. Yes, they do operate under a different set of rules than most of us. Don't like it? Don't run for public office. Want to smoke weed and get hammered at work? Golf courses start their hiring in March.

[Regular_John]

We have a beer fridge in the office, so count me strongly in the "you can have 1 or 2 beer and still do your job" camp.

I'm much more concerned about the school yard bickering around this issue then the "drinking on the job" issue.

[shermanator]

Sean Chu says something stupid in a council meeting....news at 6!

Really hope he doesn't get a second term.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by MattyC

-

We are the shareholders of Calgary, and have no choice whether or not we pay taxes to the city. If one beer could have bought more pencils for students, it's funds wasted. If they actually have a float for "fun things" it is still money wasted. Taxes are not profit. They are to be collected and redistributed back into the city, not parties at City Hall. If they want to spend their own salary on booze and drugs, and do it at a private function or party, go for it.

Wow. So no juice or muffins at any municipal functions? You realize journalists would stop showing up to anything hosted by City Hall if there wasn't free food and drink involved, right?

[MoneyGuy]

To those of you who say it's OK as long as you're not paying for it, I think you'd be surprised how much of it you actually are paying for.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by MattyC

The City is not a corporate workplace. Corporations can have their own rules and if the shareholders don't like it, they can voice their displeasure or sell their stock. Corporations can play with their profits however they so choose.

We are the shareholders of Calgary, and have no choice whether or not we pay taxes to the city. If one beer could have bought more pencils for students, it's funds wasted. If they actually have a float for "fun things" it is still money wasted. Taxes are not profit. They are to be collected and redistributed back into the city, not parties at City Hall. If they want to spend their own salary on booze and drugs, and do it at a private function or party, go for it.

These people are publically elected figures, not board-appointed CEOs. How they conduct themselves in public is important. Yes, they do operate under a different set of rules than most of us. Don't like it? Don't run for public office. Want to smoke weed and get hammered at work? Golf courses start their hiring in March.

I think the city should be competive with the private sector in terms of the benefits it gives its employees. The bolded is just crap. Government employees are people too. Its money spent on the well being of their employees which is important.

[jayswin]

So, obviously this will be front page news for the Sun, should we play "Guess that front page headline" and see who gets closest?

I'll go with "Silly Hall". I know it gets used daily by Rick Bell, but as a headline I think they're just goofy enough to throw it up cuase they'll think it's just so apt.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by flameswin

So, obviously this will be front page news for the Sun, should we play "Guess that front page headline" and see who gets closest?

I'll go with "Silly Hall". I know it gets used daily by Rick Bell, but as a headline I think they're just goofy enough to throw it up cuase they'll think it's just so apt.

I'm going to go with



TEETO-TATTLER!