Almost a year in Nenshi's job approval at 86%

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Slava

What did he have to say? Was it for decent reasons and things that were policy driven as far as municipalities go?

I wouldn't want another battle between the premier and mayor....

Mar says municipalities have to justify that they're doing a good job satisfying residents needs otherwise funding may be at stake. Nenshi said that municipalities provide the best value for tax dollar of any government level and citizen satisfaction is the highest, as borne out by satisfaction surveys. He also mentioned his high satisfaction rating, which he joked was the highest in history.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

So if the mayor decided to freeze or reduce property taxes, what city services should be reduced or axed? Police, fire, libraries, roads, parks, sanitation, etc.?

You don't know how municipalities work. Mayors don't have that power.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Lucky I wasn't there or I would have totally hammered Nenshi. Mar says no taxes, Nenshi says more taxes. Easy choice.

You would've loved Al Duerr. He was a big proponent of the theory that nothing beats saving $5 now, even if you have to pay $20 later.

[Bigtime]

My wife brought up a concern of hers over the Satisfaction Survey, in the demographics about 34% of the respondents had a $120,000+ income. Her view is that people in that income bracket will have a much higher satisfaction with the city versus those that make less money. In fact 53% of the respondents had an income of $90,000+.

I'm sure the survey was conducted in a completely random fashion, and perhaps by the very nature of Calgary you would get more respondents in the higher income brackets. But does that give the most realistic picture of what the "average joe" thinks of the city?

Thoughts?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

You don't know how municipalities work. Mayors don't have that power.

I was just trying to make an extreme, unrealistic example to the previous comment which suggested that Mar > Nenshi because Mar promises no taxes. You're quite right - Nenshi can't promise no taxes. I think we're arguing the same thing here.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

So if the mayor decided to freeze or reduce property taxes, what city services should be reduced or axed? Police, fire, libraries, roads, parks, sanitation, etc.?

I would go for library. The current limit of 99 items is absurd to me. Reduce the limit to 20 which is still a lot and you can reduce cost.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

My wife brought up a concern of hers over the Satisfaction Survey, in the demographics about 34% of the respondents had a $120,000+ income. Her view is that people in that income bracket will have a much higher satisfaction with the city versus those that make less money. In fact 53% of the respondents had an income of $90,000+.

I'm sure the survey was conducted in a completely random fashion, and perhaps by the very nature of Calgary you would get more respondents in the higher income brackets. But does that give the most realistic picture of what the "average joe" thinks of the city?

Thoughts?

I"m pretty sure an average joe family in calgary makes $90k/year.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I"m pretty sure an average joe family in calgary makes $90k/year.

Was it family income or individual income. Lots of two income families out there, in which case 90k+ doesn't surprise me at all.

[getbak]

Assuming that's household income and not individual, I wouldn't be surprised that 53% over $90,000 is accurate. 50/40 or 60/30 for the members of a couple aren't hard to imagine in a lot of households.

[Bigtime]

Yup my thoughts as well, if it is household income the numbers make sense.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Was it family income or individual income. Lots of two income families out there, in which case 90k+ doesn't surprise me at all.

Usually in surveys it's household income.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Usually in surveys it's household income.

Which begs the question how does one income family survive in cowtown? Can you feed a family of four on a normal, say, $70K income?

[jtfrogger]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I would go for library. The current limit of 99 items is absurd to me. Reduce the limit to 20 which is still a lot and you can reduce cost.

How would reducing the loan limit reduce costs? Are there that many people taking out that many items that libraries have to hold so much inventory just for them?

Also, 20 sounds arbitrarily low to me. I can imagine a large family checking things out under one parent. A few books per family member plus some DVDs, and it wouldn't take too much time to hit 20.

Maybe I just don't understand the problem you are trying to solve.

[Stay Golden]

Funny how approval is 86% on the study but yet I know didn't vote for him, parents, sisters, inlaws, not one of my close friends voted for him. I have about 200 clients and often just shooting the breeze Nenshi or cityhall will get brought up because of the energy business I am in most people i talk to are not a fan of his.
This study has to be skewed in his favor where or whom was asked.

[jammies]

Everybody *I* know likes him, so therefore the survey is skewed because it should have said 100% approval rating.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Nenshi or cityhall will get brought up because of the energy business I am in most people i talk to are not a fan of his.

I'm in the energy business, and I voted for him/approve of him.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Funny how approval is 86% on the study but yet I know didn't vote for him, parents, sisters, inlaws, not one of my close friends voted for him. I have about 200 clients and often just shooting the breeze Nenshi or cityhall will get brought up because of the energy business I am in most people i talk to are not a fan of his.
This study has to be skewed in his favor where or whom was asked.

Hahaha. These are by far, the best posts on CP. The old "me and everyone I know don't agree, so somethings skewed".

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Funny how approval is 86% on the study but yet I know didn't vote for him, parents, sisters, inlaws, not one of my close friends voted for him. I have about 200 clients and often just shooting the breeze Nenshi or cityhall will get brought up because of the energy business I am in most people i talk to are not a fan of his.
This study has to be skewed in his favor where or whom was asked.

Cool story bro! You, your family, your friends and 200 people are coincidentally part of the 14% who hate him. How random is that!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by jammies

You would've loved Al Duerr. He was a big proponent of the theory that nothing beats saving $5 now, even if you have to pay $20 later.

How do you make Anne Tingle?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I would go for library. The current limit of 99 items is absurd to me. Reduce the limit to 20 which is still a lot and you can reduce cost.

How does this save money though? How many people are checking out anything close to 99 books from the library - I would guess that the number is very very low, in fact I would guess the only people who do that are people who run education programs, book clubs and perhaps people with children. The average person likely a) doesn't use the library and b) checks out 2-3 items at a time.

It is nice on paper to reduce the limit but that doesn't do anything to reduce costs... plus how does reducing the number of books that people can borrow going to reduce costs, will the library order less books - doubtful, there is still a demand for the books in question whether one is checked out or 20 or 99 at a time. I don't see how there would be much in the way of savings associated with your plan.

If you want to start looking for short term savings at the libraries you need to examine staffing levels, facilities and hours of operation in the facilities. Those are hard cuts to make though - the other option that I can think of is unless someone falls under a minimum line (say 55,000 per annum) they are charged a premium of something minimal ie 5 cents per item borrowed from the library - or potentially a system where there is a priority checkout where someone can pay 50 cents to a dollar in order to check out a single item which would otherwise be on hold, in other words move themselves to the front of the queue. I know there would be some people opposed to it but it would generate money that could in turn be put back into libraries helping ensure quality service for all.

It isn't merely slash and cut that is needed it is innovation and for people with ideas to speak out and hopefully they will be listened to, that may be the biggest benefit to having Nenshi as mayor, he makes a concerted effort to listen to the common citizen, something that wasn't present in other mayors.