Global reveals developer’s plan to control CGY city council

[Cowboy89]

I watched the entire 18 minute video and one thing that Cal brings up is the concept that he believes that 'Civic Camp' is organizing a slate of candidates to run in the election. Would anyone here be able to shed any light on that?

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

Seriously?

That will make the intersection at 17th Ave and 69th street much busier. Odd.

Yes, there will be a dead end on 85 st so that you cannot get to Lower Sprinkbank. Totally crazy, but two alderman now have piled on the rhetoric for why it makes sense.

I actually cornered Pootman one day and asked him nicely about it then called BS on the garbage he gave as answers. I asked him how much he made via developers because that is the ONLY reason they would cut off that access. The decision was made before Pootman but he certainly knew all about it. This decision can easily add 15 to 20 minutes to my 15 minute drive to work.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I watched the entire 18 minute video and one thing that Cal brings up is the concept that he believes that 'Civic Camp' is organizing a slate of candidates to run in the election. Would anyone here be able to shed any light on that?

I've heard this rumor as well.

They claim to be non-partisan - which is pretty easy to do at the municipal level where we don't have a party system. But if you were to place them on the spectrum, they would fall on the left side of things.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by First Lady

I've heard this rumor as well.

They claim to be non-partisan - which is pretty easy to do at the municipal level where we don't have a party system. But if you were to place them on the spectrum, they would fall on the left side of things.

I did a little digging on their site. Clears up the slate of candidates thing. Although it seems obvious that since Nenshi helped co-found the organization with ex-Green party candidate Chris Truner, that pretty much all electioneering and voluneteering will be loosely advocating and advancing essentially his positions and the aldermanic candidates that are friendly to those positions.

http://www.civiccamp.org/the-2013-mu...working-group/

One more thing…
There’s also one extra item we wanted to talk about, and that’s in regards to slates. CivicCamp’s job is to make sure that you are informed about all the perspectives, not endorsing candidates. That’s your job by marking an ‘X’ next to a candidate’s name. So the short answer is no slates or endorsements. Never will be.
Many would note that one of the co-founders of CivicCamp is well, you know, the mayor of Calgary now. We’re glad that some individuals have taken their journey to the next level, but true to our roots and true to our charter, CivicCamp has and will always be non-partisan.

[Cowboy89]

^On closer inspection to that website it appears that a member of Cal's family makes an idiot of herself in the comments section, threatening 'legal action' based on an accusation that she makes which essentially boils down to her not reading properly!

Edith Wenzel April 10, 2013 at 4:44 pm edit
You have me on your site as a $1000 contributor. I have never and never would contribute to a group such as yours. I request that my name be removed immediately or I will be contacating my legal counsel regarding your methods of illegal advertising. This is serious!


Reply

• CivicCamp April 10, 2013 at 9:53 pm edit Hello Edith. What you probably saw was http://www.crowdsourcing.civiccamp.org . As the introduction on the site states, the purpose of this initiative is to digitize the campaign finance data from the 2010 municipal election of the City of Calgary (Alberta, Canada).
  It is not a listing of donations or contributions to CivicCamp. Please take a moment to review the introduction again. The site did, until yesterday, display publicly available records obtained from the City of Calgary’s website. All City Council candidates are required to file a Disclosure of Campaign Finances and the names of all campaign donors are required to appear on these filings if they exceed $100.
  The site did, until yesterday, display publicly available records obtained from the City of Calgary’s website. All City Council candidates are required to file a Disclosure of Campaign Finances and the names of all campaign donors are required to appear on these filings if they exceed $100.
  To repeat, these are donors to municipal politicians, not CivicCamp.
  To see these records, please visit http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks...-Finances.aspx
  
  

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Finally an article in the Sun. Of course, terrible photo of Nenshi.. LOL

And a picture from November, as well...

[Slava]

I think there have been 'loose slates' for a long time, where like minded candidates help each other out. Some of these have been endorsed by parties, and others are just slates where there is no tacit endorsement or anything, but its close. I've definitely seen examples of candidates supporting other candidates and endorsing them based on party affiliation at other levels. You'd have to be pretty naïve to think that everyone running for council is just a concerned citizen with no affiliations to any political group. When you're talking about raising $100k, putting up signs, designing literature, etc. it's more than that.

The one thing that strikes me as a little odd is that so many Nenshi supporters seem offended by this notion that developers would support candidates friendly to their cause. Why would you suppose that Nenshi was getting cheques from Park n Jet (or those types of places) in 2010? It wouldn't be his support of the airport tunnel, would it?

[killer_carlson]

Wasnt that Druh person supporting the occupiers?

[Bunk]

Globe and Mail article

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle11508265/

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Slava

The one thing that strikes me as a little odd is that so many Nenshi supporters seem offended by this notion that developers would support candidates friendly to their cause. Why would you suppose that Nenshi was getting cheques from Park n Jet (or those types of places) in 2010? It wouldn't be his support of the airport tunnel, would it?

Is that what people are taking offense to though? Isn't it the way Wenzel is seemingly trying to exert "control"?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Is that what people are taking offense to though? Isn't it the way Wenzel is seemingly trying to exert "control"?

Well I guess its hard to say? I'm not on the side of the developers here either, but I think that its really unclear as to whether anything wrong was really done. We all know the developers donate to civic campaigns...that's hardly new. The fact that these guys got together and said "we can't beat the mayor, so let's win enough aldermanic seats" isn't really offensive to me either. Honestly, its just plain recognizing the situation for what it is. As a guy who has made it well known that I can't stand DCU, and they're openly supporting her, I have zero problem with them trying this strategy.

If, however, they contravene our pathetically weak electoral finance laws I hope they're fully prosecuted. That is far more egregious than them pursuing a mandate in a purely democratic way.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I watched the entire 18 minute video and one thing that Cal brings up is the concept that he believes that 'Civic Camp' is organizing a slate of candidates to run in the election. Would anyone here be able to shed any light on that?

Completely ridiculous.

As someone loosely involved in Civic Camp, I can't even have a question inserted into their candidate forums. The questions have to be crowsourced and then voted on by the general public. That is an example of the degree to which they guard their non-partisanship.

=============

Originally Posted by Slava

The one thing that strikes me as a little odd is that so many Nenshi supporters seem offended by this notion that developers would support candidates friendly to their cause.

It's not that they're doing it, it's how they're doing it. If you don't like Nenshi, run a candidate against him and let the people decide. Don't lurk in the shadows of the aldermanic races.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Slava

The one thing that strikes me as a little odd is that so many Nenshi supporters seem offended by this notion that developers would support candidates friendly to their cause. Why would you suppose that Nenshi was getting cheques from Park n Jet (or those types of places) in 2010? It wouldn't be his support of the airport tunnel, would it?

You can't see how rich guys sitting around mentioning how they have already paid over a million dollars to try to get municipal politicians who think their way may not been seen in the best light?

I don't think anyone has a problem with someone showing support for a chosen candidate. But this isn't a cadre of neighbours discussing local issues. It is a cartel talking about using their deep pockets to gain influence not available to average citizens. It is about looking for ways to work around a politician whose approval rating sure would seem to reflect a pretty strong grass roots support.

I'm not sure how it doesn't come across as greasy, even if it is currently legal.

[Regulator75]

Campaign contributions: How much developers donated to city council candidates.

http://globalnews.ca/news/504875/cam...il-candidates/

[droopydrew19]

So what you are saying is that you can buy an election?

Signed

Dave Bronconnier

[Slava]

Originally Posted by SebC

Completely ridiculous.

As someone loosely involved in Civic Camp, I can't even have a question inserted into their candidate forums. The questions have to be crowsourced and then voted on by the general public. That is an example of the degree to which they guard their non-partisanship.

=============

It's not that they're doing it, it's how they're doing it. If you don't like Nenshi, run a candidate against him and let the people decide. Don't lurk in the shadows of the aldermanic races.

What do you mean 'lurk in the shadows of the aldermanic races'? People still vote, and everything is totally legitimate.

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

You can't see how rich guys sitting around mentioning how they have already paid over a million dollars to try to get municipal politicians who think their way may not been seen in the best light?

I don't think anyone has a problem with someone showing support for a chosen candidate. But this isn't a cadre of neighbours discussing local issues. It is a cartel talking about using their deep pockets to gain influence not available to average citizens. It is about looking for ways to work around a politician whose approval rating sure would seem to reflect a pretty strong grass roots support.

I'm not sure how it doesn't come across as greasy, even if it is currently legal.

I can see how it isn't in the best light, but I also can't see a whole lot there to get upset about. Its a businessman who says point blank he doesn't know anything about politics and such. He claims his business is in jeopardy, and I have no idea if that's the case, but he can make a $5000 donation here and there and maybe not face that consequence. I would expect nothing less.

[Cowperson]

The Mayor of Cochrane was on a local talk show this afternoon.

He says he has been targeted numerous times by local developers for defeat and has survived each time. He's not running, however, in the next election.

He isn't whining about being a target of developers. Says the Shane Homes Affair in Calgary is democracy in action. Says no wrong doing has occurred. Says its up to voters to select candidates who will look after the long term future of their communities versus those with a short term agenda.

He says people might find the agenda of developers distasteful but, if they do, then research your slate of candidates carefully and vote for those looking after the best interests of the community.

It was an interesting interview given it contrasts fairly dramatically with Nenshi's reaction. But Nenshi has some political opponents with their pants around their ankles at the moment and his fist is going right for their balls. Can't blame him for that but note Nenshi's reaction has a political motivation as well.

Cowperson

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

It was an interesting interview given it contrasts fairly dramatically with Nenshi's reaction. But Nenshi has some political opponents with their pants around their ankles at the moment and his fist is going right for their balls. Can't blame him for that but note Nenshi's reaction has a political motivation as well.

Cowperson

Without a doubt.

It seems odd to me that so many are surprised by this. Like minded individuals gathering to promote like minded candidates isn't new. (CivicCamp is perfect example)

There were over 150 people in this room, so it's hardly some "secret sect".

The timing of it coming out is interesting.... meeting was in November and it comes out now? Just 6 months prior to E-day. Clearly it was known about months ago.

Also why didn't Farrell call for an inquiry back in 2010? Is it because she won - she didn't care then?

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Without a doubt.

It seems odd to me that so many are surprised by this. Like minded individuals gathering to promote like minded candidates isn't new. (CivicCamp is perfect example)

There were over 150 people in this room, so it's hardly some "secret sect".

The timing of it coming out is interesting.... meeting was in November and it comes out now? Just 6 months prior to E-day. Clearly it was known about months ago.

Also why didn't Farrell call for an inquiry back in 2010? Is it because she won - she didn't care then?

Do you fall over from the spinning you do?

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

God you're daft.

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Saw right through your "shh".

So.
Shh.

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Do you fall over from the spinning you do?

Perhaps you should take a break and come back when you have something of value to add to the discussion.