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

[Kybosh]

86% Nenshi approval . . . Agent86 . . . hmmm

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

86% Nenshi approval . . . Agent86 . . . hmmm

Even though I am sure that you are joking - I have absolutely nothing to do with Nenshi in any way shape or form. Heck I didn't even vote for him - considering I live in Edmonton. I do follow Calgary politics as it is where I am from and I have to say that I think he has done a decent job. Nothing earth shaking but I don't think that was to realistically be expected. The fact is the guy has actually followed through on his election promises, hasn't screwed up at all really - I don't hold the fluoride thing against him because I think the way in which that was passed was squarmy at best and that is what happens when you have poorly educated city councilmen and women making decisions about topics they know from youtube videos.

[THE SCUD]

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.

I can't believe a goof "in the energy industry" thinks that people in "the business" don't vote for nenshi

-His policies have zero impact on us, this is municipal politics, he can't do anything anti-O&G

I voted for him, so did everyone I know at my exploration company.

Way to post incredulous comments and get called out on it, goofball.

[Barnes]

Energy business? Who says that?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Energy business? Who says that?

Nobody who's in it.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I think Stay Golden sells propane and propane accessories.

[darklord700]

To the penny tax supporters, read this and weep. It's a stupid idea and shows how stupid Nenshi is. He's clearly a scholar who doesn't know how to run a city.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...803/story.html

“A sales tax in each city would be incredibly expensive to administer,” said Larry Kneebone, an economist at the University of Calgary.

“I don’t think anyone would vote for another Peace Bridge,” he said, referring to the long-delayed and widely opposed Bow River pedestrian crossing.

"Kneebone said the levy could hurt local businesses, particularly those that sell large-ticket items. For example, a $30,000 car would be $300 cheaper at a dealership outside city limits."

[SebC]

Originally Posted by darklord700

"Kneebone said the levy could hurt local businesses, particularly those that sell large-ticket items. For example, a $30,000 car would be $300 cheaper at a dealership outside city limits."

That's pure nonsense. Dealers in Calgary would take a hit on their prices: it wouldn't be 100% passed onto consumbers.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by SebC

That's pure nonsense. Dealers in Calgary would take a hit on their prices: it wouldn't be 100% passed onto consumbers.

People are already buying cars from Okotoks now, you need to give them more incentives? And people are already shopping at Cross Iron Mills, add 1% will just drive more people from Chinook to Cross Iron Mills. It's so easy to circumvent this penny tax, it's such a stupid idea for Nenshi to even think about it.

[Mr.Coffee]

So you criticize Nenshi for being a scholar and then follow up by providing evidence countering Nenshi's proposal that comes from... a scholar?

I'm not going to pretend like I know what I'm even talking about here but in my uneducated opinion; anything selling large ticket items like cars and trucks being forced to potentially reduce their prices due to some taxes to something that remotely looks like the rest of the planet's prices is A-OK in my books. Somehow I think the poor local businesses will still survive.

After the last few months of watching the US debacle, I'm thinking attempts at closing the gap between the rich and poor might be the best for everybody.

signed,
Warren Buffett

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by darklord700

To the penny tax supporters, read this and weep. It's a stupid idea and shows how stupid Nenshi is. He's clearly a scholar who doesn't know how to run a city.

The penny tax idea has been proposed by a group called "Transformation Calgary", and not Nenshi himself. But carry on...

[Jimmy Stang]

In fact, since we're talking about big, bad Nenshi and "his" penny tax (that was actually proposed by an independent business group), this is all I have read about his level of support for such an idea:

Outside the friendly reception that Transformation Calgary got Monday for its dedicated "penny tax" at the chamber of commerce, Mayor Naheed Nenshi and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty were both far more lukewarm to the idea.

Nenshi first revealed Transformation Calgary's idea in February while talking to reporters in Toronto. After first musing about it seven months ago, he still believes the sales-tax solution is merely one of the options to wean cities off the inadequate property tax base.
"It's not really directly related to the services consumed at the city level, so there are goods and bads about it," the mayor said.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...#ixzz1ZWRElaD9

[THE SCUD]

Originally Posted by darklord700

To the penny tax supporters, read this and weep. It's a stupid idea and shows how stupid Nenshi is. He's clearly a scholar who doesn't know how to run a city.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...803/story.html

“A sales tax in each city would be incredibly expensive to administer,” said Larry Kneebone, an economist at the University of Calgary.

“I don’t think anyone would vote for another Peace Bridge,” he said, referring to the long-delayed and widely opposed Bow River pedestrian crossing.

"Kneebone said the levy could hurt local businesses, particularly those that sell large-ticket items. For example, a $30,000 car would be $300 cheaper at a dealership outside city limits."

Based on your frighteningly ignorant attack on Nenshi, as quoted above, I believe you're a racist. If you'd spent 2 minutes reading you'd see the link that was posted (and quoted above my post) where Nenshi is f$%&^*ING LUKEWARM TO THE IDEA of a penny tax. My god, you racists really need to spend 2 minutes working on your position before going on a tirade that makes you look ignorant and stupid.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

The penny tax idea has been proposed by a group called "Transformation Calgary", and not Nenshi himself. But carry on...

I'm kind of on the fence about the tax, but I thought that Nenshi had proposed something similar either during the campaign or leading up to it? I know it wasn't a main plank of his campaign or anything, but that was my impression.

I don't know who "Transformation Calgary" is (aside from George Brookman), but do they have any connection to the mayor?

[Ducay]

Nenshi had nothing to do with the 1% tax; however, you'll see quite often Nenshi is quoted at wanting to move away from the property tax system in favor of other (more applicable) methods of taxation.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

So you criticize Nenshi for being a scholar and then follow up by providing evidence countering Nenshi's proposal that comes from... a scholar?

I know this for fact that it takes about $500 or something like that a year to process you personal Federal tax return. That's just the neccessary evil but there's cost involved in running any kind of tax systems.

To run a unique tax system that is the penny tax for just a million people will cost a lot of money. It doesn't make sense right of the bat for me which is why I criticize Nenshi for being a scholar to support this idea.

You can't just slap a 1% on everything and start counting the pennies coming into the city's treasury. All the cash registers will have to be changed and people will have to be educated, tax auditor to be trained and not to mention legislation to be drafted. After all this, to propose this will only be run for a few years is even stupider.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I know this for fact that it takes about $500 or something like that a year to process you personal Federal tax return. That's just the neccessary evil but there's cost involved in running any kind of tax systems.

To run a unique tax system that is the penny tax for just a million people will cost a lot of money. It doesn't make sense right of the bat for me which is why I criticize Nenshi for being a scholar to support this idea.

You can't just slap a 1% on everything and start counting the pennies coming into the city's treasury. All the cash registers will have to be changed and people will have to be educated, tax auditor to be trained and not to mention legislation to be drafted. After all this, to propose this will only be run for a few years is even stupider.

I hope you argued against the GST dropping because of how difficult it must have been for the cash registers to be changed across the city. While I don't know if it is the most feasible idea I have ever heard - I will actually listen to the benefits as well as the arguments against it before I yell how awful taxes are.

The city is in a pinch when it comes to money, there are limited ways for a city to generate money without resorting to the Bronchonier grovel approach (or put together a fake world's fair bid).

I have seen your type before - you like to argue against every possible solution because it isn't optimal and yet provide nothing really constructive at the same time. How do you propose the city generates the required revenue?

Also while I don't know the economics behind it - I am sure that a city based goods and services (Penny) tax would generate revenue to pay for capital projects. I think people don't mind paying taxes, at least I don't, when I can see the benefits to the money that is being spent.

[shermanator]

If a 1% sales tax really hurts your business that much, it probably wasn't a very good business to begin with.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by shermanator

If a 1% sales tax really hurts your business that much, it probably wasn't a very good business to begin with.

Agreed

I still do not understand how a 1% sales tax will force people out to the surrounding cities to buy stuff. Cars are allready cheaper out there. IT is not like everyone is going to suddenly show up in the Okotoks walmart to stock up on stuff because of 1%.

Also, 1% on a house is not going to be the determining factor on someone buying in Country hills or in Airdrie.

It is a good idea to look at all possibilities.. but Darklords reasoning for being against this is so irrational.

[burn_this_city]

People will drive all over the place to save a couple cents on a liter of gas. Not that I don't agree with what you're saying.