MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Wormius

On one hand, this seems to be one of the less drama-filled City Councils we've had in a long time, but on the other... what are they doing? They're a little too invisible.

Are they? Or are they operating in a comparatively quiet time?

COVID isn’t what it was, there is no lingering arena issue, no floods or other major disasters, even the issues around the unhoused and city safety have mostly died down.

Not saying they’ve been good or active enough, I just wonder if council feeling less active than in recent memory is just a byproduct of the world in the scope of municipal politics being quieter than it’s been in a decade.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Wormius

On one hand, this seems to be one of the less drama-filled City Councils we've had in a long time, but on the other... what are they doing? They're a little too invisible.

They are sleeping.

When a group of us spent a day down at city hall, giving our 5 minute talk to the Mayor and Council, someone in the audience stood up and said while we were talking, he noticed that half of the Councilors were sleeping.

[curves2000]

Politics is one of those things where the bread and butter when times are bad is where you should excel. Personally a lot of this council is made up of fluff and it's evident by their performance and their ratings. Nobody is willing to do the work and actually improve issues where you can actually improve them.

Huge increase's in property taxes and user fee's during this time? Nothing in utility cost management? Private businesses and publicly traded companies are all talking about cutting costs, reducing operating expenses and more. No talk about catastrophic scenarios in those businesses but if we talk about that at the government level, it becomes a doomsday scenario.

Public safety/transit safety. If the public knew how little accountability is being had in this area and how low of a give a crap factor it is, people would and should be outraged. Literally tens of millions are being spent in salaries, benefits and more for this and the results are getting worse.

There are a lot of social problems right now that everybody is dealing with, but that does not prevent the city from making public transit FEEL and BE SAFE. Those are two different things.

Anybody who has spent anytime in Europe knows how well the public and national transit/train system works. Like clockwork! Stations are clean, organized, free of deadbeats and have a feeling of a professional, well run organization to get people where they are going.

You think business men and women who are working on billion dollar deals are stepping over drug addicts, dodging people lighting themselves and others on fire, having sex in public areas and carrying weapons fit for a war?? Not a chance, they are moving quickly and efficiently through world class stations in order to make a Brussels to Paris bullet train in 80 minutes for 29 Euros that runs like clockwork.

This council has a LOT of work to do and it isn't going to be these weird little pet projects, nonstop price increases and more. They should be laser focused on delivering services, making Calgary an attractive, safe, low cost place to do business, start a family/life, attract top talent and have a thriving entertainment scene.

[Wormius]

What weird little pet projects are you referring to?

[Bigtime]

What are the tax rates in those European cities (and countries since we are talking rail between them)? Because I'd love what you are describing (and I've lived it too, plus the awesomeness of transit in Japan and Korea), but I think we'd have to pay even more in taxes to create systems like that (and the social services support for unhoused/addicted/etc).

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by curves2000

You think business men and women who are working on billion dollar deals are stepping over drug addicts, dodging people lighting themselves and others on fire, having sex in public areas and carrying weapons fit for a war?? Not a chance, they are moving quickly and efficiently through world class stations in order to make a Brussels to Paris bullet train in 80 minutes for 29 Euros that runs like clockwork.

Beyond the ridiculous hyperbole about what the average person experiences taking transit, you could not have picked two worse examples lol. Brussels is in the midst of eerily similar issues to Calgary in terms of problems relating to the intersection between public transit and unhoused people, and the french government is currently shipping unhoused people out of Paris because the situation has become so unsustainable.

This isn’t just a Calgary issue to deal with, it’s a global issue, and it might be as bad in Europe on average as anywhere else in the world, in ways that make Calgary’s issues pale in comparison.

That doesn’t excuse council or suggest it isn’t an issue worth dealing with by any means, I just think people who think Calgary’s issues are some sort of extreme would likely faint almost anywhere else (there are some countries where these issues are much less prevalent, but I don’t think you’ll find them in Europe).

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

What are the tax rates in those European cities (and countries since we are talking rail between them)? Because I'd love what you are describing (and I've lived it too, plus the awesomeness of transit in Japan and Korea), but I think we'd have to pay even more in taxes to create systems like that (and the social services support for unhoused/addicted/etc).

Canada and Japan have almost exactly the same tax to GDP. The Europeans are higher but I agree with Pepsi they aren't really a good comparison anyway.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

Not surprised at the poll results. Kourtney Branagan has been a disappointment in ward 11. The only positive is she isn't Farkas (Farkas Classic, I'm still super skeptical of New Farkas©). She made comments early in her term that she wasn't going to work the overtime and has been pretty invisible on local issues like Glenmore Landing.

Someone I know ran against her, and there was super shady background stuff that happened to push Branagan as the chosen candidate. I guess I'm not completely objective.

I'd love to hear about this! She hasn't said anything about the Glenmore Landing redevelopment, which is a big issue in the ward. That said, we all know which way she's voting, so I don't know if I care to hear it anyway? I don't think that there has been a single motion that she has supported that would've reduced spending by one cent. She's a pure tax and spend, latte leftist.

I think the issue for the mayor is not about being invisible, its got a lot to do with being visible in areas where she probably shouldn't be. Like sending money to fight bill 21 in Quebec, the latest row over her decision to skip the menorah lighting and that kind of thing.

The overall direction of the council is questionable as well. Everything from the climate emergency to the arena are polarizing issues. But, you sign a deal for an arena the sure looks like the city got taken to the cleaners and say "don't worry it won't cost you money" and then raise taxes by nearly 8%. I mean regardless of whether you support this kind of thing, the optics are pretty brutal.

[Faust]

Calgary to wait until provincial regulated rate option review before making Local Access Fee changes:

https://livewirecalgary.com/2023/12/...s-fee-changes/

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Beyond the ridiculous hyperbole about what the average person experiences taking transit, you could not have picked two worse examples lol. Brussels is in the midst of eerily similar issues to Calgary in terms of problems relating to the intersection between public transit and unhoused people, and the french government is currently shipping unhoused people out of Paris because the situation has become so unsustainable.

This isn’t just a Calgary issue to deal with, it’s a global issue, and it might be as bad in Europe on average as anywhere else in the world, in ways that make Calgary’s issues pale in comparison.

That doesn’t excuse council or suggest it isn’t an issue worth dealing with by any means, I just think people who think Calgary’s issues are some sort of extreme would likely faint almost anywhere else (there are some countries where these issues are much less prevalent, but I don’t think you’ll find them in Europe).

I am fully in agreement with you there is no lack of scum and or vagrants roaming around large cities over Canada and Europe, without a doubt.

What I was referring to was public transit and safety specifically. Buses and trains/stations. There is an entire division of peace officers/inspectors/sergeant and more dedicated to public safety. They have a huge budget and costs associated with it.

The amount of crime being committed is on an escalating curve, yet more money and resources are being applied. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...improve-safety

City council, administration and management for something like public transit safety have done a piss poor job of achieving results. You can drastically improve safety and the feeling of being safe on transit by doing what is required to be done, namely enforcement, boots on the guard, proactive steps, administration changes and more.

Ever since the APU (Arrest processing unit) was moved to the far NW part of the city a few years ago, the amount of actually arrests and charges being filed has dramatically been reduced. Calgary Transit Peace officers need to do a TON of their own admin and paperwork, waiting around etc. Calgary Police do not to the same degree.

Transit Peace officers come across extremely violent individuals who have significant outstanding warrants for their arrest, the officers need to take all those charges and admin work on themselves for what could easily be a smoking, unpaid fine, foot on seat disagreement/charge. Lot's of BS headaches and a long drive to the NW so a lot of times better to just give the fine/warning and let the scum be on their way.

Also a meaningful lack of career advancement for those officers may also play a significant role in a lackluster attitude in some ways. Outside of being a boot on the ground officer, only a few roles available above that. Transit Peace officers are provincial police officers, employed by the City of Calgary. Personal opinion is there should be more of an incentive and or a career progression to move onto CPS while maintaining a similar salary and income.

So bottom line, if city council, administration and Calgary Transit truly made something like transit safety and the FEELING of safety a priority, then something better could be achieved then what we have here now.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I am fully in agreement with you there is no lack of scum and or vagrants roaming around large cities over Canada and Europe, without a doubt.

What I was referring to was public transit and safety specifically. Buses and trains/stations. There is an entire division of peace officers/inspectors/sergeant and more dedicated to public safety. They have a huge budget and costs associated with it.

The amount of crime being committed is on an escalating curve, yet more money and resources are being applied. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...improve-safety

City council, administration and management for something like public transit safety have done a piss poor job of achieving results. You can drastically improve safety and the feeling of being safe on transit by doing what is required to be done, namely enforcement, boots on the guard, proactive steps, administration changes and more.

Ever since the APU (Arrest processing unit) was moved to the far NW part of the city a few years ago, the amount of actually arrests and charges being filed has dramatically been reduced. Calgary Transit Peace officers need to do a TON of their own admin and paperwork, waiting around etc. Calgary Police do not to the same degree.

Transit Peace officers come across extremely violent individuals who have significant outstanding warrants for their arrest, the officers need to take all those charges and admin work on themselves for what could easily be a smoking, unpaid fine, foot on seat disagreement/charge. Lot's of BS headaches and a long drive to the NW so a lot of times better to just give the fine/warning and let the scum be on their way.

Also a meaningful lack of career advancement for those officers may also play a significant role in a lackluster attitude in some ways. Outside of being a boot on the ground officer, only a few roles available above that. Transit Peace officers are provincial police officers, employed by the City of Calgary. Personal opinion is there should be more of an incentive and or a career progression to move onto CPS while maintaining a similar salary and income.

So bottom line, if city council, administration and Calgary Transit truly made something like transit safety and the FEELING of safety a priority, then something better could be achieved then what we have here now.

This seems to be a lot of conjecture here. Are you saying that Peace Officers are releasing people with arrest warrants because they don't want to take them to the APU in the NW?

Also, they chose those jobs, so... I don't know what to say about that.

[Locke]

So...my pitchforks are still in the shop but I do have some torches in my shed. When do we riot?

[The Yen Man]

I don't like the job Gondek is doing, but I do like Wyness as my ward's councillor.

[timun]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

They are sleeping.

When a group of us spent a day down at city hall, giving our 5 minute talk to the Mayor and Council, someone in the audience stood up and said while we were talking, he noticed that half of the Councilors were sleeping.

To clarify: I don't believe that they were actually sleeping, not that someone stood up and exclaimed that "half the councillors are sleeping". What day were you there? I'd love to go back and check the footage.

[PepsiFree]

Yeah, this I need to see.

Step it up flamesfever, let timun roll the tape!

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

They are sleeping.

When a group of us spent a day down at city hall, giving our 5 minute talk to the Mayor and Council, someone in the audience stood up and said while we were talking, he noticed that half of the Councilors were sleeping.

You were probably boring them.

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by Wormius

This seems to be a lot of conjecture here. Are you saying that Peace Officers are releasing people with arrest warrants because they don't want to take them to the APU in the NW?

Also, they chose those jobs, so... I don't know what to say about that.

Yes I am saying that without a doubt. This isn't made up, this is a matter of fact. People are routinely caught who have no business being on the streets and are let off with their fine.

I am not suggesting nobody is getting arrested on Calgary Transit property and then charged. There IS a LOT of people who have very serious charges and the level of paperwork involved, the fact that it's getting close to end of shift and more, play a serious role in this as well. The shift from APU downtown to APU in the NW is a factor, it's not something I made up.

As for their limited options of career opportunities within that field/income bracket etc, your right, they did choose the jobs and they are well paid jobs too. Compensation and benefits, along with a lot of available OT will push you well over $100k a year.

A lack of career advancement does result in a certain level of hubris and performance for a lot of people no matter who you are or what field you are in. Transit could benefit from a more motivated and career focused workforce with options for advancement either within Calgary Transit or within CPS.

As I stated earlier, if council, administration, Calgary Transit etc were 100% aligned with safety and making sure it's as safe as possible, we would have far better results.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I don't like the job Gondek is doing, but I do like Wyness as my ward's councillor.

I haven't heard anything really positive or negative about Jasmine Mian. She hasn't stood out at all so far, which might be a good thing? Though she did vote in favor of the terrible arena deal so that's one big strike against her

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I don't like the job Gondek is doing, but I do like Wyness as my ward's councillor.

Glad to hear, voted for her right before I moved out of the area. Granted she coulda done literally nothing and still be better than her predecessor.

Now I gotta vote out Mclean

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

That doesn’t excuse council or suggest it isn’t an issue worth dealing with by any means, I just think people who think Calgary’s issues are some sort of extreme would likely faint almost anywhere else (there are some countries where these issues are much less prevalent, but I don’t think you’ll find them in Europe).

I agree with your statement, but just because it's worse/similar a lot of places in the world doesn't mean I think we should be accepting this.

Having people living in tent cities with all of the issues that come with those isn't something I think we should have anywhere, and I'd prefer we do more about it here. Walking passed multiple people every day killing themselves slowly with drugs is becoming normalized and accepted. I'd prefer we waste a bunch of money and effort on things that don't work in the search for a solution rather than just managing the current state of things.