MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

It’ll probably be worth it when they eventually put down some lrt tracks in their place.

Think that'll happen before the heat-death of the universe?

[Slava]

It might be better with an LRT, but really there have to be dozens of places that you would build that LRT before there.

[timun]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The notion that loads of people in the area were eager to take public transit to Heritage Park and the Rockyview always struck me as the kind of idealistic, wishful thinking that urban planners seem in thrall to.

A "notion that loads of people in the area were eager to take public transit" was not why it was built. It was built because the road network is as big as it's ever going to get, parking at places like MRU, Rockyview and Heritage Park are limited/expensive, and as the traffic on 14th gets worse—and it will get worse as time goes on—the BRT will be a viable alternative option.

In my opinion the biggest problem with the BRT such as it exists now is not where it goes, but rather how often the bus comes. It's generally once every 10 minutes from 7:00-8:00 am and 3:00-5:30 pm, and every 20 minutes outside of those hours. In practice, from my personal experience as someone who'd need to use it after 5:30 pm, the buses often fail to keep to schedule and those 20-minute headways are more like 30-45 minutes. The system is too unreliable for me to consider using: buses show up too sporadically and waiting time is far, far too long.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by timun

A "notion that loads of people in the area were eager to take public transit" was not why it was built. It was built because the road network is as big as it's ever going to get, parking at places like MRU, Rockyview and Heritage Park are limited/expensive, and as the traffic on 14th gets worse—and it will get worse as time goes on—the BRT will be a viable alternative option.

In my opinion the biggest problem with the BRT such as it exists now is not where it goes, but rather how often the bus comes. It's generally once every 10 minutes from 7:00-8:00 am and 3:00-5:30 pm, and every 20 minutes outside of those hours. In practice, from my personal experience as someone who'd need to use it after 5:30 pm, the buses often fail to keep to schedule and those 20-minute headways are more like 30-45 minutes. The system is too unreliable for me to consider using: buses show up too sporadically and waiting time is far, far too long.

Well, it's both. The frequency is a huge drawback, but like Cliff was saying, my kids take transit for things and have never used it a single time. They go to the train and then to places from there.

[Young Fledge]

Pretty strong article in the Sun today regarding our Council. Like him or hate him (I am somewhere in the middle), Mclean brings up some things that I have heard from several other Councillors.

https://calgarysun.com/opinion/colum...-hateful-eight

[timun]

Pfff, just a bunch of vapid, populist piffle from council's resident Conservative boob.

This council was always going to be unpopular; btimbit and I said as much a couple years ago:

Originally Posted by timun

Yeah, the previous councillors who didn't run for re-election saw the writing on the wall: they knew this council was in for a rough ride and they got out while the going was good.

I especially had to laugh at the parting remarks at the end of the op-ed:

“I could be quiet and go along and get along and just get re-elected over and over and over again. A councillor told me that. He’s been there for a while.

“Just stay under the radar. Go along and get along.

“I said: You mean sell out? I’m not going to do that.”

Buddy, you're a bought-and-paid-for shill. You'd sold out just to get yourself elected. 'Member how you got fined about a year ago by Elections Alberta for taking illegal corporate donations during your election campaign? 'Member how you got sanctioned four weeks ago for calling into meetings from the ####ing golf course? I 'member...

[Young Fledge]

I agree with everything you said, he's by no means a good Councillor, but what he says is true. This is a dysfunctional council that has shown time and time again, they don't really care about what residents think/have to say.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Young Fledge

Pretty strong article in the Sun today regarding our Council.

I can't say I've ever read a Bell article and felt it was 'strong' lol. McLean is part of the problem, and he certainly doesn't have any useful solutions. "Blind leftist ideology" is rich coming from the guy who says whatever the UCP needs him to say.

[Young Fledge]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

I can't say I've ever read a Bell article and felt it was 'strong' lol. McLean is part of the problem, and he certainly doesn't have any useful solutions. "Blind leftist ideology" is rich coming from the guy who says whatever the UCP needs him to say.

Strong as in strong words by Mclean, like "them fighten words!"

The only thing strong about Bell articles is his use of the "enter" key.

[getbak]

Have you ever worked with someone who was useless at their job but spent all day blaming their problems on everyone else?

The only thing keeping Dan McLean from being the worst member of council is the inexplicable fact that Sean Chu is still there.

[Fuzz]

As if we needed the reminder!

[btimbit]

The only reason McLean isn't considered the worst counselor is because there's a different one who was guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor.

McLean is even worse than the leftist bullies he claims to work with. The irony of him crying about being told to toe the party line, meanwhile he's the biggest shill in that room

[Ironhorse]

So ignoring McLean for a moment, do you guys really think Gondek, Penner et al. are doing a good job?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by btimbit

The only reason McLean isn't considered the worst counselor is because there's a different one who was guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor.

McLean is even worse than the leftist bullies he claims to work with. The irony of him crying about being told to toe the party line, meanwhile he's the biggest shill in that room

If you could invent a caricature of a modern populist conservative, it would probably be indistinguishable from McLean. It’s almost incredible that he’s a real person.

The fact that he refers to stuff like “doing your job” and “getting along with your coworkers” as “selling out” while he’s blowing off work to go golfing on a developer’s dime is hilarious. Just zero self-awareness.

[Young Fledge]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

So ignoring McLean for a moment, do you guys really think Gondek, Penner et al. are doing a good job?

Absolutely not. Especially Penner. She will only talk to people who agree with her. Even at her coffee dates, she runs away from those who have a view different from hers. She also plays the victim card whenever she is called out on anything. Pincott was twice the Councillor she is, and that's saying something as he was not overly well liked either. She never shows up to community association meetings, just sends her staff who leave early. I could go on and on, she's definitely the worst I have ever seen in my years

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

So ignoring McLean for a moment, do you guys really think Gondek, Penner et al. are doing a good job?

What do you mean “do you guys really think…”? Who said they were?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

So ignoring McLean for a moment, do you guys really think Gondek, Penner et al. are doing a good job?

Well I live in McLean's ward so see no reason to ignore him. He's the worst. Either way, I still stand by what I said years ago, this council isn't doing a great job but no council during this period would have. The approval numbers speak for themselves

I also think most of the criticisms you read or hear are made up and hilarious though.

[powderjunkie]

I hope McLean is doing okay in this weather because that dumb #### lives in a glass house.

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Well I live in McLean's ward so see no reason to ignore him. He's the worst. Either way, I still stand by what I said years ago, this council isn't doing a great job but no council during this period would have. The approval numbers speak for themselves

I also think most of the criticisms you read or hear are made up and hilarious though.

Curious why you think other council members or another council might not be able to do a good job? Definitely a lot of concerns out there for a variety of things, some of them within the cities control and others are provincial, national and international.

I think if city council really focused on specifically their city, their wards, residents concerns and more, they would achieve more.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Curious why you think other council members or another council might not be able to do a good job? Definitely a lot of concerns out there for a variety of things, some of them within the cities control and others are provincial, national and international.

I think if city council really focused on specifically their city, their wards, residents concerns and more, they would achieve more.

Partially just because of how many of them are new to the job, and simply because of what they inherited. It was a no-win situation from the start. Like I said, it's not a coincidence so many long-time councilors decided to leave when they did

What are your concerns? Do you think others who ran would have done better? What policies of this council do you not like? Because it seems whenever this topic comes up the only answers people give are nonsense made-up ones, like 'wah woke agenda, climate emergency, focus on Calgary' then can't point out anything real

Personally, I hate the arena deal, but other than that.... shrug