The other day on my drive home, Angela Kokott (CHQR 770 drive home show host) interviewed Calgary alderman Giancarlo Carra (Ward 9) about the City of Calgary’s efforts to consider the “Sustainability of the Food Supply”. Carra droned on about the need for the City to have a food plan to make sure that all Calgarians …
Category Archive: Municipal
Nov
21
Calgary Budget 2012
Calgary city council is currently debating the 2012-2014 budget, and all the news is about whether or not they can maintain a property tax hike of 5%, or will it have to go higher. None of the city councilors seem to think that increasing spending at a rate well above inflation + population growth is …
Aug
06
On Infrastructure Spending in Calgary
Although it has passed from the daily news in the City of Calgary, we still have a budget problem. The municipal government is spending too much money and is having to raise property taxes steeply to pay for it all. Municipal politicians, such as Mayor Nenshi, continue complain that cities should be given more …
Jan
20
Calgary’s Mayor is wrong
Calgary’s new mayor, Naheed Nenshi (who happened to be the University of Calgary Student’s Union President one year when I was attending there), is wrong when it comes to how to pay for infrastructure and services in the growing communities being developed around the edges of the city. He stated: City council will have to …
Jan
31
Environmentalists accused of fraud? Can’t be!
I am fascinated by this news story from Toronto. A group representing dozens of lawn care companies trying to bring charges against Ontario’s environment minister and senior bureaucrats over the province’s controversial pesticide ban is now calling for charges against 23 activists. Group spokesman Jeffrey Lowes of MREP Communications said Wednesday that information has been …
Dec
03
Calgary council makes good decision…
for the wrong reasons… Calgary city council decided last night to kill the proposed pesticide bylaw because it doesn’t include a ban on cosmetic pesticides. As I’ve written previously on two occasions (here and here), we don’t need a ban on cosmetic pesticides because they aren’t considered dangerous by any rational group. By Brian Pincott …
Jul
04
On the SW Calgary Ring Road
This past week, the members of the Tsuu T’ina Nation voted 60% to reject a plan put forward by the City of Calgary and Province of Alberta to trade land on the eastern edge of the reserve for other lands to be named later. The City wanted this land to build the southwest leg of …
Nov
19
Another Cash Grab from Calgary City Hall
Calgary city council has decided that charging transit riders $3.00 to park their cars at park-n-ride lots at train stations is a good idea, because it will raise $6 million per year. Of course, with increasing fares, it will now cost a commuter $8 per day. Now, admittedly parking costs downtown are significantly higher than …
Nov
07
25% Tax Increase – Just Say No!
OK – so Bronco and his minions at City Hall (Calgary) want to raise property taxes by 25%. This is ridiculous. The city is growing, yes. And growing at a rate of 3-4% per year. And yes there is inflation. But growth also means more taxpayers. So hosing everyone with this gigantic increase is completely …
Nov
04
Bad government in Calgary
So, the economy is starting to slide, oil prices (and provincial royalties) are slipping and unemployment are likely to rise… Crime is a high profile news item on most days and the city wants more police… So they decide to spend $25 Million on fancy new pedestrian bridges because they will “help reduce traffic congestion” …