[MalcolmTucker]

^ Calgarians get pretty good services for the money. If there were efficiencies to be found, they would be implemented. Realistically, to save money, you have to cut stuff. I have yet to see any proposals from anyone on council to constrain our operational budget which is supported by property taxes. They claim there is all this waste and programs to cut, but never name them. Claim that zero based budgeting would lead to saving, but you only save money using zero base by identifying things to cut.

Calgary City services are pretty basic compared to most cities. Many operational services are pay for service on a cost recovery basis, unlike in many other cities (this is why Heritage Park for example costs $20 for an adult, much like the Zoo)

The biggest cost centres for the city are transit, roads, and emergency services. I don't believe any members of council really oppose funding those things. (Efforts to decrease the tax increase by fiscal conservatives in fact created the budget need for the dreaded park and ride fee, and other parking fee increases, but still there was no effort to cut the services this funding supported)