Honestly... this is what I hate about columnists. One persons opinion gets written up as something that takes on the form of a factual article reporting the opinions of others.
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Originally Posted by Wooster
Next bridge process much better
Push aside the buzz of complaints over Calgary's new footbridge and one can hear the healthy hum of a deeply engaged public, chattering about what the city's future should look like.
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Translation: We are really proud of ourselves for trying to stir up a hornets nest.
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"Not everybody is going to come to a consensus on this bridge, that is going to be the sure outcome," says Ollenberger, who had no hand in the Peace Bridge process or the ill-conceived decision to acclaim Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
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Translation: Look! we've got this guy back-peddling before he's really even started. Watch how I make it look like he's against the peace bridge by pointing out that he wasn't involved.
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"Not everybody is going to like whatever happens. But to actually have a debate and engage people with it should lead to a better project and should lead to a sense of pride in the city for being involved with it. It's good."
He's so right. What was egregious about the first footbridge went well beyond its outrageous $24.5-million price tag. Council disregarded the electorate, seeking neither public engagement nor the talent of local architects.
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Translation: The press should determine what issues are in the domain of the electorate and what issues are a waste of money to consult the populace as a whole. We reserve the right to only render this determination after we can figure out how it will affect newspaper sales.
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By acclaiming someone famous, the city paid top dollar for a design many now feel has been imposed upon Calgary by an outsider who has no connection with Calgarians.
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Translation: A guy from Spain, who does not live in Calgary designed a bridge for us. Somehow this is very wrong, I'm certain of it.
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Understandably, many are overly critical of the red, helix-like structure often likened to a Chinese finger trap or hamster tunnel. One Herald reader said "it looks like something you would find wrapped around asparagus in the produce section." Another called it "ugly as sin" and said: "Say No to the orange torpedo."
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Translation: After giving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bad publicity to the project, we've managed to scrape up hundreds of replies that we can use to further spin the issue.
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Much of this fury could have been diffused had the city involved the public more, or invited people to meet the architect. Cantos Music Foundation recently hosted a full house at its public unveiling of the shortlist for its King Edward renaissance project. The five finalists in the international design competition were on hand, making their presentations to the people.
This is how it should be done. Ollenberger plans on using the help of an advisory committee to narrow down the entrants. As long as there is a good balance of views represented from different walks of life, this can offer fresh opinions and new ideas to the project.
The competition should lead to exciting outcomes because it is open-ended. The sky is truly the limit in terms of ideas that could be introduced, at least conceptually. That doesn't mean the structures would work in reality.
Many of the proposals might not be practical. So be it. It isn't every day the city builds a structure that is supposed to benefit generations.
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Translation: The city builds long term infrastructure every other day, not every day. Some of these projects must have cocktail receptions in order for things to be done properly. They must feed lots of free food and booze to reporters while generating a lot of useless input and wasting time and money.
Again, we, the press, should be the judge of which of the hundreds of public infrastructure projects require free cocktails.
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Bring on the creativity, and let it flow as freely as the river this bridge will span.
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Translation: I'm a hack.
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http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion...281/story.html[/QUOTE]