Municipal Politics

[Tropics]

Originally Posted by Wooster

He's not at all difficult to work with. He's assertive in his point of view, but that's a good leadership quality in my view.

Not when he is "assertive in his point of view" on things outside of his own area of expertise or knowledge base and he refuses to take the advice or words of advice from others and perhaps alter his point of view, because he would see that as looking weak and having to admit someone knew something he did not.

That is where a lot of his issues stem.

[LFRENCH]

Originally Posted by speedog

I did take your example and I do see what you're speaking of but to take that example and then some just assume every retailer does this is quite over the top.

Yeah I don't think this happens to every product but it unfortunately happens to many(seems to be mid-large size companies as opposed to very very huge and very small).

The biggest thing is just flat labor rates, I work in the auto industry and its pretty standard that dealerships are about $35 per hour more here in Calgary than in places such as Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria etc.

Back to municipal politics, this is why I believe the municipal government has little control over general housing affordability. Yes there are ways they can help, however most ways to promote affordability has to come from the provincial and federal governments.

[Cage]

Some one needs to give Magliocca a XXXL leather jacket, pair of water skis and point him towards the nearest shark infested waters; for the man has clearly jumped the shark for his request to memorialize Shane Homes for charity work.

Normally i like Magliocca and voted for him in the last election. But this time he is way over the top.

[ByeByeBaby]

Originally Posted by Cage

Some one needs to give Magliocca a XXXL leather jacket, pair of water skis and point him towards the nearest shark infested waters; for the man has clearly jumped the shark for his request to memorialize Shane Homes for charity work.

Normally i like Magliocca and voted for him in the last election. But this time he is way over the top.

Housebuilder and developer campaign money is a helluva drug.

[Spring2008]

Big update from Nenshi
http://blog.calgarymayor.ca/2015/03/...etter.html?m=1

[simster3]

It is quite the lobby the Midfield Park residents have formed.

[Bigtime]

Don't know if I'd go so far as to call it a lobby, based on their online activities on pretty much anything the mayor and his staff post online they could have actually been a force for change had they been this vocal years ago when all of this was going on.

Now it is pretty much done and no amount of commenting on it online will change that (correct me if I am wrong).

[DizzyEdge]

Have there been any articles which give an impartial view of the Midfield situation, something not based on City Hall spokespeople nor residents?

[MalcolmTucker]

^ Is that even possible?

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

^ Is that even possible?

perhaps not.

[Spring2008]

Best mayor in the world, but can't build the green line because of the SWRR and subsidizing more refineries in ugly rig town. Right on AB

http://calgaryherald.com/business/en...ery-in-alberta

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Ewart: Paving a 'path to hell' with a taxpayer-backed oil refinery in Alberta

STEPHEN EWART, CALGARY HERALD
More from Stephen Ewart, Calgary Herald
Published on: April 16, 2015
Last Updated: April 16, 2015 7:18 AM MDT


SHARE ADJUST COMMENT PRINT
Former finance and energy minister Ted Morton thrust himself into Alberta’s election campaign Wednesday with a harsh rebuke of the politics that led to the province backing an oilsands upgrader that has taxpayers on the hook for billions as the cash-strapped government struggles with low oil prices.

The report Morton authored for the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is as much of a tell-all that pulls back the curtain on cabinet secrecy as it is an academic analysis of oil refinery economics or the failings of government economic diversification schemes.

It details cocktail party conversations and political backstabbing along with public policy debate.

“In government policy, as in life, the path to hell is often paved with good intention,” Morton said in the nine-page report. “What started off as a low-cost, low-risk initiative to incent more upgrading of bitumen in Alberta has now turned into the multibillion dollar North West Sturgeon Upgrader Project (NWU) — with the government of Alberta (GOA) — and by extension, Alberta taxpayers, holding the bag if it doesn’t fly.”

The 50,000-barrel-a-day refinery east of Edmonton, with a price tag that’s more than doubled to $8.5 billion, is to open in September 2017.

There’s a certain irony — which Morton acknowledges and chalks up to “the yoke of cabinet discipline” — that the former Tory politician publicly defended the deal while in government.

In the paper, Morton throws former Alberta premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford along with several of his one-time cabinet colleagues, bureaucrats and oil industry executives — some named, some anonymous — under the bus.

He claims most ministers didn’t understand the “hopelessly complex” agreement that was amended in 201o to extend the government’s financial obligation and points to the “pro-Edmonton, anti-Calgary sentiment” under Stelmach as one reason the deal got cabinet approval.

With six energy ministers and four premiers in seven years, he said the North West investment took on “an inertia of its own” and had “a glaring lack of effective government oversight.” He suggested it will be “almost impossible” to break even on the $26-billion commitment that will be paid through processing fees — now at $63 a barrel — over 30 years.

With the price for crude oil and diesel volatile, Morton pointed out it’s a risky business at both ends.

The investment is becoming “an economic boondoggle,” he warned.

The upgrader’s backers — including North West partner Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. — have consistently said it will prove to be a good investment for Albertans once operating and provide much-needed diesel fuel to often under-supplied Alberta farming communities.

The underlying narrative from Morton — a conservative politician, turned political science professor — is in line with his recent writings opposing “forced-growth” diversification initiatives from governments that have been championed Alberta since Peter Lougheed was premier in the 1970s.

He called it a particularly bad idea in an already booming economy — as was the case in 2010 — but said politics typically overrides economics in policy development.

Economic diversity has been a talking point in Alberta’s election campaign that’s playing out as the oil and gas industry reels from the more than 50 per cent decline in the price of oil in the past year. Premier Jim Prentice has it as a key message and NDP Leader Rachel Notley has made upgrading more bitumen in Alberta a major policy planks.

Prentice has so far voiced support for the project, but he’s holding a signed contract. He’s bound to distance himself from his Conservative predecessors — having already used the “under new management” message — over the upgrader if it becomes a campaign issue.

Morton offers a caution of how an idea good in theory — more value-added processing of natural resources or a diverse economic base — can be challenged in the real world.

The government’s North West adventure began in 2007 with a decision by Stelmach to accept bitumen from oilsands producers in lieu of royalty payments to create a supply of unprocessed heavy crude that could meet its commitment to more upgrading in Alberta.

After several companies cancelled projects, the government eventually struck the more far-reaching deal with CNRL and North West.

With calls for more upgrading in Alberta and new oil refineries on the B.C. coast, Morton’s paper is more than an attack on government largesse but a warning to politicians they can’t subsidize an unprofitable business to success without transferring the financial risk to taxpayers.

[MalcolmTucker]

The refinery is potential future money, if the crack spread narrows. It isn't like the government is cutting a cheque to receive nothing. It might not be the best deal but it isn't the worst deal either.

[Policy Wonk]

The danger to this project (and Canadian refining in general) is it may turn out to be cheaper to import American refined products than to refine our own crude here.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

The danger to this project (and Canadian refining in general) is it may turn out to be cheaper to import American refined products than to refine our own crude here.

Good thing it is expensive to ship fuel when you don't have access to barge or larger water transport. The one time when a lack of market access might 'help'.

[Policy Wonk]

Pipes are surprisingly indifferent to product and direction. There are already American refined products coming into Alberta from Calumet. Although they're refining our crud and there is another refinery proposed in Montana, presumably for the lighter US product.

[MalcolmTucker]

For the refinery to get bad we would have to find a lot of new export capacity, and the americans keep their export ban. The price of WCS would be more than high enough to make up for any losses at the refinery.

But yeah, making long term bets can always go bad.

[Policy Wonk]

We are passive actors in what is going to transpire over the next decade and oil prices will be largely neutral to our long-term fortunes.

We are at the mercy of decisions to be made by US refiners and policy makers. For every lobbyist advocating for lifting the export ban there is a lobbyist for the refiners and chemical industry advocating for tightening it. Delta Airlines has it's own army of lobbyists advocating for the export ban.

The best possible outcome is US refiners only diversify their feedstocks and heavy crudes are still in demand. The worst possible outcome is the US export ban stands, US crudes are at a permanent discount and US refinery output explodes to consume the surplus wiping out the Canadian oil industry in the process.

[Spring2008]

So it looks like blanket rezoning to allow secondary suites across the inner city wards finally passed after another very, very long late night meeting. I feel like council has been spending waaaaaay too much time on this issue with so much else that needs to be dealt with.

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mobile/sec...ight-1.2371595

[para transit fellow]

Intermunicipal issues are rising again. This time it's Conrich:

Big trouble over little Conrich: Calgary-county tensions flare
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...tensions-flare

these guys have some additional audio clips:
http://www.rockyview2020.com/calgary...e-audio-clips/

[Calgarian]

I think Nenshi is 100% correct, a major development that will affect city resources and infrastructure should have to consult with the city. If people want a rural lifestyle, then they have to move further away from Calgary because the city is just going to swallow it all up.