Official Brian Bowman Thread

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by The Unknown Poster

Someone's head should roll over the Saturday parking fiasco.

Makes me wonder if there was a year end budget issue in someone's department where they might get a bonus or something. For it to happen on Dec 1st? And obviously enforcement was told about the change and to begin ticketing (the citizen said she was told to "check the website").

It was clearly done to get revenue from unsuspecting citizens. Disgusting.

With the continual dysfunction at city hall that never ever seems to subside and with daily stories of incompetence, denial and passing the buck now more than ever we need a strong mayor, trouble is weak kneed Bowman ain't the guy!

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

With the continual dysfunction at city hall that never ever seems to subside and with daily stories of incompetence, denial and passing the buck now more than ever we need a strong mayor, trouble is weak kneed Bowman ain't the guy!

I agree. The parking is a fiasco. In other cities, they give you a friendly warning that you have parked where you shouldn't. Here, they ticket and tow without a moment's hesitation and create total confusion with our parking "rules". I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out if I could park on the street downtown last week. I live here and can't figure it out and we expect tourists to do the same???

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by Jammon

I agree. The parking is a fiasco. In other cities, they give you a friendly warning that you have parked where you shouldn't. Here, they ticket and tow without a moment's hesitation and create total confusion with our parking "rules". I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out if I could park on the street downtown last week. I live here and can't figure it out and we expect tourists to do the same???

Tourists in Winnipeg? We should capture them and install a zoo exhibit featuring the various endangered types of tourists that have allegedly come through town.

Rarer than the polar bears!

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by Jammon

I agree. The parking is a fiasco. In other cities, they give you a friendly warning that you have parked where you shouldn't. Here, they ticket and tow without a moment's hesitation and create total confusion with our parking "rules". I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out if I could park on the street downtown last week. I live here and can't figure it out and we expect tourists to do the same???

The worst thing is not just that the rules are confusing. I dont think they were confusing at all. They maliciously decided to ignore the rules to "gotcha" everyone and generate revenue. They added an update to the website as their justification even though the actual on-street information never changed.

Then they lied about it.

It was deliberate robbery and they had no choice but to cancel/refund or they'd have been sued.

It was right out of Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane book of ticketing.

[esquire]

^ Yep. It's as bad as it gets. Their defense amounted to "well durrr you should've checked the website"

I don't know which explanation is worse, that this was a malicious attempt to "gotcha" people in a way that would generate fine revenue, or that they were so clued out that they genuinely did not understand why burying an important rule change on a website that no one ever consults was not such a great idea.

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Yep. It's as bad as it gets. Their defense amounted to "well durrr you should've checked the website"

I don't know which explanation is worse, that this was a malicious attempt to "gotcha" people in a way that would generate fine revenue, or that they were so clued out that they genuinely did not understand why burying an important rule change on a website that no one ever consults was not such a great idea.

I honestly dont think they were blindsided by the outrage. I think they did it 100% on purpose. They purposely made a change in the least likely spot drivers would see it so they could say "well we DID inform you" but their intent was absolutely that no one would know and they'd reap the revenue.

It was malicious, no doubt. When caught they tried to claim the rules were changed in 2012 to try to convince people they were wrong all these years. Someone checked internet archives to see the website had just been updated to prove that was a lie.

They lied and I hate to say someone should be fired, but man, someone really needs to be seriously disciplined.

[esquire]

^ It would hardly be a first for the city to attempt to sow confusion to generate revenue. It's no different than the fact that the same handful of red light camera intersections always make the most money year after year. If safety really was a concern, the city would look at the stats, draw the conclusion that drivers are confused/uncertain, and put up more signage to get them to slow down. But they don't because that would stem the flow of money.

(And whenever I say this, someone always pipes up "well durrr if they don't want to get a ticket they should drive the speed limit", missing the point entirely)

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by esquire

(And whenever I say this, someone always pipes up "well durrr if they don't want to get a ticket they should drive the speed limit", missing the point entirely)

These types need to be round up and lined up against a wall...

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It would hardly be a first for the city to attempt to sow confusion to generate revenue. It's no different than the fact that the same handful of red light camera intersections always make the most money year after year. If safety really was a concern, the city would look at the stats, draw the conclusion that drivers are confused/uncertain, and put up more signage to get them to slow down. But they don't because that would stem the flow of money.

(And whenever I say this, someone always pipes up "well durrr if they don't want to get a ticket they should drive the speed limit", missing the point entirely)

This city is so deceitful they’ve even removed speed limit signs along some major routes, add that to the fact that there is no uniformity on speed limits on like roadways in Winnipeg, the city that hates it citizens indeed!

[cllew]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

This city is so deceitful they’ve even removed speed limit signs along some major routes, add that to the fact that there is no uniformity on speed limits on like roadways in Winnipeg, the city that hates it citizens indeed!

Talking about speed limit signs, has anyone else noticed that the existing speed limit signs on divided streets are only on the curb side while all other signs like crosswalk ahead, low bridge etc are on both the curb and median. If you get a bus or semi between you and the right side of the street you have no clue what the max speed limit is.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

Talking about speed limit signs, has anyone else noticed that the existing speed limit signs on divided streets are only on the curb side while all other signs like crosswalk ahead, low bridge etc are on both the curb and median. If you get a bus or semi between you and the right side of the street you have no clue what the max speed limit is.

I'm sure that is an "innocent oversight"

[rrskylar]

Daily GONG SHOW at city hall continues, now we hear that the city has been paying 60% of the WFPS union heads salary and all benefits and even promoted him to captain although he has worked full time as head of the WFPS union since 1997. The 60% salary and benefits paid by the city was actually only revised in 2013 and prior to that the city had been paying 100% of his salary with benefits although he had not been working as a firefighter....only in Winnipeg!

[esquire]

^ It is breathtaking how much the city lets UFFW and WPA get away with. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a clause written into their collective agreements that gives those union heads first dibs whenever the fire chief or police chief want to get frisky with their wives...

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It is breathtaking how much the city lets UFFW and WPA get away with. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a clause written into their collective agreements that gives those union heads first dibs whenever the fire chief or police chief want to get frisky with their wives...

Here is an article on the story from the Freep;
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...468517873.html

Someone added a great comment about that story;

This now open relationship between UFFW and the City is the worst kept secret. Suddenly it now has everyone upset, but folks, we have seen this incestuous relationship at every election since this guy became President UFFW. This has been part of the plan from the get go. Get City small "P" politicians beholding to him so he can manipulate Counsel for what he believes is the best interests of his fire fighters. Lets face it as with most other occupations change occurs and with fire fighting, modern buildings and enhanced building codes have significantly reduced the daily need for fire fighter response, but he has somehow convinced the city to send Fire Fighters to literally every single 911 call whether their specific services are required or not. A numbers game! IMHO it appears there is a clear agenda at play to replace qualified and experienced PARAMEDICS with Fire Fighters. It is time for the City to put this rotten relationship where it belongs.

Really ticks me off that the city has been paying someone for 20 years but not actually doing the job for which he is being paid and yet there is belt tightening everywhere else in the city with ever increasing service fees, extra taxes, increasing taxes etc. with less and less services from the city!

[CoryB]

For most unions, members pay dues every paycheck and in part those pooled dues then may the full salary of the union president. Time for the firefighters to get in line with the commonly accepted practice.

[esquire]

^ Even if they do, that's still quite a free ride they've been receiving all those years.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Even if they do, that's still quite a free ride they've been receiving all those years.

Forrest was able to get a deal for fire fighters with their last contract of course while still actually being paid by the city, 1.8%, followed by three increases of 2% over the next four years! Who even comes close to that, city just bends over for whatever the WPS and WFPS want, is there no accountability for those paying the salaries?

[rrskylar]

Good read about Pee Wee Bowman

excerpt; And remember how Winnipeg wound up building a firehall on land it didn't own on Taylor Avenue in River Heights? A bylaw passed in 2014 called for expropriation of the land. The city was to receive recommendations early in 2015 on what to pay.

The city clerk's website says the matter is still "active", which means the city still owns a firehall built on land it doesn't own, three years after Bowman was elected.

Do voters have more trust in city hall than they did before the last mayoral election?

http://blackrod.blogspot.ca/2018/01/...from-bold.html

[Wolf13]

I don't quite trust Bowman, but it's more because he's a vain dope. Yes, he's shady, but not super shady.

And as much as I don't like that the fire hall issue remains unresolved, it's also easy to say it's not the most pressing priority. Not justifying it, just a factor IMO.

[buzzg]

The biggest thing that bugs me about the bloat of WFPS is that Winnipeg is notorious for having low wages for fire and paramedics, and this is likely because we have way too many fire fighters for what we need. Too many people not getting paid enough. Hate to say it but it's time for some big layoffs to adjust to what the "market" needs, not what the union wants.

I have a friend that's a paramedic outside Calgary, and he said when starting out everyone has to go move to small towns or other cities and work their way up before getting placed in Calgary, but people always refuse to go to Winnipeg because the pay is so bad.

He also couldn't wrap his head around not only why fire and paramedic is combined here, but also why fire are first responders most of the time: "Why the hell would you send 4+ people and an expensive fire truck to a minor medical issue?"