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  #21  
Old Posted May 31, 2009, 8:19 PM
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Today is the Calgary Sun's council report card. Guess who got an A, and who got an F!

Link
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  #22  
Old Posted Jun 1, 2009, 2:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Champion3 View Post
Today is the Calgary Sun's council report card. Guess who got an A, and who got an F!

Link
That was really difficult to read and they manage to say everything I disagree with.
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  #23  
Old Posted Jun 1, 2009, 4:32 PM
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Well, it is the Sun. I'd be more worried if I actually agreed with everything they say.
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  #24  
Old Posted Jun 1, 2009, 4:59 PM
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It is a little surprising that Pincott received a C. He seemed to be the only Alderman on the list whose grade wasn't directly linked to his politics. You'd think even the Sun would be embarassed to print such a piece with a straight face.
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  #25  
Old Posted Jun 1, 2009, 10:24 PM
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This is a great illustration why the Sun is a 20th-rate newspaper. It's not that I completely disagree with a right-wing stand point, but at least do it some integrity. The Wall Street Journal and hell, even my favorite publication, the Economist, are fairly right wing, but they do so with class and journalistic rigour. The Sun has no idea what journalism is. They simply write any whimsical opinions they may have without any credibility or research. I am disgusted that this paper is as wide spread as it is. I feel like it is written by children.
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  #26  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2009, 1:45 AM
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^^^ I think you owe the children of Calgary an apology, tovarishch.

But seriously, folks--there's not really that much to expect from a lumpenprole tabloid like The Scum other than:

Gore... *flip* Titties... *flip* Gore... *flip* Gossip... *flip* Car stereos... *flip* Titties... *flip* Shrieking rants... *flip* Titties... *flip*
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  #27  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2009, 1:49 AM
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Originally Posted by fusili View Post
This is a great illustration why the Sun is a 20th-rate newspaper. It's not that I completely disagree with a right-wing stand point, but at least do it some integrity. The Wall Street Journal and hell, even my favorite publication, the Economist, are fairly right wing, but they do so with class and journalistic rigour. The Sun has no idea what journalism is. They simply write any whimsical opinions they may have without any credibility or research. I am disgusted that this paper is as wide spread as it is. I feel like it is written by children.
Nothing wrong with a conservative viewpoint provided the issues are discussed intelligently, analytically and with at least some attempt at balance. Unfortunately the Sun is the right-wing equivalent of a union newsletter: nothing but ranting rhetoric.
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  #28  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2009, 3:00 AM
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I can't say that the Herald is any better these days...
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  #29  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2009, 7:18 PM
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I love The Sun. I look at it as more satire than news. It's also a fun newspaper to write letters to.

My personal favourite was one I wrote complaining the the Sunshine girl who was photographed in a studio astride a mountain bike was not wearing a helmet. I then went on about how this was sending a the wrong message to my young children.

The replies from the other mouth breathers was comedy gold. I'm hoping they'll print my latest, I'm complaining that the iron being used on the bow is already rusty. How much more money are we going to spend on tetanus shots for all the office works.
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  #30  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2009, 8:50 PM
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^ this was a favourite letter of mine that got published - "complaining" about the new conservatory at the zoo and mocking about the detractors of the ped bridge:

Quote:
Blooming insane

Re: "Bloom-town mentality," (Michael Platt, Sept. 25) Spend $25 million for a greenhouse? It better not have any features that make it at all attractive looking. All we need is a purely functional greenhouse. Surely that would only cost $5 million! How can we justify such a fancy "house for plants" when there aren't even enough houses for people! An adult-only teahouse in the conservatory? Us simpleton Calgarians can get by with some Timmy's coffee, thank you! Let them set up a franchise! A dime of public money better not be going to such extravagances.

"Wooster"

(Cost overruns are sprouting like weeds.)
I couldn't believe they published this and seem to take it seriously.
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  #31  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2009, 10:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooster View Post
^ this was a favourite letter of mine that got published - "complaining" about the new conservatory at the zoo and mocking about the detractors of the ped bridge:



I couldn't believe they published this and seem to take it seriously.
That's a good one, I find it helps to get published, if you write your letter in crayon.
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  #32  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 2:45 PM
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Bronco set for 2010 ballot
By RICK BELL

Last Updated: 26th July 2009, 2:01am

Mayor Dave Bronconnier tells the Sun he'll run again in the next election. (Sun file photo) It's one question people want answered.

Is Bronco running again? He tells the Sun yes.

"Of course, I'm running again. I'm a guy who likes to get things done," says the mayor, who was first elected by a squeaker of a margin eight years ago.

"I told Calgarians when I stood in 2001, 2004 and 2007, we were going to make Calgary sustainable. We were going to go after the federal and provincial governments for our reasonable share of the taxes we pay back here. We were going to invest in infrastructure and quality of life. You're starting to see those things come together."

He rattles off a whole list of things off the top of his head, as much as he can get out in one breath.

It sounds like the bare bones of a campaign speech -- the parks plan, the revitalization of the East Village, Crowchild Tr., the west leg of the LRT, the northeast expansion, three regional rec facilities, how when he was elected $50 million a year was spent on roads and now it's $400 million.

"All of those are important community projects and they need a champion. They need somebody to keep driving them," he says.

"I intend to keep asking Calgarians for their support to keep doing these projects and building this city, to keep the momentum going."

You know he's got a lot more big-ticket items in his back pocket.

For some time, smart sorts figured Bronco would seek greener pastures after he finished nine years on the job. He's taken a lot of heat this past term, over everything from city spending in general to a designer bridge in particular.

And chatter circulated about other candidates and centred on Ald. Ric McIver, the Dr. No to Mayor Yes.

But, in the last little while, the mayor has sounded more his feisty self, speaking and acting like someone who wants stay a while longer in the job.

He has more than a year to get his message out and reclaim his Bronco the Builder persona. He has the power of being the one in the chair and Calgarians rarely toss mayors out the way they do in Edmonton, where two have been bounced in recent memory.

Don't forget, in this city people bellyache a whole lot more than they vote.

Bronco is asked why he thinks so many thought he was a goner.

"Some of my colleagues out there, that's what they're really hoping," he answers.

"They're trying to position themselves. They're trying to take things and spin them." Ouch.

He does add the escape clause of all politicians. Something unforeseen could happen between now and the city election to have him back out. One never says never until you have to say never.

Business goes on and, as revealed in last week's Sunday Sun, the mayor is looking a little more hawkish about the budget numbers. Instead of cutting $20 million to keep next year's city books balanced, the paper shufflers have been told to prepare cuts of 1.7% or $38 million.

This week, Bronco gives more details.

"We will shed between 90 and 100 positions out of the base budget," he says.

Some areas won't suffer a scratch. The city will hire 67 new cops, 32 new firefighters and 23 more in water services.

"The cops? We want to clean up the gangbangers. New firefighters and people in water services? We're opening up new fire halls. I'd think it would be pretty foolish to build a fire hall and then not staff it or build a sewer and water treatment plant and then not put staff in to maintain it."

There's also 911 and the need for more operators with a million calls a year. Calgarians will demand more snow clearing once the white stuff starts to fly, which could be in the next 15 minutes. The city will also still keep building because the mayor says it isn't the time to be "penny wise and pound foolish."

"Still, we've got to find efficiencies within the budget. You've got to look at the other areas. We're not living in a vacuum."

Bronco is also not as upbeat on the economy as Bank of Canada cheerleader Mark Carney.

"When natural gas gets over $6, I'll be as euphoric as Mr. Carney but, until then, this province is dependent upon the energy industry. Natural gas is at $3.75 and is just a kick in the shins. The impact of a low natural gas price on Calgary and rural Alberta is enormous not to mention on the provincial coffers."

"Our building permits will hit $2 to $2.5 billion this year, down from the highs of $7 billion. I'm very, very cautiously optimistic. We have a ways to go from being out of the woods yet."

But he's out of the woods politically.

It's game on and the city's current main man doesn't look like he's anywhere near blinking. He even has a message for anyone thinking of getting on the same ballot as him in October 2010.

"The water is nice and warm. Come on in."

RICK.BELL@SUNMEDIA.CA

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/colum...63971-sun.html
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  #33  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 3:56 PM
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How the hell does a city of 1 million people generate 1 million 911 calls each year? Am I just a freak? I don't recall ever calling it in my life, never mine once each year on average.

Perhaps we should find a way to not have people calling 911 every week when they're bored...
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  #34  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 5:14 PM
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I recall a newspaper article about this phenomena. We can relate it to the utility of the cellphone. As I understand it, good citizens find it easier to call in accidents and many do with the call centre recieving 10 - 24 calls regarding the same motor vehicle accident, fire, etc. I have called regarding a grass fire only to find out I was the sixth caller.
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  #35  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 6:56 PM
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Not sure if Calgary has something like this already (apart from Dialing 1 for Information like back in the day), but here in NY we have two numbers. 911 and 311. 911 is what you call for "real" emergencies, and 311 is what you basically call for everything else city related (accidents, unsafe driving/biking, property issues, environmental issues etc). The reason 311 is pretty successful is because its very simple to remember, and not some long generic phone number that no one can remember.
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  #36  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 7:05 PM
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Yep. 311 is essentially the 'call the city for anything' number. Calgary also has 211 (family support services, I believe its ran by the distress centre and united way)
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  #37  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2009, 7:30 PM
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you'd call 266-1234 several times too if your neighbor blasted the radio until 3 in the morning, for an entire month after the fact the cops already paid a visit..

My bet is people call 911 for bylaw issues not being aware of the non-emergency line..our 311 directed me to call the non-emergency number when i had the mentioned issues. There is some confusion imo
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  #38  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2009, 1:47 PM
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I guess it just never dawned on me to call 911 for non-emergency issues, ever. Seeing as the number has been drilled into my head since birth as being for emergencies.

Not just "damn neighbour cat is in my bushes again". Real, honest-to-goodness life threatening emergencies.

Did I take some special training that the rest of the city somehow missed?
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  #39  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 12:03 AM
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I've called 911 3 times so far this year..

once in downtown calgary to report a drunk driver that had just hit a pole with the side of his vehicle and then veered across 3 lanes of traffic and the 2nd time was to report a driver on deerfoot that was easily going 150 and was passing people in the left and right shoulders. 3rd time was just after one of my stores was robbed.

All of those times were IMO emergencies that could easily have threatened peoples lives.

A million calls doesn't sound too far fetched though, when you think of major crashes, you have to consider multiple calls. Medical emergencies happen quite often as well, whether they make the news or not.
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  #40  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 3:41 PM
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Regarding Bronco running again:

That's good IMHO. He's done a decent job. Hopefully McIvor will not run against him for 2 reasons:
1. he (Mcivor) might win and that would be bad.
2. like him or hate him, having one 9and only one) guy like McIvor on council is a good thing. The guy is a fiscal hawk (maybe to the point of going overboard) but we need one guy/gal like him to keep everyone honest.


Regarding 311:
I've had reason to use the service and all I can say is what a joke. First off, there should be a way to email your concerns or submit them electronically in some form. Having only one option (phone) sucks. Secondly, in my latest use of the system I can't believe how long the whole process took, and how difficult it was. I spent over 1/2 an hour on the phone just to let the know a player's bench was broken at one of the City ball diamonds. I had the coded number of the field (each park, field, etc has it's unique number/code) and figured that would be good enough. Oh no, the person taking my call insisted I give a physical address. Not just a guess, or a cross roads that would pinpoint the location to the closest intersection, but the ACTUAL street address of the park/field. Like anybody would actually know that (I didn't).

talk about frustrating.
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