The City of St. Albert’s administration posted a proposed 2023 budget Monday that includes a brutal $500,000 single-year funding cut to the St. Albert Public Library. A typical scene before the library’s main branch in St. Albert City Hall opens (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). The budget proposal was added to
Continue readingTag: city council
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: #Petrostate of the Province
You know you live in a #petrostate when local city council exec votes to restrict fossil fuel sponsorship and 1) the Premier threatens the City’s budget and 2) the official provincial opposition has nothing to say about it. This is the #CultureOfSilence I have written about — Emily Eaton (@emi_eaton)
Continue readingTrashy's World: Gun violence in southeast Ottawa
There has been a disturbing trend toward increased gunplay in my part of town. These are almost exclusively gang-related incidents where dealers are taking potshots at other dealers if they see the competition infringing on their territory. Gang-related or not, there needs to be a stronger response from all community
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Vancouver By-Election Endorsements
Just in case anyone is wondering how I will vote in this Saturday’s Vancouver municipal by-election, here’s the plan: City Council: Pete Fry (Green Party) School Board: Judy Zaichkowsky (Green Party) Allan Wong (Vision Vancouver) Mike Lombardi (Vision Vancouver) Erica Jaaf (OneCity) Estrellita Gonzalez (Green Party) Janet Fraser (Green Party)
Continue readingThe Wandering Joe: Keeping up with the Torys
It’s been a few years since I’ve written anything about John Tory, so I figured I would take a break from stressing over the decline of Civilization into anarchy and check in on him. Before we look at Toronto of today, lets look at what I last had to say
Continue readingThe Wandering Joe: Keeping up with the Torys
It’s been a few years since I’ve written anything about John Tory, so I figured I would take a break from stressing over the decline of Civilization into anarchy and check in on him. Before we look at Toronto of today, lets look at what I last had to say
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: U-Pass A Roaring Success
*takes a slight bow* Success of U-Pass brings changes to Regina's transit system https://t.co/mYprbKZTwA #yqrcc — Craig Baird (@CraigBaird) February 16, 2017 Now we have to order buses. Now! .@CraigBaird If #YQRcc @CityofRegina @astevensward3 @JoelMurrayWard6 don't order buses now, won't have new ones for more riders until 2018! — John
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Calculating St. Albert City Councillors’ meeting attendance – from best to worst
PHOTOS: St. Albert City Council. From left to right: Bob Russell, Sheena Hughes, Tim Osborne, Nolan Crouse, Wes Brodhead, Cam MacKay and Cathy Heron (City of St. Albert photo). Below: A few shots from the author’s personal collection, which includes Mayor Crouse at one of the many community events he
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Mayor Rob Ford Is Headed For Defeat In 2014
Nothing is ever certain, but as it stands, Rob Ford would lose almost any conceivable election for Mayor if held today. It is not useful to cower in fear from the far overblown “Ford Nation” and act like Toronto is doomed to “Ford more years.” It…
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Mayor Rob Ford Is Headed For Defeat In 2014
Nothing is ever certain, but as it stands, Rob Ford would lose almost any conceivable election for Mayor if held today. It is not useful to cower in fear from the far overblown “Ford Nation” and act like Toronto is doomed to “Ford more years.” It isn’t, and Ford should
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Mayor Rob Ford Is Headed For Defeat In 2014
Nothing is ever certain, but as it stands, Rob Ford would lose almost any conceivable election for Mayor if held today. It is not useful to cower in fear from the far overblown “Ford Nation” and act like Toronto is doomed to “Ford more years.” It isn’t, and Ford should
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Old Toronto & East York Have Been Shut Out During Ford Mayoralty
Nothing about Ford’s substance abuse & possible legal problems has changed the basic problems at the heart of his governing which make him a destructive presence corroding the basic social fabric of the city. He fundamentally and deliberat…
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Old Toronto & East York Have Been Shut Out During Ford Mayoralty
Nothing about Ford’s substance abuse & possible legal problems has changed the basic problems at the heart of his governing which make him a destructive presence corroding the basic social fabric of the city. He fundamentally and deliberately seeks to divide the city against itself to win elections. As he
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Old Toronto & East York Have Been Shut Out During Ford Mayoralty
Nothing about Ford’s substance abuse & possible legal problems has changed the basic problems at the heart of his governing which make him a destructive presence corroding the basic social fabric of the city. He fundamentally and deliberately seeks to divide the city against itself to win elections. As he
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 13: A proposal for one all-candidates’ forum on Oct. 16
The Enjoy Centre. Below: The Arden. Ummmm …. They’re both attractive venues! Is there any way we St. Albert city council candidates can all agree – for the sake of the citizens we are vying to represent – to all attend a single all-candidates forum on Oct. 16? I asked
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 12: Anonymity, advertising, Astro-Turf … & advice in St. Albert
Where’s Toto when St. Albert needs him? And what does he think about St. Albert’s leash bylaw? Here’s Toto, back in the day, exposing the Great Oz behind the green curtain. St. Albertans are curious about the anonymous groups trying to influence our city’s municipal election. At least one group
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 11: The uncomfortable truth about taxes and radical tax cuts
Radical cuts can’t be accomplished without harm – anyone who says different, like the city council candidate above, is presenting an illusion. Actual St. Albert city council candidates may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The philosopher Aristotle. A St. Albertan has asked me the tough question that all city
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 8: Why I’m running for council & why I went door-knocking Tuesday
Yours Truly, left, showing a patron the new automatic checkout machine at the St. Albert Public Library, one of the facilities in our community that’s worth making an effort to protect. The library is located in St. Albert Place, at 5 St. Anne St. A good friend of mine asked
Continue readingTrashy's World: Banning scooters from streets…
It’s about time that someone pushed this issue up a flagpole! I don’t always agree with Councillor Clark, but the issue of scooters on city streets should at the very least be studied by city staff and recommendations put forward. There is going to be a tragedy one of these
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 5: Praise, political priorities and poetry
Yours Truly visiting the Texas House of Representatives in the State Capitol building in Austin, Texas – and thinking about what to say to Ryan Hastman on EdmontionPolitics.com. Below: The author with LBJ, sort of, and looking particularly fierce for the benefit of our Texan hosts. Last week, just as
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