Winnipeg Municipal Election 2014

[cheswick]

Charge parking lots in downtown same tax as buildings, says Ouellette

By Bernice Pontanilla

Would charging the owners of surface parking lots the same tax as if the property included a four-storey building spur them towards the actual development?

Mayoral candidate Robert Falcon Ouellette thinks so, promising to do just that during a press conference on Friday detailing his fiscal plan for the city.


Full article: http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/11...ays-ouellette/

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Charge parking lots in downtown same tax as buildings, says Ouellette

By Bernice Pontanilla

Would charging the owners of surface parking lots the same tax as if the property included a four-storey building spur them towards the actual development?

Mayoral candidate Robert Falcon Ouellette thinks so, promising to do just that during a press conference on Friday detailing his fiscal plan for the city.


Full article: http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/11...ays-ouellette/

Here's a link to RFO's full announcements/papers.

http://falcon2014.com/policies/

Some specifics, but a lot of sunshine and rainbow generalities like "create A better business climate where shops will have enough customers buying their products and support businesses like a downtown groceries" by charging a land value tax on all property downtown. How?

Like his proposal to go after bedroom communities and their residents to pay at least some of their share, but that will be a tough road.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by Danny D Oh

Here's a link to RFO's full announcements/papers.

http://falcon2014.com/policies/

Some specifics, but a lot of sunshine and rainbow generalities like "create A better business climate where shops will have enough customers buying their products and support businesses like a downtown groceries" by charging a land value tax on all property downtown. How?

Like his proposal to go after bedroom communities and their residents to pay at least some of their share, but that will be a tough road.

I would love for the City to charge land value tax (city-wide, never mind just downtown), but that's not up to the City. Assessed Value taxation is in the Winnipeg Charter Act, provincial legislation.

[biguc]

Our next mayor has to open up the charter. The province hamstrings the city any time it tries to find new revenue sources. It's painfully obvious that the city needs more money, and jacking up ultra-regressive property taxes isn't the answer. Getting money from out of town commuters and a land tax are both great ideas that would earn the city badly needed revenue and help it grow as a better city. We need to amend the charter the way Glen Murray wanted to before he fucked off to Toronto.

At the end of the day, it's a mere law stopping the city from opening these revenue sources. If the city started collecting a land tax or tolling commuters, it would take an astronomically dickish move on behalf of the province to try to stop us. Not that they'd even have the means to do so.


Anyway, Falcon is impressing me. He no longer seems like a fringe candidate and may actually be the best of the bunch. Too bad most left-leaning voters will just vote for Judy because she's orange (and therefore guaranteed to never step on the province's toes by messing with the city's charter). I'm legitimately scared that she'll win this election by virtue of guaranteed support in an election that will see a lot of vote splitting.

[1ajs]

who ever becomes mayor needs to know how the system works and begin the process of buricratic bullshit to move forward

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by biguc

Anyway, Falcon is impressing me. He no longer seems like a fringe candidate and may actually be the best of the bunch. Too bad most left-leaning voters will just vote for Judy because she's orange (and therefore guaranteed to never step on the province's toes by messing with the city's charter). I'm legitimately scared that she'll win this election by virtue of guaranteed support in an election that will see a lot of vote splitting.

Just hearing a little from of late, sounds like he has his brain moving in the right direction.

Judy, lord help us.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by biguc

Our next mayor has to open up the charter. The province hamstrings the city any time it tries to find new revenue sources. It's painfully obvious that the city needs more money, and jacking up ultra-regressive property taxes isn't the answer. Getting money from out of town commuters and a land tax are both great ideas that would earn the city badly needed revenue and help it grow as a better city. We need to amend the charter the way Glen Murray wanted to before he fucked off to Toronto.

At the end of the day, it's a mere law stopping the city from opening these revenue sources. If the city started collecting a land tax or tolling commuters, it would take an astronomically dickish move on behalf of the province to try to stop us. Not that they'd even have the means to do so.


Anyway, Falcon is impressing me. He no longer seems like a fringe candidate and may actually be the best of the bunch. Too bad most left-leaning voters will just vote for Judy because she's orange (and therefore guaranteed to never step on the province's toes by messing with the city's charter). I'm legitimately scared that she'll win this election by virtue of guaranteed support in an election that will see a lot of vote splitting.

I don't think this will happen. She may win, but not because of vote splitting. I think Steeves and Havixbeck are smart enough to know that they won't win the mayor race against Bowman after Steeves serious PR mishaps and Havixbeck not saying anything in the past month and a half. Steeves will go back to lawyering at D'arcy & Deacon and Havixbeck will get some gig working for the MYO (or some other Conservative group) for backing out.

[Riverman]

Duplicate

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Steeves serious PR mishaps

That's one opinion I guess. Here are some others.

http://blackrod.blogspot.ca/2014/08/...d-steeves.html

http://thedonaldstreetcollective.wee...eeves-campaign

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Riverman

That's one opinion I guess. Here are some others.

http://blackrod.blogspot.ca/2014/08/...d-steeves.html

http://thedonaldstreetcollective.wee...eeves-campaign

The angry Black Rod backlash crowd is about the only constituency left that takes Steeves seriously. He might as well double down on that platform since he's not going to win any other way.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I don't think this will happen. She may win, but not because of vote splitting. I think Steeves and Havixbeck are smart enough to know that they won't win the mayor race against Bowman after Steeves serious PR mishaps and Havixbeck not saying anything in the past month and a half. Steeves will go back to lawyering at D'arcy & Deacon and Havixbeck will get some gig working for the MYO (or some other Conservative group) for backing out.

Sounds sensible. A likely scenario.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by esquire

The angry Black Rod backlash crowd is about the only constituency left that takes Steeves seriously. He might as well double down on that platform since he's not going to win any other way.

So true.

[Danny D Oh]

Havixbeck still has a month to switch streams and run for her council seat. I'd bet if she's not feeling (I say feeling because I don't believe many of these campaigns have the capability to access good polling data) that she's in the top 3, she'll run for council.

Judy's campaign has been remarkably under the radar to this point. She's clearly banking on the NDP machine to get her elected.

[Cyro]

If Elected .......Not gonna happen Gord....

Forget BRT: Steeves

If elected mayor, Gord Steeves would stop Phase 2 of Bus Rapid Transit.

“Using the Parker Lands for rapid transit causes more harm than good,” Steeves said. “Not only does it cost $100 million more, but it also means people along Pembina Highway from Jubilee Boulevard to Bishop Grandin Boulevard would be better off taking a regular bus to connect to the Phase 1 of BRT.”

Steeves said using the Parker Lands for the route adds $100 million to the bill, which Winnipeg can't afford.

etc.....



http://www.winnipegsun.com/2014/08/2...et-brt-steeves

[esquire]

Steeves rips another page out of the Katz playbook by promising to ax rapid transit.

Really, who could doubt the political appeal of positioning yourself as a Sam Katz clone?

[drew]

Originally Posted by esquire

The angry Black Rod backlash crowd is about the only constituency left that takes Steeves seriously. He might as well double down on that platform since he's not going to win any other way.

Looks like he took that advice to heart.

[rrskylar]

The longer this election campaign goes on Steeves keeps improving his odds of winning ''the biggest douche of all time award"!

I like The Black Rod, I don't like Steeves!

[windypeg]

Originally Posted by biguc

Too bad most left-leaning voters will just vote for Judy because she's orange (and therefore guaranteed to never step on the province's toes by messing with the city's charter). I'm legitimately scared that she'll win this election by virtue of guaranteed support in an election that will see a lot of vote splitting.

I cant see it happening. Judy couldn't win last time when it was just her and Katz, who is pretty much universally despised. Now there are some reasonable candidates like Falcon and Sanders who will appeal to the centre-left and take votes away from her, and Bowman is a strong candidate that will rally the centre-right like Katz never could.

[cllew]

I received an email pole about the candidates for mayor in my inbox from Probe Research about 1 hour ago.

I wonder if this is the on that they were looking for members of the public to contribute to as nobody else was willing to pay for one?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

I received an email pole about the candidates for mayor in my inbox from Probe Research about 1 hour ago.

I wonder if this is the on that they were looking for members of the public to contribute to as nobody else was willing to pay for one?

I received it too... I can only assume that's the one.