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City Council

imagineCalgary: Calgary's Open Government Initiative Betrayed by Bureaucrats

Paul Hughes | Posted 01.30.2013 | Canada Alberta
Read More: Transparency, Governance, Calgary, Bureaucracy, Hypocrisy, Alberta, City Council, Inclusiveness, Democracy, Yyc, Yyccc, Calgary City Hall, Naheed Nenshi, Imaginecalgary, Canada Alberta News
Paul Hughes

We'll drive, copilot, change the tunes, serve up the beverages, adjust the heat and ensure government doesn't fall asleep... but someone has to open the doors so we can get in the car. Unlock the doors of government and let citizens in, that is the mantra of imagineCalgary, now firmly in the hands of hardened bureaucrats. The language of imagineCalgary is not their mother tongue and they are struggling with just the basic translation, let alone the incredibly lofty and epic targets found within the imagineCalgary tome.

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City Hall's Definition Of Civic Engagement

Mike Klassen | Posted 12.04.2012 | Canada British Columbia
Read More: Politics, Andrea Reimer, Gregor Robertson, BC Politics, Vancouver, George Orwell, City Council, Vancouver Foundation Survey, Npa, Vision Vancouver, George Affleck, Canada British Columbia News
Mike Klassen

We've heard the discussion about how Vancouverites suffer from a reported epidemic of loneliness and isolation. This notion (of which I am a firm skeptic) has triggered a policy initiative from Vancouver's ruling Vision party. So what does civic engagement actually mean to the party? Sadly for Vancouver, it already equals less access to city hall, reduced citizen involvement in shaping our city, and a top-down approach to decision-making.

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If Rob Ford Wants to Find the Gravy, He Should Follow Scott Walker's Recipe

Peter Worthington | Posted 08.07.2012 | Canada
Read More: David Brooks, Debt, Wisconsin, City Managers, Scott Walker, City Council, Toronto Sun, Gravy, Peter Worthington, Unions, Recall Vote, Toronto Debt, Rob Ford, Canada News
Peter Worthington

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker inherited a $30 billion debt in 2010 and has since reduced it to a $150 surplus. If Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is really looking to cut back on his city's debt, he should take out a page from Walker's book and cut the bonuses that city managers receive for simply turning up for work.

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Ford Should Not Gamble His Future at the Casino

Samuel Getachew | Posted 07.30.2012 | Canada Politics
Read More: Casinos, Toronto, Rob Ford, City of Toronto, Gambling, Lottery, Internet Gambling, Ontario Gambling and Lottery, Suicide, City Council, Lotto, Safety Council, Canada Politics News
Samuel Getachew

In a recent poll found that 32.5 per cent of Torontonians oppose building a waterfront casino. To Mayor Rob Ford, an enthusiastic supporter of the idea, this may be a warning as he looks ahead to his uncertain re-election campaign in just over two years.

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After a Tweet and a Train Ride, Lunch with Former Mayor David Miller

Mary Warner | Posted 07.18.2012 | Canada
Read More: Urban Development, Toronto, Mayor, #Topoli, City Council, Future of Cities, Transit, David Miller, Ttc, Mayorship, City Councillor, Future Cities, Rob Ford, To, Canada News
Mary Warner

David Miller is one of the more well-known people I have taken out for lunch. It is a bit strange when everyone in the restaurant recognizes the person you are lunching with. But I was lucky enough to get him to sit down with me to chat about the "Future of Cities," and the TTC.

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Why Rob Ford's Flip Off Is a Big Political Fumble

Paul Mott | Posted 09.28.2011 | Canada Politics
Read More: Toronto, Libraries, Fingergate, Doug Ford, City Council, Rob Ford, Margaret Atwood, Toronto Mayor, Canada Politics News
Paul Mott

While the mayor fessed up to talking on a cell phone while driving, he claimed giving "the bird" to a taxpayer was a "misunderstanding." So, he did it, but didn't mean it? The offended taxpayer wasn't his target, just collateral damage? Sorry Mr. Mayor, what we have here is a failure to communicate

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