Your personal Reboot Alberta 3.0 invitation
I’ve been pretty busy working on election type stuff for the past few weeks – not for any candidates however – and so I haven’t had much of a chance to write on anything else. But I wanted to share some info with everyone about Reboot Alberta 3.
I’m happy to have been invited to help organize the upcoming event and I hope many of you that have found a new level of engagement in the October 18 Alberta-wide municipal elections will consider attending too.
What a great way to stay involved.
Below is a personal invitation to all of you regardless of your political leaning or potential party affiliation. Even if you’re a staunce moderate like me, I’m confident you’ll find the format and discussion useful.
An Open Invitation to Join Other Progressive-Minded Albertan at RebootAlberta 3.0, November 5-6, 2010 in Edmonton
Times have changed since the Alberta Advantage became the governing philosophy of the province. The attack on debt and deficits with a continuous lowering of taxes and downsizing of government was of another time. The new Alberta focus includes the integration of oil sands challenges and opportunities for our economy, environment and society. It includes a more active, informed and engaged citizens asking more questions and insisting on better answers.
What does responsible oil sands development look like? What must Alberta do to be sustainable in an uncertain world? Can we create an Alberta culture of adaptability, creativity and innovation? How can we protect and enhance our environment as we prosper from our natural resources? We have enormous natural resources and talented human resources but are we coasting and resting on our laurels? What are we leaving as our legacy to future generations of Albertans?
Alberta has the wealth to be one of the best places in the world. With all our blessings and potential we can aspire higher and strive to be the best place for the world. This will only happen if we can invest in our future by harnessing our resources, strengthening democracy and reviving servant leadership and re-engaging as citizens.
New research shows that 63% of everyday Albertans share the same progressive values as Reboot Albertans. There are enough of us to be a positive force for progressive change in our province. We can have significant influence over the direction of our province now and in the next election. But we must chose to get informed, intentional and active about reaching out, speaking out and making a difference. Progressive Albertans we can define design and deliver on a new Alberta Aspiration to be the best place for the world but first we have to commit to making a difference.
If you desire an Alberta that is progressive, moderate, prosperous and inclusive, you need to be at RebootAlberta3.0 November 5th and 6th in Edmonton. You will meet a growing community of concerned Albertans who believe the change we want starts with each of us re-engaging in our citizenship roles. You can start now by connecting with other progressive-minded Albertans and join in the movement atwww.rebootalberta.org. Or go to Facebook and join the Reboot Alberta group and find us Twitter with the hashtag #rebootab.
To register for Reboot3.0 visit, http://www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp. For more information contact Xanthe@rebootalberta.org
Metro column: Could Naheed Nenshi be the real ‘game changer’?
When Mayor Bronconnier announced in February he would not seek another term, there was a sudden buzz in the air.
There was another — albeit smaller — buzz when Liberal MLA Kent Hehr proclaimed he would run for the open seat. Then again, a little more public interest began to percolate when Ald. Ric McIver made the long anticipated announcement of his intention to win the centre chair at the council table.
Then in August, Barb Higgins, a familiar face to any Calgarian with a television and an interest in knowing what’s going on in the world, created the biggest buzz of all by declaring she was entering the fray. The media and the public immediately began talking about her as a potential “game changer” in the mayoral election.
Since then, however, Bronconnier has not publicly spoken about the election, Hehr has dropped out of the race, and McIver and Higgins are running solid campaigns filled with a traditional amount of “substance” — which is to say, enough to get voters curious, but not enough to get the candidate into trouble.
Behind all of this buzz, though, there is a candidate who has steadily risen in the polls from dead last in July to third place.
Much has been said about Naheed Nenshi as nothing more than the “social media candidate” because of his skills at using Facebook, Twitter, iPhone apps and text messages to get his ideas out to the public. Social media can become an echo chamber, and I too wondered if he might be living in a world of friends just telling him what he wanted to hear.
But I’m starting to think Nenshi may actually win. (My editor changed this sentence from my original and I think it may have changed my intent a little. The original sentence was “But I’m starting to think Nenshi has an actual chance to win.”)
During two mayoral forums this week, the audience was asked to vote for who they thought should be our next mayor. In both cases, Nenshi won the straw poll. And not just by a little bit.
At both events he got more than 50 per cent of the vote.
In both cases, McIver barely even registered.
How is it that a little-known candidate can have such sway over a room of people, the majority of whom have probably never heard of Twitter before, while the candidate leading in the polls has such a dismal showing?
It looks like Calgarians who are interested and concerned about the issues enough to show up to a mayoral forum are voting for Nenshi in great numbers, while the uninformed — who perhaps are relying more on name recognition — are getting behind McIver.
Whatever the reason for this split, the question for both candidates is clear: Will there be more engaged or more traditional voters on Election Day? The answer may well determine who leads our city for the next three years.
Original: http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/644020–could-naheed-nenshi-be-the-real-game-changer
Metro column: Ask not what politics can do for you…
There’s a certain level of narcissism needed to enter politics.
To stand up in front of all of us and say, “I know what is best for you” — well, that takes a lot of confidence.
Yet every politician — or wannabe politician — will tell you they take that stand for no reason other than they want to help make Calgary a better place for all Calgarians.
Well, the time has arrived. It’s time to find out who really is in it for Calgarians and who’s just in it for themselves.
Only one person will become our next mayor, but 14 people will become our next aldermen. It takes eight votes to get anything done at city hall, so those 14 aldermen are equally as important as the mayor, who only has one vote at council.
With 17 candidates vying for the centre chair, it’s a fair guess that if you are not polling in the top third, say, by this point in the race, the odds of a victory are almost nil.
So if you are not Ric McIver, Barb Higgins, Naheed Nenshi, Bob Hawkesworth or Kent Hehr, what do you do? Do you keep running for mayor because you believe you’re the right person for the job? Do you let your ego take over?
Or do you take the time to realize that if you really do have good ideas, and you and your supporters really do think you could make a difference, it might be time to find another way: Run for alderman.
Each alderman has exactly the same power as the mayor — it’s just not as prestigious. You don’t get invited to as many events or asked to speak at as many galas. But you do get to shape policy and make vital decisions in exactly the same way the mayor does.
If candidates really do have Calgary’s best interests at heart, and not their own, I’d like to see how many of them can swallow their pride and do what’s best for the city for which they claim to care so deeply.
If candidates like Wayne Stewart and Alnoor Kassam — or even Craig Burrows, Jon Lord or Joe Connelly, who have all been aldermen before — have such great ideas, why not run for alderman to ensure they get implemented?
Nomination papers need to be submitted by Monday. I know it sounds harsh, but by noon we’ll have a good idea of who’s got Calgary’s best interests at heart, and who’s just in it for themselves.
Metro column: Digging down to the core of the tunnel issue
Much of the mayoral campaign so far has been about wanting — or not wanting — to dig a big hole.
The proposed — and as yet unfunded — Airport Trail tunnel is touted as an alternate access to the Calgary International Airport after Barlow Trail closes from McKnight Boulevard to Airport Trail in 2012 to make way for a new runway. The proposed tunnel would extend Airport Trail from Barlow to 36 Street NE underneath the new runway.
City council this year voted to include the tunnel in their long-range plan, then voted against providing cash for its construction.
The problem is, the price of the building a tunnel after the runway is built is estimated to be double or triple the cost.
Enter candidates looking for divisive issues, and the airport tunnel makes for great campaign fodder.
Almost all candidates — chief among them being Ric McIver, Naheed Nenshi and Craig Burrows — say build the tunnel now, while Bob Hawkesworth appears to be lone dissenting voice. Estimates to build the tunnel now are pegged at between $350 million and $500 million. Some say it can be done for $150 million.
But what would we get for this price? Sure, a tunnel — but what benefit does a tunnel give us?
If you live outside the NE of Calgary, the quickest airport route already is Airport Trail via Deerfoot, so this debate is a moot point for you.
Barlow Trail is closing regardless of whether the tunnel is built and its closure only affects those who previously used that route.
How much time would be saved for this portion of the population by building a tunnel?
Without the tunnel, their quickest access would be to drive north to Country Hills Boulevard. If 36 Street were connected, the added time on this trip, versus having a more direct tunnel, would be a total of six minutes.
Calgary Transit is working on a plan to deliver BRT service from McKnight/Westwinds LRT station that will also provide additional service to the airport — with a similar six minutes extra on the commute.
In my mind, the question to candidates and voters is this: Is the cost of building an airport tunnel, whether it be $350 million or three times that, worth keeping cars off of Country Hills Boulevard, decreasing the travel time for those living in the affected portion of the NE by six minutes, and ensuring that a future LRT connection will have to come from a more northern LRT station than McKnight?
Each voter can decide on their own.
But be sure you tell the candidates what you decide.
Original: http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/628301–digging-down-to-the-core-of-the-tunnel-issue
Metro column: Writing’s on the (facebook) wall
Number of candidates’ Facebook fans
We now stand at 17 mayoral candidates. Obviously only one of them will be our next mayor.
Several of them probably represent your view of what you’d like Calgary to be. But how do you decide who has a serious chance at winning – and should get your vote – and to which candidate would your vote be a throw-away?
Polls are one way to find out what other Calgarians are thinking. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been asked to participate in a poll. (I don’t have a home phone, so my opinion is automatically ineligible.) Plus, in these polls you can only pick one candidate, so we can’t really tell who else you are considering.
The good news is we have a freely accessible tool that represents the average Calgarian perfectly: Facebook.
The site’s demographics are almost exactly the same as Calgary’s. (Yes, people over the age of 45 do use the networking site, making up about 35 per cent of its users, while 34.4 per cent of Calgarians fall into this demographic.)
On Facebook you can tell who is considering multiple candidates — they are a “fan” of several. You can also tell who doesn’t care — they haven’t joined any candidate’s page. It takes everyone into account. More importantly, you can gauge each campaign’s momentum.
On Facebook it’s clear that Ric McIver is in the lead, and has been for some time. However, what is also clear is that his support has flatlined.
Naheed Nenshi and Barb Higgins, meanwhile, are gaining a following at a rate no other candidate has come close to sustaining. But will either of them have enough time to overtake McIver’s lead before election day? If the current trend continues, the answer for Nenshi is “yes,” and the answer for Higgins is “no.” Things can change over the next 45 days, however so I wouldn’t count either out.
It is also surprising that there is a very clear fourth candidate in this race. Kent Hehr is plodding along at a growth rate similar to the candidates below him, but he has almost double the “fans.”
However, he’s got a long way to go to catch up with the Big 3.
Everyone else has some soul-searching to do. If you can’t even drum up support on Facebook, I’m not confident you’ll be able to bring citizens together after you’re elected.
Original: http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/622474–writing-s-on-the-facebook-wall
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