The Winnipeg RAG Review

Thursday, 23 May 2013

"Mayor Selinger" vs Mayor Katz

Sam Katz responsibly deciding to fund community
groups instead of new 'burbs & political ad campaigns?

Now that's funny!

Image Source: Borris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press

The Winnipeg Free Press has an editorial out titled "Mayor Selinger". It's about the Province funding community initiatives and centres throughout Winnipeg.

The Freep editorial, written by a "staff writer", claims that the Province is intruding on the City's rightful turf as distiller of grants to community organizations. According to the Freep editorialist, this is bad because the Province can use such grant money for political purposes like shoring up support in south Winnipeg swing ridings.

The proper and less problematic grant distributor, so the column seems to imply, is the City.

There's some holes in that reasoning.

For one thing, the municipal government really has no constitutionally guaranteed role. They're able to do whatever the Province lets them do and derive their authority from the fact that the Province sees it fit to delegate certain tasks to them, for logistical purposes.

The buck stops at Broadway.

Illustrating this point is a discussion I had with a Manitoba Green Party supporter about the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition.

The person claimed that the problem with the Coalition was that there were too

Financial axeman & Katz's number two man
Russ Wyatt wants to cut the Broadway Community
Centre grant.

Image Sources: WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA/

Winnipeg Free Press (Top)

Christian Cassidy/Flikr (Bottom)

many NDP partisans affiliated with it. This was a problem because if the organization really disapproved of City Hall they should criticize the Ledge. This is so, the person reasoned, because the Ledge can fix any problems with the City by amending the City Charter or overruling its decisions.

In short, to solve civic problems my fellow discussant recommended trampling over what the municipal rights people hold dearest. It appears that the Province has, partially, followed suite.

The Freep also fails to argue exactly why the City is in a better position to dole out grant money than the Province. Given that Manitoba's population is less than that of Toronto's and that the provincial government is located in Winnipeg, it doesn't seem like there's a "too much distance from the governed" problem. Indeed, Winnipeg's diverse swath of neighbourhoods and communities are likely better represented by the 31 MLAs in Winnipeg versus only 15 councillors at City Hall.

And the notion that there's less politicking at City Hall is ridiculous. As the campaign to privatize the golf courses shows, there's pretty much NO distinction between politics and bureaucracy in the municipal government. Heck, prior to suggesting that the City slash and burn essential inner city programs, our deputy mayor secured generous money for pet projects in his ward. This is the exactly same shoring up support with grant money problem the Freep bemoans.

The City suffers just as much, if not more, from the problem of pandering to the outer suburbs as well. Just look at the extension of roadways to the city's fringes, the plans of constructing new outer-ring fringe suburbs, and the enormous sway developers have with City Council. If anything, the Province (with it's greater revenue capacity) might be in a better position to resist pro-sprawl forces.

Responsible, wise, and impartial with public funds City Hall is not.

Municipal governments, on the alter of subsidizing suburban sprawl, seem itching to cut community programs and sensible public investments. Despite massive partnership deals from the Feds and Province, the Katz administration has done very little on Rapid Transit. His number two man, meanwhile, wants to axe countless community programs while Council plans for a new 'burbs.

Urbanists rightly criticize the fetish for mega-projects in this province. What could be a better antidote, in the Freep's own words, than "micro-promises" and "micro-announcements"?

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

The "religious freedom" issue

A past logo of the Frontier Centre
for Public Policy.

Image obtained from the
Green Market Oracle

Waaayyyyyy back (by blog standards) at the end of March I discussed the hard right Frontier Centre for Public Policy's article on Bill 18. There I noted the (unwarranted) claim that the Safe and Inclusive schools measures in Bill 18 would impede discretion and sound teacher judgement.

Part of the two-pronged approach of rightwing opponents - particularly the Pallister CONs - has been to claim that this bill is too weak by not mandating specific penalties while simultaneously claiming it's too strong because it grants protections to all supportive, anti-bullying student groups - regardless of whether religious bullies approve.

The later half of the Frontier Centre's policy note details their opposition based on this "religious freedom" issue:

The importance of sound judgement when it
comes to the use of public funds is no
laughing matter.

Image Source:
Borris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press

Well, the country club conservative of Tuxedo and mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz wants to privatize city golf courses. Deputy mayor and fiscal axman Russ Wyatt says we have "no choice".

There's likely little benefit to the city in having a plethora of public or private golf courses. It'd make more sense for golf courses be converted into multi-use public parks, some used for the development of cooperative housing, others for mixed-used development or market-driven housing development, and a few retained as affordable public golf courses for all Winnipeggers.

A good way to conduct a review of our City golf courses would be to run a thorough public consultation. That way we could get citizen input on a broad range of alternative uses.

But the City doesn't seem to be conducting such an open-ended, listening exercise. Rather, it looks like the Katz administration is telling the public that City Hall should privatize golf courses. He's trying to use such ads to get constituents to pressure critical councillors to pass his measure.

The ads say they're from a group called Responsible Winnipeg.

Problem is that the $90,000 ad campaign of Responsible Winnipeg is funded with public money!!!

It's a City initiative, though initially the City logo didn't accompany the ads. Katz called this an oversight and subsequent ads now have the logo.

What this means is that the City bureaucracy is getting involved in a political, City Council debate - trying to influence a vote through public messaging and pressure politics.

If this isn't illegal then it should be. This is bloody obscene.

The civil service side of our City is supposed to be about implementing the policies of council, not making council chose certain policies. The City budget isn't Sammy's to use for whatever he wants, it's our money. Russ Wyatt should be swinging his financial axe at this waste of public money.

Meanwhile, the "independent advocacy group" known as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is deafeningly silent on this issue.

Strange that this use of taxpayer money for a political campaign hasn't caught their attention. I mean, as a taxpayer federation they're all about the prudent use of public monies, right?

It's almost as if the "Taxpayers Federation" cares more about an ideological, slash-and-burn agenda than the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

But that couldn't be right, could it?

Regardless, I suggest our Mayor and the financial axeman respect the spirit of this initiative. If we're going to save big bucks privatizing public golf courses, why not start saving bucks now by privatizing the campaign to privatize golf courses?

I'm sure Sam Katz could fund the campaign for this deeply-held conviction of his. Heck, maybe Wyatt could give some of his salary to make this media blitz happen.

After all, one must make great sacrifices in the call of public service.

Right?

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Monday, 20 May 2013

New blog Poll: How often do you follow Manitoba political news

Well, have a new readership poll out asking how often you follow the political news of this province. Think it'll be interesting to see the results.

Give'r a try.

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Stop it with the 'burbs, Province!

Ridgewood South Precinct Area

Image Source: Ridgewood South Precinct Plan

The Province is hiking the PST and Winnipeggers (along with the rest of Manitoba) are angry. Our Mayor has denounced this hike while renewing his call for one percentage point of the PST to go to the City so as to deal with the "infrastructure debt". Sam Katz keeps noting that this situation is desperate.

Meanwhile the City's in the stages of approving yet another suburban development: Ridgewood South. The City Council's Committee on Property and Development has unanimously approved this nonsense plan without debate.This development hasn't inspired protests like the PST hike or opposition on City Council, but it should.

Axman Wyatt

Channelling his inner Wyatt.

Image Source: Initially from film
The Shining, obtained by this blogger
from tumblr

Transcona Ward City Councillor Russ Wyatt is a man Sam Katz seems to trust. After all, our mayor gave him the second top job at City Hall of deputy mayor. Now, what type of sane and sensible things has Katz's number two man done?

Wyatt threw a temper tantrum and called the NDP "socialists" for not redistributing provincially collected wealth to the City of Winnipeg.

This anti-socialist Wyatt is the same man who chaired Steve Ashton's campaign for NDP leadership in 2009. Yes Ashton, the most left-leaning candidate in the race!

Yeah, that was what Wyatt, the "social progressive and fiscal conservative" thought was needed for our province then.

Nowadays, however, he's scheming about axing away civic services for the inner-city and hard-working poor Winnipeggers with drastic cuts. Such cuts he's proposing include:

Wyatt says that the Province's refusal has forced his hand. Obviously, he doesn't want to go hacking away at city services like a madman. But it has to be done 'cause the City just doesn't have enough money and needs to fix roads.

Wyatt's all for axing the Arlington Bridge (top),
pictured second from the right at a Plessis
Underpass funding announcement
(bottom).

Image Source: CBC (top)
Adrian Alleyne/Canstar (bottom)

The funny thing about Russ Wyatt, the axman whose policies would afflict the afflicted, is that he seems to be sparring some folks from his plans. People like those who'd use his pet projects:

It is rather convenient that during Wyatt's hack-and-slash tirade, he avoided the Plessis underpass at $77 million and the expansion of the East End Community Centre for another $12 million. These are his projects, though, and one supposes do not require the same level of scrutiny.

Also, it's ironic that Wyatt is the same elected official who spent over $100,000 in taxpayers' money developing and promoting an arena and healthy-living centre project in Transcona when there was a similar plan approved and already on the table by another local volunteer group. But that wasn't his plan. So the $100,000 was worth it?

("Coun. Wyatt spares his 'legacy' projects from cuts". Scott Donald (May 1, 2013). Winnipeg Free Press)

But I'm sure all that is much more important than the ability of North Enders to travel to western
downtown or the West End for jobs they might have there. The $77 million Plessis underpass is just so much more important than a currently existing bridge North Enders have grown to rely on for their livelihoods.

Thanks, Axman Wyatt, for treating all Winnipeggers as equal citizens of our city.

I'm sure you'll all like to thank Wyatt for his bold and fair vision for our city's future. If so, you can send your graditude to him using this contact info.

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Today's NDP embraces flat taxer "fairness"

Greg Selinger, Manitoba NDP Leader
and current Premier of Manitoba.

Image Source: Wikipedia

There've been many warning signs for left progressives and social democrats when it comes to Premier Greg Selinger.

We all know that Gary Doer was uninspired, unprincipled, and singularly obsessed with appealing to suburbanites in southern Winnipeg. Be it boutique tax credits or boosterism for unsustainable suburbs like Waverley West, Doer sacrificed the long-term sustainability of our province for short-term political gain. It's quite fitting that he's now a oil sands salesman down in D.C.

When Selinger became Premier some thought he would lead slightly from the left. After all, he has an inspiring enough background. He's the son of a working, single-mom who started her own business in a poor, inner-city neighbourhood (which, come to think of it, might explain the 0% small business tax). A relative of his struggled with mental health problems. He's been a social (as opposed to party) activist in the past. To top it all of he had the wonkish acumen to make credible policies for the betterment of Manitoba.

But, sadly for the progressive left, there's signs of a more regressive Selinger.

Current finance minister Stan Struthers.

Thinks flat rate taxes are "fair"
because the "cost [will] be shared by
everyone". Fails to note the "regardless
of ability" caveat.

Image Source: The Manitoba Chambers
of Commerce

First he backed Harper's E.I. deforms, effectively throwing unemployed workers under the bus.

Later, he hiked regressive user-fees after running an election campaign offering boutique tax credits to appeal to suburbanites.

Now, he's effectively throwing the working poor under the bus with a 14.3%, no low-income rebate, sales tax hike.

His finance minister Stan Struthers has embraced the flat-rate taxer conception of "fairness" to defend this.

"The PST is the fairest way to reach these goals because the cost will be shared by everyone," Struthers said, adding Manitoba's sales tax will remain the third-lowest in the country.

("Sales-tax hike to boost flood protection, but province first has to rewrite balanced-budget." Bruce Owen and Larry Kuschlaw (May 4, 2013). Winnipeg Free Press )

Selinger's finance minister is striking a stake through the moral centrepiece of fiscally progressive thought: that those with less ability to pay should pay less. Struthers's flat taxer idea of fairness implies that a working poor janitor and a millionaire heir paying the same flat rate on their purchases is fair because "the cost [is] shared by everyone", regardless of financial capacity.

New fairness: Everyone shares the cost equally,
regardless of ability to pay.

Image Sources: Statigram (top)

J.G. Janitorial Services LtD (bottom)

Without rebates (which the provincial Liberals have rightly argued for) the PST is grossly regressive. This is so because any small purchase will make up a larger share of a working poor Winnipegger's income than a wealthy heir's. Thus, flat rate sales taxes are regressive on the basis of income.

The 14.3% or 1 percentage point increase in the PST, along with the accumulation of user-fee hikes over the years, will disproportionately hurt the poor. This sharing of costs theme sounds a lot like the hollow pleas south of the 49th parallel for "shared sacrifice".

The weak, powerless, and those with broken backs do most of the hauling while the able wealthy carry a lighter load. Some "fairness".

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Monday, 13 May 2013

Readership by riding

Distribution of The Winnipeg
RAG Review reader responses to the poll
question "which riding do
you live in?"

Image Source: Modified
Wikipedia image

Well, the readership by riding unscientific poll has been done for a while. Might as well go over it.

Table of responses constructed by The Analyst.

Sample size was 29 and a plurality of respondents (slightly above 27%) reside in the riding of Winnipeg Centre. Other ridings with a high portion of the poll respondents (each with just under 14% of all respondents) were Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg South and Kildonan - St. Paul. Each of these other ridings were markedly less central.

Graph of responses constructed by The Analyst.

The Median number of respondents for a given riding was 3.5. Elmwood-Transcona (1), Saint Boniface (2), Winnipeg North (0), and Winnipeg South Centre (3) scored below this.

Of some interest, the riding with the most reader respondents is heavily New Democratic Winnipeg Centre, but a plurality of reader respondents from Winnipeg (or 69% of 'Peg respondents). The remaining just over 30% of 'Peg city respondents are those in Winnipeg Centre.

One respondent doesn't know or care, another is from out've Winnipeg, and a third prefers not to say.

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!
Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Brilliant

Our roads.

Image Source: Access Winnipeg

Obtained from comments to the Freep's website version "Growing pains: The debate over Winnipeg residential development"

swindleman 10:15 AM on 5/11/2013

Widespread development, dilapidated infrastructure & poor public transportation are what Winnipeggers want, so that's what you're going to get.

Katz/Shindleman 2014

Honestly, Katz has embarrassed us with countless flip flops and poor plans on rapid transit.

And under his mayoralty our suburban sprawl problem is just getting worse as our infrastructure budgets are being spread thinner and thinner.

Hopefully, Winnipeggers will prove that they want better in 2014.

Would you like to support this blogger? Consider making a donation or checking out their shop!

Also consider liking this blog on Facebook!

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

"Mr. Angry" becomes "Mr. Bland"

A february 5-6, 2013 Abascus poll showed that
43% of Canadians had a "neutral or unsure"
view of Tom Mulcair, compared to 21%
for PM Stephen Harper.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Good news, Tom, you're no longer "Mr Angry!

The bad news is that you're consider blander than whole wheat bread.