Off With Their Heads

That's what two respected columnists in 'The Calgary Herald' are calling for with our inept city councillors.  Don Braid says the provincial government should fire the whole bunch and outlines why. 

"City council has proven itself utterly dysfunctional in this matter of grave importance," he writes.  He is talking about the scandalous tax increase business owners are facing this year -- an 80% increase in two years!  For three years, councillors have dithered about the emptying out of Calgary's downtown office towers, wondering what to do about it.  While they refused to make any decisions, the situation only became worse.  Now they've lowered the boom.  "City councillors should be ashamed and unemployed," concludes Braid. 

The municipalities are creatures of the provinces and firing the whole bunch can be done under Section 574 of The Municipal Government Act.  Will it happen?  I wonder.  While Nenshi gets fatter and councillors argue idly, this city is going down the drain.  Trudeau's failure to get pipelines underway and the continuing exit of oil companies just means Calgary is going further into the toilet and down the drain.  Has anyone noticed there is currently no viable alternative to fossil fuels?  Listened to the demented Climate Barbie on 'Power Play' today and almost cried.  She is so out of it, repeating the same tax-on-pollution-not-free-to-pollute garbage she always does.  Answering every question with, "Look...." as it Joyce Napier was a complete idiot and had to be instructed at every turn. 

It was a disgrace.

Licia Corbella, another 'Herald' columnist, outlined what she had uncovered, leafing through job openings in the city.  Here are a couple of doozies:  The city is seeking to hire.....wait for it.....sit down......a Coordinator of Cycling and a Coordinator of Walking.  I am not kidding!  Both jobs pay up to $137,252 for a 35-hour week, with an extra day off every three weeks.

If that is not insanity, I don't know what is?!  Last year, the city announced it was funding, "$600 million in efficiencies."  When asked for details, they had none.  OMG!  She suggested privatizing city-owned golf courses -- I didn't even know we had any -- and firing the staff.  That would result in huge savings.  And by the way, these courses lose huge amounts of money because people buy a cheap membership and then play more than 100 rounds per year, which works out to a few dollars per round versus a green fee per game. 

WTF??