77 replies to this topic

[Bernard]

Time to figure out what the Concerned Citizens Coalition intends as a platform.

So far all I can tell is that the CCC does not like Liberals and uses the term label people instead of discussing substantive issues.

The CCC also seems to opposed to development downtown in general, but I do not understand the why.

The CCC wants more social housing and services for the poor while at the same reducing residential taxes. I assume the CCC is aware that the city has to have a balanced budget. I also wonder how to reconcile the new services for the poor with a tax break for the rich?

I would like to see some details on how the CCC would set up the budget of the city with cost details of the new programs and which existing programs would be cut to balance the budget. Maybe their answer would be to close the community centres and Crystal Pool? Or maybe they would tax the churches? I really I have no idea how they could manage financially.

The CCC also seems to think that the primary purpose of council is to vote on issues - that to me says the CCC does not understand local government. What elected experience does anyone on the CCC have? What experience do they have to show they could run the city better?

I look at the CCC blog and compare it to Simon Nattrass' website. Simon, even though he is only 19, has a much better grasp of local government and actually expresses a plausible platform.

[Mike K.]

I would like the CCC to explain why it labels VibrantVictoria as "gung ho for uncontrolled development in downtown Victoria" while using VibrantVictoria's forum to further its political agenda, which apparently is anti-gung ho for uncontrolled development in downtown Victoria.

It's obvious that the CCC does not appreciate the changes VibrantVictoria has brought about in this region.

[Bernard]

I notice that since I asked my questions Gregory Hartnell has posted on the boards here, but has not commented on my questions.

I have looked over the blog of the CCC and I can not find anything coming close to answering any of the questions I have. So new questions come.

Is the CCC avoiding the questions? or
Is the CCC have no answer for the questions?

[Rob Randall]

I have a question, too.

At yesterday's Committee of the Whole meeting, Council announced a $10 million upgrade of the water pipe infrastructure. The CCC advocates significant lowering of taxes. Can this be reconciled? Can we lower taxes and fix our crumbling infrastructure?

BTW, at yesterday's meeting, I spotted a few Council candidates, including Lynn Hunter, Pieta Van Dyke and Erik Kaye and Rob Reid. It was good to finally see people getting info firsthand.

[Bernard]

Is Erik Kaye running?

[gumgum]

Van Dyke is running? News to me.

[Concerned Citizens]

CCC

Thanks for your interest in our policies.

Spending cuts and new revenue sources (such as an alcohol and booze surcharge) would complement the residential property tax cuts proposed by the CCC.

Hiring, salary and wage freezes should be implemented at Victoria City Hall, including in the Victoria Police Department.

Superfluous spending on annoying infrastructure gimmicks such as concrete bulges recently installed on Fort Street would be stopped. If the intent is to slow traffic speeds, the less expensive way to achieve that would be to have two-way traffic (no one-way streets) and reduced speed limits.

30 km/hr. max speed limit has recently been brought in in Madrid, Spain. This helps reduce pollution and danger to elderly and children and works fine on Rockland, Craigflower, Fernwood and other streets already.

Implementation of the new City bylaw mandating closure of troublesome booze outlets downtown at 11:00 pm, thus forgoing the necessity of having to pay police overtime to control rowdies. Please refer to the article in today's T-C on this problem.

New City taxes on alcohol and tobacco sales in Victoria. I know some will say the province will not allow this. This City should try it anyway, and fight the province in court if necessary to establish this taxing authority.

This 'vice tax' would go directly into maintaining services for recovering addicts and alcoholics in City-subsidized residential treatment houses based on strict abstinence.

CCC

[Nparker]

New City taxes on alcohol and tobacco sales in Victoria. I know some will say the province will not allow this. This City should try it anyway, and fight the province in court if necessary to establish this taxing authority. This 'vice tax' would go directly into maintaining services for recovering addicts and alcoholics in City-subsidized residential treatment houses based on strict abstinence.CCC

And drive all the business and sales of these products to Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt (et al). This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Thank goodness this lunatic fringe hasn't a hope in Hades of electing any candidates. BTW have they put forth any names for November?

[Bernard]

How much of a property tax cut? How much lost revenue will this be?

How much will the new services cost?

How much revenue do you think the sin taxes could raise? Constitutionally the city can levy these taxes unless it there were changes made to the powers given to local government.

How much do you think would be saved with the hiring salary freezes?

How much would you think could saved through not doing the little infrastructure things?

We are talking about a $180 000 000 budget, of which something in the order of $40 000 000 is residential property taxes (any with an accurate figure, please correct the number) A 5% cut is a $2 000 000 deficit that needs to be made up. This on top of the CCC wanting to spend money on more programs.

The only place I could see the money coming is if a CCC council were to levy higher commercial property taxes. As it stands the City levys about 3.5 times the taxes on a commercial property than a residence. You make it any higher and you will see a dead downtown core as retailers leave. You will also see all the buildings between Fisgard and Hillside and Blanshard abandoned.

If the CCC wants to go forward with what they are suggesting, they need to show a lot more detail on how they think it will be done.

On the other hand, if the campaign as they did in 2005, they will not be relevant to the election at all and we have already expended more energy on their ideas than they are worth.

[Baro]

Maybe we could tax local churches their fair share to make up for the CCC's reduced collected taxes. Would you be ok with taxing that vice or only the ones you're personally against?

[Ms. B. Havin]

Thank you Marcat, NParker, et al. for the rebuttal to the CCC's fantasy policies.

Talk about harebrained...

[Concerned Citizens]

CCC

Here is an article in this morning's Times - Colonist monopoly daily newspaper, which gives readers a glimpse of how our high taxes are wasted:

http://www.canada.co...ea-1c4722225d40

I must say that I actually appreciate that my old friend Chris Gower, an architect formerly employed with Frank d'Ambrosio, I believe, and now a big shot planner at City Hall, is a busy beaver these days!

By letting us see the City's ridiculous plans for Cridge Park, and these sidewalks on every street costing millions, well before the election, all the while the homeless are generally ignored, we can now politicize these issues during the election campaign.

Thanks, Chris! Keep up the good work!

The Concerned Citizens' Coalition candidates, should we be nominated next month, would reprioritize and reduce City spending on projects such as these, pending complete rectification of the addicted - homeless - mentally ill problem, which we see as much more urgent.

We will certainly oppose such irresponsible spending at this time as exposed in the T-C article referenced above, and not undertake any spending on such grandiose projects before investigating the peculiar and extraordinary relationship between the Ralmax Group of Companies, and the City of Victoria Public Works Department on Garbally Road.

A fair and open bidding process for road building gravel, concrete, etc. needs to be brought back into the process.

Ralmax enjoys too much of an exclusive monopoly on City road-building contracts, and frankly, this does not look or smell good.

Finally, to clarify, these are policy positions yet to be ratified by CCC members.

Our aspiring candidates John David Burke, Father Allen Jones and myself have not yet been nominated by the CCC.

Should we be nominated, we will then go to City Hall with the requisite number of signatures (which I believe is 60) which will ensure that the words CONCERNED CITIZENS' COALITION are shown below or next to our names on the ballots, for easy identification by citizen - voters.

This was not allowed last time, and cost us many votes.

- Gregory Hartnell, President
Concerned Citizens' Coalition

CCC

[Guyontheground]

CCC

Here is an article in this morning's Times - Colonist monopoly daily newspaper, which gives readers a glimpse of how our high taxes are wasted:

http://www.canada.co...ea-1c4722225d40

I must say that I actually appreciate that my old friend Chris Gower, an architect formerly employed with Frank d'Ambrosio, I believe, and now a big shot planner at City Hall, is a busy beaver these days!

By letting us see the City's ridiculous plans for Cridge Park, and these sidewalks on every street costing millions, well before the election, all the while the homeless are generally ignored, we can now politicize these issues during the election campaign.

Thanks, Chris! Keep up the good work!

The Concerned Citizens' Coalition candidates, should we be nominated next month, would reprioritize and reduce City spending on projects such as these, pending complete rectification of the addicted - homeless - mentally ill problem, which we see as much more urgent.

We will certainly oppose such irresponsible spending at this time as exposed in the T-C article referenced above, and not undertake any spending on such grandiose projects before investigating the peculiar and extraordinary relationship between the Ralmax Group of Companies, and the City of Victoria Public Works Department on Garbally Road.

A fair and open bidding process for road building gravel, concrete, etc. needs to be brought back into the process.

Ralmax enjoys too much of an exclusive monopoly on City road-building contracts, and frankly, this does not look or smell good.

Finally, to clarify, these are policy positions yet to be ratified by CCC members.

Our aspiring candidates John David Burke, Father Allen Jones and myself have not yet been nominated by the CCC.

Should we be nominated, we will then go to City Hall with the requisite number of signatures (which I believe is 60) which will ensure that the words CONCERNED CITIZENS' COALITION are shown below or next to our names on the ballots, for easy identification by citizen - voters.

This was not allowed last time, and cost us many votes.

- Gregory Hartnell, President
Concerned Citizens' Coalition

CCC

sounds good comrade, do you have a 5 year plan for this change?

you're riding the same white unicorn as obama on this one, good luck

[Bernard]

Let me understand this, the CCC is opposed to fixing the sidewalks? This in a city where someone successfully sued for tripping on a broken sidewalk?

[Holden West]

Should we be nominated, we will then go to City Hall with the requisite number of signatures (which I believe is 60) which will ensure that the words CONCERNED CITIZENS' COALITION are shown below or next to our names on the ballots, for easy identification by citizen - voters.

This was not allowed last time, and cost us many votes.

2005 Election results

HARTNELL, Gregory.....381 votes..........2.28%
JONES, Allen..............204 votes..........0.72%
JAMIESON, Patrick......230 votes..........0.81%

Yes, you were definitely robbed of the Mayor's chair there, my friend.

[Nparker]

(We) will ensure that the words CONCERNED CITIZENS' COALITION are shown below or next to our names on the ballots, for easy identification by citizen-voters...

I must say, I, for one, will greatly appreciate this, as the identification of CCC candidates on the ballots will ensure that I will not accidently vote for one of them by accident.

[yodsaker]

Put your ideas to the ballot, Mr. Hartnell. The people will judge if they have merit. I suspect they will not inspire too many.

[Holden West]

Over ten years ago Hartnell and/or Jones and Burke could get a little over a thousand votes; last election was but a fraction of that. Why the declining trend?

[Phil McAvity]

^probably because he has been much more active telling people what he believes.