Working with the Province & Municipalities
#1
Posted 11 June 2008 - 05:22 PM
#2
Posted 23 September 2008 - 10:45 PM
How will I work with other local and senior levels of government?
As an entrepreneur I need to, and enjoy, building productive partnerships. As a broacaster I am not shy about initiating contact, setting up meetings, and speaking my views (my kids have been known to call me "anoying" at times:-) As a journalist I am used to listening to both sides of a story - and have a healthy respect for debate and differing points of view.
The job of a city councilor is to make good decisions based on info from expert city staff, residents and community groups. I feel confident in my ability to represent and communicate the views/needs of Victoria City to all levels of goverment. In my view, the best way to build consensus and gain cooperation is to make sure all parties are able to identify a mutual benefit to making changes or revisiting an outdated policy/belief system.
The power of persuasion is an important element, as well as being able to accept defeat and not hesitate to get back up and try again. My favourite Winston Churchill quote: "Success is greeting failure after failure with great enthusiasm."
I also don't believe partisan politics belongs, or is needed, at the local government level. As an independent thinker who values my freedom to move between left, right and centre depending on the issue at hand - I have consciously chosen to not be identified with, nor restricted by, party politics. Instead I am driven by a desire to advocate higher expectations and leadership for Victoria going forward.
Thats it in a nutshell. Thx Sue
www.susanwoodsforvictoria.com
#3
Posted 25 September 2008 - 09:55 AM
#4
Posted 25 September 2008 - 01:58 PM
Yes -- let's stop this "left wing" vs. "business interests" nonsense.I also don't believe partison politics belongs, or is needed, at the local government level. As an independent thinker who values my freedom to move between left, right and centre depending on the issue at hand - I have consciously chosen to not be identified with, nor restricted by, party politics. Instead I am driven by a desire to advocate higher expectations and leadership for Victoria going forward.
#5
Posted 25 September 2008 - 02:26 PM
I like what I've been hearing from you so far, Susan
#6
Posted 25 September 2008 - 05:30 PM
Cheers, Sue
#7
Posted 30 September 2008 - 12:28 PM
Working with other levels of government is a laudable ideal, but failure to do so should not be used as an excuse to do nothing at all.
That has been the lamentable modus operandi of the present Liberal Mayor of Victoria, Alan Lowe and his weak Liberal City Council.
Year after year, for almost nine years now, he has used the pathetic excuse of an inability or failure to engage with higher levels of government as a lame explanation for his appallingly poor efforts to attend to the needs of the poorest of the homeless poor littering our downtown Victoria streets.
This has become a predictable and tiresome refrain which fools no one.
Victoria City Council should reprioritize its focus to attend to the needs of these people first, without any help from senior levels of government.
If the City of Victoria is seen to be actually doing something significant to tackle this pressing issue, it is much more likely that senior levels of government (both provincial and federal) will be shamed or cajoled into matching funds already allocated by the City.
No government worth its name wants to be associated with failed programmes, and the failure of the Lowe Liberal Council to solve the homelessness problem is glaringly obvious to most impartial observers.
For a real change at Victoria City Hall, please consider voting for CCC candidates Patrick Jamieson and myself.
- Gregory Hartnell, President
Concerned Citizens' Coalition
CCC
#8
Posted 30 September 2008 - 04:46 PM
What local governments have become dependent on from the other governments for is funding for programs and for capital projects. I think this dependency is one that from often restricts actions by local government.
If it makes sense doing something and the funding is not there for Canada or BC, there has to be another way to make it happen.
Doing something because you get money for Canada and BC and it is not something you had planned on is always a bad idea.
What is it that we want do? If we know that, then we can find the money to do it.
#9
Posted 01 October 2008 - 09:22 AM
What local governments have become dependent on from the other governments for is funding for programs and for capital projects. I think this dependency is one that from often restricts actions by local government.
The senior levels downloaded responsibilities to municipalities (a spin-off from the excessive federal downloading to provinces under Paul Martin, 90s), without giving them tools to fund the new responsibilities.
So I'm not sure what you mean by "local governments have become dependent on from the other governments for is funding for programs..." Funding for programs was cut off, with no tools (other than the usual suspects of property and business taxes) to pay for them.
So ask yourself how much more you want to pay in business or property tax to pay for programs? I think it would make more sense to let cities collect at least some part of the PST and/or GST that gets generated in cities, but that would mean giving cities some real tools.
#10
Posted 04 October 2008 - 12:18 AM
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