872 replies to this topic

[rjag]

Unlike capitalism, which has ... hmm, centrailized  , superwealthy and brutal ruling classes?

 

There are many more countries like these evil ones you note in your link that people want to move to, than the other way around. 

[jonny]

Unlike capitalism, which has ... hmm, centrailized  , superwealthy and brutal ruling classes?

 

Are you seriously comparing union busting to Mao murdering 100 million people in his brutal rise to power or Stalin imprisoning thousands of scientists or Stalin's summary executions of tens of thousands of "enemies of the people"?

[nerka]

Government overwhelmingly does what is good for the politicians who govern for three or four years. The serious stuff, like replacing sewage pipes, water mains and repairing potholes is undertaken in a piecemeal fashion as it's not sexy, vote-generating stuff.

If that was true we should expect to see the budget dominated by the "sexy" stuff. But in fact our budget is dominated by some pretty basic stuff like police, engineering, fire, parks, bylaw services etc.

[Mike K.]

Are we already forgetting the $120 million bridge, “$60” million dollar pool, billion dollar feel-good waste water treatment plant, and over budget bicycle lanes?

We’re actually fortunate there’s less than a year left in this term as we just might be able to postpone the pool idea until the next term. Or better yet, actually have the opportunity to vote on the issue.

[VicHockeyFan]

Our budget is dominated by the largest payroll in the province for a 80,000 population municipality. With the highest percentage of $75,000+ employees in the province too.

[Mike K.]

Don’t we have something crazy like 80 people earning over $100k per year, but Nanaimo (same size municipality) has a single digit count?

[VicHockeyFan]

We have over 180 people earning over $75,000.

Not including police.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 08 November 2017 - 10:00 PM.

[Mike K.]

Oh snappy doodle.

[tjv]

We have over 180 people earning over $75,000.

Not including police.

75k isn't much these days, many university graduates can demand almost that much

 

I am curious why did you exclude police from the total, they are on the payroll as well

[VicHockeyFan]

75k isn't much these days, many university graduates can demand almost that much

 

I am curious why did you exclude police from the total, they are on the payroll as well

 

They are not allowed to be on the list.

 

I think we can assume at least 150 officers make $75,000 so that makes 330 employees over $75k for the municipality.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 08 November 2017 - 10:45 PM.

[LeoVictoria]

Are we already forgetting the $120 million bridge, “$60” million dollar pool, billion dollar feel-good waste water treatment plant, and over budget bicycle lanes?

We’re actually fortunate there’s less than a year left in this term as we just might be able to postpone the pool idea until the next term. Or better yet, actually have the opportunity to vote on the issue.

 

Yeah sure, we don't need infrastructure.  Let's let it rot.  MVGA.

[spanky123]

Are we already forgetting the $120 million bridge, “$60” million dollar pool, billion dollar feel-good waste water treatment plant, and over budget bicycle lanes?

We’re actually fortunate there’s less than a year left in this term as we just might be able to postpone the pool idea until the next term. Or better yet, actually have the opportunity to vote on the issue.

 

There will not be an opportunity to vote on the pool. Either Helps finds the money elsewhere or the decision gets delayed until she is out of that office. She won't run the risk of a referendum being defeated.

[Mike K.]

Yeah sure, we don't need infrastructure. Let's let it rot. MVGA.

That’s exactly my point. Our roads are in bad shape in many areas, our sewage, storm and water pipes are disentefrating as we speak, but council continues to chase flagship projects.

Which btw also doesn’t affect you by being a Saanich taxpayer. Which just proves that some of the most ardent critics of the City’s critics don’t live in the City of Victoria but have a great deal to say about how taxpayers in the City of Victoria should think and what they should and shouldn’t support. My sense we have a lot more external pressures on Victoria’s policies than our elected officials want to let on.

[LeoVictoria]

That’s exactly my point. Our roads are in bad shape in many areas, our sewage, storm and water pipes are disentefrating as we speak, but council continues to chase flagship projects.

Which btw also doesn’t affect you by being a Saanich taxpayer. Which just proves that some of the most ardent critics of the City’s critics don’t live in the City of Victoria but have a great deal to say about how taxpayers in the City of Victoria should think and what they should and shouldn’t support. My sense we have a lot more external pressures on Victoria’s policies than our elected officials want to let on.

 

Roads are in bad shape?   I think you've never been in a place that had bad roads.   Victoria roads are fine.     And which water pipes are disentefrating?     Maybe stop putting so much covfefe in them, that's bad.   

 

Sure I have no vote in Victoria, but that is only because of the whackadoodle munis we have.   I still have a stake in what happens there.

 

My point is I don't think Victoria residents are actually unhappy with Helps in general.   We'll see at the next election but in general I see people are pretty happy with what is happening in Victoria.   Huge new construction, focus on measures to help affordability, vibrant city, excellent national and international reputation, etc.  The councillors can be a bit whacky but it seems they are getting things done, unlike say, Saanich.

Edited by LeoVictoria, 09 November 2017 - 09:00 AM.

[TallGuy]

There will not be an opportunity to vote on the pool. Either Helps finds the money elsewhere or the decision gets delayed until she is out of that office. She won't run the risk of a referendum being defeated.

Whatever happened to working with the YMCA on this? It seems like such a win-win:

• Both are aging, underutilized buildings in the downtown core, sitting on very valuable land
• One could remain in operation serving both customer bases while the other is demo'd and rebuilt
• Both parcels of land can be sold to developers to recover costs, saving a piece of either for the new fire hall
• In my mind, you would rebuild the pool/gym in the bottom few floors of a tall condo building to allow the developer to maximize cost recovery. I picture this facility being very much like the downtown YMCA in Vancouver except having more family space (wave pool and lazy river anybody?)
• Have a 99 year lease/whatever for the new Crystal Pool/YMCA and keep those facilities together with a cost/profit share agreement. The new facility may need to be at the current YMCA location as it's closer to the highest population density in Victoria and that location would allow more height for the residences above
• The other site could be a large mixed use, residential development

Edited by TallGuy, 09 November 2017 - 10:19 AM.

[rjag]

 

Whatever happened to working with the YMCA on this? It seems like such a win-win:

• Both are aging, underutilized buildings in the downtown core, sitting on very valuable land
• One could remain in operation serving both customer bases while the other is demo'd and rebuilt
• Both parcels of land can be sold to developers to recover costs, saving a piece of either for the new fire hall
• In my mind, you would rebuild the pool/gym in the bottom few floors of a tall condo building to allow the developer to maximize cost recovery. I picture this facility being very much like the downtown YMCA in Vancouver except having more family space (wave pool and lazy river anybody?)
• Have a 99 year lease/whatever for the new Crystal Pool/YMCA and keep those facilities together with a cost/profit share agreement. The new facility may need to be at the current YMCA location as it's closer to the highest population density in Victoria and that location would allow more height for the residences above
• The other site could be a large mixed use, residential development

 

 

You'd never make it in politics, you make too much sense 

[VicHockeyFan]

 

Whatever happened to working with the YMCA on this? It seems like such a win-win:

• Both are aging, underutilized buildings in the downtown core, sitting on very valuable land
• One could remain in operation serving both customer bases while the other is demo'd and rebuilt
• Both parcels of land can be sold to developers to recover costs, saving a piece of either for the new fire hall
• In my mind, you would rebuild the pool/gym in the bottom few floors of a tall condo building to allow the developer to maximize cost recovery. I picture this facility being very much like the downtown YMCA in Vancouver except having more family space (wave pool and lazy river anybody?)
• Have a 99 year lease/whatever for the new Crystal Pool/YMCA and keep those facilities together with a cost/profit share agreement. The new facility may need to be at the current YMCA location as it's closer to the highest population density in Victoria and that location would allow more height for the residences above
• The other site could be a large mixed use, residential development

 

 

CUPE 50 is no fan of your plans.

[nagel]

I'm not either.  The YMCA model out in Westhills is just silly for drop-in use.  It discourages use.  The point is to actually encourage use of the facility, in part because there are many benefits other than than the facility's bottom line.

[TallGuy]

I'm not either.  The YMCA model out in Westhills is just silly for drop-in use.  It discourages use.  The point is to actually encourage use of the facility, in part because there are many benefits other than than the facility's bottom line.

So do a "lessons learned" and improve the model.

[jonny]

Yeah sure, we don't need infrastructure.  Let's let it rot.  MVGA.

 

Said nobody ever.

 

Obviously nobody is saying that. The problem I see is there is an obvious lack of planning and foresight at the City of Victoria combined with a flat out refusal to think outside the box. The City of Victoria, in particular, seems to solve every issue at the absolute maximum price tag.

 

I think cost sharing with the YMCA and a real-estate developer and putting together a mega project is a great idea. It's also a lot harder to do than lazily putting together a $60M price tag on an essentially status quo project and hoping people don't complain too much.