Calgary, Snow Routes and the 1%

So, Calgary City Council has decreed, in its infinite wisdom, that bike routes will be the top priority for snow crews this winter. Undoubtedly, this wise decision was taken on the back of the city's own 2011 census, which asked residents' mode of transport for commuting to work. A stonking 0.89% said that they commute by bike. That's right, Calgary City Council has selected its very own (almost) 1%, who will henceforth take priority over the other 99.11% of taxpayers. The city's own studies show that the majority of downtown workers arrive by transit. Yet transit routes will be relegated to priority 2 when snow falls. Once again, our out-of-touch municipal politicians have mistaken a noisy minority for public will. Hopefully they will mull that over when they lose their reserved, heated, underground parking stalls at city hall after losing the next election.

Life in Calgary Centre

I haven't blogged in a while, but now seems a good time to start again. I joined the board of Calgary Centre Conservatives last month, thinking that it was a good time to gently ease myself into the local Federal political scene after more than a year on the Provincial campaign trail and with plenty of time to learn the ropes before the 2015 election.

Unfortunately, it seems that Lee Richardson had other ideas. He announced his resignation before I had even attended my first board meeting, so hopefully it wasn't the thought of working with me that pushed him to resign. Regardless, we're now heading into another political whirlwind with a soon to be announced selection race, followed by a campaign which will be run by some of the countries most experienced political operatives, from whom I hope to learn a great deal.

So far, I have only heard from Joan Crockatt, who I met this evening. She certainly has an impressive background, combining business ownership with extensive experience of politics, media and the energy industry, which is an enviable resume for anyone seeking to represent one of the world's leading energy centres.

Of course, John Mar also has a high profile locally, as Alderman and former member of Lee Richardson's board, and will have a strong campaign in place. However, he also has to overcome the perception that his voting record at City Hall is fiscally liberal. His campaign manager, Stephen Carter, as plenty of experience on that front though.

Calgary Currie nominations open

Calgary Currie Wildrose Alliance has today announced that it is opening the nominations process to find a candidate for the riding. The Currie Board agreed the move at Thursday's meeting in Westgate Community Hall, at the request of the party's Executive.

So far, there are two declared candidates - Corrie Adolph and Sonja Chycoski. Any other interested candidates have until 5pm on Friday, 8 April to collect the required signatures and submit their application. A vote of the membership will then take place no more than 60 days after the close of nominations.

Calgary Currie is an interesting riding. Firstly, it is currently represented by second-term MLA Dave Taylor, who was elected as a Liberal and is now the only Alberta Party MLA. Prior to his election in 2004, Currie had been PC controlled since 1971. Secondly, it has significant boundary changes. The whole riding is moving to the west, and slightly to the north, taking in parts of the current Bow, Buffalo and West ridings and only includes a small part of the existing Calgary Currie constituency, which could change the dynamics significantly. There will be four parties which believe they have a realistic chance in this riding, and voters will have a real choice for a change.

If you live within the new boundaries of Calgary Currie, why not join up and help to choose our candidate? If you would like to run for the nomination, you can email the Wildrose Nominations committee for an information pack. More details about the process are available on the Wildrose Alliance website, Nominations Central section.

Obama Bumper Sticker Removal Kit (feat. Brad Stine)

h/t Oliver Rowlinson

Rather EFTA than the EU

Lord Mandelson should take a look in the mirror

So, Lord Mandelson reckons that Bob Diamond is the unacceptable face of banking.  Why should a director at Barclays be singled out for criticism in this way?  After all, Barclays is one of only two major British banks which has neither required support from the British taxpayer, nor been taken over by the Spanish.  I suspect that is Mandelson’s real problem – Socialists prefer businesses that fail.

So what was Bob Diamond’s crime?  Mandelson lays two criticisms at his feet – that he is overpaid and that he doesn’t benefit society.  Has Lord Mandelson ever taken a look in the mirror?  His current non-job as “Secretary of State for Business and Innovation and Skills” and previous employment as “European Commissioner for Trade” are surely two of the greatest non-jobs in history, with extortionate salaries, expenses and administrative costs, born by the taxpayer.  If anyone is employed to “push pieces of paper around”, Lord Mandelson is he.  By contrast, Bob Diamond has successfully generated substantial income for the UK economy and, via taxation, the treasury.  He has helped to secure the high-skilled jobs that any worthwhile Business Secretary would support and encourage.

The future of British Business and Enterprise looks pretty bleak with the likes of Mandelson and his comrades in government – particularly those many unelected Socialists who sit beside him in the House of Lords – at the helm.  Thank goodness the election is only a month away now.

Time to stop fighting America’s wars

So much for the special relationship between Britain and the US.  After years of laying down British lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, isn’t it time for some support back from the States?  Yet Obama doesn’t even feel able to offer words of support when the Argies try to blockade British territory in the south Atlantic.  Instead, he declares his country to be neutral.

It was understandable when the Marxist Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez, declared his support for Argentina.  He has never shown any interest in democracy, so I wouldn’t expect him to give a damn about the opinions of Falkland Islanders, who don’t want to be taken over by a corrupt Argentine regime.  Whilst Obama may share his Marxist ideals with Chavez, one would have hoped that the leader of the Free World would have had some regard for democracy.

Sadly not.

Join Keep the Falklands British on Facebook

h/t Telegraph blogs

Technorati Tags: Falklands,Obama,US-UK relations