It is a bit of a long read, but if you want facts... its up to you the reader. If you ever had a desire to shed that "Ignorance Is Bliss" feeling, or shake off the "Ostrich Syndrome", this may be a good starting point.
Document 1 is as follows:
A project overview of what was Lost for our
city -
via the 'management' of 2009 council members - can
be found in the following web link http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/300-million-announced-for-lrt-expansion-and-improvements-1.857618
Additionally,
one would expect any Edmonton area Federal Conservative MP in office back in
2009-2010 to have knowledge of our city's permanent LOSS of that $200mm 1-time jobs stimulus funding. There are a
whole handful of items for which the incumbent council candidates can and should
be judged.
But prime
among them is the $200,000,000 permanently LOST for our city by bungling
members of the 2009 city council; a
municipal financing mess and subsequent cover-up.
That story
involves the $200,000,000 (permanent) LOSS of 1-time funding that was available
to our municipality 4 years ago (but) only for approved, “Shovel-ready”
Infrastructure works ... and speaks to the real reason Edmonton's outgoing
Mayor started his very public feuding with then Federal Public Works minister
Rona Ambrose.
Also, how a
monstrous Bait-&-Switch scheme failed ... and contributed significantly to
our growing civic DEBT load.
Plus, the
apparent motivation for that ill-fated scheming ... relating to ( siting for ) Edmonton's current,
highly contentious Downtown ARENA deal.
N.B. As we head into the final days of the
municipal election campaigns it would seem Edmonton's
Voters deserve to know, and should finally be told of this ( almost
unbelievable ) tremendous boondoggling ... and which of the current council candidates
were complicit in the 2009 secret scheming (and its early 2010 and subsequent
Cover-up campaign).
This is a
rather outstanding case of MIS-management;
phenomenal bungling by our 2009 city council members (save for Caterina)
who were on duty back then.
And while “stuff”
does sometimes happen, totally foolish and absolutely needless gambling away of $200,000,000 of Senior
Governments' clearly defined, Conditional
* fundings all in 1 go can hardly be classified as a mere bit of fiscal
imprudence on the part of our city leaders.
* The only
"strings" attached to that funding were that
·
it
be spent on immediate jobs stimulus
projects pre-APPROVED by the Canada Works program,
·
projects
that would be substantially completed by the Federal Government’s fiscal year
ending March 31, 2011 (not 2014,
like the Nait Lrt line).
The criteria
couldn't have been any clearer or simpler. And if Tony Caterina
so easily got it, just what were the rest of them really up to ... that they took such a gamble as to cost all of us
$200,000,000 during an economic downturn ?
One would
expect Tony should be proud to confirm that he voted against the other, 2009 councillors' attempt to Switch utilization of those Shovel-ready,
Gorman-allocated & approved funds;
i.e. their
failed attempt to switch utilization of those qualified Senior Government
monies to a NON-qualifying project
still in its DESIGN phase back then.
N.B. Totally separate Senior Governments programs
have since been funding the much later
started construction of our NORTH Lrt -
currently scheduled for completion in 2014.
e.g. You may recall the $2B GreenTRIP funding
first announced by Stelmach in July of 2008
which did not actually start to flow until years later.
Whereas the
very clear requirements / criteria of the Canada
Works jobs creation stimulus dollars in the depths of the economic downturn
back in 2009 included substantial COMPLETION
/ expenditure (i.e. on only approved, Shovel-ready projects) by March of 2011.
Thus, upon
the 2009 Council’s attempt to re-assign use of the Gorman fundings to a
Non-qualifying project the Federal jobs stimulus monies - $100,000,000 ( x 2 with Provincial matching) - was
PERMANENTLY lost to our city.
Also
important to note is the funds approval for the shovel-ready GORMAN package of
jobs stimulus works was a 1-timer
... and, sadly, council members of that day gambled it all away.
When you look
at the size of Edmonton's
accumulated debt, the Loss of that $200,000,000 is quite significant.
It is indeed
quite the “accomplishment” that the culprits in this mammoth $200,000,000 Loss have
managed to keep knowledge of it largely swept under the carpet for so long.
Here's hoping
that this information shall help to now force accountability, transparency and
democratic change in Edmonton.
Edmonton's GORMAN package of Federally-APPROVED, Canada
Works Jobs Stimulus INFRASTRUCTURE dollars was a 'go' in 2009 ...
but council
members of that day threw away those $200,000,000 !!!!!
Other:
The same 2009
city council that needlessly cost all Edmontonians that $200mm of 1-time
funding are also the ones who, in July of 2008 so foolishly and needlessly
voted to put N.Lrt tracks directly in front of the Central McDougall AMBULANCE Station
on 105 Street ... and, to this day have failed to find a replacement site for
that critical-to-downtown emergency response service.
We certainly
don't need another 4 years of that level of 'performance.'
- Thomas Jefferson
This is the 2nd document sent:
Mayoral Decision
Matrix
|
Platform /
Voting Record
|
Kerry
DIOTTE
|
Don
IVESON
|
Karen
LEIBOVICI
|
|
POTHOLES -
repair & adequately maintain our Streets
|
√
|
|
|
|
Voted for budgets that took away annual road maintenance
dollars
|
|
√
|
√
|
|
ARENA: stood up for HOMEOWNERS, versus a
Billionaire’s entertainment business interests
|
YES
|
No
|
No
|
|
Prioritized ‘circuses’ ahead of core services like sewers /
improving our drainage system
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Voted for putting a new Traffic magnet
in our downtown with
4-lane 107
Ave -
thereby constructing a 51st Ave x 4.0 … in the new Entertainment
District !
i.e. Voted for a Level Crossing of 107 Ave
(instead of a simple underpass at
104 St / an extension of the below-grade tracks emanating from the tunnel now
underneath 101 St )
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Voted for a West LRT routing that will
bounce even more traffic ( from Stony
Plain Rd ) onto that 107 Ave arterial…only to have
it regularly blocked by the North LRT’s barricade arms
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Wants to
spend over $600,000,000 to replace a 17,100-seat facility with a new one that
seats only ~18,100 … not even keeping
pace with Population growth since the 1970s !
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Voted for
Mandel’s initiative to construct the North LRT’s
tracks directly in front of
the (
9,000-calls-per-year ) Central McDougall AMBULANCE Station on 105 Street -
thereby requiring
that Station’s expensive relocation + longer EMS wait times in the Downtown
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Deliberately
chose to ignore full and fair exploration of the superior 104 St. N.Lrt
routing option
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
FRESH
ideas; on city council since…
|
2010
|
2007
|
2001
|
|
Life
experience - age:
|
57
|
34
|
60
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOST $200,000,000 for Edmonton Taxpayers by voting for a
failed gamble; the quite foolish, attempted bait-&-switch by Council - to
reallocate Senior Governments’ fundings approvals for the “shovel-ready” “Gorman
Package” of Infrastructure works to a NON-qualifying project !
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
DELAYED by 2 years 5-car-long Platforms for our existing LRT System – causing 2010
“Crush Hours” on the only 3-car trains - and needlessly ADDED to City borrowings to fix this
|
No
|
√
|
√
|
|
Has a
VISION for much better management
of our City and its finances
( and more
responsible use of Senior Governments’ grants monies ! )
|
YES
|
|
|
Gorman, Greed, and
the Lost $200,000,000
In 2009 Mandel
and certain City Councillors knowingly ‘baited’ the Feds with Qualifying,
Shovel-ready LRT System-wide improvements (and requisite, immediate Jobs / economic Stimulus benefits)
THEN, once they
had obtained the Federal & Provincial fundings approvals for same, instead
attempted switching use of those
funds to a NON-qualifying, NON-shovel ready project !
But they got
caught in the act by the feds … and that is how those 2009
City Councillors gambled away our
$200,000,000 of (Gorman-committed) public
works economic stimulus funds - in pursuit of their I-know-better whim ... and that is why we Edmonton Taxpayers lost
out, big time.
For one City of
Edmonton employee’s
description of the Works package that was LOST by those 2009 Councillors’ failed
Bait-&-Switch gamble please see:
For one former
Alberta MLA’s lamentation of that totally needless LOSS of those major fundings
please see:
So, what was
it that suddenly motivated those 2009 Mandel-lead Councillors
to even attempt their failed switcheroo
?
Half way
through 2009 Katz announced His choice of site on which we should build for Him
a new facility;
Land that was
chosen and optioned by Him for His own revenues-enhancing purposes.
Land
immediately adjacent to the ( NON-shovel ready, still in the planning stages )
intended North
LRT line - which new ‘priority’ N.LRT connection and MacEwan Station could instead service His new revenues stream.
Thus, personal
interests / a pet project got prioritized by City
Councillors of the day ahead of the Gorman LRT works package, and it was their re-jigging that
ended up disqualifying
Edmontonians from receiving those clearly targeted,
Senior
Governments’ (2009-11) Jobs-creation
Canada Works
stimulus funds.
i.e. Those 2009 Councillors felt they "knew better" - than
to respect the very clear, Shovel-ready employments strings /
criteria / conditions that were attached to the $200,000,000 in approvals
committed specifically for the Gorman
works.
N.B. Councillors Iveson and Leibovici both voted for the
above, failed bait-&-switch scheme, a needless gamble that
Lost for Edmontonians $200,000,000 of the Senior
Governments’ funding that had been committed for much-needed and qualifying Infrastructure works.
So instead
of a 3-way cost sharing - of the entire
approved Gorman Package of works - it was the 2009
Council’s failed trickery that ended up having City of Edmonton taxpayers footing
the entire bill for the required LRT Platforms extensions +
Traction Power upgrades to handle the longer trains and additional cars
purchased ... all with a Later-than-needed
completion and, ultimately, funded 100%
via City taxpayers !
In brief, Canada Works
Infrastructure Jobs STIMULUS “wish
lists” of immediate, Shovel-ready projects were submitted
by Municipalities from across Canada to the Feds in Jan.2009 ... contingent
on Matching fundings by the Provinces
and by the municipality making such application ( i.e. 1/3rd each ) and the Job Creation project
completions BEFORE fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.
From Edmonton's Wish List, the
Feds elected to cover 1/3rd of the Shovel-ready $300mm Gorman PACKAGE of
works -
for
a)
the
LRT System to be Upgraded to handle 5-car trains from only 3 cars, via
1.
Lengthening the Platforms on the existing Clairview-to-South LRT line and
2. Increase
Traction Power, to accommodate 5 cars ... all in time for Century Park's
opening ... which would have avoided the “Crush Hour” subsequently experienced
in September 2010 when UA students et al boarded the South LRT, plus
b)
Lengthen the line from Clairview to Gorman, including
c)
creating additional Park'N'Ride
spaces @ Gorman ( for the freeloaders from Ft. Saskatchewan,
Gibbons
et al who are now hogging / clogging spaces at Edmonton's Clairview Station ), plus
d) Transit
Station and Park'N'Ride enhancements in the West end at Lewis Estates.
When the Feds
got wind the 2009 Edmonton
City Councillors were attempting to Switch
use of the $100mm funding commitment that had been allocated (as per all Municipalities
across Canada) solely for Immediate Shovel-ready works – to a project where not even the Design work
had yet been completed,
that Immediate
Jobs-creation stimulus monies’ approval was yanked ... which also lost Edmonton the Province
of Alberta's matching
$100mm.
Thus, the 2009 Councillors’ attempted Bait-&-Switch permanently cost Edmonton
Taxpayers $200,000,000.
The Lengthened Platforms &
Traction Power upgrades remained ongoing
needs, but it was solely Edmonton's property taxpayers that had to finance
those 'Regional' benefits entirely on our own, with borrowings of 100-cent dollars - instead
of having built the greater number of (Gorman Package) works that could have been
accomplished with only 33-cent dollars ... had our 2009
City Councillors not so foolishly gambled against such clear funding criteria.
0 grade separation, Guaranteed Traffic Snarls and Longer Emergency Response Times
0 grade separation, Guaranteed Traffic Snarls and Longer Emergency Response Times
The same
Mandel-lead 2009 City Council also failed to simply instruct
Transportation to build the 1st 3 blocks of our North LRT
optimally and most cost-effectively on the 1st go, UNDER 107.
i.e. With a simple grade separation at busy, 4-lane
107 Avenue ( the progressive sort of
thing seen in the vicinity of our 1970s
Coliseum ) specifically to eliminate
conflicts between surface vehicles and the mass transit system that
serves such a people magnet.
Instead, situating
the North LRT’s Tracks across the SURFACE of the busy 4-lane 107 Avenue
arterial will now greatly compromise the capacity of our finite downtown roadways
(and delivery of Emergency Services into the downtown) and especially in
the immediate vicinity of a mammoth new people magnet, and needlessly CAUSE
unnecessary gridlock ... thereby creating a 51st Ave x
4.0
( per known and foreseeable Edmonton traffic counts ).
In a David
Staples's edmonton
journal column of December 17, 2010 Mandel stated, regarding LRT and
intersections:
“It was a mistake
to have the LRT not
go under ... the road traffic on University Avenue and 51st Avenue on the south side, and it
would be a mistake to build the west line without going either under or over
142nd and 149th streets, even though it costs more,
"To say we're not going to worry
about it and we're going to stop traffic everywhere isn't really a good
solution. ... Why would we continue with a bad decision?"
David Staples
continued:
Mandel is correct. The quickest way to
kill support for the LRT is to say to hell with car drivers. And it's worth
noting that the original decision to build Underground Edmonton's Downtown was
costly, but it's proving to be an example of smart long-term thinking, as any
Calgarian stuck in downtown traffic, waiting for the C-Train to go by, will
tell you. ...
So
why did those 2009 Councillors, including Iveson
and Leibovici so intransigently proceed with construction of a REPEAT of the University Avenue and 51st Avenue Surface-crossing mistakes,
only this time on the brand new North LRT in our city's Downtown, and at much
greater Magnitude, in the new ARENA District, across the Surface of busy 4-lane 107 Ave ?_______
Where is their
vision ?
Perhaps we
are seeing the exact same, short-sighted thinking that so readily acquiesced to
Katz’s own switching - away from
His promise of $100,000,000 Up-FRONT
CAPITAL Funding … instead to a paltry $5.5mm per year discounted facility rental
fee ?
Here’s hoping
a majority of concerned Edmontonians will now vote for a New mayor - instead of a
2009
Councillor proven capable of captaining us into a
Greek Tragedy.
╬
essential and proper grade separations are present
at the current Coliseum / Rexall
Place
- separations between existing trains and vehicular (including
Emergency vehicles) traffic on 118 Ave, Fort
Road, the
Yellowhead Trail, and Wayne Gretzky Drive
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