Brodbeck round 3

GOM I don't think you are being fair to Mr. Orlokow. I sent him an email and had an answer within 2 days. I bet you he responds. How do councillors keep track of inquiries? if Mr. Orlikow missed yanswering you, then shame on him. To me that is the most important thing for an elected official to do!
Bill Clemenent answered every inquiry, every phone call to everyone, and did it without any paid secretary. Pretty impressive.
A few councillors ago in River heights whomever was my councillor did not respond to one of my inquiries, and he lost his seat the next time around.

I received a response from John Orlikow this evening:

Hey (gom),

I support the use of amber lights and have answered your questions below.

I am sure that you appreciate that this is an incredibly busy time.

The Wise Up Winnipeg group is still attempting the set up a seminar for Councillors and have been working with them on this.

Take care and let me know if you have any questions.

John

Do you believe the red light camera program is about safety?
Not exclusively

Are you for adding a second to every yellow light where there is a red light camera?
If not, why not?
If yes, when? If it improves safety, yes.

Does the existing city contract with the company that handles Winnipeg red light cameras forbid the city from changing the timing of yellow lights?
If so, why is that? Have been unable to get an answer yet.

"Have been unable to get an answer yet"
Interesting. That's what the brass don't want to be made public. I've FIPPA'd the contract without success. We'll be meeting with the Ombudsmen's office soon on that matter. Not sure how long the City thinks they can sit on this egg.

I wonder how closed to inspection that contract is? if I read Sam Katz's refusal to divuldge contract information because it is forbidden in the contract as requests from freedom of information requests have been turned down, then Councillor Orlikow is out of luck in trying to get answers!

I just hate the bull, when the City says it is about safety.A company comes in and spends $Millions to set up these cameras, and they get a per centage of the fines! What a horrow story for an abuse on people who run red lights!
Who has determined that 4 seconds is a safe time to clear an intersection? Have tey lied to council?
Now it turns out that 5 seconds reduces accidents by 87% , is that figure true?
Very interesting situation, no doubt. City of Wpg has a 10 year contract, and rakes in millions of dollars each year! Wow!
There is a great class action lawsuit that may take 10 years to run with.
I think I will ponder that situation. I like the idea, but I cannot start anything that may embarass mayor Sam. I like him way too much to do that!
He works damn hard for Winnipeg.
He is sincere, and he cares about the many things that the poor people living in the North End are stuck with!

Rosey - upon implementation of adequate amber-time legislation in Georgia - accidents decreased 72%. That is a one-year compilation beginning with the day of implementaion (Jan 1 2009 - Jan 1 2010).

As well - "red-light runners" virtually disappeared overnight. That one year complilation of results was an overall decrease of 80%. The results were a surprise to nobody - save for the feigned ignorance by the cities. It is widely known that 4/5ths (80%) of "red-light runners" are good-drivers trapped in the dangerous, short amber.

Very impressive results. That tells everyone that the whole 4 second amber light is completely wrong, except if it is about the money, and Sam Katz and all the councillors have said it is about the safety!
So how did we and every other place in Canada got on the 4 second idea?
That is a question that our traffic engineers should have to explain!
Everyone on the forum have to email their councillors and the Mayor's office once a week to get some action.
How many accidents would be prevented? Not many?
How many tickets won't be issued? Many!
How many dollars will be saved by individuals caught in te red zone?
I think everyone should email the Mayor's office for the numbers. I don't think that information cann't be on the table!

Wake up everybody!!

This scam was started by some cops. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Rosey is right - people need to put that question to their Mayor and Councillor. The more the better. Somewhere on Sandbox - I pasted all of their e-mail addresses.

So as soon as the next election is done, lets pretend that yellow light go away.


That is a HUGE budget hole to fill. Suggestions?

Review every civic position and reduce government size to necessary. ALL spending going to public committee and not EPC. The City will simply make do with what it has. There is no other way. Meeting a govt's insatiable appetite for more funding is unsustainable. Like Liv - I also believe that our taxation should first go to local, then to provincial - and then to Fed. Turn the damn thing on it's head. There's an economist/politician flying this plan right now - called something like "the upside down pyramid."

"ALL spending going to public committee and not EPC"

You mean all council committee or actual public, where you and I get to decide? Because currently all council already decides.


That is a ridiculous idea to say that EPC controls the spending. 7 people agree on something, they are going to agree regardless of its a scheduled "EPC" meeting or just a bunch of people having drinks after work.


Or do you think people are "bought off" by the higher salary for being on EPC? fine// no extra money for being on EPC. Done.

Jondo wrote:

Like Liv - I also believe that our taxation should first go to local, then to provincial - and then to Fed.

Hell, some of us have been preaching this concept for years. I't not a new idea, but it is long term, and we need some short term answers.

Imo, we need to send out a strong signal and stop funding things that are not our responsibility....like "Artts Funding" for a start. (I'm not against funding the arts, but not in this way.)

We must look in those areas to off-set the loss of revenue from red light cameras. imo

Thats good its been preached for years JTF. And I agree its not new. All I'm saying is i want it to become the most important issue a City needs to talk about.

Of course, every candidate is going to say they'll do a top down review etc.

I'm just saying with a provincial election coming down the pipe Council can have clout and exert pressure on the issue.

Of course waste is in the system and some programs shouldn't be funded but without laying down "what a City is supposed to provide" you won't get anywhere.

Anyhow, I'm just a blogger and forum guest who's taking a risk in trying to make a positive contribution. Sitting around complaining , and justly so, won't change much.

And yes, Arts, and Social services, and waste are all part of defining the Constitution and determining what level of Funding the City needs going forward.

Like I said, either you pay more nuisance taxes, or we find a way to get our taxes to flow back here before someone else decides to doante 100 million to a stadium....you get my drift


EPC should be abolished or I think it was Susan who had a timed turn over of the Committee. And yes, the extra perk should be done away with. Personally I'd abolish it,. Don't like the government within a government and we've seen how EPC can and does control a vote behind closed doors.

Sorry, you can hear the power it has if you listen to Judy's last appearance on Marty's show, I sent in a question asking if she'd abolish EPC, as she was answering it, she said, Sam steam rolls thing because he has control of ( she changed the topic...She didn't want to say EPC or answer the question because she knows, she wants the exact same power. Sam , in his first election said he'd abolish it. But, he also likes the Power of EPC.

Yes I meant a public oversight committee. I heard something about this recently - might be part of Liv's platform.

A public oversight committee? Aww shite... nothing good or bad would ever get done then


"I'm just saying with a provincial election coming down the pipe Council can have clout and exert pressure on the issue. "

interesting concept.. instead of them messing with us, we mess with them.. could work