We received an extensive response to the comments of Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie about the entry of Kevin Klein to the Mayoral race- if you want the entire reply of Coun. Klein, we can email it to you.
5.00 The response began with Klein’s view of Wise Up Winnipeg driver advocate Chris Sweryda:”Chris is one of many who have tried to bring things to light... City employees, and the public, shouldn’t have to face an uphill battle to bring forward problems and suggestions and improvements, especially if they find errors in data.
As Mayor of Winnipeg, taxpayers will not have to fear City Hall.“He addresses Eadie’s questions about how Klein would fix financing issues with ambulances and police – including by ‘increased or decreased taxation’, and says that the Planning Department which can drive additional revenue is underfunded. Klein asks “Wouldn’t we want to increase funding to this department’ – and we explain why taxpayers wouldn’t. He acknowledges “There are limits to tax increases as residents may move to surrounding RMs or other provinces to find lower taxation” and asserts “I will try to end the arbitrary tax increases based on guesswork and politics.” Klein also refers to reducing arson and city fuel costs. This led to a discussion of poor planning of new neighborhoods, deficient transit services, downtown decay, and the results of what Marty says was “development for the sake of development.” Then comes Part 2.
24.00 The increase in pressure on ‘he who used to be Mayor’, Glen Murray, came from 4 fronts last week. Whether it be his memory, his accuracy, his work history or his honesty, the other campaigns keep noticing, and even long-time lefties say ‘Glen’s opportunism’ turns them off. First- Scott Gillingham took Murray to task for questioning his campaign announcement about city 311 staffing and spending.
“Mr. Murray finds this odd b/c he was busy in Toronto, focused on his federal leadership ambitions in October 2020, so he may have missed the fact that cities across Canada – including Winnipeg – were fighting severe budget challenges from a global pandemic at the time… Repeatedly, Mr. Murray has campaigned as if the pandemic didn’t happen.”
30:50 As for Murray’s failed run at the Green Party post, the Elections Commissioner sent a reply to Jenny Motkaluk’s fomal complaint that her opponent has broken federal law by not filing his donor and expense returns. The OCCE replied “Electors in the City of Winnipeg may choose to use (news) reports to inform their decision-making or to request additional information or clarification from the candidate.“ She upped the ante by calling on Murray to tell voters if and when he comes under investigation.
34.30 Don Woodstock had already asked Murray to sign a pledge not to be a “habitual quitter” – again – if elected Mayor;
36.10 The Rana Bokhari camp caught Murray stretching the truth about how long he has been back in the city, and reminded voters that when he left Ontario politics, he said he was done with public life.
40.25 Hear what former NDP MLA Sharon Blady said, about Glen Murray “for some bizarre reason being treated like a returning hero.”(And no one mentioned Caledon. We did.) Then we report on why Woodstock may be on to something: an old interview revealed that Glen Murray did have a remaining political ambition in Winnipeg- but not at 510 Main Street.