Hardly a day has gone by since Michael Phair announced his retirement that someone in the media hasn't asked about my intentions this fall. I wasn't being coy when I said "no comment" because I hadn't made up my mind.
But, following a meeting last week with Mayor Mandel, in which he encouraged me to run again, I have decided to seek re-election in the upcoming civic campaign. Under Mayor Mandel's leadership, I've thoroughly enjoyed the last three years, one of the most exciting and satisfying terms I've had the pleasure of serving.
He's one of the best Mayors I've served with, and this council one of the best as well. And, having served on 9 previous councils, I believe I'm capable of this comparison.
Although there have been times when I disagreed with the Mayor, I have been thoroughly invigorated by his leadership, his willingness to challenge the status quo and his practice of involving councillors directly in policy development and enactment.
In our meeting, the Mayor urged me to run again to ensure that the foals of the two Council initiatives I'm involved in, the Aboriginal Initiative and Edmonton's relationship with the north, are realized.
Edmonton has the second largest Aboriginal population of any city in Canada, but for too long we turned a blind eye to the cultural benefits and powerful economic potential that exists within that community. Through the Aboriginal Initiative, we are striving as partners to strengthen the city's relationship and encourage the dynamic contributions of our Métis, Inuit and First Nations neighbours for the benefit and well-being of the entire community.
City Council's Aboriginal Declaration, the first of its kind in Canada, forms the foundation for this goal. Negotiating this historic document with Aboriginal leaders stands as one of the highlights of my political career. The contributions of Aboriginals to our city, culturally and economically, are immense and much more will be achieved as we move forward.
Mayor Mandel also indicated that my knowledge and experience, including many years on the former Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission, are important as we face the most crucial issue of the day, the future of Edmonton within the metropolitan region. Let me remind you that I identified this as a priority when I returned to City Council in 2001.
To refresh your memory, here's what I said when I announced my candidacy on July 16, 2001:
"The next three years will be among the most crucial in Edmonton's history...We need a coordinated plan for orderly development of the region - if not amalgamation or regional government then, at least, the creation of a planning authority for the region. Unless something is done, and done quickly, we're going to have a mess on our hands.
"The idea of Edmonton and surrounding municipalities sharing regional services has merit but, let's face it, nothing of significance is going to happen without provincial intervention and direction.
"Cooperative arrangements between municipalities are fine, but they have a serious limitation. When push comes to shove, cooperation quickly disappears. As we head into the future, Edmonton's destiny cannot be at the mercy of municipalities surrounding us."
Unfortunately, some members of council during the 2001-2004 term didn't get the message, and still believed that ACRA was the solution. The two meetings of ACRA that I attended convinced me that it was nothing more than a coffee klatch.
It wasn't until Mayor Mandel jumped into the saddle that Council finally recognized the futility of ACRA and the need for a new direction.
We cannot face the future in such a chaotic environment. We must lobby, and lobby hard, for provincial intervention that will ensure Edmonton's economic health within a vibrant region. This, in my opinion, will be the most important issue in the upcoming election, unless the provincial government acts soon to deal with this crucial matter.
On the Ward level, I'm pleased and proud to represent Ward 2, where personal and community volunteerism has always been a hallmark and where the residents gave me the honor of winning every poll in the 2004 civic election!
The people I represent have been patient and understanding while the lion's share of the capital budget has gone to other parts of the city, but they have priorities too, in transportation and neighbourhood rehabilitation, that must be vigorously addressed in the next three years.
Unfortunately, implementation of my motion to upgrade six older city neighbourhoods a year has been hampered by skyrocketing costs, but this must continue to be a high priority.
On the other hand, the Ward 2 councillors were able to win City Council approval for four much needed transportation projects in the northwest which originally had been knocked out of the 2007 budget.
I've been patient and generally supportive while there's been a massive outpouring of capital dollars for LRT and other infrastructure projects to the south, but the time has come to accelerate LRT to the northwest and this will be a major plank in my election platform.
I want to see the LRT extended to NAIT and headed further north in the next three years.
The implementation of a realistic residential snow policy, which Councillor Leibovici and I spearheaded in March, is also a priority. It's going to be costly, but we can't have another situation like we had the past winter.
Linked to this is the need for a greatly accelerated and ongoing road rehabilitation program. I can't count the number of complaints I've received about potholes and deteriorating streets. Some of the problems were due to a terrible winter of snow, freeze/thaw conditions and lack of past maintenance but, believe it or not, the booming economy has played a part too. Just take a look at the "gullies" in parts of the Yellowhead Highway! The continuous cavalcade of heavy trucks is hammering the heck out of our roads, and it's not going to slow down.
This year, the city is spending $6 million on road rehabilitation and an estimated $3.7 million on potholes. That's a lot of money but it doesn't appear to be enough, and I'm prepared to approve more dollars to get the problem under control.
Now I don't want anyone to get the idea I've become a supporter of the "open purse" philosophy - I can just hear Councillor Nickel saying "he's been taken over by the big spending devils on the left". I will still carry on my tradition of being tough at budget time and targeting wasteful practices. But there are times when we should spend money to save money in the long run.
If elected in October, I will continue to pursue another of my long-time objectives, getting the provincial government to give the city a share of income tax collected from Edmontonians. When I raised this option six years ago, many considered it a pipedream. But today more and more influential groups are supporting the idea. Unlike the property tax, income tax is based on ability to pay. Income tax pours into provincial coffers like a raging river while a large city like Edmonton relies heavily on the inelastic property tax and must go begging for funding to meet its needs.
I faced two person challenges during this term, including the loss of my wonderful wife, Jac'y, and I thank my council colleagues and the citizens of Edmonton for their support and encouragements. She was my best supporter and campaigner and it will be strange to run a campaign without her loyalty and participation.
Also, you may recall that I underwent back surgery late last year. I am pleased to tell you and the public that the operation was a complete success, I feel better than I have in years and a recent checkup showed I was fit as a fiddle. In fact, I am currently in training for an international Masters Baseball event this summer.
Of course, there will be some who say I've been on Council too long, or that I'm too old, but I point out that I took a six-year break in 1995 to serve on the National Parole Board, so my decision today would even comply with the desire of some councillors who favor a limit of three consecutive terms.
In any event, performance should be the measure, not one's age or length of service. And those of you who cover City Hall, as well as the citizens of Ward 2, know I take my responsibilities seriously and work hard to carry them out. I have one of the best attendance records at Council and committee meetings as well as at Ward 2 meetings and community events. I also continue to play a role in a number of important civic and national boards and committees. There's no grass growing under my feet!
Using the calendar to determine a person's capabilities is hardly appropriate. With respect, this is the feeble argument of wannabe councillors who will never be elected.
But I offer this advice to serious candidates who may be hoping to replace me: Be patient - I have no intention of exhausting eternity!
No comments:
Post a Comment