Voter apathy is where the heart is

Calgarians ignore government that affects us most

Originally published in FFWD October 11, 2007 by Drew Anderson in Viewpoint

A civic election is upon us, and candidates for alderman and mayor are laying out the issues in a city overwhelmed. Transportation, development, the environment, crime and housing are all on the lips of potential municipal decision-makers, but does anyone even care? Based on the 19 per cent turnout rate in the previous election, the answer is no.

It is boring now to point out that we are in the midst of unparalleled growth, with our city facing enormous pressures due to an overheated economy and a population surge. It’s boring, but it’s true. This makes our choice of civic leaders all the more important. These people will be guiding development in our communities, closing streets in our downtown and coming to grips with our excessive environmental impact. They will manage our growth, open up green space and build our recreation centres. When the neighbours are pissing you off, it is their bylaws you turn to.

Last election we had one of the lowest voter turnouts in Canada. The one government that is the most accessible to us, that affects our lives more intimately than the provincial or federal versions, is the one that commands the least attention.

So far many of the campaigns for alderman and for mayor have focused on a select set of issues: transportation, housing, development, crime and the environment. There are other issues being raised, and some candidates who just rant incoherently (you know who you are), but almost every campaign lists these as priorities.

Our current city council has tackled all of these issues through the course of their present term, though with a checkered success rate. Homelessness and affordable housing are clearly growing out of control. Piecemeal solutions to shelter in the winter months have angered residents with not-in-my-backyard attitudes, and have provided only temporary relief to a situation that continues unabated. There has to be a commitment to solutions that last longer than a couple of months — like the recent conversion of the old Brick building on 16th Ave.

We need committed leadership in the realm of affordable housing. Mayor Bronconnier is promising incentives to private developers and rent supplements to those struggling with housing costs. This is not the recipe for a permanent solution to the housing crisis. There has to be pressure on the provincial government from all our civic leaders to impose rent controls and protect those on the edge from unreasonable rent increases. We need a council and mayor that realize we can’t simply build more affordable housing without addressing the issues that make the rest of our housing unaffordable.

Both the homelessness and housing issues would benefit from scrapping the ward system and instead electing councillors that answer to the city as a whole, and not communities focused on their own self-interest.

The environmental footprint of Calgary is an embarrassment that needs immediate remedy. Our sprawling suburbs and car-centric planning has gobbled up as much land as New York City, despite the fact we have over seven million less residents. Our infrastructure is taxed from servicing such a large area, while our emissions and energy consumption continue to rise in excess of our population growth. We need to focus on building up rather than continuously out. According to a recent report by the Calgary Foundation, 78 per cent of Calgarians use their car to get to work — not surprising considering the city’s layout.

Transportation is an important issue for this city. Roads are clogged with excess cars, construction can’t keep up, thousands move here every year and transit seems unable to match demand with drivers and routes. It is heartening that candidates, specifically in the mayoral race, are promising movement on the west leg of the LRT and beyond. What is disappointing is the lack of infrastructure around alternative forms of travel in our communities and downtown; walking and cycling in this city can be challenging.

There is concern about a perceived crime increase, when all statistics show a continuing drop in crime rates. The current council approved a new bylaw and additional police officers in one of their last moves before the election campaign, but it still remains to be seen if the money for those officers or the bodies to fill those positions will be found.

As reported in Fast Forward last week, a major issue that needs addressing is accountability. Campaign financing regulations are largely non-existent, and the potential for corruption is enormous. Mayoral candidate Alnoor Kassam is the one contender making the biggest noise around accountability and ethics at city hall. There are questions, however, surrounding his escape from Kenya amidst fraud charges and his economic eviction of tenants with a rent increase of almost $2,000. Kassam says he was vindicated on the fraud charges at his immigration board hearing and that he offered free rent to his tenants for three months before the new rates took effect.

And through it all there is one lone voice in the electoral soup that is focusing on apathy, mayoral candidate Jeremy Zhao. So while all the bluster carries on about cars and roads and crime and infrastructure, it is fitting that nobody can hear Zhao through the din. Probably for the best; if we took an interest in our municipal affairs, what would we bitch about over the next round of drinks at a smoke-free bar?