The real issue in Ward 2

A Summary of my thoughts on the Evanston Creekside Community Association Candidate Forum on Oct. 16, 2013

What are the issues in Ward 2?

• How many years we had been talking to City on the traffic problems around our communities in Ward 2?
• Do they ever have an answer or date for us?
• City had collected at least an extra 10 million dollars from Ward 2 through new lots sold in the last 3 years to cover "infrastructure costs", but what they had done to address to any traffic problems here?
• The real issue?  We were being ignored for years!

My suggestions:

• Team up with other communities (Sage Hill, Nolan Hill, Sage Meadows, Evanston, Kincora & Royal Oak) to deal with all governments on the transportation & Transit issues
• Restrict all construction/dump trucks to use Symons Valley Road after 9:00 am
• Connect Symons Valley Parkway to Shaganappi and 144 Ave immediately
• Widen the section of Symons Valley Road from 144 Ave. to 128 Ave. (Symons Valley Parkway)
• Add a temporary Round-about in the Sage Meadows T-section now and traffic light later
• Need our own bus route for each community, or introduce developer-funded community shuttle as a temporary alternative until population reach the requirements for Public Transit to take over

 My commitment to my community:

• This not the time for discussions anymore, it’s time for action!
• If you send me in, I will fight for you inside; if not I will stand by your side and fight outside!

Economic diversity in Calgary

Economic diversity in Calgary

Calgary has been the head of the economic train in Canada since the late 90’s. It doesn’t matter whether you enjoy the boom or compliant about it; how long you think this can last?

I am not an economist, I cannot predict any economic up/down turns, but I still remember some old Calgarians told me how the darkest days looked like on 1983-1984.  We all know that the boom we had in the last decade was heavily relied on the energy sector, and people including our Council all take it for granted.

According to a report by Boston Globe, U.S. – our biggest energy products buyer is heading to energy independence at around 2030 and will be able to export at around 2035.  (American energy independence: the great shake-up)  Just imagine what will happen to Calgary if we lost this single biggest customer on our energy products?  Should our city Council start to prepare for this potential challenge to our future, by at least be more responsible in controlling their spending first?

What we should do next to be prepared for possible rainy days?  I think the diversification of new sources to support our economic growth is a viable option.  We should start to open our eyes to the world, U.S. is no longer the only market or investor we have.  Look at Samsung and LG, and look at our RIM too; look at the numbers of Korean cars on our roads; city Council should be more proactive and aggressive to attract investments and develop new market opportunities from new economic powers.

World population grew from 5 billion to 7 billion in the last 30 years, and it will grow to 9 billion in 2040, while farmlands are diminishing around the world.  Canada is still one of the few countries in the world can export food; and Alberta is main source of supply on beef, wheat, Canola etc.  Will the weight on economic contributions by oil & gas industry starts to shift to the food industry?

Some E.U. countries are hunger for garbage to generate power by the heat collected from the incineration of garbage, while city of Calgary still has no idea on what to do with landfill problems. Should we start to do some studies on this new technology and see if we can invite some of these European companies to invest here?

Asian countries are building plants using German revised Pyrolysis technology to recycle used tires with zero emission and toxic exhaust.  We have so many used tires and have to pay $4 to dump each tire; so a plant like that should be able to take care all these used tires in the entire west coast and reclaim some of the land for future use, right?

Chinese version of my Blog

中文博客文章

Issue 6 – Hard way or lazy way to deal with issues?

Issue 6 – Hard way or lazy way to deal with issues?

Why our Council always like to ban this, ban that?

I had been asked my position in the proposed ban on pesticide, external air-conditioner & shark fin etc., and I always answered: I am not a fan of banning anything! In Canada, even fire arms are only regulated but not banned!  Why our Council like to ban that many things?

I don’t expect all elected officials are highly intelligent, but they should at least be hard-working!  Choose to ban something is just to pick yes or no to an issue – an easy way.

To me, before any ban is proposed, I suggest some more homework should be done. They should try to find out what’s acceptable limit by the majority before even thinking of any ban suggestion.

Use the pesticide as an example. Council must have solid proof that there’s a real threat or damage to the public health before drafting any bylaw on the issue.  They should work with Alberta Health Services to make sure the bylaw will be enforceable; check with business stakeholders in the industry to make sure the proposed Bylaw is reasonable; check with the public to make sure someone’s civic right will not be deprived of etc.

I don’t need the government to tell me where to live, what to eat or when should cry; and that’s why I chose Canada not North Korea to build my family and raise my kids!

Issue 5 – New community developments control

Issue 5 – New community developments control

This is not a question of whether I am “developer friendly” or not.  It’s straightly an example of government intervention in free market!

Last December, Council announced to stop issuing Building Permits up to 10 years to development projects with Area Structure Plan approved.  Can anyone tell me what’s problem on that decision?

What problems may arise from this decision?

1.      Houses price will go up due to less supply

2.      Higher house price means higher property tax

3.      Less new houses can be built means less choice for consumers

4.      Higher house price and make Calgary even more unaffordable for the youth

5.      Loss of jobs

Just imagine if no new houses can be built in the next 10 years, how many of those 37,000 people employed by developers, builders, construction companies and trades still have their job?

How about another 5,200 licensed real estate brokers plus their assistants?  If not much new houses for existing home owners to choose from for moving up, I can just foresee a drop in the listings and who will suffer and who will benefit from such situation?

There will be so many unintended consequences when government start intervene free market, no matter what intention!  Real estate development is a highly risky business and I would support development plans that could maintain or improve the quality of life around its neighbor communities.  I believe there are enough regulations to make sure these new developments are viable.

Why can’t our government and businesses work together?

Issue 4 - Secondary Suite

Issue 4 - Secondary Suite

This is one of the mostly asked questions from my door-knocking.  Even though I may lose some support when answering this, I still have to be honest and clearly show my position.

I do not agree on legalizing the secondary suite for rental.

Reason?

1. Basement is NOT designed for being a long term accommodation facility.  If they want to legalize it, why don’t they allow us to build the 3^rd floor on top of our house instead?
2. Long before any community was developed, development designer & city planners will start with an estimated number of residents in that community to plan & build all infrastructures like road, power, water, sewer etc.  If 20 years after the community was developed, the population of this community increase by 50% due the legalized secondary suite; I am not mentioning parking availability inside the neighborhood, infrastructures planned for this community probably has to be upgraded to support the population increase.  Who’s going to pay for these upgrades? Everyone in the city!  Who get the rental income? The home owner only!
3. It will also encourage unqualified home buyer to aim for a more expensive house with a legalized secondary suite. As they can qualify the mortgage with this projected income from the rental.  However, whatever happened to the basement tenant and move out; then the home owner may not be able to pay for his mortgage.  The secondary suite might encourage another real estate bubble.