What is the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition, anyway?
Jan 29, 2010
citizens, coalition, katz, mayor, ndp, sam, ufcw, wcc
Mayor Sam Katz delivered his Annual State of the City Address to hundreds of members of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and other dignitaries this past week. The speech has sparked discussion in the media because, among other bizarre comments, the Mayor verbally implied that people are conspiring against him “to take over City Hall”. Worse yet, according to his comments, this is a left-wing, NDP driven effort involving the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition (WCC).
Regardless of where you may fall on the political spectrum (right, centre, or left), it is difficult to take exception with any organization like the WCC, which espouses more active citizen participation in civic government and boosting the numbers of people who vote. And Winnipeg needs more voices in the electoral process when you consider the 2006 municipal election drew only 38% of eligible voters to the polls. This kind of organization exists in other jurisdictions in Canada where dissatisfaction with elected representatives has reached a boiling point. The Guelph Civic League, Vision Vancouver and the Cooperative of Progressive Electors (COPE) on the left coast, and Citizens for a Better Ottawa come readily to mind.
The fact is, in the eyes of many, City Hall has become a bastion of privatization (e.g. garbage collection, Upper Fort Garry, Assiniboine Park, and the proposed water utility), questionable taxation philosophies (e.g. property tax freezes and business tax cuts when our infrastructure deficit continues to rapidly grow), and outright cronyism (open doors to connected business interests at the expense of average citizen tax payers).
According to members of the elected Executive of the WCC, this has spurred a coalition of community builders (no, not the property developers who donate to the Mayor and his City Council allies at election time) to band together to try and affect change at City Hall. They say they want to help create the conditions that allow people to shape the future of their city. And they want open and accountable government from their elected representatives. What else do they want? They want more women on City Council, a safer and greener city, a city that values and invests in recreation for kids in ALL areas of Winnipeg, and a city that protects and improves public services.
But is the WCC just a sinister front for the NDP to take over City Hall, as the Mayor suggests? The co-chairs of the WCC are Bobbi Ethier (former President of the Liberal Party of Manitoba) and Shaun Loney (who helps run a non-profit agency in the inner city that gets ex-gang members into apprenticeship programs). The Executive also includes Vicki Burns (former executive director of the Winnipeg Humane Society), other prominent Liberals, Conservatives, Greens, students, First Nations people, workers, business owners, and, yes, New Democrats.
Of course, you can always decide for yourself what the WCC stands for and what they’re trying to achieve by visiting their website at www.ourwinnipeg.org. And if you don’t like what they’re saying, at least make time around Election Day this October to familiarize yourself with the issues and, ultimately, cast a VOTE for something or someone you believe in!
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