Welcome to Winnipeg – Keep Your Opinions to Yourself
Dec 01, 2009
consultations, debate, garbage, parkade
Last week, Winnipeg’s city council approved the sale of the Winnipeg Square Parkade for $24 million.
They pledged that the money wouldn’t be spent on anything until officials completed a downtown parking strategy. Since the sale, many opinions have been voiced about it. Some are suspicious of Shindico’s involvement in brokering the deal. Others say that the city didn’t get enough for what has historically been a “cash cow”.
But what is truly troubling about this sale is how quickly the discussion about it came and went. I’m not a fan of politicians who waffle from one side to another, only to find out that after several years and thousands of dollars spent on studies, there’s nothing to show for it. But the current regime down at city hall seems to have taken the opposite approach, with very little public consultation on issues that will affect its citizens.
Case in point: automated garbage collection. A few months ago, the city announced a complete overhaul on how our garbage and recycling would be picked up. They announced the changes during the summer, when hopefully the fewest Winnipeggers would take notice.
At first, it seemed this would simply be a trial program, but as the city’s website now claims “the other areas of the city will be converted to automated collection as each of the remaining manual collection contracts expire. By February 2013, the entire city will then have automated garbage collection.”
Maybe Winnipeggers won’t mind the new system, maybe they’ll even like wheeling out their new bins every week, but wouldn’t the city want to figure that out first before committing 100% to a new program.
What’s more insulting to the intelligence of its citizens are the reasons the city offers for making the changes:
1. “Fewer litter, odour and pest problems because the carts have lids.”
2. the carts will save money in the long term because “automated collection is more efficient than manual collection.”
3. The bins provide “a safer work environment for garbage collectors, because they won’t have to suffer from the typical injuries that go with repeatedly lifting heavy objects into a truck (e.g., leg, back and shoulder injuries).”
Well isn’t that nice, they’re concerned about the workers’ well-being, which is funny when you consider their second point means the new system will effectively put people out of work.
The city should focus less on its sales pitch for new initiatives and more on finding out what Winnipeggers want in the first place. At the very least, they could have the decency to say it like it is. Tell us that you’re ramming yet another policy through because you want to save money and don’t want to waste time on asking citizens what they think.
Comments
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I think the city has done a great job on marketing these bins because they don't tell you about how many jobs will be lost. You would also think that now because we are paying less people to do the job, that we would pay less taxes, but that won't be the case. The city will also continue to raise our taxes so we can pay for services that we don't really want or have all the information about. I'm really not liking these bins. Maybe the Murray office had a better idea with the tags. I just don't think they have put enough thought or research into this idea. When is the next election anyway?
Callum - 2009-12-09 11:52
Maybe one of Katz's buddies owns a bin making factory.
Mike - 2009-12-09 12:50