City of Regina: Transparent No More

Good morning Regina!!

The City of Regina Executive Leadership Team have taken extreme measures to block anyone and everyone who simply has contradictory viewpoints to the Municipal Affairs at City Hall.

The most recent development has gone far beyond the realm of realities and is starting to border on things only heard of in fictional movies. 

Why not give Mr. Taron Cochrane a call to voice your displeasure with his censorship? DIRECT: (306) 777-7926

Recently, the City has been going through some major internal shake-ups, with the resignation of City Clerks, Executives, and Senior Managers, to the questionable appointments/hiring practices of several individuals who have performed quesionably at best. I personally have been banned from attending City Hall since the summer of 2013, even though I have never actually received any formal notification from the City of Regina in this regards. I only became aware of this after catching a glimpse of a "Post Order" that had my name on it. 

It was after that date that I had filed complaints through the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission and Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). Unfortunately, Jimmy Nicol chose to respond with a letter to the CCLA that was full of fabrications and the CCLA could help no further at that time, unless further developments were presented. After a successful Access to Information Request proved that Jimmy Nicol was indeed fabricating statements made on that letter, I have been biding my time to determine when it was appropriate to file a further complaint on the City's actions. 

Recently, it has come to my attention that the City's newest "yes man", Mr. Taron Cochrane - who was hired/appointed to replace the outgoing Phillippe LeClerc as Interactive Communications Manager - has been censoring posts and blocking people from the City of Regina Facebook page. I found this very ironic, given Mr. Cochrane's stance on my practice of blocking "trolls" during the Election Campaign, where he disagreed strongly that I should have made more of an effort to communicate with these individuals rather than blocking them. It is also important to note that Mr. Cochrane was hired at Regina Regional Opportunities Commission with Melissa Fiacco and Meka Okochi during the election, and had moved on shortly after the election.

As such, I feel I am well within my rights to finally publish some contact information that the City of Regina has worked very hard to keep hidden. This is not confidential information by any means, it is just information that the Executive Leadership Team would rather keep you in the dark about. Anyone who goes through the Service Regina call centre (the way the Executive screen calls) and is successful in speaking with said individuals would have access to their contact information, and anyone who meets with these individuals in person would have access as well.

Here are some direct contact numbers for your information. These are key individuals who are paid by your tax dollars, and feel they shouldn't be contacted directly by you and I, the taxpayers. They continue to have me banned from City Hall, needlessly, while they will not return my phone calls (for absolutely no justifiable reason) and have banned me from communicating with them on their Twitter and Facebook accounts. 

Enough is enough.

MAYOR: Michael Fougere (306) 777-7339 Assistant: Pat (P/T-Rhonda/Amber)
CITY MANAGER: Glen Davies (306) 777-7314 Assistant: Cathy

(Former) Chief Financial Officer & (Current) Chief Operating Officer & Deputy City Manager: Brent Sjoberg (306) 777-7317 Assistant: Natasha
Chief Legislative Officer & City Clerk: Jim Nicol (306) 777- 7609 Cell: (306) 529-4922
Executive Director, Community Planning and Development: Jason Carlston (306) 777-7545
Interactive Communications Manager: Taron Cochrane (306) 777-7926
Manager, Regina Revitalization Initiative, Corporate Services Division: Rod Schmidt (306) 777-7879 Cell: (306) 537-0185
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator, Office of the City Clerk: Darlene Loucks (306) 777-7070
Coordinator - Business Projects, Office of the City Clerk: Shelley Powell (306) 777-6716 Cell (306) 527-1163
Branding Manager, Communications Branch: Nathan  Morrison (306) 777-6971 Cell (306) 550-5408

 

Take Back Control of Your Tax Dollars

Good Monday morning Regina!!

UPDATE (February 26, 2014):

This developing story is but one of the many reasons why this City Council and Senior Administration need to be investigated to ensure they are truly looking out for the best interests of all taxpayers - not just their construction, developer and realtor friends in the industry. I was very proud to be joined last night by a shining example of the kinds of people that I stand up for, and I feel this City Council has truly lost touch with reality, and with people like those that I proudly represent. So much, in fact, that they seem to think it's "okay" to force residents to pay $10,000 over 10 years (including interest) to fix infrastructure that should be already included in the taxes they pay (ridiculous amounts of by the way).

I was also very pleased to get to speak with one of the gentlemen in this story, and he has been paying taxes to the City for 45 years, and not once has his street ever seen a major repaving. Not once. This, to me, is attrocious and absolutely unacceptable. Add to that the fact you have a City Administration who are basically tying his hands and forcing him to eat a $10,000 (unanticipated) bill, and surely you can see why this issue is a very serious one. For the average taxpayer, this is a kick in the teeth considering they've been paying into the coffers now for decades, and for what? For the City, it's a whopping half a million bucks on a half a billion dollar budget. If the City has such a piss poor system that they could not budget for obviously required infrastructure maintenance every 20-30 years, then that's the City's problem, not the taxpayers.

Last night, I was very happy to present an "alternative" budget. Regardless of your personal opinion of me, the reality is, there are options. I chose to cut Police and Fire budgets, as they are ridiculously inflated at the top with a bloated administration. 130% increases year to year are simply unacceptable for administrative costs, and perhaps the RPS needs to go back to the drawing board if they think this should be acceptable by you and me, the taxpayers.

Finally this evening, I invite you all to join me in demanding a public inquiry and audit to be performed on the City of Regina, and municipalities throughout Saskatchewan. If the audits find nothing, then great, you can have more confidence in your municipal governments. But, if they find what many suspect they will find, then you will finally see some heads rolling and taxes and housing prices subsiding due to a removal of those in an obvious Conflict of Interest situation in positions of power at City Hall. This happened in Calgary, and it's happening right now before your very eyes in Regina. Don't turn a blind eye to it, DO SOMETHING about it. It all starts with one person.

ATTENTION REGINA TAXPAYERS:

After the 7 hour Budget Meeting that really resulted in no material changes to the proposed 7% tax increase, I've heard from many that it's time to demand public accountability from our elected - and non-elected - City Officials.

For those that want a new Council and Mayor, I encourage you to sign the petition to force a public inquiry and audit into the goings on at City Hall. If there is nothing to hide, then there is nothing for them to worry about. But, chances are very good that this will result in a mass upheaval at City Hall, and you will no doubt see some resignations, if not criminal charges, as a result.

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ORIGINAL POST:
Tonight, you will be witness to one of the worst examples of fascism in recent memory. 

What our elected officials like to refer to as "Democracy" is anything but. Tonight, you will be witness to history in the making. What has been proposed as a 7% Property Tax Increase, and a (needless) 8% Utility Rate increase will be debated amongst a panel of self-interested, entitled, elitist, blowhards by the names of Fougere, Hincks, Flegel and Murray - to name but a few. You will notice that there are many delegations scheduled to speak tonight, many of whom are against such a ridiculously high increase. Some - who coincidentally share the visions of the self-entitled blowhards - have been allowed to promote their organizations with complete booklets of (unrelated) information. While others have been censored and silenced for wanting to simply express their viewpoints that just happen to differ from those of our current City Council.

In the end, you will see an increase to your tax bills. How much will it be? My bets are around the 4-5% mark. If it were my choice? A big fat zero. Not because our costs aren't going up, but because the taxpayers have been raked over the coals once too often by this fascist regime that only looks out for the interests of developers and their best friends in the Construction and Real Estate industry. It's time for City Hall to remember who truly pays their salaries, and begin answering to individual taxpayers and not just the almighty corporate buck.

Beginning tonight, you have a chance to demand accountability and transparency of those that manipulated the 2012 Municipal Election in such a way as to gain ultimate control of the dollars that you and I pay to them.  

We entrust them with control of hundreds of millions of our dollars. 

Accountable to no one but you and I. 

This is why they are so afraid of when people like myself dare to stand up and question their actions, because if there are enough people like myself standing up and asking those questions, then they might finally have to open their books. Open all of the hidden secrets that they have just locked down even tighter with their most recent security enhancements.

Tonight - instead of using pitchforks and torches, take back control of your City by the peaceful means in which we are all known to abide by. Take control through the legal avenues that you and I, the taxpayers, have, and sign the petition to DEMAND a Public Inquiry and Audit be performed. It's truly unfortunate that anyone has to go to this extent just to get true Accountability from those that we pay the salaries of, but if that's the way they want to play it, so be it.

GAME ON.

Won't Somebody Speak Out?

Good Friday morning Regina!!!

I am pleased to share with you this inspirational thought on this beautiful Friday morning. 

What some may view as a dramatic negative recent turn of events in my life, I am working hard to turn it into a positive. Please Pay It Forward to your fellow man/woman/child, and BE THE CHANGE that you seek in this world. This is but one of the many reasons that I continue to fight the good fight, and know that I am making a difference.

I am pleased to see the CHARITY AUCTION is rolling along smoothly, and we are now up to $50.00USD as of 8:30AM February 21, 2014, with exactly four days remaining. But, I know we can do better than that folks! Please, share widely and let's bring in a good return for the Defeat Depression campaign. Remember, 100% of the proceeds will be donated towards the campaign, and I will post a screen shot of that donation for the world to see!

Finally, this morning, after sharing the above inspirational photo, a good friend shared with me this video, and I must say, it is superb! Remember everyone, you can be the change you want to see in the world. 

You are somebody!

Election Redo?

Good evening Regina!!!

What has been many months in the making has finally come to this. I present this to you, the public, for your full review without further comment. I share this with you as Court Documents are 100% public information and accessible by anyone that wishes to view them. Consider this saving you that extra step of requesting the documents from the Court.

A Court Date has been requested for February 25, 2014, and the proper Notice has been served upon the Government of Saskatchewan, and the City of Regina.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sybzk44op0fmts2/Court%20of%20Queens%20Bench%20Election.pdf

Budget 2014 - Alternate Solutions

Good morning Regina!!

TUNE IN Today at 1pm for another LIVE Video Blog at www.ustream.tv/channel/chad4mayor .

Today, we'll be talking about the proposed 2014 City of Regina Budget, and offering some alternative solutions to some of Regina's most talked about problems. Including downtown parking, transit and alternative ways to fund the 7% desired property tax hike, along with the 8% utility rate hike.

BUDGET 2014 - When is the breaking point?

Good evening Regina!!

By now, I am sure you are aware, but if you aren't, the City of Regina, under the guise of Mayor Michael Fougere, announced it's preliminary 2014 City Budget. And, well....it's disgusting. It's atrocious. It's ludicrous. It's ENOUGH.  

It's time for a tax revolt Regina.  

It's time for a revolution. 

Take the time to review the budget in detail over the next couple of weeks, and submit a request to speak at the February 24, 2014 City Council meeting. What's nice is you don't have to read your speech verbatim anymore. What's not nice is you only have five minutes to speak. BUT, given that, make damned sure you use your five minutes effectively. Also, if you have some friends that aren't afraid of public speaking, perhaps bring them along to share a 10, 15 or 20 minute delegation into a few 5 minute ones, divided amongst yourselves. Is this allowed? You bet your ass it is! One of the negatives that Jimmy Nicol (City Clerk/City Manager/City Governance extraordinaire) tried to keep quiet when City Council was reviewing this dictator-like recommendation from Administration.

I'll be posting far more on this on Saturday, along with another LIVE Video Blog, but for now, please take the time to read up on my budget analysis that I did a month ago. Also, please take the time to read up on how to force a Public Inquiry and Audit into the affairs at City Hall's throughout Saskatchewan. It's about time they are reminded they work for us, not the other way around.

The following quote sums up just how ignorant Michael Fougere, former(?) President of the Saskatchewan Construction Association - current(?) Mayor of Regina - is when it comes to how taxpayers feel about increased taxes. 

“I think taxpayers understand that it costs money to run the city,”- Mayor Michael Fougere

And our Chief Financial Officer's reaction to the tax increase...

Downtown Parking - Increased Fines Help or Hinder?

Good morning Regina!!

See - THIS is what's wrong with the City of Regina Executive at City Hall (and City Council). A month into the increased parking fines, and just because the numbers don't satisfy their assertions, they claim that "more study is needed". BULLSHIT. You've just issued over 1,000 MORE tickets at double the rate. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the conclusion here. More enforcement - higher fines -> NOT a deterrent - completely a revenue generator. It's high time to implement some truly viable solutions - like how about 100% FREE on street parking City wide, with a two or three hour limit in the downtown core to allow for customers of businesses to actually find spots hassle free. What's that? Downtown workers will just take advantage of that. No - they will not. When you actually have viable off-street alternatives for them to park - multi-level parkades - then, check this out, they won't park on street! And IF THEY DO then they deserve to get tickets.

It's high time to make the entire City a level playing field for all businesses - regardless of where they are located. Eventually this will provide a truly viable solution. What's that? How the hell do we fund a masive parkade? Well, consider the fact that, currently, a majority of the revenues realized from parking meters - archaic as they are - are offset by the expenses of salaried staff to enforce said archaic parking meters. Add to the fact that the Regina Downtown BID is funded primarily through a levy imposed on Downtown area businesses, and how you can actually use those funds for good, instead of providing salaries for more individuals to milk off the public tit, and the fact that there are Provincial and Federal monies available for truly essential infrastructure projects, and it comes together quite nicely.

Get ready Regina. THIS WILL HAPPEN. 

Either in 2016 when a new City Council is elected, or earlier, when the current City Council is forced out of office.

 

"We're a little too early in the fine increase to see if there has been a deterrent in the number of people parking illegally, how much extra revenue we can generate by gouging the taxpayers even harder without actually providing them any tangible solutions. Also, free parking wouldn't help the Hills in any way whatsoever. Forget the small businesses!" CITY OF REGINA

"...probably at the end of three to maybe four months, we're going to sit down and do a comparison" - Really? Let's see any private business operate this way, and see just how long they last. How hard is it to analyze data, that you allegedly need to wait months to "sit down and compare".