Calgary mayor says 'no' to supporting the troops

[phoenix80]

CALGARY/AM770CHQR - A bid to have "support our troops" decals allowed on city vehicles has been shot down again. ​

Alderman Ric McIver introduced the motion, but Mayor Dave Bronconnier told council it was a matter of reconsidering the issue. ​

McIver took exception to that and challenged the Mayor's ruling which resulted in a vote. ​

Council voted down the challenge and the motion was turfed.​

It was reported that Mayor Bronconnier called the troop decal issue "the flavour of the month" and brushed aside any further reference to it. Alderman McIver suggested that this ought to be a political issue, as indeed it is.


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[A Can of Man]

He's walking a tight rope. He needs to have the support of his people first, and if that sticker infuriates a lot of people, he's going to lose their trust with them.
Remember P80, he's a politician.

 

[senojekips]

Mayors are generally far more "in touch" with their constituents than their State or Federal counterparts, as they have to live with and deal with them every day. Rate payers are also usually a lot less forgiving of their elected local government officials than they are of other politicians, so they must toe the line far more closely.

 

[A Can of Man]

He's a servant of the public, the public doesn't work for him.

 

[senojekips]

Exactly, therefore he must consider his position very carefully when making decisions such as this. He will obviously try to please the greatest percentage of his constituents and vote accordingly.

 

[bulldogg]

He's no leader then, he's a hand puppet with some pollster's digits up his arse controlling him... spineless bastards the lot of them.

 

[phoenix80]

Exactly, therefore he must consider his position very carefully when making decisions such as this. He will obviously try to please the greatest percentage of his constituents and vote accordingly.

Thats why this type of Politicians are hated by the men of dignity. They change their words and behavior for a few more years in office. Disgraceful...

 

[A Can of Man]

Bulldogg, that's politicians for you. And sometimes he's got to appeal to the masses to get his programs done. Maybe he feels that he doesn't want to get embroiled in arguments over a conflict half a world away that could prevent him from making changes locally. It does make sense to me.
He's the leader of a city, not a country. National matters, he may feel, are beyond his current jurisdiction and his work is hard enough without having to bring up Iraq.
I think we shouldn't jump to conclusions about this one.
I don't necessarily agree with him, but I understand where he's coming from.

 

[senojekips]

Thats why this type of Politicians are hated by the men of dignity. They change their words and behavior for a few more years in office. Disgraceful...

You very conveniently seem to forget that the Mayor is elected by his constituents to do their bidding. If he did not do that, he would be betraying the trust of those who elected him to office. He is in fact just carrying out the will of the majority of his electors.

It's called Democracy.

I don't agree with his decision, but then again I'm not one of his electors, so I don't count.