Saturday, May 24, 2008
Check out this week's podcast
Listen to the May 22nd episode: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com. On the show: Jarrett Laughlin, a researcher with the Canadian Council on Learning, talks about why Saint John is one of the top five improved communities on the nationwide Composite Learning Index. Hampton photographer James Wilson is one of three finalists for the Strathbutler award for the arts. Li Song and Summer Mu, graduates of UNBSJ, raise money for the earthquake relief effort in China. Plus: tunes from musicians who will perform at next week's Loyalist City Music Festival.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Odd Couples
Here is the commentary that kicked off last Thursday's show:
Norm McFarlane seemed like an ideal mayor when he was elected back in 2004. A former Tory cabinet minister, he appealed to business people and social conservatives. But he also seemed open-minded enough to please younger people and social progressives. Not that long after he was elected, McFarlane and deputy mayor Michelle Hooton were out raising the gay pride flag together in front of city hall.
I should have spotted a sign of things come on election night 2004, though. A bit giddy because I voted for someone who had actually won, I went down to McFarlane’s campaign office to congratulate him.
He and his campaign managers were outside smoking victory cigars – the ultimate old boy ritual. All that was missing were plush leather chairs and a backroom.
He would ultimately retreat to that back room less than a year later, ending a long honeymoon period in which council had actually gotten along most of the time.
The secret tax deal he negotiated with old blue eyes, Kenneth Irving, would divide council for the rest of its term.
On Monday, we saw the end result: an incumbent mayor in a boom economy remarkably finished in fourth place. Ivan Court, the fiercest and most consistent critic of that deal, is now mayor.
Of all the relationships that soured on council in the last four years, perhaps none was more unfortunate than the rift that grew between Hooton and McFarlane. In both mayors’ debates, they saved their most venomous comments and nastiest sidelong glances for each other. You could have been forgiven for thinking that they were the two frontrunners, not John Ferguson and Ivan Court.
Hooton and McFarlane had come a long way down from that day at city hall, which was so full of optimism and promise. The young progressive woman, and the older conservative man - both there for the raising of the gay pride flag, a symbol that a city so proud of its past was also willing to embrace its future.
They’re both gone after only term in office, and now we look forward to a new council, led by Court and deputy mayor-elect Stephen Chase.
We’ll speak with both of them on tonight’s show.
Well also talk to Arlyn Bradley of The Mahones, the Canadian Irish punk band performing tonight at Ellwood’s. Arlyn is the band’s bass player and a native of Saint John.
But first up, interviews with The New Odd Couple – Ivan Court and Stephen Chase.
Norm McFarlane seemed like an ideal mayor when he was elected back in 2004. A former Tory cabinet minister, he appealed to business people and social conservatives. But he also seemed open-minded enough to please younger people and social progressives. Not that long after he was elected, McFarlane and deputy mayor Michelle Hooton were out raising the gay pride flag together in front of city hall.
I should have spotted a sign of things come on election night 2004, though. A bit giddy because I voted for someone who had actually won, I went down to McFarlane’s campaign office to congratulate him.
He and his campaign managers were outside smoking victory cigars – the ultimate old boy ritual. All that was missing were plush leather chairs and a backroom.
He would ultimately retreat to that back room less than a year later, ending a long honeymoon period in which council had actually gotten along most of the time.
The secret tax deal he negotiated with old blue eyes, Kenneth Irving, would divide council for the rest of its term.
On Monday, we saw the end result: an incumbent mayor in a boom economy remarkably finished in fourth place. Ivan Court, the fiercest and most consistent critic of that deal, is now mayor.
Of all the relationships that soured on council in the last four years, perhaps none was more unfortunate than the rift that grew between Hooton and McFarlane. In both mayors’ debates, they saved their most venomous comments and nastiest sidelong glances for each other. You could have been forgiven for thinking that they were the two frontrunners, not John Ferguson and Ivan Court.
Hooton and McFarlane had come a long way down from that day at city hall, which was so full of optimism and promise. The young progressive woman, and the older conservative man - both there for the raising of the gay pride flag, a symbol that a city so proud of its past was also willing to embrace its future.
They’re both gone after only term in office, and now we look forward to a new council, led by Court and deputy mayor-elect Stephen Chase.
We’ll speak with both of them on tonight’s show.
Well also talk to Arlyn Bradley of The Mahones, the Canadian Irish punk band performing tonight at Ellwood’s. Arlyn is the band’s bass player and a native of Saint John.
But first up, interviews with The New Odd Couple – Ivan Court and Stephen Chase.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Odd Couple
Tonight on 'Serf City': Saint John voters take a left turn by electing Ivan Court mayor...or did they take a right turn by electing Stephen Chase deputy mayor...we'll speak with both men about the recent campaign and their plans for the next four years. Plus: an interview with Mahones lead singer Finny McConnell and bass player Arlyn Bradley, a native of Saint John. The Mahones play tonight at Elwoods.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
It's never to late to say your sorry, Mr. Irving
Here is the commentary that opened last Thursday's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
The tax deal that Irving Oil brokered with the city and the province in 2005 is still a very controversial topic here.
It’s been a central debate in the municipal election campaign, with Norm MacFarlane still very much behind his original decision, and Michelle Hooton and Ivan Court still very much against it.
It’s an old debate now, and people’s attitudes and opinions are entrenched, for and against. It’s actually gotten a bit tiresome, because we’re rehashing the same arguments with seemingly no chance of a resolution or peace on the issue.
The politicians also only ever seem to point fingers at each other. But it takes two to tango, or cook up a tax deal in a back room.
And the Irvings, with extensive experience dealing with governments at all levels, must have known there was something wrong with negotiating with a mayor in private and then imposing a deadline that didn’t allow for proper debate.
This week, someone at Irving Oil expressed regret for dealing with the city in this way.
Well, he might have expressed regret…or I may just be reading into a statement by Irving Oil spokesman Daniel Goodwin.
On Tuesday, the Telegraph-Journal published a commentary he wrote in defence of the tax deal. Near the beginning piece, one line in particular jumped out at me. About the decision-making process of 2005, Goodwin wrote, “everyone involved, including the Mayor, city councillors, and city management did the best they could in a difficult situation, and everyone on city council voted according to their beliefs about what was best for the City of Saint John.”
The “difficult situation” that Goodwin refers to was actually brought on by Irving Oil, which gave the city a tight deadline that did not leave room for a thoughtful, reasoned debate about what was "best for the city."
The company undermined the democratic process by demanding a decision on such short notice. The councilors, both for and against, were compelled to vote without being able to properly discuss the issue with each other, city staff, and most importantly their constituents, the people of Saint John.
At the mayors’ debate organized by the Telegraph-Journal, Michelle Hooton accused Norm MacFarlane of threatening her in a meeting with Irving officials. The true threat came from Irving Oil, not MacFarlane. It was the party that demanded the concession, without which it would drop the LNG project altogether. It gave the tight deadline that didn’t permit a considered and comprehensive debate.
It’s time to stop placing all of the blame on a small-city mayor who would have felt tremendous pressure in the face of a billionaire accustomed to tough negotiating practices. It’s time for the company to accept its share of the blame.
Is that what Goodwin was trying to do, perhaps unwittingly, by acknowledging the “difficult situation” of a few years back, when elected officials were asked to accept this mammoth tax break, or lose the LNG facility altogether and the jobs that would have come with it?
Or is this just wishful on my part? That Irving would take some responsibility for a decision that divides the community to this day.
- Mark
P.S. Listen to podcasts of 'Serf City' at: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
The tax deal that Irving Oil brokered with the city and the province in 2005 is still a very controversial topic here.
It’s been a central debate in the municipal election campaign, with Norm MacFarlane still very much behind his original decision, and Michelle Hooton and Ivan Court still very much against it.
It’s an old debate now, and people’s attitudes and opinions are entrenched, for and against. It’s actually gotten a bit tiresome, because we’re rehashing the same arguments with seemingly no chance of a resolution or peace on the issue.
The politicians also only ever seem to point fingers at each other. But it takes two to tango, or cook up a tax deal in a back room.
And the Irvings, with extensive experience dealing with governments at all levels, must have known there was something wrong with negotiating with a mayor in private and then imposing a deadline that didn’t allow for proper debate.
This week, someone at Irving Oil expressed regret for dealing with the city in this way.
Well, he might have expressed regret…or I may just be reading into a statement by Irving Oil spokesman Daniel Goodwin.
On Tuesday, the Telegraph-Journal published a commentary he wrote in defence of the tax deal. Near the beginning piece, one line in particular jumped out at me. About the decision-making process of 2005, Goodwin wrote, “everyone involved, including the Mayor, city councillors, and city management did the best they could in a difficult situation, and everyone on city council voted according to their beliefs about what was best for the City of Saint John.”
The “difficult situation” that Goodwin refers to was actually brought on by Irving Oil, which gave the city a tight deadline that did not leave room for a thoughtful, reasoned debate about what was "best for the city."
The company undermined the democratic process by demanding a decision on such short notice. The councilors, both for and against, were compelled to vote without being able to properly discuss the issue with each other, city staff, and most importantly their constituents, the people of Saint John.
At the mayors’ debate organized by the Telegraph-Journal, Michelle Hooton accused Norm MacFarlane of threatening her in a meeting with Irving officials. The true threat came from Irving Oil, not MacFarlane. It was the party that demanded the concession, without which it would drop the LNG project altogether. It gave the tight deadline that didn’t permit a considered and comprehensive debate.
It’s time to stop placing all of the blame on a small-city mayor who would have felt tremendous pressure in the face of a billionaire accustomed to tough negotiating practices. It’s time for the company to accept its share of the blame.
Is that what Goodwin was trying to do, perhaps unwittingly, by acknowledging the “difficult situation” of a few years back, when elected officials were asked to accept this mammoth tax break, or lose the LNG facility altogether and the jobs that would have come with it?
Or is this just wishful on my part? That Irving would take some responsibility for a decision that divides the community to this day.
- Mark
P.S. Listen to podcasts of 'Serf City' at: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com
Thursday, May 8, 2008
'Serf City' now podcasting!
The folks at 'Serf City' are belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
Sex and the ancient Greek city
- Brenda Murphy, of the Urban Core Support Network, talks about the Statistics Canada report that showed a 4 per cent drop in Saint John's poverty rate.
- UNBSJ professor Rob Moir joins us for a discussion on how corn crops are hurting, not helping, efforts to feed the world's poor.
- Telegraph-Journal columnist Chilibeck and CHSJ news director Gary MacDonald give us a progress report on the mayor's race in Saint John.
- Saint John poet and director Clyde Wray is staging 'Lysistrata' at the Saint Arts centre. He'll speak with just an hour before the first performance.
The folks at 'Serf City' are also belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
- UNBSJ professor Rob Moir joins us for a discussion on how corn crops are hurting, not helping, efforts to feed the world's poor.
- Telegraph-Journal columnist Chilibeck and CHSJ news director Gary MacDonald give us a progress report on the mayor's race in Saint John.
- Saint John poet and director Clyde Wray is staging 'Lysistrata' at the Saint Arts centre. He'll speak with just an hour before the first performance.
The folks at 'Serf City' are also belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Good Hands People
I read the following commentary to begin last night's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to Serf City on CFMH on 107.3 FM.
I went on the campaign trail last Saturday with mayor candidate Michelle Hooton; we handed out signs and pamphlets and she talked with the few residents who weren’t out somewhere enjoying the sun.
Walking down an uptown street, we ran into a young man out strolling with his baby. He and Michelle engaged in small talk, and at the end of the conversation she asked him for his support. He said he would be happy to, but he was actually moving out of the city in June.
The election is in May, though, she pointed out. Vote for me and leave the city in good hands.
I was impressed by her quick wit. Leave the city in good hands. I never come up with good lines like that on the spot.
Clever lines aside, though, out-migration – either to the suburbs or elsewhere in the country – is the city’s biggest problem. It’s shrinking the tax base and sucking the vitality out of the city centre, in particular.
Hooton and other mayor and council candidates believe tax cuts will help bring people back from the suburbs, because they pay so much less in the outlying areas.
I think it’s a combination of factors that are difficult to tackle, most notably the industrial pollution and the fog. And given all the hype over the energy hub, it may be easier to chase the fog away than slow the pace of industrial growth and with it environmental degradation.
But try we must to change the things we can, thus the heated debate over tax cuts.
There is also discussion over how to revitalize the urban core, which has been emptied by suburban migration and the malls on the east side.
Two weeks ago, we talked to Hooton about a recently released plan to revitalize the culture and economy of the city centre.
Tonight we’ll talk with two young people who have some ideas of their own.
We’ll also talk about blog coverage of the city council campaign. Personal blogs and facebook pages are reaching people not paying attention to mainstream coverage of the campaign.
We'll also some young people from the Interaction Children’s Theatre Company, which is staging The Wizard of Oz next week.
But first up, we’re talking civic politics. You’re listening to Serf City on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to Serf City on CFMH on 107.3 FM.
I went on the campaign trail last Saturday with mayor candidate Michelle Hooton; we handed out signs and pamphlets and she talked with the few residents who weren’t out somewhere enjoying the sun.
Walking down an uptown street, we ran into a young man out strolling with his baby. He and Michelle engaged in small talk, and at the end of the conversation she asked him for his support. He said he would be happy to, but he was actually moving out of the city in June.
The election is in May, though, she pointed out. Vote for me and leave the city in good hands.
I was impressed by her quick wit. Leave the city in good hands. I never come up with good lines like that on the spot.
Clever lines aside, though, out-migration – either to the suburbs or elsewhere in the country – is the city’s biggest problem. It’s shrinking the tax base and sucking the vitality out of the city centre, in particular.
Hooton and other mayor and council candidates believe tax cuts will help bring people back from the suburbs, because they pay so much less in the outlying areas.
I think it’s a combination of factors that are difficult to tackle, most notably the industrial pollution and the fog. And given all the hype over the energy hub, it may be easier to chase the fog away than slow the pace of industrial growth and with it environmental degradation.
But try we must to change the things we can, thus the heated debate over tax cuts.
There is also discussion over how to revitalize the urban core, which has been emptied by suburban migration and the malls on the east side.
Two weeks ago, we talked to Hooton about a recently released plan to revitalize the culture and economy of the city centre.
Tonight we’ll talk with two young people who have some ideas of their own.
We’ll also talk about blog coverage of the city council campaign. Personal blogs and facebook pages are reaching people not paying attention to mainstream coverage of the campaign.
We'll also some young people from the Interaction Children’s Theatre Company, which is staging The Wizard of Oz next week.
But first up, we’re talking civic politics. You’re listening to Serf City on CFMH 107.3 FM.
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