DebraW
30-08-2007, 02:56 PM
Steve picks fight with Ed
Neil Waugh
Thu, August 30, 2007
Ed Stelmach emerges from his office this week with a smirk on his lips.
"There must be a municipal election in the air," winks the premier.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Edmonton's milquetoast Mayor Stephen Mandel suddenly turns into a savage political tiger.
His calculated political strategy to pick a fight with the suburbs - and lay all the blame for Edmonton city council's shortcomings on St. Albert and the County of Strathcona - appears to have flopped badly.
Same with his plan to divert Refinery Row and Upgrader Alley taxes to Edmonton.
Mandel needs a new enemy, even though no credible candidate has stepped forward to question him on his record of potholes, snow clogged streets and a misbehaving police service.
Step forward Ed Stelmach in the role of public enemy No. 1, with Finance Minister Lyle Oberg cast as his henchman.
Mandel lets them have it with both barrels in his "Where are we on 23 Avenue" speech on Monday.
He accused Oberg of "celebrating yet another record surplus," when Oberg released his first-quarter update which saw the projected bottom line balloon by another $800 million.
"While he does his happy dance, Alberta cities are choking," Mandel blasted.
He talked about a "systemic problem" that can't be solved "without a bigger role from the province."
That includes the $130 million more the city transportation bureaucrats say they need to solve the dangerous traffic clog at 23 Avenue and Calgary Trail.
Heck, if the $260-million underpass and other chunks of road don't get built, "it will choke the province's economy," Mandel warned darkly.
No mention is made of the reason for the city's worst traffic jam: the geniuses who decided to let a quarter-section of big box stores rise by the highway without first figuring out how to get all those SUVs in and out of South Edmonton Common.
And not a peep is heard from under the pyramids about forcing all those American outfits to pay their fair share of the mess with a special transportation surcharge.
Nope, it's easier to point fingers. Steady Eddie got it next.
Mandel revealed he has now stolen a page from Calgary's malcontent Mayor Dave Bronconnier's playbook and has teamed up with Bronco.
They want to meet with the premier "so we can talk about these issues."
Yesterday after a meeting with Infrastructure Minister Luc Ouellette he was still at it, saying how he's "optimistic when we sit down with the premier.
"He's the one who has to make those decisions."
Except if you read Ouellette's lips yesterday, a decision may already have been made - without any political grandstanding.
"We have to be accountable to Edmontonians and we have to be accountable to all Albertans," Ouellette said.
"We're going to look at what we can do." Especially if it's a "real safety issue."
Then it's "somewhere we would have to address it."
Everything is calm and cordial before the TV cameras. Behind the scenes, infrastructure officials are said to be seething.
Mandel's political stunt may have washed as much as $10 million down the drain.
Stelmach gave reporters a peek under the tent flaps earlier, saying "we're working along in a very thoughtful and pragmatic way to make sure we get the infrastructure built."
One way is to piggyback the 23 Avenue project onto the Anthony Henday extension to cut costs.
Maybe even as part of the P3. But that all ended when Mandel released his inflated figures - "no doubt this could be more than a $300-million project before the end."
The contractors bidding on the job now have the hammer.
A curious government document emerges which reveals $110 million has already been "set aside" for 23 Avenue. And another $242 million in "overall funding" for Edmonton infrastructure this year. Plus $717 million more for the Anthony Henday. When is enough enough?
For now, Stephen Mandel is officially running against nobody. Too bad.
-30-
Neil Waugh
Thu, August 30, 2007
Ed Stelmach emerges from his office this week with a smirk on his lips.
"There must be a municipal election in the air," winks the premier.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Edmonton's milquetoast Mayor Stephen Mandel suddenly turns into a savage political tiger.
His calculated political strategy to pick a fight with the suburbs - and lay all the blame for Edmonton city council's shortcomings on St. Albert and the County of Strathcona - appears to have flopped badly.
Same with his plan to divert Refinery Row and Upgrader Alley taxes to Edmonton.
Mandel needs a new enemy, even though no credible candidate has stepped forward to question him on his record of potholes, snow clogged streets and a misbehaving police service.
Step forward Ed Stelmach in the role of public enemy No. 1, with Finance Minister Lyle Oberg cast as his henchman.
Mandel lets them have it with both barrels in his "Where are we on 23 Avenue" speech on Monday.
He accused Oberg of "celebrating yet another record surplus," when Oberg released his first-quarter update which saw the projected bottom line balloon by another $800 million.
"While he does his happy dance, Alberta cities are choking," Mandel blasted.
He talked about a "systemic problem" that can't be solved "without a bigger role from the province."
That includes the $130 million more the city transportation bureaucrats say they need to solve the dangerous traffic clog at 23 Avenue and Calgary Trail.
Heck, if the $260-million underpass and other chunks of road don't get built, "it will choke the province's economy," Mandel warned darkly.
No mention is made of the reason for the city's worst traffic jam: the geniuses who decided to let a quarter-section of big box stores rise by the highway without first figuring out how to get all those SUVs in and out of South Edmonton Common.
And not a peep is heard from under the pyramids about forcing all those American outfits to pay their fair share of the mess with a special transportation surcharge.
Nope, it's easier to point fingers. Steady Eddie got it next.
Mandel revealed he has now stolen a page from Calgary's malcontent Mayor Dave Bronconnier's playbook and has teamed up with Bronco.
They want to meet with the premier "so we can talk about these issues."
Yesterday after a meeting with Infrastructure Minister Luc Ouellette he was still at it, saying how he's "optimistic when we sit down with the premier.
"He's the one who has to make those decisions."
Except if you read Ouellette's lips yesterday, a decision may already have been made - without any political grandstanding.
"We have to be accountable to Edmontonians and we have to be accountable to all Albertans," Ouellette said.
"We're going to look at what we can do." Especially if it's a "real safety issue."
Then it's "somewhere we would have to address it."
Everything is calm and cordial before the TV cameras. Behind the scenes, infrastructure officials are said to be seething.
Mandel's political stunt may have washed as much as $10 million down the drain.
Stelmach gave reporters a peek under the tent flaps earlier, saying "we're working along in a very thoughtful and pragmatic way to make sure we get the infrastructure built."
One way is to piggyback the 23 Avenue project onto the Anthony Henday extension to cut costs.
Maybe even as part of the P3. But that all ended when Mandel released his inflated figures - "no doubt this could be more than a $300-million project before the end."
The contractors bidding on the job now have the hammer.
A curious government document emerges which reveals $110 million has already been "set aside" for 23 Avenue. And another $242 million in "overall funding" for Edmonton infrastructure this year. Plus $717 million more for the Anthony Henday. When is enough enough?
For now, Stephen Mandel is officially running against nobody. Too bad.
-30-