The province is wasting more money on a single-owner vehicle parking structure at General Hospital in Regina, when it could buy a bus for the cost of the the cursory dig and the project’s budget for 2022:
“The excavation is also not anticipated to strain the project’s allocated $750,000 budget for this year, as surveys were included in the planning.”
There’s a shuttle that travels between health facilities in Regina, stopping at parking lots, but the ridership is restricted to Sask Health Authority employees. If Regina Transit was offering the service instead, everyone going to or visiting the hospital would be able to ride it. Our city would get better transit, and the province wouldn’t be spending any additional money. And we could probably have the hospital there without constructing another stranded asset, which is what a parkade is when built during a climate crisis.
In regard to the Energy and Sustainability Framework, I expect Council to pass it. My only concern with it is that it doesn’t go far enough, or fast enough. Instead, it focuses on a political target of 2050, while ignoring the 1.5 degree scientific target by planning to exceed the carbon budget for that life-saving goal. It seems unethical at a deeply human level to plan to exceed a life-sustaining level on our planet.
I couldn’t read this letter by Councillor Jason Mancinelli without double face-palming. If I think about it, I touch my face with a glum chin on hand slouch. It’s so depressing, even angering taken in the context of him being a City Councillor who voted to make Regina 100% Renewable by 2050.
“As someone who makes a living so directly tied to this sector, I absolutely recognize the benefit it extends our community as well as my own family. I acknowledge that fossil fuels will continue to have a role in our future, even as we look to adapt and investigate alternative fuel options in the years and decades ahead. But that’s not today. Oil and gas are necessary commodities to my livelihood and life, and I am grateful, not embarrassed of that.”
Does he see how he’s declaring a conflict of interest when it comes to making decisions about “alternative fuel options”? Better transportation technology is here, today, in Regina, and he’s made some of it illegal, while pledging fealty to the fossil fuel industry from which his day job derives its money. Have you read another letter on a government website by a politician so cowed by Big Oil?
UPDATE Jun 26:
Sent him this message:
Dear Councillor Mancinelli: In January you wrote, “As your councillor, it’s my responsibility to support our oil and gas sector and acknowledge the importance of this industry.”
It is absolutely not your responsibility to support oil and gas. Your day job as a mechanic may depend upon it to some extent, but you and the rest of Council put the city on a course to be 100% renewable by 2050. You’ve a responsibility to ensure the safety of your constituents, and furthering delay in the transition away from combusting fossil fuels, is working against that responsibility.
People working in the oil industry are doing a job like most people, but it’s no more special or noble than other work, and plenty of other jobs don’t produce a product that as a known result of its typical use has negative health and environmental consequences on a planetary scale.
You weren’t ready in January to accept that the time to move past oil and gas was here, but it’s June now, and time to get started.
8-2, Council rejects Hawkins’ stupid bike helmet bylaw.
Now vote on withdrawing the cycling safety bylaw (helmet bylaw) (so a Y vote is to get rid of helmet bylaw Young Y Hawkins N Stevens Y Bresciani Y Findura ? Murray Y Bryce N O'Don Y Mancinelli Y Flegel Y Fougere Y Vote is 8 to 2 in favour, the cycling safety bylaw withdrawn
Now vote on other items (2, 3, 4 — education & report on passing distance. ) Flegel Y Mancinelli Y O'Don Y Bryce Y Murray Y Findura Y Bresiciani Y Stevens Y Hawkins N Young N Findura ? Fougere N 7 in favour, 3 against. Items 2-4 passed. #yqrcc
Research is always interesting, but I'm looking for results now. I'll change my demeanor when the City adds its first km of safe, modern bike routes. Until then, it's just rearranging chairs on the emissions Titanic and calling it progress.
The promise from City Hall more than 6 years ago was to build bike lanes as they resurfaced some streets, but for some reason it never happened even when I asked repeatedly why not. Kramer, Broad, others were missed opportunities. Uni Dr. S. latest example. #yqrcc
I know we're not supposed to blame malice on what can be explained by incompetence, but after the #baitandswitch that left #StadiumII without its promised @ReginaDowntown#yqrbike path, I'm leaning toward a City Hall that intentionally subverts the Transportation Master Plan.
Over an hour of #yqrcc time spent bike shedding this, when City Admin has the money to start building safe routes and advertising education, and fixing dated signage to meet the TMP guide approved already. Your government dollars at waste: https://t.co/YTlmK3wpoL
John Klein - Regina 