Four years ago, Brian Bowman said he’d restore trust in City Hall. One of the tools he promised, was to allow your elected councillors to vote for Committee Chairs and therefore, who would be on the Executive Policy Committee. Then, he claimed he wasn’t allowed to let councillors vote because of a provincial law, so,…
More and More Needles Found Discarded in Winnipeg
Listeners reacted to the Winnipeg Watchdog revealing how many needles the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is handing out to meth addicts in the city, by telling of their own horror stories and frustration in having to deal with the results. Marty Gold pieced together their experiences through 3 popular mixed-use neighbourhoods, and it is apparent…
Marty Gold Asks: What Policies Can Everyone Get Behind
Never mind what divides voters and politicians of Winnipeg – what policies can everyone get behind and support when the next council is elected? That good question was posed by a listener, wondering whether any of the candidates have struck on an idea or two that qualify. The top of mind answer was yes, such…
What’s Old is New Again; Time to Revive RAG’s in Winnipeg
When the NDP government of Ed Schreyer declared Winnipeg would become “Unicity” in 1971, and surrounding municipalities would be rolled into a centralized administration, part and parcel of the Community Committee system was something called Resident Advisory Groups, or RAGs. Now, the idea has been resurrected by Charleswood-Tuxedo candidate Kevin Klein who pledged to create…
Marty Gold Puts Meth-Ematics of WRHA Free Needle Program Under the Microscope
In the summer of 1988, a young MTN reporter met with a Duffy’s Taxi driver, who had noticed an emerging public safety issue was being missed by the media and wanted it brought to public attention: needles discarded by drug addicts on streets and boulevards. “T’s and R’s”, crushed Talwin and Ritalin pills, was becoming…
Marty Gold Asks: Why Would Participatory Democracy Irk Brian Bowman?
A faux media controversy this weekend about which residents signed the nomination papers of challenger Jenny Motkaluk gave Mayor Brian Bowman a chance to show his contempt for a basic democratic principle – voters helping people get their name on the ballot so the public can hear issues debated, instead of watching incumbents win by…
Winnipeg Watchdog Says Special Tax Breaks Hurt Schools
While the Mayor and the Premier can expediently cut a deal to ride the ‘Jets are cool, downtown’s alive and well’ wave and backstop True North Square, it seems the Winnipeg School Board got its budget throat cut without even being asked if they prefer a sharp or a dull blade do the cutting. One…
The Winnipeg Watchdog Delves Into the Mystery of the Garbage Hill Sign
The speed of city crew to dismantle an 11 letter sign mounted on a hilltop opened the eyes of a lot of Winnipeg voters this week. As art installations go, GARBAGEHILL was simple, and it was beautiful. It made people laugh, it made them talk, it made them proud, and now- it’s made them unite.…
Winnipeg Watchdog Marty Gold is Asking Who Knew What & When at Hydro
Recently we heard disturbing news that complaints regarding sexual abuse and racist behavior towards First Nations communities affected by Manitoba Hydro development projects, were repeatedly ignored for decades. What we did not hear about, is who, specificially, might have been reasonably expected to know about the claims of abusive conduct, or have been responsible to…
Police Association Blasts Bowman & Councillors as Cause of Problems
The police union leadership told a town hall pointed to a negligent attitude by Mayor Brian Bowman and councillors as a major cause of the 911 emergency call response problems facing Winnipeg. The town hall was convened by Charleswood-Tuxedo council candidate Kevin Klein, who cited feedback while campaigning door-to-door that residents fear property and violent…