Cory Lanterman
Cory Lanterman
Candidate for Mayor
Contact Information:
Biography:
Not yet responded.
Survey Results:
Question 1: What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role of Mayor and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role as Mayor?
CEO Campaign Manager MLA candidate Business Consultant.
Question 2: What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Calgary are, and how would you approach these issues as Mayor?
Covid is the biggest issue and the mishandling from the start. Had we done like Australian Cities did we would have saved businesses, jobs , lives and our reputation. As a result of council negligence there will be a harder path to convincing investors to invest in Calgary especially for diversity. The cost of gas being $5-20 bucks a tank of gas more than Edmontonian's pay is a real concern as it means the cost of living in Calgary is higher and the costs to business are higher. This takes $300-6000 million out of our economy yearly. Teh solution is a City owned Oil refinery complex that produces Hydrogen for lowering the costs and increasing the revenue to the City. This also stabilizes jobs and the business environment for Calgary. A ripple effect. Thus lower the taxes on properties and providing revenue for more services . Golf course should be made more profitable for multi-use like frisbee golf and foot golf. Then use the club houses for local bands to create a better Tourism market. My proposal for such was shot down by council and no council member or mayor visited the in-ground course for demonstration for the past 14 years. Gondek, Farkas, Davidson and Nenshi were not shows to research what was behind the proposal. that means they are not fit to run the City. This cost the City $5-20 million annually for past 14 years.
Question 3: What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the City does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?
The role is to protect Citizens from such things as the pandemic which is a big FAIL. The City is to provide for and look after the less fortunate...Big Fail. the $630 million gift to downtown businesses could have been used to make affordable housing whereby the City provides 25,000 families and renters the assistance of down payment & guarantor to CMHC to buy their own properties. If you rent, you can afford to pay the mortgage payment. Way better ROI. Go to Cory for Mayor FB page for details. City panders to and caters to the wealthy. The playing field needs to be levelled. The rich need to pay their fair share. Fines based on gross income, property tax increases to those landlords with more than 2 properties, stop property tax fraud., more rehabilitation & injection sites for those disabled by drug use ( model more like Portugal), increase patrols to deter crimes form happening with increased revenue from fines as percentage of income, tough on FRAUD as we have a reputation of fraud that deters investors & businesses moving here, and get rid of election fraud, etc.
Question 4: Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?
Property tax fraud needs to be addressed. Undervalued property assessments that go unreported to lower their tax payments especially businesses of landlords. Council has turned a blind eye to this as businesses fund their campaigns. Just like council turned a blind eye to over time expenses of a hundred thousand dollars to one benefactor in overtime. Council has shown a desire to do whatever businesses want including opening for Stampede to make it so 800 children can't get needed surgeries. The only person that can keep property taxes low is myself under my initiatives. Others will claim it but they say they are lowering business property taxes and that means job cuts for the city and service fees going up. Council has shown their track record and they have no solutions for the economy except handing next to free money to big businesses that made bad business choices. Business needs to pay their fair share and if not foreclose on the properties to get better operators into the city business community.
Question 5: Over the next four years, should the City spend less in absolute terms, increase spending but by less than the rate of inflation and population growth, increase by the rate of inflation and population growth, or increase faster than the rate of inflation and population growth?
Spend less in the area or low ROI. Spend more and draw investor capital into a City owned Oil refinery complex to ensure huge profits annually in the tune of Billions. Develop the LRT better using wind turbines , and solar panels at parking facilities and along the tracks to reduce the operating costs of electricity. Make the grid an priority as it can't handle the electric vehicles coming into the City that run up the costs to electric bill of businesses and homes. Hydrogen vehicles is the wave of the future and Calgary needs to be leader and not a follower.
Question 6: During the introduction of City Charters a few years ago there was a lot of debate about new taxation powers for the big cities. Would you support the City being given any additional taxation powers by the Province? If so, what taxation powers should the City have?
Calgary needs to have more power over taxation. Even the ability to put a sugar tax on would be great. Collecting the taxes for the province and Feds on property taxes and then asking for money back to deal with schools and hospital or roads is counterproductive. More control on property taxes means Council can decide how much funds are needed for projects so they can plan better. Cities should be able to put a sales tax on goods sold in the City jurisdiction. Specially to benefit from tourism dollars. of course, low income would be exempted and given more services from the proceeds. cities of a million or more are like Provinces in nature, population, issues and concerns of their citizens.
Question 7: The City often claims that they’ve found savings in various budgets, but instead of actually cutting spending, they just put the savings into a reserve account and then spend that money on other things. If there’s money left over at the end of a financial year, do you think that money should be saved up by the City to spend in future years? Or should it be returned automatically to taxpayers the following year through some kind of rebate?
Loaded question. if you paid for the taxes and money was not gifted to big business then it should be maintained to offer more Servies to citizens. However, if it is just being squandered to gits to big business then it should be returned. I guess a plebiscite at the end of the year would solve the issue as itis up to the citizens that way to determine and not corrupt politicians paid for by big money to get elected.
Question 8: Everyone says they support affordable housing, but what does that term mean for you? Do you think the City should be subsidizing housing for lower-income residents? Or focused on keeping the cost of all housing from getting out of control? Or perhaps some combination of the two? If so, how?
Look at my affordable housing plan on Cory for Mayor FB page. The city should be using the $630 million gift to downtown businesses for affordable housing for low-income families and renters. that would mean up to 25,000 families and renters could each get up to $30,000.00 for down payments via guarantor by City to CMHC. The rent money then actually starts to build equity in the bank accounts. If you can afford rent you can afford to pay mortgage payments. The equity and contract can be secured with minimal payments of interest to the City and when the property sells , the full amount plus interest is paid back to the City. Way better ROI than giving gifts to the wealthy.
Question 9: The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board is currently debating their Growth Plan for the Calgary region. What do you think about the plan? Do you think we should be limiting development in certain parts of the region? If so, are you worried about how that will affect housing affordability?
The oil refinery owned by the City will impact all neighboring municipalities positively. The housing industry is over built for the City already. many contractors are expecting a boom again that isn't happening any time soon. 5000 net people are leaving the province monthly. There are no jobs for graduates and they are leaving. Diversification is not happening due to the poor reputation of Calgary handling the pandemic and other business modelling. After being the laughing stock of the world by opening for Stampede, you can bet few investors nor businesses will want to come to Calgary especially if a council member becomes Mayor. This affects all the regions surrounding Calgary.
Question 10: There’s been a lot of debate about the City’s new “Guidebook for Great Communities”. What do you think about the Guidebook? What do you think should be the split between greenfield and established community growth for new housing? Should the City have a specific target? Should this be determined by market demand?
Never seen the booklet. Planning is always the best with long term and short-term goals. Many subdivisions are very poorly planned. My construction skills and expertise might be beneficial in overseeing many of the draft plans. My reports writing with Fish & Wildlife in the habitat Protection Branch decade ago are very transferable skills to management of land resources and development.
Question 11: When the City voted to approve four projects - the Event Centre, the BMO Centre expansion, the Arts Commons transformation, and the Foothills Fieldhouse - they did so against the advice of the City’s own CFO, who said the City could only afford one of them. Do you think that was the right move? Why? If, as the City continues through the process with each of these projects, it becomes obvious that the City’s CFO was correct, and Calgarians can only afford one of these projects, which would you choose?
The City should never be giving money to the wealthy on projects that the wealthy should have funded on their own. Listen to the CFO and act responsible or we all lose money and services. Of course, city jobs will be lost soon as the funding issues from past council bite us in the arse. that is why council members running for Mayor have been given exclusive TV air time FREE and promoted by all the businesses profiting from the gift of funds. These Mayoral candidates should not be given the power of Mayor for their lack of responsible decisions as council members. The Arts Common would be the one I would choose as it fits into my tourism planning for "The Gateway to Banff Initiatives" to bring 20-50 million annually into the economy of Calgary.
Question 12: Do you support the construction of the Green Line LRT as currently envisioned by the City, would you prefer changes be made to the plan (and if so, what changes), or would you prefer to cancel the project entirely? If, as Mayor, you find out that - despite all the previous assurances - there has in fact been another cost overrun on the Green Line, what would you do?
Let's get it built ASSAP. But to help in the costing of the project we need to build oscillating wind turbines along the tracks, wind trees and solar panels especial over parking facilities of the LRT and city owned. the LRT runs off of electricity and we need to cut the operating costs overhead. Plus start the north leg down center street while the economy is needing jobs. This is a better use of taxpayer dollars than free or next to free gifts to the wealthy or businesses that made bad choices.
Question 13: What do you think is the best approach to attract businesses to Calgary? Direct incentives to specific businesses, paid for by slightly higher taxes, or lower tax rates for all businesses?
Business needs to have their overhead lowered in the electric bills and gas bills to make them competitive. There is no need to give free incentives other than having an attractive City with developing markets. We can invest in local graduates to open businesses or help local business grow by not pandering to international l chains that rape and pillage the economy by removing the profits to off shore accounts. The first priority is to build a City owned Oil refinery complex for Hydrogen process. Being a leader in Hydrogen will attract the right business here. The city owned oil refinery will tell the world we are done being patsies to the USA taking all our profits. Teh revenue expectation for the future when the refinery is on line will have a huge draw for downtown Calgary and surrounding areas. Making us the most attractive area in Western Canada to move or locate your business. Simple solution to a complex issue that council has repeatedly failed to solve. Then add in the Tourism improvements and quality of life...boom. no need for free money to buy fly by night businesses that would leave after taking all they can for free. There is more to the plan but this is the simple version. Throwing money is not always the right solution if you understand the root issues of the problem.
Question 14: Should the City be in the business of operating golf courses, or should they privatize or sell them off? How about garbage collection or other services?
The green areas are part of the tourism of Calgary . They can be improved on but council wants to sell them off to developers that finance their election campaigns. Council has been running the golf course into losses for 14 years now by intent as WE approached the City every council since to get them to modernize their City owned Courses to multi use facilities. They have lost $5-20 million annually ever since. Council member running for Mayor refused our proposals and refused to even visiting and in ground demonstration facility to see how cost effective it really is. The savings in operating costs is 50-60%. These council members, Gondek, Farkas, Davidson, running for Mayor have no concept of business and lack the skills to be Mayor. They have intentional cost Calgarians millions annually pandering to their investors in their campaigns. Just like opening for Stamped e to see blood on their hands for the sake of money and votes. If you vote these people to Mayor, you will get more of the same old BS. Multi use facilities should bolster the live band industry, tourism industry and image of the City that has been tarnished not to mention Kids could have more fun off the golf courses with foot golf and frisbee golf while still being able to play regular golf. then we can also add in the Candain Cultured Dance to the live bands using the Club houses for entertainment purposes to facilitate local musicians. Thank Council for not having done this years ago.
Question 15: Should we defund the police? If yes, what exactly does defunding the police mean to you? If not, what should the City do to address both historical and ongoing injustices?
Increase the funding for Police. provide the training like UK for police . increase the budget for more patrol cars by implementing gross income fines like in Europe. Why punish the poor more than the Rich on fines that breaches the Charter of Rights to equal punishment under the laws? A $100.00 fine hurt as person making a $100.00 a day way more than a person making $5000.00 a day. We need to start dealing with Drug issues and crimes in a more positive way for the handicap of these users. more safe injections site and rehabilitation is needed like the Portugal model has proven. Out with the old ways that never worked and in with the proven ways that work. This will save us on crimes like prostitution for drug addiction, break ins, robberies, run on health care costs, illegal drug trade, violence , gangs,.etc. Time to be smarter and not in the dark ages.
Question 16: Do you support the City’s mandatory vaccination policy for City employees?
Get your shot and yes. If you don't have a valid medical reason, you may be exempted. the rest have their shots or fired.
Question 17: Council recently dropped residential speed limits to 40km/h, do you agree with that decision, and what do you think about the proposal by some to go further and drop it to 30km/h in the future?
This is not needed if the CPS would start enforcing the speed limit within 5 KM over the posted in residential areas. With fines fixed to the gross income it will deter speeders faster than having to drop the limits so the speeder is still speeding but no punishments. The increased income would mean more patrol cars which also deter crimes and speeding. speed bumps are a better deterrent if you don't like speeder in the neighborhood.
Question 18: For years there has been an ongoing debate about the City’s public art spending. Some say that the problem is the selection process for what art is commissioned, while others are opposed to any use of public funds for art. What do you think?
Wasting money on out of area artist and out of country artist is BS. Local artist should be given fair compensation for art to beautify the City for my initiative "The gateway to Banff". But it doesn't have to make them wealthy off one art piece. Distributing the work to locals and adding diversity is not a waste of money. the budget needs to be realistic to what the objectives are. there needs to be realistic limits to Art projects like $50,000.00 and lower price tags with bidding process for lowest bids possibly. Millions has been wasted by council in the past with no benefits to citizens. That needs to stop.
Question 19: Serving as Mayor you are elected by and responsible to all Calgarians, but some policies and government actions inherently benefit one part of the City at the expense of another. How would you deal with a situation where you feel that the best interests of some Calgarians conflict with the best interests of Calgarians in other parts of the City?
Dipo0macy is always the best means of dealing with tough issues and decisions. Council makes their choices and the mayor presents the decision to the citizens. Whether the Mayor agrees or disagrees with council. The time to voice the Mayor concerns and highlight the issues is before the vote and to inform citizens to talk with their representative on how they are going to vote. If it is very controversial the Mayor should right a comprehensive guidance paper on the council members and release it to the press so citizens know what is expected of council members in making informed votes. that can affect re-election of council and thus force them to vote appropriately even if their donors for election want a vote in the other direction.
Question 20: While the concept of a secret ballot is essential, many of our supporters have told us that they’d like to know the political alignment of their candidates. So, if - and only if - you feel comfortable saying so, who are you voting for in your local ward race and why, and if you are affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties, which ones and why?
Very simply put I always support the smartest person in the race. I lean to the ABC voting and support. Meaning since Honest Joe Clark, I would find it very difficult to vote for a party that sells off Canada piece by piece so that we are puppets to the USA and profits leave the economy. ABC stand for Anything But Conservatives. For every dollar of profit by local companies it circulates up to 60 times in our community to give a better standard of living and prosperity. Calgary elected Kenney and Kenney never did anything about pipelines in 10 years in Ottawa. Thus, no big surprise Kenney killed the economy, business and citizens by his lack of leadership. I do not support those with track records that kill citizens like council member running for Mayor have done. You need to vote for the smartest and the one that brings the most revenue and economic stability to Calgary.