Esther Sutherland
Esther Sutherland
Candidate for Ward 10
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Survey Results:
Question 1: What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role of a Councillor and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role as a Councillor?
The education, talents and skills I have gained through life, to help me be a good City Councilor Candidate are to work on behalf of peoples' rights, to apply morality and ethics for being a local representative, to address social and economic issues, to find good solutions for everyone's wellbeing. My background is Nursing, I worked for Healthcare Institutions in Calgary. I worked at Care west, Victorian order of Nurses, and Foothills Hospital, Unit 42, Medical Short State. As well, I am a former SAIT Polytechnic Alumni, Office Administration Program, I worked for Talisman Energy Geotech Exploration in Records Management, codification and multitasking duties.
Question 2: What do you think are the biggest issues affecting your ward are, and how would you approach being their local representative?
The biggest issues affecting my Ward are social and economic issues. We need to look for and find good solutions for everyone's wellbeing. We do philanthropic work, distributing hampers to needy people in many areas. I noticed that hundreds of Canadians are surviving in food banks. Many Canadians are searching for jobs. It is difficult for many people to get a job and be hired. Many people fall into homelessness. If I were elected as Councillor for Ward 10, I would have the opportunity to set up a budget to develop affordable housing for homeless people, and for veterans who are in Salvation Army temporary lodges. They are searching and waiting for affordable housing, so they can have a safe, secure place to call home. As well, I would endeavor to create at the City level, training for jobs and work placement for people who have difficulty finding a job.
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 of municipal government is to develop and evaluate programs, policies, and by laws, making sure that municipal powers duties and functions are appropriately accomplished. It is very visible that people who were elected forgot to accomplish their promises. Most of them did not listen to the voters' petitions and concerns. A long time ago, residents from Rundle Community asked the City to build a wall barrier to block the noise caused by the C-train and high transit density on 16 Ave. N.E close to the SuperStore. The City did not listen to the people's petition and concern. In front of some High Schools, the transit speed limit is 50 k/hour. People who have children are asking the City to decrease the speed limit. I called the City, asking to reduce the speed. The City answered that The City already has transit speed regulations and cannot change because High Schools are not a playground. People are complaining about too many barriers and streets blocked by constructions, affecting workers to arrive on time to work. City governors do not listen to peoples' concerns. In many communities, there are homeless people in need. The City decided to shoot down the emergency shelters, and food banks for them.
Question 4: Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?
Property taxes are too high. They are increasing every year, affecting businesses and homeowners which cause businesses to move out of Calgary. As a consequence, there are many empty business buildings in the downtown core. My platform is to make decisions according to community needs, concerns petitions and pursue lower affordable taxes,and economic diversification.
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?
Over the next four years, population growth and spending will increase. It will be necessary to apply balanced expenditure, good administration of revenue taxes to avoid inflation.
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?
I do not support additional taxation imposed by the province to the City.
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?
City savings and budget expenditure. The City is spending savings put into a reserve account on other things. In 2021, The City set up a budget of $90 million to be given to foreign International movie filmmakers and TV movie programs. This is not a priority to use public tax money to be given so foreighn filmmakers,who can run their business for their personal gain and profit. The money should be invested in Calgary, to help Calgarians to set up and develop a business. The money that is left over at the end of a financial year should be saved by the City to spend in the future years, in case of esencial local emergency needs.
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?
I support affordable housing. Many Calgarian workers, who are low income and homeless, need affordable housing. My plan is to find ways to set up a budget to develop affordable housing for low income working people. Since 2018, The city of Calgary is subsidizing private corporations, giving to them millions of dollars to run their business, for their personal gain and profit under the umbrella of Calgary Economic Development. They are using public money to give grants of $10 million dollars to newcomers to set up and develop businesses. That kind of subsidized program by the city, attracts foreigners to come to Canada, to set up a business using Candians' taxes. Last year 2020, during the Pandemic, the Mayor of Calgary traveled to India to invest taxes in India, to help them to develop innovation and technology, using Calgarian taxes to help them to facilitate immingration visas to came to Canada, to set up and develop a business subsidized by the City and the province. While hundreds of Canadians are surviving in food banks and many Canadians are looking and having difficulty finding jobs because a monopoly of jobs exists in Calgary. Many Candians who are born in Canada fall into homelessness. They are suffering in silence because of descrimination by institutions and organizations subsidized by the City, Province and Federal Government. It is time to clean up the crooked system, for a righteous system, applying human rights, equality of services and opportunities for everyone Canadian in Calgary. It is much better to invest the money in Calgary, to help Canadian taxpayers who want to set up a business in Calgary.
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 Calgary Metropolitan Region Board, is a private corporation in charge of developing the City, subsidized by the government. CMBR is making plans for 25 years in advance, to be subsidized by the City. That kind of plan caused a monopoly of jobs. Bad administration is to make plans 25 years in advance without knowing what the future will bring. On May 21, the board approved the finalization of the growth and service plans. These plans have been submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for review. People from communities have concerns. They do not want the City governors to privatize public assets and liabilities. Builder corporations are taking over City's land, privatizing communities, parks, green areas and golf areas that belong to communities. In residential areas, people from communities do not like the development of big dense, conglomerate buildings. The apartments have small, low ceilings. Some apartments do not have windows in the kitchen and washroom. Lack of ventilation is affecting peoples' health and promoting proliferation of COVID. The City governors are privatizing public assets and liabilities, land, parks, golf areas that belong to the public communities. Many people of each community in NE are complaining about blockage of roads everywhere that affect transit mobilization which make workers unable to arrive to work on time.
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?
The City's Guidebook has a new name. The document was changed and the new name is: The Guide for Local Area Planning. Used by citizens and city planners the guidebooks provide urban classification areas that include a variety of housing development. The development should be split between greenfield and established communities. Before building a variety of housing in urban and residential areas, The City plans and development must have consultation conversations with people of each community to know the peoples' and communities' concerns and petitions. Presently, it is very visible that the City governors and private corporations are acting arbitrarily without listening to peoples ' concern and petitions . People from communities do not want private builder's corporations and City bylaws allowing them to build in residential areas, conglomerate, dense apartments. Builders should not have to take advantage of peoples' necessity for affordable housing, to build horrible small apartments, lack of natural light and ventilation that look like rabbit cages. Presently, the market demand for affordable housing is high. Many workers who are of low income, need affordable housing, that is a comfortable place to live in with decent ventilation, natural lights and windows, high ceilings and back alleys. We need to respect and take into consideration that people are going to live in those apartments or townhouses.
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 Chief Financial Officer's, CFO Department, was right, The City revenue cannot afford to subsidize a multi year business planning, and budgeting performance monitoring productivity and efficiency. Good administration is to apply balanced expenditure according to the City's revenue. A balanced budget that invests in projects and avoids inflation. Sometimes, the City Council makes decisions, forced by private corporations, who are using and abusing the law, to be subsidized by the City using public money. They are experts in using the sociaL media to get what they want. We cannot hide the sun shining with one finger. It is very visible that the consequences of wrong governing, over-spending, causing misery and poverty among thousands of Canadians who are surviving on food banks. If the City can only afford one of the projects, I would choose to support the Arts. For the 6 private corporations who want to develop the BMO expansion centre, demolish projects and build a new arena, I feel that those business corporations should feel free to develop it, any time they want, using their own money.
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 a Councillor, 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?
Yes I support the construction of the Green line LRT. I believe it is very important to listen to business owners, and homeowners located in the downtown core. They do not want the City and builders corporation to excavate underground, to make a tunnel that will damage buildings and houses foundation. To avoid damaging people's property, it will be necessary to make changes on the Green line direction. To move the Green Line direction close to the Elbow River greenfield would be a better direction. And if there is enough money in the budget, to extend the Green Line to the airport, to facilitate people's transit mobilization.
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?
The best approach to attract business to Calgary is to apply lower tax rates and to help businesses in Calgary who are in bankruptcy, that were affected by pandemic rules and regulations, which forced SOME business to close doors, imposed on them because of COVID. We need to financially help business owners who are in bankruptcy, to have them reopen their doors to continue working, so they can give a job to unemployed people. In Unemployment Insurance, there are a lot of talented people. Canadians with good talents and skills have a desire to set up and develop a business, but they do not have money to do it. Economic diversification should be applied for Calgarians who are unemployed, who have a sincere desire to be a business owner in Calgary. Rather than give away the $10 million dollars, the City should use that money to invest in Calgary, to help unemployed people who are willing to set up and develop a business.
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?
Golf courses were builded by our pioneers for people and communities' well being, both physically and mentally. Presently, governors who do not have morality and lack ethics,and are too ambitious, are privatizing public assets and liabilities that belong to communities. Golf courses belong to each community; and it was built using public money, the City does not have the right to sell it. Governors before leaving office, do not have to sell liabilities that belong to the public, to the City. Private corporations who are in charge of garbage collection, to keep the City clean, should learn to serve the communities better. People from Rundle, Abbeydale, Marlborough and Pinehill communities are complaining about the accumulation of garbage everywhere. There is garbage close to bus shelters, in green areas. and garbage attached to the fence on 16 Ave. N.E. Highway. My husband is doing philanthropic work, as a volunteer job that helps remove the garbage from the fences on the Highway fences. On Memorial Dr. close to 36st, there is a lot of garbage that needs to be cleaned. Making a contribution to have a clean environment in our neighborhoods is for everyone's well being.
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?
We work 6 days a week, serving the public, following health care guidance and regulations. On top of that, we have to make time to distribute campaign flyers in each community, walking all day, hour by hour, going everywhere to distribute brochures and to place lawn signs. We do not have the budget to pay Canada post to distribute my campaign flyers. Many Canadians do not have money to donate. A lot of Canadians became unemployed. They were affected by the rules,regulations and restrictions that forced too many businesses to close their doors, and sent workers to unemployment.
Question 16: Do you support the City’s mandatory vaccination policy for City employees?
I support the police. We notice that many homeowners in NE communities have been attacked by criminals. According to Global News in 2020, 250 homeowners in Calgary have been attacked. Police captured 2 criminals named Mohamed, after they killed a homeowner and ran away. New Year's Eve, January 2021, two young people killed a constable, dragging him with no compassion at all. A few years ago in Edmonton a criminal named Abdulla, rented a truck to go downtown where many pedestrians were walking. He killed 5 people intentionally and hit a constable from behind, who died later. Many criminals hit and run away, hiding their identity and blaming innocent people for their crime. A few years later, a bus driver originally from India, he killed 16 Canadians Bronco football players. There are a long list of criminal cases dealing in the court. It is time to support the Police Institution, in their programs that serve communities to keep safe. Constables are working under pressure and stress, doing dangerous jobs. It is necessary to apply a justice system that protects all of us for restitution to public safety, respect people's life and property, security in neighbourhoods and to keep our family and home safe. I will support police institutions, and the firefighters department, for their services to protect people's lives and homes and to have safe neighbourhoods to live in.
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?
Vaccines should be optional, based in the fact that many people have health conditions, such as heart problems, blood clot, hypertension, high blood pressure and aneurysms. People with health conditions CAN NOT HAVE the VACCINE. If they have it is an indirect way to apply euthanasia to them. A lot of fully vaccinated people are dying in hospitals. Workers who have health conditions cannot have vaccines. Vaccines should be optional, to protect workers' lives, to protect their job and well being. Vaccines have become a big business for foreigners who fabricate vaccines. who became multimillionaires selling vaccines to Canada. The minister of public safety, Anita Amman, purchased vaccines for $6 Billions in the beginning. Now it is over $16 billions, causing a lot of debt to the federal government who borrowed billions from the National bank, CAUSING INFLATION.
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?
Internal roads in residential areas, where people have children, and in front of school roads, the speed limit should be from 40 to 30 k. I agree with the proposal to decrease the speed limit, to protect children and adults' lives.
Question 19: Serving as a Councillor you are responsible to both your local constituents and every Calgarian. How would you deal with a situation where you feel that the best interests of your local constituents in your ward conflict with what you feel is the best interests of the City as a whole?
I will support any kind of arts, human life, God's creation and beautiful and those that produce this art. Nature is beautiful.
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 for Mayor and why, and if you are affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties, which ones and why?
Serving as a Councillor for Ward 10, I am responsible for my local constituents and those who live in Calgary . I MADE A PLATFORM ACCORDING TO PEOPLE'S CONCERNS AND PETITIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT PLACE, FOR GOOD SOLUTIONS APPLYING COMMON SENSE AND HUMAN RIGHTS, EQUALITY OF SERVICES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE'S WELL BEING. MY FEELING WILL NOT COUNT TO MAKE DECISIONS TO ACCOMPLISH PEOPLES' PETITIONS FOR COMMUNITIES WELL BEING. APPLYING COMMON SENSE AND LISTENING TO EACH COMMUNITY'S PETITIONS WILL COUNT, AND CONVERSATION, COMMUNICATION WITH CITY COUNCIL AND PRIVATE CORPORATIONS, TO SOLVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES, THAT IS AFFECTING EACH COMMUNITY IN WARD 10 MY COMMITMENT IS TO ACCOMPLISH MY ABOVE PLATFORM. We are in a democratic country where the decisions of constituencies should be respected too by private corporations subsidized by public taxes. The voters elect a candidate expecting to accomplish what is written in the platform. If there is any conflict of interest among Council on decisions, communities concern and private corporations interests, will be necessary to have conversation to better understand each other and find a good solution. I am working on behalf of peoples' well being, applying human rights.