In Episode 27 you'll hear the details of two late-week public affairs developments we’ve led the way on - the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s failed attempt to strong-arm Rural Municipalities into supporting their power grab; andthe forbidden solution for bus driver safety.

Part 1-  The NDP passed Bill 4, which gives dissident members of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR) – a way to exit the organization. It’s now being more formally referred to as the Capital Planning Region (CPR) to try to get the public to forget it’s led by the same elected politicians that mocked and insulted them for daring to have questions about their vaunted Plan20-50.

By coincidence, Marty Gold returned to Niverville to host a sports event on Saturday and heard some reflections from locals on how Plan20-50, fell apart before a public hearing in their town even started. The WMR by-law would have given Mayor Scott Gillingham a veto over the development, planning, zoning and agricultural rules of all the other 17 municipalities.

Outraged citizens complained about an incomplete and jargon-filled document many felt was ramming through a UN / 15 Minute Cities agenda with fake public consultations and a sleepy press keeping the public clued out- until Marty explained how Gillingham could stop it.

And now, the first brick is about to fall from the WMR empire. Listen to the proposal being put before the City of Selkirk council to leave the Plan20-50 crowd and the reasons why.

(Related- Oct 7 2024- Browaty Says Plan20-50 Problems Started With Pallister )

We describe how Wab Kinew’s “Freedom Bill” has a few tricky procedural hoops, and some unfinished business between Selkirk and the WMR.

15.00- “Et Tu, Winnipeg?”  We explain why Mayor Gillingham and City Councillors are going to have to hold a very public discussion about the WMR before the next municipal election. That means tell taxpayers where they stand, and listen to the people about whether or not elected politicians wanting to be “just like the GVRD” and become centralized planning overlords is in the best interest of Winnipeggers.

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* We continue to reveal key details behind the headlines with sharp insightful reporting - please chip in to the Season Six $10,000 funding campaign at https://actionline.ca/2024/02/donate-2/ *

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24.30 PART 2 – The city has $2.7 million to spend to develop, produce and install full barriers to shield transit operators from ever-increasing violence.

You’ll hear Marty describe what that can be like- because he went through it in the late 1980’s as a driver representative when cabbie murders spurred a Manitoba Workplace Safetycommittee led by Prof. Wally Fox-Decent to explore taxicab shields.

“It’s a crazy world out there and … this council is focussing heavily on improving transit, and we want our drivers tobe safe,” Coun. Janice Lukes said.

As chair of Public Works, Lukes all-in on bus driver safety- but silent about protecting bus riders.

32.35- Unspoken by Lukes or even the ATU local 1505, is theacknowledged reason behind 90% of Transit incidents.

But just like lawbreakers who panhandle on roadways and panhandle at night, violence-minded fare skippers also don’t face the music.

35.40- What is the “fare evasion prevention strategy”? OnlyTGCTS has the disappointing details from City Hall.

Estimates of revenue loss from scofflaws is between $6M and $10M a year.

Instead of trying to collect from the noted cheapskates, and keep freeloading troublemakers off the buses, Lukes wants to spend another $2.7 Million tax dollars on safety yet let them continue to ride for free to drink, inject drugs, smoke crack, and horrify and intimidate students, seniors and new Canadians who won’t be protected by a shield.

Recent columns in the Winnipeg Sun:

https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/gold-panhandling-returns-to-forefront-as-safety-concerns-grow-in-winnipeg

https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/gold-oseredok-becoming-a-cultural-hub-in-east-exchange