Sandy in the News

Click on the links below to see stories about Sandy

"Bronconnier squanders millions at expense of taxpayers, says Jenkins," press release, Oct 13:

Calgary – The mayor owes Calgary taxpayers an explanation over his support of Enmax’s decision to sell power below market value to consumers outside the city of Calgary, a decision which has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, says mayoralty contender Sandy Jenkins.

 

Enmax sells electricity to its customers in Edmonton for 8 cents a kw/hour. The current competitive price is above 10 cents a kw/hour, and Dave Bronconnier was quoted recently as noting that 8 cents a kw/hour was ‘significantly lower’ than the market price.

 

“Why is the mayor permitting Enmax to continue with this irrational pricing scheme?” asks Jenkins, who is challenging for the office of mayor on October 15th. “Why are Calgarians subsidizing power rates for customers outside the city limits?”

C-Train 'screams' to go underground," Oct 6 (Herald):

The city's LRT priority shouldn't be building new lines or extending existing ones but burying the downtown routes, mayoral candidate Sandy Jenkins said Friday.

"It screams for an underground system," he said of the downtown core.

Jenkins pitched running an underground stretch along 8th Avenue S.W., something he said would make 7th Avenue available for vehicle traffic once again.

"Candidate wants LRT subway over West Leg"; Oct 6 (Sun):

The west leg of the LRT, should be shelved in favour of making putting the downtown line underground, a mayoral candidate said yesterday.

Sandy Jenkins, one of eight candidates vying to oust Mayor Dave Bronconnier in the Oct. 15 election, said the mayor's plan to prioritize a new west line for the C-Train, as well as extending existing lines in the northeast and northwest, should be axed.

"(The LRT) screams out for an underground system -- we need to do it now," he said.

Sandy Jenkins quoted on Secondary Suites issue, Sept 30 (Herald)

Sandy responds to recreation spending announcement, Sept 28 (Sun):

Mayoral candidate Sandy Jenkins said while the city is in desperate need of recreation facilities, the massive price tag indicates Bronconnier hasn't done enough during his tenure.

"It's cynical to do this now and I don't think the voters are stupid enough to fall for it," he said.

Sandy responds to recreation spending announcement, Sept 28 (Herald):

Mayoral hopeful Sandy Jenkins said Bronconnier's pledge is too little, too late.

"What did he do for six years for rec centres?" he said. "I don't think it's a tradeoff, roads instead of recreation, roads instead of affordable housing.

"We need all those things."

Click here to view Sandy's latest press release:

Calgary mayoral candidate Sandy Jenkins says that the announcement for LRT expansion to the northwest and northeast is the right idea at the wrong time.

"I don't know how the mayor can call this news," says Sandy Jenkins, the 47-year-old geophysicist who is challenging for the mayor's office in October's municipal election. "This expansion has been on the books for months, even years, and not one candidate disagrees that it is long overdue."

"However, we are putting the cart before the horse if we go ahead with this expansion without first placing the LRT beneath 8th Avenue downtown."

Sandy hands in his nomination, Sept 18 (Herald)

"If you've got the right message, you are going to resonate with people," he said. "I've lived here for 25 years. You get tired of complaining after a while before you decide to do things about it."

Sandy quoted by the Sun`s Pablo Fernandez, Sept 16:

Bad decisions and a lack of planning on the part of the mayor have plunged Calgarians' quality of life to unacceptable depths, said candidate Sandy Jenkins, 46, a geophysicist.

"He's given us a lot of urban sprawl and some really bad decisions, like the decision to close down 6 Ave.," he said, of the EnCana building project.

"That decision's great for the developers, but it's awful for the rest of Calgary ... it is not a good deal for the citizens of Calgary."

To fix Calgarians' quality of life, the city's transit system must be overhauled and a more equitable way to fund infrastructure must be sought, said Jenkins, who lives in the inner city.

"I live in a house built in 1912 -- someone's been paying taxes on that property since 1912 -- yet I get a new sidewalk and have to pay for it."

Sandy quoted in the Herald, Sept 16:

Sandy Jenkins said the mayor was "extremely lucky" that Stelmach's approval rating was so low in Calgary, though he also believes the province has shortchanged the city when it comes to money for infrastructure.

Jenkins agreed the mayor's fight with the province over infrastructure dollars wasn't necessary to secure the long-term deal.

"A lot of Calgarians aren't happy about it," Jenkins said. "Bronco's a whiner . . . he bullied people. That's what I am hearing."

As for Bronconnier's record over the past six years, his competitors say it's got flaws.

"He's built all of these new communities without the proper infrastructure," said Jenkins.

Listen to Sandy being interviewed by Jim Brown on The Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One, Sept 13.

Sandy interviewed in Metro, Sept 13

Sandy proposes relief for disputed secondary suites, August 13

Battle lines are drawn, July 23

Sandy announces his candidacy, July 18