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Robert Randall

@robertwrandall.bsky.social

140 followers 100 following 980 posts

Flaneur. Former Saanich Arts Culture & Community Wellness Committee, Past co-chair Open Space Art Soc., Downtown Residents Assoc. & Downtown Adv. Comm.; 9th place 2008 Victoria civic election. Artist, Designer, Writer, Picture Framer.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · Jul 5

1911, Vancouver Province reports on a Montreal lecture: evergreen headline.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 17h

"You're telling me that in addition to cutting and pasting the news release you want me to do additional research? On a deadline?!"

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 20h

Resident to councillor ratio of 1:1

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 20h

The Greater Victoria region has a total of around 91 councillors.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 22h

There are some non-financial reasons for service amalgamation. There have been stories of Victoria and Saanich police officers gathered around a person staggering down the middle of the road waiting to see what side of the border he fell down on.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 22h

And here's the challenge: you can lay out a spreadsheet clearly showing the logic and economy of service amalgamation but it's a whole other thing to sell citizens on the idea of taking away local autonomy of emergency services. Folks are suspicious of big-city bureaucracy.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

It's all relative. I'm sure Highlands councillors feel they have a full plate.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Burnaby has 250,000 and only eight councillors + mayor.
Surrey has 680,000 and eight councillors + mayor.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

New York City seems to do OK with a single fire department. Our 19 (I forgot DND) seems outrageous yet we still need to know what benefits amalgamation would bring and if there are any downsides.
We can't just amalgamate because the status quo appears ridiculous.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Any teen can tell you which kid in their class is the Spicoli.
If they can't it means it's them.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

"Least insane" was my municipal election campaign slogan.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Highlands should join Galiano Island and be like Kaliningrad.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

They have a Cobs now.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Karel Roessingh should be sent up to sort out Kamloops.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

We need to bring the number of Saaniches down into the single digits.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

We first need to establish the goals we are trying to achieve with amalgamation. For me, it was efficiency of first responder resources, in particular policing and fire. Does this region really need 18 separate fire departments, some stand-alone, some under jurisdiction of the CRD?

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Yet again, the flip side is hyper-local over-familiarity. We see this with Gardiner and other James Bay advocates. Intense focus on every James Bay rezoning with little regard for the welfare of the region as a whole. A holistic balance must be sought.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

I remember seeing Councillor Geoff Young on his bicycle visiting the site of an upcoming rezoning. It would be a challenge to do in a busy amalgamated region. Yes, site visits don't automatically imply better governance.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

The flip side is City Council and staff need to be familiar with everything going on from Gonzales all the way to the Brentwood Bay border. It spreads council pretty thin unless you elect twice or three times as many and now you've got a big roomful of opinonmakers in chambers.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

One fear that can be allayed is that municipal salaries are unlikely to go up like they did in Halifax as there is relatively even wage parity across the peninsula today.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

The ward system is often invoked as a solution to councillors having to oversee a vast geographical area but that introduces its own set of challenges when ward-based councillors focus on benefitting their territory at the expense of the city as a whole.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

It's a tough sell. How do you tell a homeowner that the police car that routinely patrols their quiet cul-de-sac will likely never be there again unless there's a call?
A lot of it comes down to assuaging fears and giving realistic predictions of the benefits.

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

🔴Rural and suburban residents concerned "their" police will be spending too much time tied up Downtown
🔴Urban-minded Downtown residents concerned that issues important to them are in control of city-hating suburban voters
🔴Huge geographical area makes it hard for councillors to keep up on all issues

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Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 1d

Victorian Stan Hitchman has died aged 101. With his friend Henry Saunders the two former WWII RCAF mechanics opened a garage in Oak Bay and in 1965 became Victoria's first Toyota dealers. S&H was sold in 1977 and exists today as Victoria Nissan on Oak St.
#yyj

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 2d

I literally have no idea what it's called today. I'd guess Rogers Place or Rogers Centre, maybe. But there's something like that in Vancouver, possible other cities.

Robert Randall @robertwrandall.bsky.social · 2d

No wonder Godot came around the same time Pollock struggled between drip and figure and Rothko gained notice--1952-55. Pare off the unessential; get at the core.