A video leaked to Global Calgary showing a large group of prominent wealthy developers plotting to stack Calgary City Council with sympathetic candidates is making waves in Alberta’s largest city. The video shows developer Cal Wenzel presenting a plan to defeat certain members of City Council who he perceives to be anti-urban sprawl – including Aldermen Druh Farrell and Richard Pootmans.
Unable to defeat popular Mayor Naheed Nenshi, this ‘Sprawl Cabal’ of wealthy developers are aiming to win over a majority of seats on City Council, which could give them the power to block any moves by Mayor Nenshi that they perceive to be against urban sprawl.
In the video, Mr. Wenzel claims that a large donation, of more than $1 million, made to Preston Manning‘s “Municipal Governance Project” training centre for civic election candidates (read the Manning Centre’s leaked talking points in response to the leaked video). The Manning Centre recently laid out their plans to train conservative-minded candidates in a bid to introduce a new brand of ideological conservative politics into Calgary’s next municipal election.
Because of municipal campaign finance laws limiting individual and corporate donations to a maximum $5,000, the presence of a special interest group like the Manning Centre in Calgary’s election appears to have given these wealthy developers a place to pour their money.
That this type of conversation happened is not a surprise. That is was recorded and leaked to the media is very surprising. The Sprawl Cabal was caught red-handed.
As former U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney learned last year when a leaked video showed him dismissing 47% of American voters, this group of developers have learned that even in the most secure locations, Little Brother is watching (I bet you never noticed that iPhone in his pocket).
(Thanks to Duncan Kinney for the ‘Sprawl Cabal’ inspiration)
14 replies on “Sprawl Cabal of wealthy developers plot to take over Calgary City Council.”
There is no limits to the extremes the right wing is willing to go to get political control of our democracy. The good news is there is also no limits as to how stupid they are not to realize that in our technical age anything you say in public can and will be used against you. So keep it up Manning and your rich cronies we see you coming and you will be destroyed.
Interesting post. I’m surprised that Global TV editors allowed this clip to slip out of corporate headquarters.
Calgary seems to have become ground zero for neoconservative greed in Canada. At the federal level, it has produced the puppet Harper and his cronies who are corporate shills for Big Oil, Big Mining, Big Finance and Big Fast Food. But for a “lake ‘o fire”, it might have produced corporate shills at the provincial level. Now, Preston and his gremlins want to be take over municipal councils in the name of corporate greed.
The Preston Manning Centre of Political Money Laundering – “the place where you can donate money in the cause of greed when you have exceeded your maximum legal political donation to the Reform Party”. And that’s just sad.
Like so much else being pricier in Calgary, seems prices for leasing city councils re development agenda’s, may be higher down south. Whether urban sprawl over market garden farmland or paying to help Billionaire’s with their gladiator coliseums, Edmonton doesn’t have to be bought…they’ll throw in taxpayer’s money.
This tactic seems to be legal. The American left wing groups like the Sierra Club and those funded by the Rockefellers and Soros have been influencing Canadian politics for some time now. The mayor of Vancouver was a board member for one of these groups and they fund his campaigns generously.
Contributions to City of Calgary Councillors:
http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/645585/all-but-one-calgary-alderman-shared-in-178k-from-builders-and-developers/
This is so weird…who was taping it? They must have a secret opponent in their midst?
Oh how terrible, oh my, the terrible fact that some “evil” developer wants to build houses for people to live in, just like the houses that the loser lefties that cowardly taped this presentation live in. When all you limp-wristed millies clean your panties over this remember, everyone needs a place to live, and we all need a truck or something to drive, all you pansies probably live in mommys basement and drive your brothers Prius 20 miles before it needs a charge. Good on Cal to tell it like it is, a man with balls and the bank account to prove it.
@bartinsky – I’m surprised that Wenzel didn’t stand behind his comments at today’s awkwardly-long and embarrasing-to-watch press conference. He was clear about his intentions in the video, but danced around the issue and looked guiltily at the presser.
– Dave
What’s wrong with corporate interests? They represent the average person better than the PC’s ever can. This is why I support the Wildrose.
See my Wildrose blog at joealbertan.blogspot.ca.
[…] in Calgary, an awkwardly long press conference was held by the Sprawl Cabal’s Cal Wenzel to respond to accusations that wealthy developers are aiming to unseat aldermen who […]
I’d call bartinksy’s bleating great satire, except that it’s not even remotely funny.
People of Calgary, stay on point.
The issues is about ethics, not big this or big that.
My political views or yours.
Within all aspects of life we are faced with choices regardless of what affiliation we have to socks and sandals or hard hats and monster trucks.
Everybody will be judged by how they respond.
It is called character. You have or you don’t.
[…] conflict was sparked by a leaked video recording of high-powered wealthy developers – the Sprawl Cabal – explaining their plans to take over city council by funding Mr. Manning’s […]
That this type of conversation happened is not a surprise. That is was recorded and leaked to the media is very surprising. The Sprawl Cabal was caught red-handed.