Bell: Dump Gondek petition guy gets meeting with Calgary Mayor Gondek

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Who would have thunk it?

David will get to take a seat down with Goliath.

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Circle your calendar. March 22. quarter-hour.

Landon Johnston, the person who calls himself a daily man and is aware of all about air conditioners and furnaces however admits he is aware of squat concerning the blood sport of politics, began up a petition to dump Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

Properly, irrespective of what number of Dump Gondek signatures he will get by the top of the month the person who’s taking over the Calgary metropolis corridor Goliath has no less than bought the mayor’s consideration.

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Johnston says he’s bought a number of inquiries to ask Gondek within the quarter-hour.

He plans to ask one powerful puzzler so, should you’re studying this Mayor Gondek, right here it’s.

What number of signatures is it going to take so that you can resign as mayor?

The recall petition level man does add Gondek spoke to him briefly and advised him she actually wished he’d talked to her earlier than launching the petition.

Johnston says he tried to undergo correct channels and failed.

Anyway, the place is he at with the petition?

He figures and estimates the petition drive has gathered round 100,000 signatures.

Let’s be clear.

The recall petition level man says he bought that quantity primarily based on the variety of petition sheets he’s already bought again and numbers offered by individuals who have petitions nonetheless out however who haven’t despatched them again but.

Then there are teams who’ve some petitions and so they’ve advised him what they’ve bought up to now.

There are numerous who might be skeptics with that massive a quantity and with out all of the petitions really submitted.

We will see in a number of weeks what the arithmetic appears like.

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Johnston sounds very assured concerning the math and he’s working his butt off.

He additionally says there at the moment are tons of of volunteers who will begin knocking on doorways by the weekend.

A whole bunch? Sure, he says tons of.

There’s now a Twitter or X account with updates. It’s @recallgondekyyc.

There’s additionally the web site recallmayorgondek.com with plenty of information.

When requested, Johnston says this petition stuff has put lots on his plate.

“It’s been insanely disturbing,” he says.

“It’s not my ability set. My ability set is discovering issues and fixing them.”

He’s sort of attempting to repair an issue right here however I get what he means.

Then there are individuals who shout at him and provides him a tough time.

One man stated there needs to be a petition in opposition to the petition man.  There’s all the time one within the crowd.

There are additionally the acquainted varieties who say they don’t like Gondek however don’t suppose the petition will do something.

In order that they do nothing.

You must shake your head. How a lot of a dedication does it take to signal a petition?

Then once more, everyone knows the ugly statistics.

Gondek received the final election. Received all 14 wards.

And the place have been all these of us who swore up and down they wished massive change at metropolis corridor?

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Clearly, not sufficient of them confirmed up on the poll field.

Fewer than half the eligible voters within the metropolis bought off their butts. That isn’t the signal of a change election.

Johnston will get it.

“That’s why we’re caught with this mayor. No one did something. I’m attempting to encourage folks to make use of their voice.”

And bellyaching over espresso or firing off a letter to the editor isn’t going to chop it.

On the brilliant aspect Johnston says he didn’t understand so many individuals have been on the identical web page as him.

They’ve additionally had it as much as right here with the mayor.

Even of us from different elements of Alberta wish to signal.

Johnston says he’ll now attempt to work on people who don’t need Gondek however are nonetheless sitting on the fence.

“We simply want sufficient signatures so she is aware of her political profession is lifeless,” he says.

A number of the frustration with Gondek goes over the road.

“I discover I’m defending the mayor from private assaults. That’s not what that is about. That is about her insurance policies.

“I don’t know her personally. She may very well be a pleasant particular person. She may very well be a horrible particular person. I’m simply attacking her insurance policies.”

Nottingham’s Pub is a superb neighbourhood pub in Silver Springs within the northwest of town.

They’re one among many areas who’ve the Dump Gondek petition.

This pub has round 500 signatures on their petition sheets.

David Moore is the pub proprietor and he isn’t afraid to talk his thoughts.

Why is the petition behind his bar?

“I’m bored with tyranny. Somebody has to face up. It’s one thing I’ve all the time carried out,” says Moore.

Why does he need Gondek gone?

“As a result of she’s not representing the folks. She’s extraordinarily dismissive.

“She undoubtedly has an agenda and it’s not Calgary’s agenda and I believe that’s apparent.”

rbell@postmedia.com

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