Great podcast again! The difference between a politician and a businessman. One is saying anything to get votes by making promises, projects etc, the other is pragmatic, and looks at what is presented and analyses it from a business prospective and potential.
@@firthbythesea Businessmen create wealth.. for themselves, their employees, and for other businesses whose goods and services they buy.. along with the wealth they create that gets transferred to the government in taxes. Then there's the philanthropic contributions they voluntarily make. Politicians on the other hand use government as a vehicle to spend that transferred wealth.. on some good things no doubt.. but also to li ne their own poc kets and the pock ets of their "business partners". So they aren't more virtuous than the businessemen (and women) you think are so self centered.. if anything, politicians are usually lacking in virtue in comparison.
Honestly give Val a break. We've got problems with urban sprawl, pedestrian/cyclist safety around intersections because we have more and more cars, each car getting bigger and bigger, floods in the summer months warranting more green space, etc. We have 5 million cars in Qc, with a 100K increment every year. The number of cars is increasing 2.5 times faster than population. It's all good to be critical but ultimately if you want less traffic, the only solution is to have secure, efficient and pleasant alternatives. That means bike lanes, public transit, wider sidewalks, etc.
We already have an alternative.. people have long had the option in montreal to take the bmw (bus, metro, walk ) if they don't like getting stuck in traffic, or looking and paying for parking. Bike lanes don't really count since they are only useful for a small segment of people (those who work or go to school within a reasonable distance for a bike ride on a sunny day in warmer months only) and planting them everywhere is a totally assinine proposition since they are only pleasant to use 6 months out of the year and empty the rest of the time.. which only renders the public space they occupy as useless. Far better to keep that space as a travel lane for people who actually have to get around town (the majority of citizens), whether in personal vehicles or work vehicles. The mayors ideological approach to discouraging car use only serves to hinder mobility which in turn harms the economy. Her voter base unfortunately can't relate to this because they tend to live relatively simple lives that don't require multiple daily trips around town, along with a trunk to carry their s__t. The "bmw" suffices for them, which is all well and good, but they want to impose that impractical mobility option on the rest of the population, and THAT is never going to happen. In the meantime, I hope she builds more bike lanes.. cause the sooner voters are personally affected by the extra congestion they cause and the loss of their street parking, the sooner they'll toss her out of office and we can go back to having a mayor who is practical rather than ideological. Montreal needs THAT asap.
@@pauljm4159 You're never going to "fix" traffic congestion, as it is something that comes with living near or in a city with a substantial population. The citizens in Montreal and its suburbs already have a great public transit option with frequent service of metro cars, busses and commuter trains at peak travel times, yet the majority of citizens, both in the suburbs and in the city itself, still opt to make their daily trips by automobile. Because even with the congestion, it is faster for most.. and more convenient (trunk!). If and when congestion rises, people can reevaluate their personal choices, but most people will still opt to travel by car, either out of necessity or because they prefer their own personal space not be intruded upon by random people, some of whom are unpleasant to be around. This is montreal afterall. So to say that congestion can never be "solved", and therefore policies that make it worse is somehow justified, is an argument that is not going to work with most people. Plants war on cars is going to ultimately fail. It's just a question of when the tipping point is reached where enough voters get fed up with her assinine policies. As an example, I once saw a row of cars paralyzed on a wide street that was reduced to one lane because an ambulance had stopped ahead. The bike lane that prevented them from going around was completely empty for the 12 minutes that they were forced to wait. If only one of those pissed off drivers previously voted for plawnt, you can be sure that they'll reevaluate their next vote. Multiply that by every other motorist who gets affected like that.. or by the loss of their street parking in order to accommodate frequently empty bike lanes that are proliferating around town. They definitely aren't going to share her vision of what she considers "progress". As for safety at intersections, I agree with you about that and I think that sidewalk extensions are great for safety. They are a good idea so long as a two lane road isn't reduced to one lane by them. Plont could also focus her attention on painting the intersection crosswalks better and more often. Many months of the year they are totally faded away or hard to see when there are patches of snow cover on the road. She should also increase traffic police enforcement in this city. Way too many drivers who have no regard for traffic laws because they aren't deterred by Montreal's lax enforcement. Every yahoo who hits a pedestrian almost certainly has a history of reckless driving habits. A responsible mayor would target them directly rather than target all motorists.
We English Montrealers need to become more "Montréalais". I fully agree with M. Polèseès view that statistics are in the eye of the beholder. We anglos must empathize with the emotionally-driven angst of francophones who are indeed surrounded by English. What to do? Become an ally. Speak French wherever and whenever we can. (I know many of us do already). Ensure our kids and grandkids understand that we live in a predominantly French society and equip them for that. Immerse in the culture. Go to French plays, watch French movies (with subtitles if you have to). Push back on those who would speak only English. Answer in French, even with fellow anglophones. Stop expecting the feds to come "to our rescue". It is only when francos see us as partners in the protection our common language and culture that policy will stop scapegoating us.
Great podcast.
No $$tax payers money if no 25,%social housing
Great podcast again! The difference between a politician and a businessman. One is saying anything to get votes by making promises, projects etc, the other is pragmatic, and looks at what is presented and analyses it from a business prospective and potential.
Politician - does things for the population, businessman - does things for his pocketbook.
The businessman takes risks and creates jobs!
@@firthbythesea Businessmen create wealth.. for themselves, their employees, and for other businesses whose goods and services they buy.. along with the wealth they create that gets transferred to the government in taxes. Then there's the philanthropic contributions they voluntarily make.
Politicians on the other hand use government as a vehicle to spend that transferred wealth.. on some good things no doubt.. but also to li ne their own poc kets and the pock ets of their "business partners".
So they aren't more virtuous than the businessemen (and women) you think are so self centered.. if anything, politicians are usually lacking in virtue in comparison.
Honestly give Val a break. We've got problems with urban sprawl, pedestrian/cyclist safety around intersections because we have more and more cars, each car getting bigger and bigger, floods in the summer months warranting more green space, etc. We have 5 million cars in Qc, with a 100K increment every year. The number of cars is increasing 2.5 times faster than population. It's all good to be critical but ultimately if you want less traffic, the only solution is to have secure, efficient and pleasant alternatives. That means bike lanes, public transit, wider sidewalks, etc.
We already have an alternative.. people have long had the option in montreal to take the bmw (bus, metro, walk ) if they don't like getting stuck in traffic, or looking and paying for parking. Bike lanes don't really count since they are only useful for a small segment of people (those who work or go to school within a reasonable distance for a bike ride on a sunny day in warmer months only) and planting them everywhere is a totally assinine proposition since they are only pleasant to use 6 months out of the year and empty the rest of the time.. which only renders the public space they occupy as useless. Far better to keep that space as a travel lane for people who actually have to get around town (the majority of citizens), whether in personal vehicles or work vehicles. The mayors ideological approach to discouraging car use only serves to hinder mobility which in turn harms the economy. Her voter base unfortunately can't relate to this because they tend to live relatively simple lives that don't require multiple daily trips around town, along with a trunk to carry their s__t. The "bmw" suffices for them, which is all well and good, but they want to impose that impractical mobility option on the rest of the population, and THAT is never going to happen. In the meantime, I hope she builds more bike lanes.. cause the sooner voters are personally affected by the extra congestion they cause and the loss of their street parking, the sooner they'll toss her out of office and we can go back to having a mayor who is practical rather than ideological. Montreal needs THAT asap.
@@MK-fc2hn yeah maybe you're right. One more lane will fix it I reckon 😅
@@pauljm4159 You're never going to "fix" traffic congestion, as it is something that comes with living near or in a city with a substantial population. The citizens in Montreal and its suburbs already have a great public transit option with frequent service of metro cars, busses and commuter trains at peak travel times, yet the majority of citizens, both in the suburbs and in the city itself, still opt to make their daily trips by automobile. Because even with the congestion, it is faster for most.. and more convenient (trunk!). If and when congestion rises, people can reevaluate their personal choices, but most people will still opt to travel by car, either out of necessity or because they prefer their own personal space not be intruded upon by random people, some of whom are unpleasant to be around. This is montreal afterall.
So to say that congestion can never be "solved", and therefore policies that make it worse is somehow justified, is an argument that is not going to work with most people. Plants war on cars is going to ultimately fail. It's just a question of when the tipping point is reached where enough voters get fed up with her assinine policies. As an example, I once saw a row of cars paralyzed on a wide street that was reduced to one lane because an ambulance had stopped ahead. The bike lane that prevented them from going around was completely empty for the 12 minutes that they were forced to wait. If only one of those pissed off drivers previously voted for plawnt, you can be sure that they'll reevaluate their next vote. Multiply that by every other motorist who gets affected like that.. or by the loss of their street parking in order to accommodate frequently empty bike lanes that are proliferating around town.
They definitely aren't going to share her vision of what she considers "progress".
As for safety at intersections, I agree with you about that and I think that sidewalk extensions are great for safety. They are a good idea so long as a two lane road isn't reduced to one lane by them. Plont could also focus her attention on painting the intersection crosswalks better and more often. Many months of the year they are totally faded away or hard to see when there are patches of snow cover on the road. She should also increase traffic police enforcement in this city. Way too many drivers who have no regard for traffic laws because they aren't deterred by Montreal's lax enforcement. Every yahoo who hits a pedestrian almost certainly has a history of reckless driving habits. A responsible mayor would target them directly rather than target all motorists.
« I'm a rich white male and I don’t think that girl Valerie can pull it off »
why the need to use the race card? Feeling oppressed?
@@SpirateHe pulled the sex card too.. that's when you know they have zero ability to counter the argument. 😂
I'm a Gen Z Montrealer. I can afford luxury because I work in the US. No one working from Montreal can afford these.
Great podcast! Andrew Lutfy is a true visionary and accomplished businessman.
Nice to see there are people still investing in Montreal. Best of luck.
The bike labes the walking street's an enhanced business acceptability donc back to the future!
Une île une ville
I hate the fact you say this is valeries city it makes me so angry . Don t you see the problem
We English Montrealers need to become more "Montréalais". I fully agree with M. Polèseès view that statistics are in the eye of the beholder. We anglos must empathize with the emotionally-driven angst of francophones who are indeed surrounded by English. What to do? Become an ally. Speak French wherever and whenever we can. (I know many of us do already). Ensure our kids and grandkids understand that we live in a predominantly French society and equip them for that. Immerse in the culture. Go to French plays, watch French movies (with subtitles if you have to). Push back on those who would speak only English. Answer in French, even with fellow anglophones. Stop expecting the feds to come "to our rescue". It is only when francos see us as partners in the protection our common language and culture that policy will stop scapegoating us.
Great listening to Andrew’s vision !