Some great fights happen in Vegas, some in Madison Square Garden, and some in the cafeteria at the downtown campus of Red River College.
Sam Vs Judy
The announcer enters the ring: "Another shooting happened last night in Windsor Park, as Mayor what do plan to do about the ongoing crime, auto theft and gangs on our our streets?"
Round 1/Safer Streets
Ding.
Katz comes out swinging:
Auto theft has gone down 74% he says. There are 58 more police on the street. 20 walk the beat, and the others are being utilized in areas such as auto theft investigation, street crime in the West End and S.W.A.T.
"It is frusterating having a revolving door justice system where an offender can be arrested on Tuesday and let go on Thursday"
Judy supports more police on the street.
She throws out her first punch packed with the four "P's" Powerline, Protection, Prevention, Punishement.
"We need to get to the root of the problem; community hubs, more support, more money invested in community centres.
Katz gives his head a shake from the mild hit and in return pretty much tells Wasylycia-Leis to do the same thing as he states 64 million has gone into community centres but later in the debate that number changes to 45 million. All I can hear is the 90's hit from C&C Music Factory "Things that make you go mmm" playing in my head.
Katz is firm on taking care of crime today, and that the other side takes time, although he's all about getting youth on the right track through opportunity, he's a firm believer in if they do the crime you give them the time.
Judy wants to give them good paying jobs?
I say make them earn it! She may have the give and take thing reversed. What kind of message does that really send? Break the law and the city will give you a break. Where's my gat, my colors, and my jimmy, I'm off to get me a good paying job, boi.
The debate began to get heated and began to sound like it was taking place in a school yard, the word mother started being thrown around, and continued throughout the debate, it started off innocent with mothers concerned with why there is repeat crime and than Katz calling Wasylycia-Leis mom because he felt like he was being scolded by his.
Whether we were young students or mature students we all felt a bit more mature than the two who may or may not be responsible for the maturing of Winnipeg which is still in it's cocoon stage compared to the vivid thriving butterfly cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, or Edmonton.
All in all that round went to Katz;
Round 2/Choppers, Property Tax, and Infrastructure, oh my.
Ding.
Enter the whirlybird:
JWL throws out a punch, she wants to review the use of the city helicopter on an annual basis but Katz swears by the need for an eye in the sky, the bigger cities such has Calgary and Edmonton has one so why shouldn't we, he thinks it will cut down on road chases and increase safer streets.
To have safer streets at least for our vehicles we need to put some money into our infrastructure.
Judy throws another swing; With a 4 billion deficit we must raise property tax 2% over the next four years.
Sam hits back
The deficit is 3.7 billion and it is over 10 years, property tax has nothing to do with income and it will only hurt the working poor.
Katz wants to freeze taxes and work on making this city more competitive so people will stay here, and he should know about a compettiive job market, he hires members of the Indian Posse & the CreComm Posse.
Round 2 started well for Judy but in the end went to Sam
There was a lot more bouting banter regarding more recycling, how composting would be ideal, blind trusts and spending accountability.
But, Fear not, Where Sam's spending is a little more public accessible just knock on Judy's door, ask her to put on a pot of Joe and the keys to her garage and you can perk up and rest easy.
Overall it was a fight to the end and cheap shots and hits below the belt weren't spared as Punch and Judy pulled at eachother's strings.
JWL, as much as I think she has some good ideas, she clung to the community centre thing too much and began sounding like a broken record. Which is unfortunate, because I think change can be good, but I am also prone to go with the lesser of two evils which is usually the familiar, even if the familiar is a rock n roll, baseball enthusiast.
The big question is; "Is he safe or is he out?' Wheres a good ump when you need one? For that matter where is Brad and Rav? I could vote on that guy for his 21 Jumpstreet hair cut alone. (K, maybe not, but he seems cool.)
Kudos to my fellow classmate Haley Brigg who asked a great question and got a poor answer.
One of my other classmates Jennifer David made a valiant effort to show some true leadership and get them to say something nice about one another. I am guessing they both had mothers who taught them; if you can't say something nice, than don't say anything at all. I'm sure blocking that motto out a time or two in the debate was merely an oversight.
So instead they gave eachother an awkward hug like a brother and sister who were being forced to, when secretly they wanted to kill eachother.
The fight continues but the winner isn't final nor is the answer as to whose corner I stand in with a towel, mouth guard and water, but if I have would have to choose a winner of the morning with today's verbal boxing, than I would say Katz had his Rocky moment replacing his cry of "Adrianne" with "Winnipeg"
But that is just one man's view on another man's and woman's fight.
