MIDTERM EXAMINATION 394
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MIDTERM EXAMINATION 394
SHAHEZAD HIRANI, 38041190
Question 1: Using the tools and concepts from our class, write a critique of the ONE Burnaby
platform (a critique may be positive or negative)
One Burnaby is a political movement started in the city of Burnaby by a few political
candidates. The 13 page case talks about the several changes and developments to be made
over the years. Its tagline “Leading the way” stands correctly as the action plan highlights the
significance and importance of these changes.
I say this because it adheres to the utilitarian philosophy in its commitment to the people with
the essential concepts. It helps to increase overall human pleasure and if that occurs it is
considered to have performed good deeds. One of the most positive steps that I recognised
was the 3x3xe Permitting Mandate which focuses on the positive aspect by trying to avoid
red tape. This is an another positive move in the same direction. Unnecessary bureaucratic
delays a long standing problem, especially in Vancouver where the approval and permission
rates are on the clouds (high). A positive externality results from expediting permit
applications under expert supervision since it promotes knowledge transfer, Professionals
such as licenced architects, engineers and builders will use their expertise to help the
municipal planning department to fasten their decision making process. Their background
gives them and the council new perspective on many initiatives aimed at enhancing Burnaby
as a whole. Red tape is also addressed by creating laws that are more logical in the context of
creating family friendly housing.
Through initiatives like the “Car 87” mental health crisis program, one Burnaby is dedicated
to creating a community that is safe and inclusive for everyone. Since it improves the lives of
many members of society without harming a small minority, it aids the group in achieving
pareto level efficiency. Enhancing Burnaby fire capabilities and constructing ambulance
sheds near new fire stations are both public goods that is non-competitive and non-exclusive.
The benefits of establishing a Burnaby Fire Paramedic Service, for example are available to
everyone in the community and if someone uses them, it does not offset the benefit received
by others.
A wonderful act of equality and acceptance is the recognition of the distinct cultural
communities and the plain language policy. Accepting the immigrants, working toward First
Nations reconciliation and taking into account the fact that more than 50 languages are
spoken across the city are all courageous moves in the right direction. It adheres to the “Equal
Liberty Principle” which is Rawls First principle of Justice. Each person is given the same
chances, liberties, right to vote and freedom under this philosophy, which is uncommon in
majority of the globe. This is because people are allowed to enter into voluntary agreements
with other people to maintain public lands in the hands of people from Burnaby, the
establishment of municipal housing authority in that city provides people economic freedom.
Another step in the correct manner is to always build affordable homes, since this enable the
council to engage in transfer seeking which is a process of devoting resources to trying to
obtain or retain economic benefits through redistribution of wealth of others rather than
creating new wealth. Targeting those who make up the core of the community such as
teachers, health care professionals, and first responders, the initiative tries to focus their
spending toward fire halls, libraries and community centres. Instead than producing new
money for the benefit of society as a whole, it retains economic gains via the redistribution of
wealth owned by others, even though parking is so expensive it is not a top priority for the
majority of efforts to enhance a city. Going the extra mile qualifies as marginalism since it
provides the people of Burnaby with an additional account of unit of enjoyment. Burnaby
residents have an edge over visitors who come from outside the city and use the parks and
public amenities without paying for them because of the city’s free yearly parking decal. This
indicates that the free rider problem is avoided by using this specific approach to parking and
public facilities. Services cannot be misused, especially when they are provided gratis.
A wonderful act of equality and acceptance is the recognition of the distinct cultural
communities and the plain language policy. Accepting the immigrants, working toward First
Nations reconciliation and taking into account the fact that more than 50 languages are
spoken across the city are all courageous moves in the right direction. It adheres to the “Equal
Liberty Principle” which is Rawls First principle of Justice. Each person is given the same
chances, liberties, right to vote and freedom under this philosophy, which is uncommon in
majority of the globe. This is because people are allowed to enter into voluntary agreements
with other people to maintain public lands in the hands of people from Burnaby, the
establishment of municipal housing authority in that city provides people economic freedom.
The city council may be democratically reformed by implementing measures like Finance
and Government perspectives, KPIs, and the annual civic report card all of which are
representative kinds of democracy because they all have an impact on Burnaby residents. In
times when inflation is close to its height, offering financial incentives through E-Bikes for
everyone is beneficial. One Burnaby’s transformation of its transportation hubs and public
areas is a fantastic method to incorporate innovation policy. It focuses on the four pillars that
make up the innovation policy. The municipal council members have gathered data on
commuting patterns. They have invested the mental energy to concentrate on it and raise
peoples living standard. They have an incentive to pursue it since it benefits the general
public and helps Burnaby residents see the city council members favourable. As a result, they
have chosen to invest in it by constructive private locker rooms, clean and secure public
restrooms and locker sheds in metro area.
It is indeed a good plan that moves in the right way with all these elements. But nothing and
no one can be perfect as the saying goes. In this instance of One Burnaby it is accurate.
The city council members want to make “common sense decisions” to address problems like
housing shortage and affordability crisis but this is impossible because moral relativism
comes into play, which holds that moral standards and ethics vary across cultures and that
there is no universal definition of what is good for one culture or segment of society will also
be good for another. Overall costs are not even mentioned once, instead, merely a freeze on
property tax increasing is discussed. This leaves down to a few queries unanswered; where
does the entire program get its fundings from? And is it an increase in income taxes, an
increase in another tax or the creation of new revenue stream? Is the E-Bike program an
opportunity cost for the community given that vehicles won’t be disappearing from Burnaby
anytime soon according to Building complete communities across Burnaby? The E-Bike
programme also infringes on consumer sovereignty because it restricts consumers use of the
funds provided by the city council to vouchers for E-Bikes. There is no money involved, only
vouchers. Four floors and corner stores in every neighbourhood under the same plan require
flexible permitting which includes a cost benefit analysis that hasn’t been completed or hasn’t
been supplied to us in the overview, which creates the situation of asymmetric knowledge.
Since we are unaware of the present workload or capabilities of the Fraser Health Authority,
this kind of information is also frequently found in the mental health crisis program.
Furthermore, the permitting process for new engineers and architects is delayed by
multigenerational housing and expediting approvals for experienced professional architects
and engineers, limiting their opportunities and further establishing a monopoly market in this
context and moving away from the perfect competition. The business community is brought
up while discussing competitiveness. The city council will not engage in anti-competitive
behaviour such collusions, mergers or cartels according to any provisions, methods or
specifics that have been provided. The Tree4Free initiative is a positive move, but the cost
benefit analysis or the fundamental trade-off between present cost and future benefits, is the
major lens through which to view environmental efforts. We are not provided a time
commitment here through which we may compute the Net Present Value, so we are unable to
determine if it is positive or negative. Finally, more community policing may have
detrimental repercussions. Unnecessary arrest risks increase, the quantity of salary to be paid
increases, liabilities increase, and we are unsure of the prevalence of non-coercion. The law
of unintended consequences may apply to increased policing and the responsible public
drinking pilot program which permits public drinking. Increasing bike lanes to promote E-
Bikes will lead to increasing marginal cost as more is occupied by the bike lanes and hence it
is likely that the marginal benefit decreases.
I opine that this is a fine strategy but to determine the efficiency level of these policies
additional information is required, which would reduce the asymmetry of information.
Otherwise this strategy seems absurd.
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