Nick Kolasky

1913-150 Park Street West, Windsor, Ontario, N9A 7A2
Email: worldtravelnick@gmail.com

2022 Windsor Election Rose City Politics Candidate Questionnaire answers:

1. What is your prior political experience?

My political experience is months of canvassing during the last provincial election, during which I had many discussions regarding the concerns of the electorate.

My background is in business. I studied commerce at university and ran a business with at times more than 40 employees for a few decades.

My level of common sense and fiscal responsibility would make me a better city councillor than someone with lots of political experience, but lacking common sense or an understanding of the concept of fiscal responsibility.

2. Why are you running?

To stop the waste. This city’s spending priorities are very much out of order. Unnecessary capital projects are prioritized over what citizens actually require. Worse than the financial waste, those unnecessary projects usually result in an unnecessary environmental cost as well.

3. What do you do currently for a living?

I am the sole caregiver for my mom. She has dementia.

4. What is the biggest issue affecting the ward you are running for?

The homeless situation.

My suggestion:

Instead of the 64-unit homeless hub announced recently which would take five years to build, I suggest we should find some vacant government or industrial land on which we could build homeless hubs with retro-fitted shipping containers. Actual self-contained units with a private bathroom, a kitchen, a window or two, and a lock so a person could feel secure. Not exactly the lap of luxury, but a big step up from a tent pitched outside during the month of January. To hopefully make the move off the streets permanent for most of these residents, mental health support as well as counselling for substance abuse and alcoholism would need to be available. With proper support, some of the homeless should be able to get jobs and move on from these homeless hubs, making room for new residents. It could or should be possible to have 64 units ready in less than a year and maybe a few hundred units ready in less than two years.

5. What is the biggest issue affecting the city of Windsor?

The mega hospital. AKA the mega waste. The plan seems to call for the building of a bunch of bricks and mortar and also knocking down a similar bunch of bricks and mortar at a cost of two billion dollars.

With all that money being spent on bricks and mortar, there would be at best a minimal improvement in services. By knocking down the two older hospitals, the result is little or no increase in the number of beds for a growing community.

Also, there are many support businesses such as pharmacies and health clinics located near those two hospitals. Many of them would end up closing because of the location of the proposed mega hospital. Some may rebuild near the airport, resulting in further financial and environmental waste. No consideration is given for the affected property or business owners.

A huge waste of our tax dollars and a huge assault on the environment.

My suggestion:

First, build an annex at either the Met or Ouelette. Met may make more sense as it has that large parking lot. The parking lot could be cut in half One half could be converted to a multi-level parking lot resulting in no loss in capacity. On the other half of the parking lot, a 10 or 15 story annex could be built adding much needed capacity.

Diagnostic machinery such as MRI machines, maybe new or upgraded medical equipment such as a laser to remove kidney stones (instead of a trip to London) could be purchased with the money not spent on redundant bricks and mortar…

Those are the first two medical machinery suggestions that come to my mind. This is not my area of expertise. At some point in the future, a smaller hospital could be built at the current proposed site of the mega hospital.

I have not yet met anyone in ward 3 who thinks a 20 minute (when it is not rush hour) ambulance ride to the proposed mega hospital would be an improvement compared to the current ride which could take maybe 5 minutes. Lives will be put at risk. Residents of other wards would also have their lives put at risk by the added distances as currently planned

6. Are you seeking any endorsements?

No. I would not want to arrive in office with any outstanding debts.

7. Have you received any endorsements?

No.

8. Will you continue the “hold the line on taxes” policy?

If this city was run in a proper, fiscally responsible manner, there would be no need to raise taxes.

9. Do you support the mega-hospital location?

Absolutely not.

10. Do you support strong mayor legislation?

No. Dictatorships are not a favourable form of government.

11. Should the city use taxpayers dollars to bring jobs to the area?

In a fiscally responsible manner, yes.

12. If you are running in a ward with an incumbent who is also running, why is change necessary, and why are you the person to deliver it?

There is no incumbent. in ward 3 Any vote is a vote for change.

13. How many hours per week do you plan to allocate towards council business if elected?

As many hours as necessary. I do not have a business to run or a job which demands my time.

I can make my time available as required while continuing to take care of my present responsibilities.

14. Do you live in the ward you are running for?

Yes.

15. What agencies, boards, or committees do/have you served on, and in what capacity?

None.

16. What person, animal or fictional character should be Windsor’s unofficial mascot?

Windsor is the Motor City. It is not among those choices, but I would suggest a very large bus with room for all of us to roll forward towards a positive future.