Name: John Klein

Ward You’re Running In: 1

Current Occupation: IT Support Analyst at a major Regina university.

Voter Information: 757-4139, www.johnklein.ca, @johnkleinregina (or @saskboy) on Twitter, John Klein Ward 1 on Facebook, johnkleinregina@gmail.com

I grew up in rural SK, went to the UofR and got my computer science degree, before traveling, working a few years in libraries around Yorkton, then returned to Regina to work at the UofR. I also helped found a car share co-op for Regina. I’m married, and have pets. There are more biographical details on my website, or people can ask me or check my blog.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Briefly, why are you running for council?
I have skills and knowledge that can help Regina address some of the problems residents often complain nothing is being done to solve. I like solving problems, especially to help out people around me.

2. What is the single most pressing issue facing Regina? How would you solve it?
The most pressing is the housing crisis, where people cannot find anything affordable to rent if they are not well connected, or if they have pets. Only an increase in rental supply can solve this problem, since I don’t want to see people leaving town or passing us over for a lack of safe, affordable housing.

3. Imagine the Regina Of The Future that you want to help build. What will it look like?
Future Regina will fit better with the vision statement laid out in the Design Regina process. Inclusive, sustainable, and more harmonious. Plus backyard chickens (in reasonably small numbers), and front yard gardens; Same great people, with more great Saskatchewan flora and fauna.

4. Beyond immediate concerns like housing, the stadium and infrastructure renewal, what “big idea” project do you want to work on that nobody seems to be talking about?
We need to stop wasting resources by burying trash, right away. Edmonton is making millions of dollars a year by selling recyclables that their citizens are throwing out. We can do the same; why not make money while saving the earth?

5. Name something the last council got right.
They began the Design Regina consultations to engage the public in long term city planning. I took time off work to participate in the workshops, and also formed a Citizens’ Circle to provide additional structured feedback.

6. Now, point out their biggest mistake.
They promised a domed stadium at a certain location with mostly private funding, and then scrambled to replace the plan with public funding, no roof, and different site when all of the promised features fell through. It left many people wondering, “What’s the rush?”

7. What are you reading these days?
The Internet. Books are good too, but I tend not to get more than a chapter into a non-fiction before finding myself back in the interactive Internet reading/writing spaces.

8. Beyond your residence, do you own any property in Regina or in the immediate area?
No other land owned aside from a few lots in my tiny hometown, hours away.

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FUN QUESTIONS!

1. What is your favourite Regina restaurant?
Viet Thai

2. Who is your favourite Regina artist?
Jeff Cliff – musician

3. What actor would play you in the gritty cable drama, Queen City Hall?
Patrick Stewart

4. How would your character die?
Crushed under a load of bicycles being hauled on a truck, taking them to children.

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PICK A SIDE

Cats or Dogs? Dogs

Vampires or Werewolves? Werewolves

Boxing or Roller Derby? Roller derby

Steak or Sushi? Steak

Hill Towers or Legislative Building? Legislative Building

Quance Street or Dewdney Avenue? Dewdney Ave

Artesian or Wascana Park Gazebo? Artesian

Prairie Dog or Richardson Ground Squirrel? Richardson Ground Squirrel

Giant Grasshopper or Stegosaurus? Grasshopper

Saskaboom or SaskAdvantage? Saskaboom

Bike or Sports Car? Bike

Le Macaron or Five Guys? ??? Five Guys

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? The Beatles

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BONUS QUESTION: Make up your own question (And answer it, of course!)
Twitter or Facebook? Twitter

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