Quote:
Originally Posted by belsarius
Tell me what library or art museum is built in order to allow millionaires and billionaires to get richer and richer. Which library in any city generates the revenue stream a major sporting venue does. I don't see the Sobey's Museum of Modern Art in any city. I don't pay $60 for standing room only at a museum. The librarian doesn't doesn't make 6 figures for reading books to kids every day.
It isn't about what enjoyment you might get out of it, taxpayers money isn't about individuals, its about society as a whole. Post secondary education makes our society better, it encourages growth in the sciences and in turn makes our lives better. Do you really think these cancer research doctors make 40 Mil over 6 years? And only work 8 months a year?
This is absurd to compare subsidizing an arena for private business - and allowing the rich to live off the lives of the poor - to public works projects.
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Tell me what museum or library generates tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue per year, creates as much spin off commercial benefit and creates strong international awareness of a region.
As for Post Secondary, that education only makes society better when its in a field that helps society, otherwise, its extremely expensive to fund "leisure degrees". Someone going to school to get a master's in Canadian Studies or Film Studies is a poor investment for society compared to someone getting a B.Ed or MD or B.Eng. or BN or LLB. If we only subsidizied programs that result in "beneficial" programs and degrees, then that argument might float. Otherwise, its simply paying people to pursue their interests, that, if we're lucky, will benefit society.
Back on point, Professional sports teams add a dynamic to a city that is extremely beneficial. Every major city on earth has at least one or two major sports teams that the local governments support with tax deals, land deals and stadium deals.
You simply can't think of it as poor taxpayers sponsoring rich athletes. When you break it down, its really spending about 20 million per year on a venue that can attract top tier athletics, concerts and other shows. 20m x 25 years (facilitiy lifetime)= $500 million. It looks daunting because governments don't plan for it. Pretty sure the AB income tax (10% of ~65m) of the Flames players and ownership alone over that time would cover the provincial share.