Quote:
Originally Posted by polak
I dont know, I guess I refuse to look at it simply as a regular business transaction.
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Two very large organizations each with thousands of steakholders made a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. You are right- it is actually a very serious business transaction. This wasn't you selling a car to your uncle; this isn't your buddy selling you a house. The scale of this deal is mind boggling. And it was still a good deal for the province IMHO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by polak
If we tolled all of the TTN nation access points I would be able to view it more as a straight property purchase.
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That was actually part of the negotiations. I believe the 2009 deal fell through because of two key points:
- Province talked of "best effort" to get the TTN the land being promised. That was because the land was under lease until 2012; so legally one cannot promise something that they don't currently have control over.
- The city refused to make any promises about access to TTN; especially the Casino.
This time both of those key sticking points were addressed.
And let's say you still think this is a "selling a car to a familly member" type of deal where there should be consideration. The level of poverty on reserves is quite sobering. Even the TTN who do well compared to other reserves that I have visited, there are still people living in conditions that would make a 4-plex in Forest Lawn look like the Taj Mahal. So now look at it that you are buying a car from your 17 year old niece. She needs the money for tuition. She is asking $5000 for the car, but you think you could probably get her down to $4000. You can afford the car, you need this
exact model, and this car is so rare that the only other car like it is selling for $15,000. (And has twice as many km on it.) Do you accept her offer of $5000? It's what she's asking, you can afford it, you cannot get it for less than triple the price anywhere else, and her getting the money will allow her to get the education she needs to make a good life for herself.