Quote:
Originally Posted by morgin
This just feels so poorly handled from a media/optics perspective at this point. I guess who am I to say what will result in the best deal for everyone, but to me, this is a totally unnecessary one-sided public negotiation where they appear completely out of touch with current public perspective. Why are they even talking about best offers and plan A and plan B at this point? The communication bungles are why this project feels like a total rush job, which is insane given how long they've purportedly been working on it.
If you want public funding, don't treat the public like morons. Treat them like stakeholders and make them privy to your information. Are there legitimately no other sites that work? Do you know exact total project costs including contamination cleanup? Do you have a good idea of what sort of infrastructure improvements will be necessary? Do you know costs of those? Public funding means this entire project should have its books opened up as it would be for any other funding partner. If you want to do this by only releasing select information that is deemed palatable for the public, then self-fund it. No other investor would think of handing money over without disclosure, why should the public be any different if tax money is being asked for at the same level that the owners are willing to contribute.
Ridiculous. There was no reason for them to have gone down this combative sales pitch route making veiled references to there being no future with the status quo and "seeing what that would mean" when we haven't even received a clear sense from them WTF makes this site so good and what exactly they want us to build aside from some overtures of it being cutting edge next gen [insert more superlatives from KK]
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First of all the Flames aren't in the business of civil road construction so how exactly would you expect them to come up with firm estimates on infrastructure improvements or cleanup without working heavily with the city? See this is where the "moron" statement comes in to play and I'm not calling you a moron but I am saying that you are expecting way too much from an initial announcement of their plans to have all the T's crossed and I's dotted. There's a reason that the project is far off and it's because there's a lot of work to be completed before the team and city can actually finalize on facilities, infrastructure and clean up. In the coming years your questions will be answered but you expecting those details today is akin to fans expecting the facilities to be built next year. Unrealistic and an excuse to complain and place the ownership group in a negative light.
I see so when the Flames are combative (that's your opinion BTW) that's a bad thing but when Nenshi does it years before there's even a pitch it's fine an dandy. You do realize Nenshi hasn't exactly played nice with the Flames so I would argue the Flames wouldn't have began in such a tone if the mayor didn't spout off to the newspapers his position long before an announcement.
You are the typical anti-funding taxpayer and that's fine as you are entitled but your spin is pretty transparent and you are going to have to do a little better to sway the fence sitters or pro-funding opinions as it's just retread contempt for the project.