Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
The question is: should decisions be made based on optics, or on economic fundamentals?
It's so easy to fall back on the optics arguments. But at the end of the day, I would hope our leaders have a little more foresight and focus than that.
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We're talking about politicians here. Suggesting anything other than optics is their concern is pretty funny. Politics is almost by default all about optics.
Ultimately this will be an arena only project, probably north of the Stampede site. And while the Flames ownership probably badly wants the CalgaryNEXT project as is for all the money they'll make from the real estate side of things, getting any significant taxpayer money is a non-starter. Lets theorize that they can actually get the votes in council to get the money. Well those councilors can go ahead and not waste the money on a re-election campaign because in an economy like this, willingly helping a private business with taxpayer money is a one-way ticket to being defeated in an election.
That's why I said 2006 was the window. Even 2011 would have been doable. But right now it's just not possible until there's any sort of economic recovery. With tax increases abound from the city and province, people are going to be pretty pissed at any politician who wants to give away taxpayer money to a wealthy organization, regardless of the economics of it (which have been proven to be middling at best).