Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Sorry Clay, don't agree.
Flames are entitled to charge whatever they want for tickets and concession, if the market will tolerate 11 dollar beers therer will be 11 dollar beers at the dome.
I just want this same standard applied in reverse. The Flames obviously feel that they need a new building to increase revenue, and as such, they should raise their own revenue for their own private business. They can collect cans to raise funds for all I care, but the Flames are not a library or a park or a bridge, they're a privately owned entertainment company.
If they don't think they'll make their money back on a 800 million dollar stadium complex then they should scale down their desires, not go looking for a handout from the city.
If the Flames want to cut the city of Calgary in for an equity stake in the team, by all means, have the city put some money up, you know, like a regular business transaction.
Having the city give hundreds of millions of dollars to the flames in order to save season ticket holders a couple thousand dollars is probably the worst case scenario. I'd rather the city just gave a couple grand to the season ticket holders directly.
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But I'm not talking about saving season ticket holders money. If they wanna increase tickets 5% or 10% on a new building with public money, fine. It's a new arena and you have to expect some kind of increase. But the likely 20% or more increase is ridiculous with public money involved. Taking public money to essentially shut out more of the public from the venue is awful. But it's not even season ticket holders I'm talking about, the average fan doesn't have season tickets. Season ticket holders will hate the increase but most will be able to afford it. The average fan who wants to go to 3 or 4 games a season might now only be able to afford to go to 1 or 2 games a season. For them this new venue means less live hockey.
If they build it 100% themselves, they can raise prices 99% for all I care. They put up the money, if they wanna earn it back that way go for it. But if the public is helping pay for the arena, and then will get ticket increases that shuts more of the public out, that's a problem for me.