Quote:
Originally Posted by Kavvy
A couple things:
1- I have contacted my alderman
2 - the argument "well we waste tax dollars anyway, so why not spend money on this" is a terrible argument that applies to all levels of politics. The correct argument is identifying the such wastage, try to have it remove, and spending money on new projects based on their merits (i.e. the wastage and new spending shouldn't be linked) Also, the massive amounts of money you are talking about doesn't equal the City wastage you are implying
3- Calgary could have better roads if we spent more money on them. We don't, depend on Chinooks and have cheaper road clearing budgets. We save money. Yet, in the same post you say we waste money, and then want us to spend more money on the roads, and find money for this arena. Calgaryians who want cleaner roads should vote for tax increases.
4- If we feel passionately that public money shouldn't be spent on this arena, it is very short sighted of you to tell us to move. We SHOULD SPEAK UP and contact our alderman and participate in our democracy. If you are for the arena, you should do the same.
5 - You post is against the point of having a discussion about a new NHL arena on an internet forum about an NHL team. This is a forum, people have discussions about relevant things. You should accept this.
Forgive me, I read your post as "either your for the arena or against Calgary". Whereas I am against the arena because I want the BEST Calgary - in my view of course, just like anyone else.
Only someone with their head up their .... would be foolish enough to think their aren't other views to a discussion such as this and they the other views may have merits.
|
Thanks for the bullet points, but I said most people, not all. A few do take more action than shaking their fist at an internet cloud.
Further, millions of dollars are wasted by the city and province every year. This won't change, It's politics. And millions of dollars are spent on projects you don't like. I've watched this forum get it's panties in a knot because money was being spent on outlying areas of the city at the supposed expense of those paying higher taxes living inner-city. Again, if you don't like how the city spends it's money try to do something about it or move somewhere that you completely agree with.
At the end of the day public funding will be spent. That's how these things work. How much and on what is yet to be determined but it is a fact when living in a city the size and with the things Calgary does. I, for one, am all for improving the city's infrastructure, beauty and amenities as that is what taxes are for.
If the Flames chose to hike ticket prices 60% like the Oilers then good luck to them selling out their shiny new building. I try to believe they are smarter than that but who knows what will happen. Having spoken to Ken King while in 2 other far more modern buildings than the Dome, and without any of the line-ups, choke points and short-pouring beer stands like the Coilers built, I get a strong sense that he knows what to and not to do. The hate here for him is laughable but expected based on the opinions people are so openly willing to share.
As for road cleaning, well that's just the city trying to "save" so they can waste elsewhere. I've had many discussions with city workers and those at city hall about it and what it comes down to is general political wasting not being called out by voters and generally apathetic citizens who bitch and moan then drive their SUV with 3 season tires into a ditch. So nothing actually gets done. I was unfortunately denied 3 times trying to start an actual snow removal business to serve at least my community that would clear roads of snow instead of poorly attempting to push it to the side and leave side streets to rot until spring. MY alderman hasn't received a vote from me in years. Yet he's still employed.