[Dion]

Understanding benefit and loss

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/le...ers-for-oct-31

Some people think we can relive the excitement and fun of 1988’s Olympics by hosting the games again in 2026. But it is different now for a host. Calgary’s unemployment rate is 8.7% according to the 2017 Calgary Annual Report.

Calgary is broke. We are constantly being threatened with higher taxes and/or cuts to services, and new user fees are constantly added or increased. Alberta is broke. The government has Alberta heading toward a debt greater than $50 billion. Taxes are one of the few choices left to fight off the debt. And Canada is broke. The federal government is in a deficit position and doesn’t seem to be heading anywhere soon to address it.

If you are looking for a way to increase your tax load, putting up a few billion to host an Olympics is a fun way to go. Then again, a practical person might suggest putting current and future taxes to a better use; like education, medical care, roads, a cleaner environment.

But if you are still steaming about the lack of progress on pipelines, vote “yes.” We can stick it to the rest of Canada’s taxpayers. Have them pay most of the costs for our fun. The best part of this is that the rest of Canada doesn’t even get to vote!

It’s your choice when you vote. Just be sure you understand what it is you stand to gain and stand to lose.