Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan
I am going to hesitantly weigh in by saying first that I think this is an issue on which reasonable people can disagree, and that it is just up to them to be reasonable about it....
With that said, I think two things are true:
1. In the abstract, the Olympics are great, but not at any cost, and
2. No-one at this point knows or could reasonably be expected to know what a 2026 Olympics in Calgary will cost in 2018.
This creates a difficulty for us as voters in a plebiscite. I looked at the question that is being asked, and it is apparently this: "Are you for or are you against Calgary
hosting the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games?"
Well, that is hard question for me. Again, in the abstract, I might say yes. But if it came with an increase to property taxes, or redirected infrastructure spending away from areas that badly need it, I would say no. If it means tons of awesome legacy infrastructure that we can now have federal and provincial money to help build, I'd say yes. If it gives a huge jolt to the economy (and who knows whether it will need one 8 years from now) then again, I'd say yes. If it is a 'budget' Olympics that doesn't build anything that the city really needs and provides only a transient benefit, I'd say no.
So this is the problem: we don't know any of that. Or, at least, I don't--and I'll admit to being sort of uninformed. I suspect some of the above is simply unknowable right now.
All of that leads me to the question: are we voting too soon? Right now, my guess (and it's only a guess) is that the no side wins this plebiscite. I might vote yes, but I would do it not really knowing the long-term ramifications of that vote, and that - frankly - gives me some pause. I guess I am not sure that we are in the right process at the right time here.
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For infrastructure the bid includes 2 new venues (Fieldhouse and a 5-6,000 seat arena), updates to 11 existing venues (McMahon, Oval, Big 4, BMO, Winsport, Canmore Nordic Centre, Nakiska, and the Saddledome), and also includes over 2,800 new housing units.
From the condensed bid.