[kermitology]

I've been on the no side of things for most of the discussion, and I think I've switched to a yes (but).

Basically it boils down to this: we have an opportunity to inject some infrastructure capital into our city and draw some attention here. It's not going to improve things right away, and it's not going to help our greatest unemployed sector immediately, which sucks. But the risks probably aren't as bad as we're imagining.

My concerns with a bid reside with the federal and provincial governments. It's almost certain that if we do bid that this is the only money we're getting from the province for a long time. But that's probably inevitable with the UCP expected to take power. They'll just shut down all social spending and reduce taxes but we're screwed either way. Kenney and his band of Neo-cons aren't going to save us. The dedication of the federal government is probably the biggest concern. I get the sense from several councillors that they don't think the federal government is dedicated to this process, which is a concern, but not a concern that should stop my from voting yes on the plebiscite.

Basically, the deal isn't great, but it's not bad. It's okay - voting yes isn't a commitment that the bid goes ahead, if the feds pull something shifty then we're out - same thing with the province.