I'm still undecided, but feel like I should vote. I think most of my indecision comes from not liking the current proposal for the City in terms of value of the legacy infrastructure vs. the cost and how that money could be better spent. One point that does sway me to the "Yes" side is the fact that this plebiscite is really only a green light to proceed with a bid, and hope that Calgary's counsel, the Calgary Olympic Committee and the Flames, can work out a final bid proposal that is actually a better deal for Calgary.
As some have said, I agree that the City could use something like the Olympics to rally around, but also worry about committing to a huge expense that we don't have certainty around the costs and the potential legacy of paying for these games for years to come. Every Olympics since 1968 have come in over budget, so I think it's reasonable to expect that these would also. Here's a chilling quote regarding the 1976 Montreal olympics:
"Drapeau (Montreal's mayor) had vowed the Montreal Games would be “self-financing,” setting a $120-million budget in 1970. By the time the Games opened in July 1976, the tally had risen to $1.3 billion. By 2006, when the Olympic debt was finally paid off, the price tag for the adventure would reach about $2.5 billion in capital and interest."
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