Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee
The number ONE THROUGH TEN priority for the municipal, provincial and federal governments from a Calgarians viewpoint is to get oil and gas support, energy industry support, do everything ####ing possible to get and revive the energy industry in Canada. Support businesses and projects. Lower (or hell guarantee stablization) royalty structures. Speed up processes. Do your jobs and make it easier for companies to not die in Calgary instead of actively acting against it. Listen to your economic leaders and advisers. Your respected economic and financial and business communities, Chambers of Commerce's and hell the ordinary Calgarian. Listen to what people are telling you. That's what this vote was trying to message. It's not that we can't afford the Olympics, it's that we can't stand by and throw a party whilst you idiots continue to mismanage foreign investment. Businesses trying to grow, and turn a blind eye to rising unemployment, vacancies and troubling economic signs.
It's not a call to turn your back on the environment, or even on NIMBY's or special interest groups. It's a call to use your practical side. Use your head. We have lifelong politicians not listening enough, not understanding where people are at, or how their lives are being impacted today and into the future. People at the forefront of industry, watching billions of dollars of value turn to dust or leave the country for no real good reason. Governments turning a blind eye to the US sovereign attack on our finances by paying money to special interest groups and block our energy infrastructure projects for their own selfish gain.
Trudeau should be screaming from the rooftops, tweeting about it hourly. Notley should be showing how serious this is. Nenshi- while limited in ability- should also be constantly echoing these concerns. Spend the money to fly around the country where you are actually beloved and turn hearts and minds to what Canadian energy has done and will do for this country.
So, these are things the government should be passionate about. Not hosting the Olympics. Because by focusing on the economy to which they seemingly have just abandoned, they are impacting every one of us. Property values. Taxes rising to make up for commercial vacancies. Our standard of living, education and health care systems are at significant and material risk of deterioration. But yeah, let's campaign on the Olympics.
Focus is not in the right spot. That's what the No vote is all about in my eyes.
edit: to put a little more perspective here; according to a Financial Post article on November 11, the current differential picture is a pace of losing $100,000,000,000 per year. That's $100B. Global demand is still growing. Oil is Canada's number one export.
How many Olympics does that pay for? How much public benefit and economic stimulation? That pace in 1 year is enough to pay off 10 provincial and 3 territories debts.
That is a staggering number to sneer at, which Canada is currently doing. That is a staggering number to turn our backs on.
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I could not agree more with your entire post.
Calgary spending $380 million dollars to bribe first nations to get a single pipeline built would've been better use of that money than the Olympics. Whatever it takes, just get it done.
The influx of money to the city from a pipeline (or two) would be magnitudes higher than any sort of net benefit that the Olympics would've brought. Wouldn't even need provincial or federal money.
My civic pride comes from our citizens prospering and definitely it's at an all time low because of the current economic climate. The Olympics don't fix any of that, and depending on who you are, could be a big detriment.