Ring Road To Nowhere

[tvp2003]

Band members set to receive payment from the Ring Road deal: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...deal-1.3097908

Under terms of the deal with the Alberta government, the Tsuu T'ina First Nation has been paid $275 million and received new land west of the existing reserve in exchange for land the province will use to complete Calgary's ring road.

Tsuu T'ina has in the past shared the proceeds of major agreements, like land claims, by holding half of the settlement in trust for future projects and making per-capita payments to Tsuu T'ina members.

In this case, $137.5 million will be paid out. With more than 2,000 members, it means each person at the reserve on Calgary's southwestern edge could receive approximately $68,000.

...

While it could be a game-changing sum of money, a spokesman for the Tsuu T'ina said members are looking forward more to economic development plans, which will be laid out soon.

"We're more excited about the future opportunity the ring road will give us. The money — the individual money — was never really an issue for them. It was actually, 'How are we going to benefit in the future from development around the ring road?" said Kevin Littlelight.

...

Payments for band members who are under the age of 18 will be held in trust for them until they become adults.

Littlelight said the per capita payments will be issued on June 26.

Everyone gets a check for $68k? Hey, what could go wrong?!?

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Band members set to receive payment from the Ring Road deal: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...deal-1.3097908



Everyone gets a check for $68k? Hey, what could go wrong?!?

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Band members set to receive payment from the Ring Road deal: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...deal-1.3097908



Everyone gets a check for $68k? Hey, what could go wrong?!?

Tsuu T'inapocalypse

[lazypucker]

I foresee the number of pickup trucks and luxury SUVs being total-ed in the next 6 months will increase substantially...

[Northendzone]

this news reminds me that i need to go down to my buddsy mule farm and hand out spinning wheels - i'll likely do it under the cover of dark though.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

I foresee the number of pickup trucks and luxury SUVs being total-ed in the next 6 months will increase substantially...

C'mon.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

I foresee the number of pickup trucks and luxury SUVs being total-ed in the next 6 months will increase substantially...

Agreed.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

I foresee the number of pickup trucks and luxury SUVs being total-ed in the next 6 months will increase substantially...

I like the irony of this comment in the context of the Truth and Reconciliation Report coming out yesterday.

[CaptainYooh]

It's their land and their money. They are free to spend it as they wish.

[polak]

This is the problem with reserves but I digress.

Investing back into the community is for suckers. Handing out massive cheques to the most problematic demographic in Canada is the way to go.

Good work band leaders.

[MacDaddy77]

Originally Posted by polak

This is the problem with reserves but I digress.

Investing back into the community is for suckers. Handing out massive cheques to the most problematic demographic in Canada is the way to go.

Good work band leaders.

From my understanding this wasn't the band leaders decision. The reason the first deal was voted down by the community was because the land being promised wasn't the crowns to give "yet" and that each member didn't trust they would ever receive any thing from the deal.

someone correct me if I'm wrong however i thing the 2 major changes to the deal the council accepted and the people rejected and the one the community accepted were

1. the land now belonged to the crown so there wasn't a promise they would give it. it was written in as a suriety.

2. the new deal provided for each member to receive a cash benefit per person instead of the band council being in charge of the entire payment.

[Bownesian]

Good for the band members. Hopefully they take their personal shares and improve their lives and communities with it.

Probably some will fritter it away (some to extreme personal detriment), others will improve their lives a little and others will turn this to a great personal benefit (buy a house, start a successful business, invest it wisely), just like any community of people would do with a lottery windfall.

It is a bit racist collectively for us to immediately assume they will all drink or piss this money away when we should hope for the best from our neighbors.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Bownesian

It is a bit racist collectively for us to immediately assume they will all drink or piss this money away when we should hope for the best from our neighbors.

Is it racist to point out that the aboriginal demographic has statistically visible problems with drug and alcohol addiction at a rate like no other demographic in Canada?

If not, then is racist to say that handing someone like that a $68,000 one time check might be a bad idea?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Bownesian

Good for the band members. Hopefully they take their personal shares and improve their lives and communities with it.

Probably some will fritter it away (some to extreme personal detriment), others will improve their lives a little and others will turn this to a great personal benefit (buy a house, start a successful business, invest it wisely), just like any community of people would do with a lottery windfall.

It is a bit racist collectively for us to immediately assume they will all drink or piss this money away when we should hope for the best from our neighbors.

I don't think it's racist to predict that handing 68k to 18 to 25 year old kids will cause bad things to happen.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

From my understanding this wasn't the band leaders decision. The reason the first deal was voted down by the community was because the land being promised wasn't the crowns to give "yet" and that each member didn't trust they would ever receive any thing from the deal.

someone correct me if I'm wrong however i thing the 2 major changes to the deal the council accepted and the people rejected and the one the community accepted were

1. the land now belonged to the crown so there wasn't a promise they would give it. it was written in as a suriety.

2. the new deal provided for each member to receive a cash benefit per person instead of the band council being in charge of the entire payment.

In the agreement, there is no clause mandating per capita distribution of the $275M cash to citizens of the nation. It merely states that if the Nation chooses to distribute the funds that way, citizens are not precluded from other payment from the national program.

Uncertainty over Crown lands is correct, and the other big problem with the '09 deal was that nothing prohibited the City of Calgary from closing access to the reserve via city roads in the future.

[Bownesian]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I don't think it's racist to predict that handing 68k to 18 to 25 year old kids will cause bad things to happen.

When I was 21, I won 21k in a scratch and win lottery ticket. I played golf for the summer but invested maybe 19k of it and borrowed against it for a down payment on my first house. If I had won 3 times that, I would have done the same, just three times over.

Some kids will do good things, others will not. It is racist to assume the worst is all that will happen just because they`re indians and the bulk of the reaction comments here are in that vein.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Bownesian

... It is racist to assume the worst is all that will happen just because they`re indians and the bulk of the reaction comments here are in that vein.

I don't think it is. Approximately 17% of aboriginal population in Canada suffers from some kind of mental health issues, which is more than double the Canada average. Almost 1/3 of Canadian aboriginal population living on reserves reportedly have or have had some addiction issues. It is a well-known and documented information. With the above percentages this high, assuming that most recipients of large lump-sum cash payment would invest it wisely is not realistic. Vocalizing the opposite assumption, however, is perceived as racist, right?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Bownesian

When I was 21, I won 21k in a scratch and win lottery ticket. I played golf for the summer but invested maybe 19k of it and borrowed against it for a down payment on my first house. If I had won 3 times that, I would have done the same, just three times over.

Some kids will do good things, others will not. It is racist to assume the worst is all that will happen just because they`re indians and the bulk of the reaction comments here are in that vein.

You are a minority in that regard.

You've never heard of the 18-24 year old guys (regardless of race) who went to Fort Mac and came back with a boatload of money and pissed it all away? There will surely be some who will make good use of it. And many who piss it all away. That's not unrealistic to predict, nor is it racist by any stretch.

EDIT: Also, some might consider you racist for calling them Indians.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I don't think it is. Approximately 17% of aboriginal population in Canada suffers from some kind of mental health issues, which is more than double the Canada average. Almost 1/3 of Canadian aboriginal population living on reserves reportedly have or have had some addiction issues. It is a well-known and documented information. With the above percentages this high, assuming that most recipients of large lump-sum cash payment would invest it wisely is not realistic. Vocalizing the opposite assumption, however, is perceived as racist, right?

1/3 is not most, is it?

I agree that cutting fat cheques to individuals is not the most judicious use of a community windfall. Ralph Bucks come to mind. However, I'm not sure what the band could do regarding the money for minors, except maybe mandate that half of it be set aside in an RESP.

[polak]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

1/3 is not most, is it?

I agree that cutting fat cheques to individuals is not the most judicious use of a community windfall. Ralph Bucks come to mind. However, I'm not sure what the band could do regarding the money for minors, except maybe mandate that half of it be set aside in an RESP.

$68K is a lot different than $400....

They could explain the reason for not wanting to hand over 68,000 dollar cheques...