Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Fuzz]

In an interview with The Calgary Eyeopener on August 1, Dreeshan said the province's $1.53 billion pledge to the project was "100 per cent" secure.

"I've been working closely with the mayor and Calgary city councillors so that they know that the commitment from the province for the Green Line [is] in place and that they can bank on it."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...312683?cmp=rss


In somewhat shocking news, Dreeshan's MAGA word isn't worth the spittle it's written in.

[puffnstuff]

They are only going to do this so that Banff line gets included? And for the benefit of that one clown that wants public money to build it so he can run his private for profit trains on it?
I wish I had public money bootstraps to pull on like that...

[Fuzz]

Cons using taxpayer dollars to enrich cons is a tale as old as time.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Cons using taxpayer dollars to enrich cons is a tale as old as time.

I thought you were pro rail to Banff. The only way that gets built is with significant government subsidy. Mass transit is never built privately.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

I thought you were pro rail to Banff. The only way that gets built is with significant government subsidy. Mass transit is never built privately.

I am not pro rail Banff. I've always seen it as a boondoggle, and we are just getting started.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by GGG

I thought you were pro rail to Banff. The only way that gets built is with significant government subsidy. Mass transit is never built privately.

Yes, but it's convenient that the biggest proponent and champion of this is Adam Waterous who owns Mount Norquay Ski resort, and a multi-year lease of the Banff train station site that would be used for the train.

That all said Adam Waterous probably has a lot of easier ways to make money than this project and for him it's most certainly a passion project. But like all wealthy philanthropists there's always a commercial aspect to everything they do.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Yes, but it's convenient that the biggest proponent and champion of this is Adam Waterous who owns Mount Norquay Ski resort, and a multi-year lease of the Banff train station site that would be used for the train.

That all said Adam Waterous probably has a lot of easier ways to make money than this project and for him it's most certainly a passion project. But like all wealthy philanthropists there's always a commercial aspect to everything they do.

Philanthropist? Is that way they are up to now, taking taxpayer dollars for their passion projects?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Philanthropist? Is that way they are up to now, taking taxpayer dollars for their passion projects?

Guy leaves a major bank to become an oil tycoon and cozies up to a far-right political party to get a low-priority, highly expensive publicly funded transit option approved for his own personal gain…

“Wow, what a philanthropist.”

The guy sounds like the over-the-top villain from a cartoon.

[iggy_oi]

Vote’em out.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Cons using taxpayer dollars to enrich cons is a tale as old as time.

I hope the Feds provide all of the money and the City spite builds out the line so the airport and Banff rail lines can never built.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I was in Waterloo over the weekend, and I don’t know why we can’t do something like their ION LRT for the stations and track. Fairly small footprint in terms of station size and real estate needed.

As I understand it. That is the type of equipment the Green line is proposed to use.

The costliest part for the Greenline is finding the space for the track/ crossings in the downtown core.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I hope the Feds provide all of the money and the City spite builds out the line so the airport and Banff rail lines can never built.

Accept federal funding? Not under this government's watch!


https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...ing-agreements

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I hope the Feds provide all of the money and the City spite builds out the line so the airport and Banff rail lines can never built.

I was thinking about that last night. I could only imagine the spin from Smith if Trudeau came in and said the feds will cover the portion the Province is withholding.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I was thinking about that last night. I could only imagine the spin from Smith if Trudeau came in and said the feds will cover the portion the Province is withholding.

I wouldn't rule this out to try and score a political win from both sides.

[FlameOn]

That would be the ideal outcome. Feds offer to pay the provincial portion of the Green line and force the UCP into a untenable position of either denying the Federal funding and taking a political hit, or allowing the funding and therefore taking the hit that Bill 18 is toothless. UCP loses either way if Feds do this.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I wouldn't rule this out to try and score a political win from both sides.

I'm strongly in favour of spite getting us more Federal funding for stuff in Calgary.

Realistically though the Liberals have to know they're getting exactly 0 seats in Calgary next election, and a bunch of extra transit money here might hurt them in QC/ON where they actually have a chance.

[calgarygeologist]

The feds did just announce $30B for a transit fund this summer. Sending over $1 or $2B shouldn't be too big of a concern.

[btimbit]

Seeing the province throw a complete temper tantrum if the Feds tried to step in would be satisfying

[BowRiverBruinsRule]

4D Chess. The UCP Government just found their tax cut.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Do they not want to get elected in Calgary anymore?