Where is the thunderingly loud public outcry for all of our tax money that was wasted on the idea of the Commonwealth Games? While most of us are scrounging for bus fare, these good ol’ boys were travelling all over the world, eating at the best restaurants, and smiling and shaking ham-fisted hands while pissing away millions of dollars.
Has anyone actually read the grocery list of opulence these fuckers treated themselves to on our behalf? When council members talk about things like snow removal and salt, policing for the Commons, and potholes – and how the city has no money for these things (not to mention affordable housing or any number of social programs) – why should we not be fucking outraged?
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2008.
Its a small price to pay… If we had gotten the games, the amount we would have flushed would have been insanely huge…. its politics, you expect them to go to Mcdonalds ? to talk serious business? Seriously how naive are you?
Its a small price to pay… If we had gotten the games, the amount we would have flushed would have been insanely huge…. its politics, you expect them to go to Mcdonalds ? to talk serious business? Seriously how naive are you?
Small price to pay, that is not a very good attitude. This 8.5 Million dollar flush is one of the reasons for a 1.9 percent increase in user fees that will be taking affect by April 1st. I believe rogue spending like this is the reason we have user fees in the first place. The taxes we pay should cover costs of running this country. After expenses for running the country are paid we could afford tax rebates or dividends, we’d have a lot of money left over. Mismanagement of funds by the Government is boarding on misappropriation. In my opinion, it has gone beyond that and there should be criminal investigated. I could go on and on and will, if some are missing the point.
I realize that it was a lot to “flush”. This has a flip side 1) if we got the games like others voiced then yes the economic spin off would’ve been great for the city but on the other hand 2) we didn’t get it. So what about all that money that was wasted?! And business men don’t need elaborate lunches to wine and dine and I agree that they shouldn’t go to Mcdonald’s either. There are more economical places to have lunch. Tax payers money isn’t free money
PuBe, your grasp on the obvious is breathtaking. Why don’t you 1) fuck off or 2) fuck off.
To be honest, 8.5 million isn’t a lot to spend considering what they were doing. However, the reality is Halifax should NEVER have put in a bid for it. The infrastructure required is way more than what we could afford. I agree that the city needs to invest some money in different events to generate business, but we couldn’t have afforded the original low balled 800 millionish estimate, let alone the 2 billion.What would be a good thing to come out of this is a policy that for any future bid like this, everything is done completely openly. No more closed room sessions and secrets on how public money is being spent. Especially when the infrastructure is falling apart, and lots of other things that would have been a better use of that money.
Pete absolutely I think that is the key a better use of the money
I don’t expect corporate sycophancy to take place at McDonald’s – nor do I expect anyone to “talk serious business” at Fred’s Kwik-Way*, either. I figure at about 3 million, they would have had some idea that the Games weren’t going to happen. They opted to ride the cash tiger until there was nothing left. Halifax wants to try to grow and become better and bigger, God love her, but she’s going about it all the wrong way. 8.5 million and they didn’t fix some shit up to make the city look like a better prospect? “Let’s shine them on and wine and dine them, THEN we’ll see how much is left for municipal improvement” seems shady to me – the regular-ass taxpaying citizen/denizen. As a voter and taxpayer (finally living up to the speeches of my elders!), I think I afford myself the priveledge of complaint. Before I read the letters to the editor, I was starting to wonder. *or whatever corner store was listed on the audit
Beav totally agree!
Who isn’t outraged by this excessive crap? However, it ain’t gonna change and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You think the province doesn’t blow wads on their comfort, for example, like the little trip the Premier made for a photo op to Wall Street with his dozen or so dickholders accompanying him? Or how about any public hearing where the committee stays in four star hotels with the best of food and free booze? We’re talking a lot of shekels, people, in fact, the public has NO idea how much money is wasted by this fucking idiot provincial government and its fiddler. For every road show or meeting, thousands are thrown around every fucking day. Or how about department name changes that cost the taxpayers millions to implement? Those who can spend do and do so with great gusto and entitlement. That’s YOUR tax money at work.
O. shut. up. it’s. over.Christ.