Some of us did debate this. The answer is no, we couldn't. The province has nothing to bring to the table since they are essentially broke and have limited capacity to borrow more money given their debt level. You would need over a billion dollars even with the fed contribution and that sum would fall onto the provincial and municipal taxpayers -- for what are essentially frivolous facilities that add little to the economy, unlike roads or other basic infrastructure.
Sorry...this echoes the Bruce Devenne 'no Games at any cost' position...not a reasoned conclusion. It should be rejected by any thinking taxpayer.
Just to be clear...taxpayers should also reject the Scott Logan, Games Committee "Just trust us and don't ask any questions" posturing. They are equally responsible for the fiasco escalating to the point it did.
Both sides were guilty of rationalizing and justifying their partisan and pre-ordained conclusions. Don't give me your 'answer'...I'm capable of forming my own. Why not present your case (and your expertise) by sharing the financial and economic reasoning of that so-called debate that 'some of you' had.
To bring this back on topic...regardless of which side you were on, both the mayor and the premier were guilty of abandoning the debate simply because populous sentiment in the media was turning against support for the Games. So, the day after their leadership was lambasted in the media by Don Mills, a pro-Games business activist, they unilaterally demonstrated their 'power'...and simply took their ball and went home....
Any leader worth his salt would have given the Games Committee the ultimatum/final position that "the sum total of our funding is 1 billion max...now either work with that or abandon the bid". Pulling the plug the way they did was petty, personal and cowardly; and it risked Halifax's(and Canada's)reputation with the rest of the world. Is this leadership?
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