Feds give private club in Edmonton $1 million

[Craig1]

What i am saying is, both cities have recived a equitable share of reward from the provincial government. IF what either of them is getting is not ennough to bad.

equitable share? hundreds of Billions of moneys have flown throught the Heritage fund and what do we have? $14 billion left. I bet you did not know some of that money was used to build a hydro dam in Quebec so they could look green and we look like mother natures devil! Heritage fund given to a PRIVATE investment firm AIMCO to invest globally and hardly any in Alberta to scrape Albertans top soil!.... equitable share? I talked about this earlier and Albertas city's are hurting becuase everyone comes here to work but does not live here or pay taxes to us so our comunity's are forced to disband. You as a Torie need to listen to Peter Laugheed on managing growth this Alberta government is on a hell bent crusade to destroy us now they are moving over to Saskatewan to do the same. Take a hard look in the mirror and determine who you are. equitable share?

[Molly]

Far be it from me to let the Conservatives off the hook for much, but I don't have a big problem with this.

[myata]

I may not understand something but weren't the money supposed to upgrade the public infrastructure?? Otherwise, without that minor caveat, why can't we simply employ half of the country upgrading politicians cottage "infrastructures", courtesy of Canada taxpayer?

Edited June 23, 2009 by myata

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The RGC is a very old and esteemed private club. They take care of their own the best they can. Like any other organization the applied for and received benefits at tax payer expense.

The question that should have been asked and wasn't, was who determines how much goes to who?

[Hydraboss]

If the RGC is receiving $1Mil for renovations to a private facility, I have a problem with this. On the other hand, would the Legion be considered private? I know that I can go there for a beer anytime I want, so I think the debate would be whether or not federal tax money is being spent on places that the public does not have access to.

That is not right, in my opinion. If they're going to spend my taxmoney, it had better be on public "works". Unless of course, they would like to do some major renovations to my house and property. They're "shovel ready" too you know.

For the record, Mayor Idiot Mandel and his little band of ex-busdrivers has continued a legacy of stupidity in Edmonton. They will gladly pave over Churchill Square (got to get rid of all of that annoying grass and trees!) to the tune of, what was it? 17 million? No, wait, the $17 mil was for the new museum. That was when they were bitching that there was no money for food banks and homeless families.

Morons.

[Oleg Bach]

You have a problem with this but not big corporate bail outs? Odd - it's the same thing - to give the rich and privledged free money.....whether it be a million to put some new fancey leather on the chairs at the club...or a billion so auto executives can keep their dignity - it's the same - besides I don't want to see the rich suffer - maybe new horse blankets are next - can't have a 50 thousand dollar hobbie pony walk around in rags.

[Argus]

I may not understand something but weren't the money supposed to upgrade the public infrastructure?? Otherwise, without that minor caveat, why can't we simply employ half of the country upgrading politicians cottage "infrastructures", courtesy of Canada taxpayer?

Nothing under the legislation would prevent that. In fact, if I lay down new sod on my lawn that's claimable under the nrw renovations tax incentive.

I don't like it. I don't like any of it. I don't think the feds should be funding golf courses, sod, canoe museums, blonde joke books, or step dancing lessons for seniors, but that seems to be what is done these days.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Nothing under the legislation would prevent that. In fact, if I lay down new sod on my lawn that's claimable under the nrw renovations tax incentive.

I don't like it. I don't like any of it. I don't think the feds should be funding golf courses, sod, canoe museums, blonde joke books, or step dancing lessons for seniors, but that seems to be what is done these days.

Sadly all true.

I think that all of the stimulus and bailout dollars should have gone into the construction of a new city in Canada. It should be the home of all nationally sponsored amateur sporting efforts, and a nationally sponsored secondary education facility. It could be designed and built as a showcase for Canadian technological expertise. Design it as a self sustaining micro-environment featuring green and other advanced technologies.

[Smallc]

How about we just focus on the cities that we have?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

How about we just focus on the cities that we have?

That has worked well so far hasn't it? Three levels of government haven't managed to avoid the current infrastructure problems. We are at the point now where it is becoming cheaper to build new cities than to repair and maintain the old ones.

[Smallc]

That's because the current cities need more money...and they're getting it now. Our cities aren't falling apart yet. It isn't as bleak as you make out.

[myata]

Like any other organization the applied for and received benefits at tax payer expense.

Gosh. Corporate sponsorships at its best. Where would one line up (for those benefits, at our expense)?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

That's because the current cities need more money...and they're getting it now. Our cities aren't falling apart yet. It isn't as bleak as you make out.

Lets review that thought of yours.

That's because the current cities need more money...and they're getting it now

I have listened for literally decades about cities and their infrastructure problems. Even though they have a right to levy taxes as they see fit, they somehow failed to raise sufficient funds to deal with their problems. These cities have sought assistance form their provinces and from the federal government and until just recently they saw very little relief. Yet they had the means to do so through taxation. It was obviously their intent to have someone else pony up with the money. So the rural folks, who have damned few of the services available in the cities are compelled to fund what is needed in the cities.

Our cities aren't falling apart yet. It isn't as bleak as you make out.

Now if that is so, why pour the billions of tax dollars into infrastructure at all? I will suggest that those rose colored glasses of yours prevent you from seeing the reality of the situation.

[Oleg Bach]

Gosh. Corporate sponsorships at its best. Where would one line up (for those benefits, at our expense)?

If I thought exise tax - or "sin" tax - give by detroying my health though the addiction to nicotine - hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax - THEN - I feel no quams about taking money from the state - If they own me though addiction - then I own them.

[Smallc]

I have listened for literally decades about cities and their infrastructure problems. Even though they have a right to levy taxes as they see fit, they somehow failed to raise sufficient funds to deal with their problems.

Cities do have the power of taxation...unfortunately they have to tax the public, and the public doesn't enjoy being taxed. A balance has to be found.

Now if that is so, why pour the billions of tax dollars into infrastructure at all? I will suggest that those rose colored glasses of yours prevent you from seeing the reality of the situation.

Nowhere did I say that things were great, I said that the cities aren't falling apart. They need more money, they have problems, but throwing up your arms and deciding to abandon the cities that we have and build new ones certainly isn't the answer.

[Molly]

How many would be this bent about money going to a Y? Or some other sport excellence training facility?

This might be structured as a private club, but it provides the same services as if it was publicly owned, for a similar out-of-pocket individual cost. By providing those services, they are saving the municipal government from having to do it with tax money.

Our local curling rink is structured as a private club, too, and as such, is probably better run, cheaper and more publicly available than if it was municipally owned and administered.... and no one would bat an eyelash if they recieved serious grant money to upgrade that facility.

I honestly don't see pork here.

[Oleg Bach]

Toronto is a city state similar to Rome...Miller the hypocrite grants raises to his followers..and claws back from the public to support his little senate. He goes on about green this and green that - and wants us to ride our bicycles about town..to save the environment - yet he pushishes and taxes those trying to be green ----I have seen a few incidents where a person on a bike traveling safely the wrong way on a residential street with no car traffic to speak of - GET A 160 DOLLAR FINE....OR a person on a bike who is older and does not want to brave the dangers of riding in traffic - putters along carefully on his bike on a side walk get a fine also -------and those damned parking enforcers ----It used to be you would get a fine for parking in a place that impairs traffic flow - NOW they fine you for no reason other than to force you to pay tribute..You can be parked on a street not blocking or impariing anything ---and along comes those wanna be cops wearing sunglasses in their cheezy little compact cars - collecting tribute for the emperor..

[myata]

This might be structured as a private club, but it provides the same services as if it was publicly owned, for a similar out-of-pocket individual cost. By providing those services, they are saving the municipal government from having to do it with tax money.

Yeah right. Really, "same" and how "similar"? Would be great questions to ask before shelling out the money. Now I understand how with "80% of funds allocated" most have yet to see a trace of it.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I don't advocate abandoning the cities at all. I did say it would be cheaper to build new ones. We are talking about fed money here, and transfers going to cities. How much is the fed transfered to rural area? Not a single dime. We don't get subsidized for anything. If your well dries up, you drill an new one. If your septic field collapses you build a new one. The governments don't give us a dime to deal with water and sewage.

The existing cities have issues. It is the responsibility of those cities and the tax burden of those residents of the cities to deal with not the residents of other locations. This kind of crap is what got us to where we are now. Everybody wants the feds to do something about their problems. That is why we just spent 2.5 million dollars per job to keep 4400 jobs with GM Canada.

Where on earth does this end.