What was City Council thinking?

I commented on this news story on Opinion250:

Council and Kin Centres....What Were They Thinking?

I must point out that this new proposal for a new rink was a response by user groups to having no input into the Canada Games bid.

That's shameful fact number one; the Canada Winter Games should have gone though a robust exercise of needs assessment and community consultation BEFORE bidding.

There was never an opportunity for the electorate to evaluate the full costing and ongoing carrying costs of a winning bid. That's shameful fact number two. Council, IPG and the bid committee mislead the public by only talking about the positive (projected) benefits, and never fully outlining the real, immediate and ongoing costs (which clearly have no limit and are going up, up, up). There isn't even a full business plan in place.

Shameful fact number three: a total lack of fair play by all concerned. The fact is IF anything is to be built, based on 30 years of surveys of the citizenry and useage data and new economy realities, it should be creative infrastructure, not the second most expensive kind of sport infrastructure (behind a pool). Frankly, it was the Arts' turn, in the form of a Performing Arts Centre, and a huge benefit to all.

Why do I know that? because unlike the unethical, bait-and-switch process we call winning the Canada Winter Games (see above) the Performing Arts Society spent months and months fully articulating the usage needs, opportunities, costing, business planning and partnering options, and fully disclosed that to everyone, even to their disadvantage (as much was misunderstood, especiallly what the city's portion of the bill would be).

It's fair to disagree with a PAC, but at least you have FACTS to disagree with.

Maybe you feel now is not the time (as we've collectively been saying for 30 years), and that's fair.

Maybe you want nothing built (even the Library expansion should go ahead of another rink), and would prefer taxes come back down to earth and that City Hall focuses on cleaning up its own act.

That's fine. But you MUST appreciate the process and transparency the Regional Performing Arts Centre Society has achieved, and continue to do so.

The Kin 4 proponents should feel like they cheated, not feel that they won. It simply wasn't your turn. And council should have nipped this in the bud, and then when they did send it to administration for their opinion, actually listen to it.

To city council: shame, shame shame on you. ESPECIALLY Rogers and Basserman - you should have set council straight with all your "experience" and "leadership" and "vision."