Christmas Day letters: ‘Why can’t we just copy Edmonton’s arena deal?”https://calgarysun.com/” Calgary Sun

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CHRISTMAS DAY BONUS LETTERS — ONLINE ONLY

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TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS
As all of Calgary watches, our new mayor is unable to stop talking, inserting her foot in her mouth every time she opens it. The Calgary Flames ownership has pounced like a hungry tiger on a wild boar. How brilliant are the Flames to try to take advantage of the unqualified and unpopular recently elected mayor. It seems to me, Edmonton has created the precedent on a new arena deal and Calgary’s should be the exact same. Just copy that deal and sign it. If both parties know how to read, it would seem a very easy situation to solve. If the Flames are indeed taking advantage of a mayor clearly not capable of holding her post, then good for them. She is playing with the big boys now and they’ll eat her alive because they are far more popular in Calgary than she is. Her incompetence is out there for Calgarians to see daily and the final straw I feel was her offering $100,000 of taxpayers’ money to Quebec, showing all of us she doesn’t know how one of the biggest Alberta cities feels about Quebec and their lack of support for Alberta business.
YANCY JONES
(The mayor has many supporters cheering on her every move. And a legal challenge against Bill 21 has nothing to do with supporting Quebec.)

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NICE ONE, CITY
Re: End of the arena. I personally don’t blame CSEC for pulling out of the deal. This was a bait-and-switch tactic by the city to impose its new ideology into a deal after it was agreed to. CSEC was willing to risk rising costs from factors beyond anyone’s control, like labour or material increases, but the city stepping in to add climate mitigation bull into the mix after the deal was wrong. This also sends a bad message to future investors in Calgary, expect the city to add in “extras” after the deal is signed. It’s little wonder more development is occurring outside the city than within its boundaries. Progressive-type government meddling these days really seems to be mimicking their counterparts’ actions in the plot of Atlas Shrugged. Somewhat prophetic, but not in a good way. I just hope the real life story doesn’t unfold as predicted in the novel (or three-part movie for those who don’t have the time to read).
KEN URKOSKY
(We’re still trying to figure out what really went wrong here.)

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BLAZING QUESTIONS
Re: Fire trucks being used to pick up groceries. First, they are not picking up groceries for home. Second, they are not wasting taxpayers’ monies. They stay in the fire station for 24 hours. Third, the city is spending your tax dollars on crap — $100,000 on legal help for Quebec, $3,000,000 on hiring 18 people to do what? Fourth, it is not a perk. They are eating at the stations. They do not take a meal or coffee at normal times. They take them when time is available. Not going home/bars for their meals. How can citizens complain about this, it’s because those who do are ungrateful, selfish and jealous. Get over it, if that perk turns you on. Join up.
ED SKELDING
(It’s what the kids call a ‘nothing burger’.)

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SUCH POOR CHOICES
It is time we the average people stand up and say we can no longer tolerate the leadership we have. We were told to hold our noses and vote for the least offensive candidate, but we can’t do that anymore. I’d run for office but I am not perfect. But if someone like me did run for office to be mayor of Calgary, you would get honesty, true representation of the electorate’s opinion, hard work and simple common sense. I love my city. We used to pride ourselves for the city we have. Again, I would love the chance to do it. I’ll be honest and tell you I haven’t always taken the right road. Does that mean I’m beyond redemption as a moral person
J. KOWALYK
(Everyone loves a good redemption story.)

FIX HEALTH CARE
It’s time for politicians to stop with the fear mongering around COVID and deal with the real pandemic, which has been occurring for years. The abysmal state of the under-funded Canadian health care. Let in the full force of a hybrid system of public and private care. Competition is always good. Let’s make Canada better with top-tier health care, instead of the state-funded communist model that was at a precarious state prior to COVID. I’d prefer to live in a country that allows free enterprise to treat Canadians and become the best. Premier Jason Kenney needs to step up and make Alberta best in care. Taxes are so high, I think health premiums would be much cheaper and give Canadians choices. We don’t need to leave anyone behind. Instead we could have top-tier health care for all, instead of a lousy socialist model that doesn’t treat anyone well.
CHERYL REICHERT
(Dismantling health care would be a death sentence for any party. And we don’t pay health premiums anymore.)