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Special Series, 5 Days on the 5 Rings...Part One

By 250 News

There are five rings in the Olympic Logo. and there are five parts to this opinion series on the 2010 Olympics.

We have interviewed a number of people from politics and business, to get their slant on what they think the games will bring to our region.

In many cases it paints a much different picture than we have been hearing over the past months. 

We hope you’ll enjoy the other side of the Olympics and will comment with your thoughts...

Elaine Macdonald
Publisher

Dollars and Sense

We are about to spend $38,000 dollars of muncipal taxpayers money in an effort to try and snare some business during the Torino Olympics. Let’s examine what we will get as bang for our buck. 

Initiatives Prince George is heading the pack. Now surely we have learned from our experience in China where upon we sent a bunch of City Councilors and Mayor Colin Kinsley to try and drum up business, (about which they knew little)  instead of sending the head of one of the lumber companies to sell the Chinese on the idea on Canadian lumber on behalf of all of us in the Central and Northern part of the province. 
On its return, the group talked about how it had made some headway into having students come to UNBC and CNC. 

Does a city councilor or the mayor have a better idea of what is offered in our education system then the players themselves?  Of course not, but that was the big announcement on the return, that we may get more students and in fact a couple did come to this area . In private business, a $16,000 dollar expense account investment for a "couple" of students return, would earn you a pink slip. But civic government ,or for that matter, all levels of government are not accountable. 

We are about to head down that same path yet one more time.  If we are looking to expand our markets, which by the way is a great idea, send the people who can make a deal, send Mike Low of Winton Global to talk to the people about pre fab construction and what his or any other company could land the package in Europe for. Send Henry Novak to talk about what his or other company can land 2x4’s in Italy for. They not only know the business they know the culture. Don’t send someone to pour drinks who talks about what a great city we have.  As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  In today’s market ,business wants direct answers. 

Let’s just add up the record of our trips abroad by Initiative PG and City hall.  Unless I have read the reports wrong we are firing at less than 5%.  That is not the kind of performance that will get you a place at the Board table. 

Want to promote the city?  Great idea, but lets get real and start using the right people. 

Why by the way are we sending a contingent in the first place to try and talk business to a group of people who are on a holiday to see the Olympics? 

There are great future opportunities for this region, trying to sell them at a party is no place to start.

I'm Meisner and that is one man's opinion.


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