Lets do it...at least we have snow...:)

Has anyone on Council followed the fiasco that was Vancouver's experience with the Winter Olympics? Do we want to spend money, money that we don't have, to finance this proposal?
Leave the expense, the disruption and the debt to some other city of suckers.

I'm SummerSoul and this is just SummerSoul's opinion.

“We will be able to showcase this city with a fabulous downtown”. “We’re talking about 1800 athletes a week for two weeks staying in our downtown core, this is huge!”

Which hotels, exactly, will we be housing them in?

“Now is not the time to blink, we have to proceed with this”

Is that kind of like saying, "Don't look at the amount of the bill, just sign it and pay your credit card later using 'easy monthly payments'?"

Clearly, this city, like many others has a cash flow problem and aging infrastructure. It's no wonder people are moving away from here in droves. We are taxed to death and the average citizen sees no benefit.

Its hard not to see both sides of the coin here. I agree that we cannot afford these games. 14 million dollars is a lot of money to raise. After the games the people would complain if we were left paying the bill. Another increase in taxes would be hard to bite.
But on the other hand, I think of the economic benefits it would bring as well. Perhaps this would be the incentive to move on with the downtown core. Perhaps without the games our downtown will continue to deteriorate. If we go ahead and spend tons of money on these games, beautify our downtown, repair the kins etc., would that not be the same as painting an old car that just doesn't run? I am referring to our aging infrastructure that desperately needs work. Each year the number of broken water mains will increase. Would we not be wiser to spend the money there?

Raise the rates on the hockey rinks right now, to be able to save up the money so they can pay for the improvements they need. I never use the rinks and don't want my taxes going up 10 % just for those who use them.

That was the thinking the majority of people had against the performance centre, well I think the same applies to the rinks.

"the cost to the City will mean a further tax increases at a time when the community will be asked to pay more for things like the new RCMP building “I am worried about tax increases in the future of 8 to 10%”

I heard on the radio this morning that the games have a history of breaking even. So PG is going to waste $14 million plus cost over runs plus under estimates brings this in at about $20 million. For a break even? It does not matter if the province or even the federals contribute, it is still taxpayer money being wasted.

Doing the same thing over again expecting a different result.

The 2009 Canada Summer games had a $3.3 million surplus, which was set as a legacy fund for upcoming athletes in P.E.I. Also the economic impact from the event was over $81 million.

If I was a business owner in town I would be pushing for this to happen.

"It does not matter if the province or even the federals contribute, it is still taxpayer money being wasted."

Actually it does matter quite a lot in this case. The games are going to be held whether we get them or not. We are going to be paying for our share of the federal and provincial tax dollars that are going to go into the games. Our decision then has to be, do we want the benefit of those dollars from us and from the rest of the country's and province's tax payers, or do we want them to go to Kamloops or Kelowna?

OOOOOOH .... such a difficult decision!!!!

Summer Games always have a surplus. They get to sell lots of icecream. :-)

Winter games? Mitts! That's it. Red mitts with white maple leaves. No profit in those.

Typical Skakun and Munoz... short sighted and pandering to the negative crowd.

Guaranteed both Kamloops and Kelowna Councils come out 100% in support of their bids as they understand the value of these Games and what they can do for a community. They see it as an INVESTMENT in a great place to live.

People like Skakun and Munoz try to impress the Meisner crowd with their grandstanding and will, in all liklihood, kill our chances.

All being even in all three communities (which they are close, with even a slight edge to PG) a simple comment from a politician like this can sink it...look no further than our failed 2011 Western Canada Summer Games bid (which Kamloops got).

It's short sighted thinking like this that keeps us well behind the Kamloop's and Kelowna's of the world. Sad, really.

This would benefit a broader-range of citizens/businesses in Prince George compared to what the City wants to spend on the RCMP building.

What?? Let's cut the crap, the public will have to pay for this and that's just the way it will be. Whoever said this morning on the news that Prince George would be seen as the #1 city to live in, in Canada...needs to be fired!!! What a joke.

LOL ..LOL ... LOL .....

Did they really say that?

What is with these people that always have to be number one in everything? Obviously another one with little person's syndrome.

Petawawa has been and will continue to be number one in Canada for a long time. Impossible to unseat that little gem of a town.

I give credit to the Sherri Green's of Prince George who are positive and like to think things will be so fantastic downtown, that in five years we will be showcasing it to visitors.However,I also believe in keeping things realistic and I don't see that happening in that short amount of time.When something deteriorates to such a degree as the downtown over many years,it usually takes much longer to restore to a level she is talking about.If she thinks that by building an RCMP Station and a Performing Arts Centre will do this by themselves I think she is wrong.The downtown is going to need a large injection of private investment to accomplish what she is talking about,and unless she knows something the rest of us don't,I believe the downtown will not be up to showcasing standards in five years.

"If she thinks that by building an RCMP Station and a Performing Arts Centre will do this by themselves I think she is wrong."

Both the RCMP Station and the PAC will have to be postponed until after the 2015 games.

Surely the city understands that it simply can not add another 30% to 40% (the regular yearly inflation type increase PLUS the three mega projects) to the long suffering home owner's bill.

"Actually it does matter quite a lot in this case. The games are going to be held whether we get them or not. We are going to be paying for our share of the federal and provincial tax dollars that are going to go into the games. Our decision then has to be, do we want the benefit of those dollars from us and from the rest of the country's and province's tax payers, or do we want them to go to Kamloops or Kelowna"

Please stop with the logical arguments gus, my head can't take it any more :)

LOL ....