Another St. Clair Giveaway Coming

I am just tingling with excitement, aren't you.

If only I was Mayor and knew all of the fantastic but confidential matters that are known to City Hall...like all of the great jobs that are supposed to be coming here but which we cannot be told about since it is confidential.

Why just today we learned that "Investors are "waiting in the wings" with new plans for the downtown...While unable to divulge specifics, Francis said "a number of investors" have told him the new urban campus with its influx of students into the core helps make the case for new developments in the downtown."

Wow, a thousand students, some on OSAP grants, and who are coming eventually will spark the rebirth of downtown along with the Keg and the funky bus terminal. Mind you, the unknown investors did not say that they were actually going to do anything downtown but they do have "plans."

September will be a give-away month at City Council.

At the last Council meeting we gave away money since Council was incapable of building a Bus terminal, funky or not, for 6 years resulting in a cost 35% higher than estimated. Of course, we had the Mayor, in one of his rare speaking engagements at Council, justifying it as vital for our new urbanism.

This Monday, we will see the Cleary deal approved. I wrote about that deal on Friday, June 16, 2006 "The Marketing Of The Cleary Deal." Effectivley, we are giving away the Cleary, an asset of taxpayers worth at least $16 million, for nothing and paying someone several millions of dollars more to take it off of our hands. I figured that it is costing us about $18M. But we will have the Mayor justifying it as vital for our new urbanism.

Then on Monday, we will see the completion of the TOTAL Cleary deal. Well not quite on Monday. We are being set up for another disaster so that we will let St. Clair take another asset off of our hands: the Capitol theatre and maybe the old Salvation Army building too .

Agenda Item #14 is to explore partnerships for the Capitol since it too is having financial woes, especially with the bingo revenues being decreased significantly. It may have trouble staying in business and the taxes are in arrears. The Capitol has never signed a lease for the Salvation Army building. Both St. Clair and the University have expressed an interest.

Of course there are massive problems if the City takes over both buildings naturally eg maintenance and insurance of vacant buildings. Moreover, it is so hard to appraise the value of the Capitol and the Salvation Army building is gutted. (Yet a short bit later Administration says it is worth $2 million). Smell another give-away coming.

How do I know we are being set up. Obviously we are if the two agenda items are on the same night (Why, it would not surprise me to see a deal done right at Council, never mind going to Tim Hortons again)

Moreover, there was a Star story 2 weeks ago that said:

• "St. Clair College is interested in a partnership with the Capitol Theatre, but is concerned about the arts organization's financial viability, college president John Strasser said Friday.
  
  Strasser met with Capitol officials Friday to see if there's common ground for further talks. The college has been courted for several months to consider expanding its downtown campus plans at the Cleary International Centre.
  
  The Capitol Theatre is struggling financially, projecting up to a $300,000 deficit when the fiscal year ends in June, and is looking for a partner to help prop up the ailing arts centre. The college's theatre program could fit the bill, allowing students hands-on experience working on real-life productions.
  
  "Philosophically, it would be great," Strasser said. "Are we close to a deal? No. We're just exploring possibilities."
  
  The Capitol is being managed better than it ever has...But it still relies heavily on bingo revenues... and the college will not be involved in bingo events because it is not about to start competing with community groups for those limited funds.
  
  "So you'd have to figure out how to make up that money without doing that," he said.
  
  "We can't take away from our academic programs to subsidize something."

Why make the Mayor and College President eat donuts again. The precedent has been set. Let him take the properties of our hands because otherwise it will be another problem for us. Sell the deal exactly how they sold the Cleary deal to us. If we can be fooled once, why we can be fooled twice.

Just think how the Mayor will explain that deal. The Mayor will be justifying it as vital for our new urbanism.