Back Scratching And The Symphony

I do not want to be smug and tell you "I told you" so. But I TOLD YOU SO!

Go back about a month and take a look at my BLOG "January 20, 2009 DRIC And The Symphony."

I talked then about Eddie's strange remark with respect to the Capitol and then talked about the Symphony's problems with the Cleary because of the huge rent increase.

I set out in another BLOG the proposition as well that if Eddie was not careful, St. Clair might give him back a Cleary. "January 26, 2009 Will Eddie Get Back The Cleary."

I speculated that what was being worked on was a back scratching deal that would save everybody's hide.

Interestingly there is an Agenda Item dealing with the Symphony for Monday's Council meeting. Remarkably, so many days in advance, we have seen a TV news item on it and now a Star story. The WSO bail-out story is all designed to get the reaction of Citizens and to give us an indication that something is going to happen that will cost taxpayers a bit of money. After all, as our Mayor said about the Symphony but does not seem able to stay at about the Capitol:

• "I expect there will significant debate by council on this issue next Monday,” said Mayor Eddie Francis.
  
  “Our economic climate and budget challenges we are facing put us in a difficult environment (to consider the loan),” Francis said.
  
  “But having said that we know the symphony is a significant organization that brings tremendous value to the city.”

My goodness, the Mayor just told Councillors how they better vote and the justification for it. No need for delegations to appear. It is all over. If there is an Editorial that supports this also, well then you know it's a done deal.

Why, even the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget can support it on a business case perspective so it will not hurt his run for Mayor if Eddie goes. He needs this to win back the Arts crowd:

• "Mill said the WSO got a $300,000 interest-free loan from the city 20 years ago. The money was repaid in full on time.
  
  “We’re a good risk,” he said."

Rather than reinventing the wheel, here is what I Blogged before:

• "President Strasser helped out Eddie by taking the Cleary off his hands and thereby eliminated a possible Casino competitor. Now Eddie is helping him out by assisting him to get increased rents for the theatre.
  
  Moreover, since the Cleary is losing money, who would object if the City gives the Capitol to St. Clair for a dollar to take it off our hands so that taxpayers will not lose money. That assumes of course that the City continues to be successful in its lawsuit against the Capitol's Trustee in Bankruptcy. Eddie and Strasser have the precedent of that amount for the Cleary don’t they.
  
  It is as simple as that.
  
  The WSO is stuck and they know it. The dream of the Armouries as a concert hall is not going to happen for years given this economy, if it ever does. Even if it did happen, where would the Symphony go in the interim?
  
  I am sure that they could go to some high school to play but that certainly would not be a suitable venue. The only other place that I can think of offhand would be the Capitol although some changes would have to be made to the seating.
  
  Eddie’s comment just destroyed that. Because of the lawsuit he cannot guarantee its future use as a theatre. Of course, his comment is absurd but if you are the Executive Director of the Symphony looking for location then he has just put a dagger into your heart.
  
  The Symphony won’t be able to go to the Arena because the City controls that and the Casino is too large. So they have no choice. They have to go to the Cleary and pay whatever price St. Clair wants so that the President can tell his Board that they are making money and that he did not enter into a dumb transaction. He has to keep his job too.
  
  Do not feel too bad for the Symphony however because they will be saved. Their first alternative is to increase the price of tickets by a dollar or two. They will do so probably but unfortunately their attendance will drop because of the increased amount.
  
  However, if our Mayor has other political ambitions, he cannot afford to annoy the movers and shakers in town who support the Symphony and would be the people to whom he looks for political donations as well. Accordingly, expect that when the Symphony comes to Council begging for Arts money, Council will be very understanding and will help out."

Just one other comment about Councillor Loopy. I am surprised that he is so surprised:

• "Coun. Percy Hatfield sits on downtown armouries re-use committee. “I’m surprised they were asking for money to study for a new concert hall when they were looking at running a deficit,” said Hatfield.
  
  “It would have been good to know their financial situation before we moved into the armoury review study,” he said. “That’s information that would have been beneficial at that time.”
  
  Mill said the deficits were reported in the annual grant application to the city."

It is not his fault however that he forgot about the WSO's financial position. It's that darn amnesia disease:

• "Shortly before the end of 2008, the symphony asked for a $150,000 advance on its $300,000 operating grant for this year. It has run deficits the past three years — $107,000 in 2006, $120,000 in 2007, and $177,000 in 2008. A deficit of $191,000 is projected for this year."

If you want to name that tune, here it is:

• St. Clair gets its money from the rental increase from the Symphony


• Strasser is not embarrassed in front of his Board


• The City does not get back the Cleary


• The Mayor is not embarrassed in front of his Council


• The Symphony pays St. Clair the increased rental


• the City helps out the Symphony with some money, probably a reduced amount to show how tough they are with the Arts in these troubled times


• The Capitol will eventually go to St. Clair, and now you know why there is no settlement with the Trustee yet.

I forgot one last point...the Taxpayer gets stuck with the bill!

BRAVO, BRAVO! ENCORE, ENCORE!