What'sAnExtraFourHundredMillion,GiveOrTake
WhenYou'veGotHospitalBedsStashedInTheLocalTimmy'sVille
It's that goldarned roof with the devil horns and the extra $400 million it cost, give or take 14 or 63 million, to build it.
Bob Mackin who, along with Ian Reid, has been all over this matter for quite awhile now, has the story in The Tyee.
Here's his lede:
The NDP wants British Columbia's auditor general to investigate the B.C. Place Stadium renovation project.
Spencer Chandra Herbert, the Opposition critic for B.C. Pavilion Corporation, made a formal written complaint on Jan. 11 to John Doyle, seeking a value for money audit of the budgetary decisions throughout the process of rebuilding B.C. Place.
"Since 2007, I and many other B.C. taxpayers have followed the strange story of the revitalization of B.C. Place with increasing incredulity," Chandra Herbert wrote. "Though the B.C. Liberal government frequently claimed the project was on time and on budget, we remember when, in 2009, the Liberal government approved a budget of $365 million for the project that would wind up costing $514 million by the time the stadium opened in 2011."
Attached to the complaint is a confidential Jan. 22, 2008 letter from B.C. Pavilion Corporation chair David Podmore advising Vancouver city manager Judy Rogers that the project was to cost $100 million, including a new roof.
Chandra Herbert wrote that it is "crucial to the public interest" for British Columbians to learn how the cost of the project escalated so quickly and "whether the Liberal government acted with appropriate fiscal responsibility."
"To date, the Liberal government has never made the business case for the public project, leaving British Columbians to ask if this was a good use of scarce public dollars, or if there were other ways to improve B.C. Place at a lower cost," Chandra Herbert wrote...
So.
How can we ensure that Mr. Doyle is around long enough to thoroughly investigate this and other matters that are vital to the interests of those millions of British Columbians who aren't connected to a big Vegas hotel and casino company?
Well, given that our legislators are not around/refuse to do it themselves, I reckon it's up to us to put the pressure on ourselves.
And, in my opinion at least, a good starting place is this petition (and you can keep yourself anonymous on the website if you so wish).
______
The post where I give my opinion on the petition, which I really do feel is both sensible and well-reasoned, is....here.
.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I think we are going to have to clone our dear Mr. Doyle and bring him [them] five semi loads of energy drinks. Also a bitumen tanker full of incentive after so rudely being shown the door.
Too little too late and everyone gets a failing grade.
I am angry, if the NDP would have done this two weeks ago it then would have been political suicide for the Liberals to vote out Mr. Doyle.As it is this looks to me as an Election issue for them and nothing more!
Don--
I get where you're coming from, but...
I'm pretty sure Ian Reid's FOIR that led to the unearthing of the 'letter' containing Mr. Podmore's initial $100 million dollar pitch was only released very recently.
Thus, it does not appear that it is the Dippers that have been stalling here.
.
I understand that Ross but I personally have been aware of very dramatic increases in initial costs for long time. Whether 100 million or 200 million this has been an issue for a very long time.
Waiting for John Doyles walking papers seem upsurd.
It has also been brought forth that they were aware of his departure for at least a couple of months.
At any rate I'm sure I'm not the enlightened one but nor do I waant to be a sucker.
Can't argue with you there Don.
In fact, from the very beginning I smelled a set-up given that, at the time, Toronto had just built an entire stadium (BMO field) for ~70 million.
.
Post a Comment