Time is of the essence. So, it's time to drop the gloves. Let's review some of the stellar arguments advanced in favour of the True North arena. It ain't so. Manitobans will continue to subsidize the arena's operating costs through a myriad of tax breaks, credits and VLT freebies.
Nothing is lost by striking a sweetheart property-tax break with the city.
Struggling homeowners can expect to subsidize a building that will be valued at 1,000 times more than the average house but will pay only 160 times more in property taxes. The double standard is not likely to win over business owners, particularly competitors in the entertainment industry, who are saddled with a business and an entertainment tax True North managed to negotiate off their books. We need a new arena downtown because the existing one is too low class or not good enough to house second tier hockey players and tractor pull events. That one speaks for itself. Before governments sacrifice their citizen's money at the altar of this new entertainment complex, voter approval should be measured in a referendum or plebiscite.