He and others, including a few weak-kneed politicians, contended we could not afford the price tag. I tended to agree, but for a different reason. My apple of discord centred on the lack of transparency and regular public updates as well as on how the committee charged with bringing the Games to HRM was being managed. The general public were treated like mushrooms – kept in the dark and fed horse manure. Still are. I digress.

“Fix Shannon Park”

It was the contents of  Saturday’s letter entitled “Fix Shannon Park” that caused me to sit upright in my chair. This was coming from the same individual who shouted from the roof tops that we could not afford to build a Commonwealth Games complex on the former military married quarters site in North Dartmouth? Now he is saying “something must be done about the eyesore called Shannon Park….”? Come on, Bruce, it borders on sadism to mess with an old man’s mind!  

In the fourth paragraph of his short dissertation, the writer mentions a rumor of a stadium being constructed there - a rumour he quickly dismisses, saying the majority of taxpayers and some politicians don’t want this. I think the pollsters might be prepared to debate this point. I drift, again.

“Taxpayers have enough to pay for now without a white elephant,” DeVenne lamented.

I won’t debate the merits of that, he is entitled to his opinion. What I will challenge is his suggestion that Defence Minister Peter MacKay takes “all actions available to him to speed up the disposal of this eyesore so it can be demolished, and the asbestos (his contention) safely removed, allowing something worthwhile and profitable to be built there.” Please translate “action” into “spend money”.

Let’s examine this. He didn’t want the Commonwealth Games at Shannon Park. We couldn’t afford it. He claims we do not want a stadium at Shannon Park. Taxpayers have enough to pay for …

However, he now wants Peter MacKay to take federal tax dollars and spend them where? Shannon Park! Tell me, is there a separate group of people paying taxes to the federal government in Ottawa? Or, as I have always believed, it all comes from the same pockets – yours and mine.

Media’s uneven playing field

I strongly disagree with news media outlets allowing wanabee politicians free space and air time (the least they should do is offer a disclaimer) to shoot the wounded in a political war. Others, especially current office holders, will, when the time comes, will have to pay to get their message out. Hardly a level playing field. That having been said, this particular letter was quite revealing and needed airing.

Somehow he has now managed to come down on both sides of the issue – no municipal tax dollars for Shannon Park and invest federal tax dollars in Shannon Park. There is only one taxpayer, one source of money.

If the lands at Shannon Park are to be sold to the private sector, then make the conditions of sale rigid and binding. Put these lands on the market and you wouldn’t be able to see the end of the line of investors, ready to buy Shannon Park.

If that were to happen, then all cleanup costs, infrastructure improvements, etc. would be borne in total by the purchaser, with absolutely no further burden to the beleaguered taxpayer.

Had DeVenne thought it through he might have come across as being a consistent champion of protecting the public purse. Instead he has left a lot of us scratching our heads.

(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist/broadcaster)

(Photo: wdrwilson)