Does no one at Abbotsford City Hall understand the concept of careful consideration, thinking things through, acting with due deliberation and diligence? It would appear, based on reading the coverage in the local papers, that the question: is it rational, intelligent behaviour to go running around madly trying to get a bid for an ECHL team, a bid that should be a year or more in the making, done in a month?

Desperation is a very, very bad position to be bargaining from. And Abbotsford City Hall is well past desperate on this matter given the multimillion dollar mistake they made on Plan A already, in not having the common sense to secure provincial funds BEFORE taking it to the taxpayers. Now they face the looming possibility of the mirage of an ECHL team they sold the taxpayers as part of their snake-oil sales pitch, disappearing the way all mirages do when approached.

How many more dollars is Abbotsford City Hall’s desperation going to cost taxpayers? What is Abbotsford City Hall willing to pay to avoid being so clearly stuck with a white elephant of an arena? Given their demonstrated inability to admit misjudgement and accept responsibility for local taxpayers being stuck footing the entire bill for Plan A, one can only expect them to adopt an attitude of “cover our A**es”. I fear, based on their attitude and performance so far on Plan A, they will be willing to spend any amount of taxpayer’s money in order to hide from reality or acceptance of responsibility.

I have little doubt that with a willingness to throw any amount of money at this situation, you may well be able to find a black knight to ride to the rescue of Abbotsford City Hall and their white elephant. I say black knight because the bills for this team are likely to end up being paid by taxpayers.

Should Abbotsford City Hall find their black knight I think we can be sure of two things. The first is that Abbotsford City Hall will crank up the smoke machines and roll out the mirrors to once again sell a mirage to taxpayers. And two, that all the important financial arrangements and agreements that lead to a team in the city will be deemed sensitive and hidden from taxpayers as none of their business.

OK three things. The third being that should you decide you really want to know what was agreed to and pursue the truth trough “freedom of information legislation” the city will fight you, as they have and continue to do with those seeking full disclosure on the original finances for Plan A.

This behaviour has left taxpayers only one option in dealing with Abbotsford City Hall: caveat emptor – let the taxpayer beware.

Plan A – those pesky, not so little, inconvenient hidden costs.

With all the major costs and money problems that are coming to light with Plan A there is something I am also concerned about that has the potential to cause annoyances and problems for Abbotsford’s citizens.

Abbotsford City Hall has pulled millions of dollars seemingly out of nowhere for major costs, land and now a parkade, for Plan A. I will not dispute their claims these are not really expenses, although I will refer them to Moe Gill who has realized the money spent by Abbotsford City Hall is an expense to the taxpayers, because the label is not the point that is important.

In spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s hocus-pocus these millions were not pulled from nowhere like a rabbit from a hat. Unless they are suddenly going to claim they have Rumpelstiltskin in the bowels of City Hall spinning straw into gold. Which come to think of it would not be to far removed from all the other fairy tales they have been telling to citizens about Plan A and other pressing matters.

We have millions of dollars from somewhere. We have the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars the city expended on pretty pictures, “fact finding” taxpayer funded trips, a blizzard of advertising materials, a costly party on the exhibition grounds, telephone blitz etc.

All this money was not pulled from thin air but from City coffers. I do not seem to recall any budget items such as these? So it must come from other areas in spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s claim it was just laying around. My concern is that they are guilty of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” and that it is taxpayers who will be stuck with the price of repayment.

So what is it that will be cut in order to make up the shortfalls caused by Abbotsford City Hall’s profligate spending on Plan A? Pothole repair? Sport field maintenance? Facility maintenance? Services? Ok I admit that you could not tell if services were cut due to the City Hall being unfamiliar with the concept. Still you get the idea.

Abbotsford City Hall has made it clear that it is up to the citizens to look out for their own best interests and protect themselves from Abbotsford City Hall. One facet of the Monitor is to monitor those who should, but have failed to, be looking out for the City’s and citizen’s best interest and future. We have a problem and clearly we must all pitch in to deal with it. So keep your eyes open and let us at the Abbotsford Monitor hear about what other hidden costs we are paying for Plan A. Oh, be sure to let council and senior city managers hear about it as well – loudly and often. Remember: caveat emptor – let the taxpayer beware.

Will wonders never cease? Or – one councillor down, eight to go plus the senior staff. After a moment of revelation Moe Gill has come to realize that money that comes out of the pockets of taxpayers and is spent on Plan A is part of the cost of Plan A. This realization of basic financial reality has already added an additional $12 million to the cost taxpayers will incur on Plan A.

Now if it were only possible for the other members of the Abbotsford City Hall glee(fully spend taxpayers money) club to comprehend that money taken from taxpayers and spent is a cost. This includes the hundreds of thousands (a million+?) spent on consultants, business trips, advertising, parties, staff wages and bonuses for Plan A.

Although it occurs to me, after watching $12 million appear out of nowhere for items related to Plan A that Abbotsford City Hall want to hide as not a Plan A cost; the least costly out-of-pocket solution for taxpayers on Plan A maybe to declare Plan A will cost nada/nothing/nil. That way we just have to wait for the $85 million to magically appear, or be found lying around, as was the $12 million for other non-costs such as land and a parkade.

Personally I would really like to know where all these millions come from and how much more is sitting hidden in limbo awaiting council’s convenience. Property owners may be curious as to why it was property taxes took such a jump when there was at least $12 million, plus who knows how many millions more, just lying around for incidentals like land or parkades. Maybe it is time citizens demanded the city Auditors make a thorough public report to and answer questions from those they have a duty of care to – the taxpayers of Abbotsford.