A few words for those recent letter writers complaining about citizens who expresses their concern with city council and staff continuing the same financial spend, spend, spending pattern that built Plan A and has the City of Abbotsford running out of money and seeking to disguise a double digit tax increase by breaking up the raise into smaller less imposing increases (property tax, gas tax, fee increases, service decreases etc).

“The facilities were built because citizens voted yes. It’s too late to complain. Why not support the facilities instead of trying to prove yourself right? Get over it.” Larry Ross

Unless Mr. Ross is aware of a second referendum held that I am not, what citizens voted for was spending $55 million on a facility that would have a positive cash flow into city coffers.

Citizens did not vote for a $100 million arena (an arena that Langley built for $45 million) and an operating subsidy that (if citizens are lucky) will only cost $2.3 million this year; a subsidy that will increase year after year into the future.

There is no need for “trying to prove yourself right”, the consequences of city council and staff’s lack of basic common sense, financial, planning and budgeting skills has already done that.

How is one suppose to “Get over it” when council continues the same ruinously spendthrift behaviours that have Abbotsford in dire financial straits? More importantly, why would one want to get over or ignore this behaviour?

“If you want to lower the price of tickets, buy a season ticket. I am paying $12.96 per game,” Phil Menger

You are paying $12.96 per game and citizens are paying $58.50 per game to subsidize you and everyone person who attends an event at the arena for the cost overruns and arena subsidy. That amount is IN ADDITION to the $43.40 per person/per event subsidy that people approved when they voted to spend $55 million to build the arena.

It is easy to understand why you and those you have spoken with are happy not to have to pay the actual costs associated with your arena usage and with your fellow citizens subsidizing your night out by $100.00. Can you appreciate why citizens are less than pleased with the 135% ($58.50) increase in the amount they subsidize you and every other person at every event at the new arena?

I can also understand why you and others would choose to label being reminded that your fellow citizens are subsidizing your entertainment by $100.00 per event as whining.

However it would be irresponsible not to hold council and staff accountable for the consequences of their decisions and actions; irresponsible not to work to have council and staff behave with basic common sense in financial planning and budgeting; irresponsible not to share the consequences of council and staff continuing ‘business as usual’ in light of the high cost this behaviour has imposed and will continue to impose for decades on the citizens of Abbotsford.

Sorry if being reminded how heavily subsidized your attendance at arena events is by your fellow citizens is disquieting to you, but while council and staff continue behaving irresponsibly on financial and operational decisions you will just have to put up with the ‘whining’.

“Tongue planted firmly in cheek, I conclude with this: Shame on the city for having this albeit costly venture built in little old Abbotsford.” Rob Ironside

The shame lies in all the citizens of Abbotsford who can no longer afford the use of facilities because of fee increases to feed the voracious appetite for cash flow servicing the debt and subsidizing the arena has; for all the children/families who cannot afford to continue or start to participate in sports or activities because of the cumulative costs of all the fee increases imposed by the city to pay for the arena; the fallout for services that the large cutbacks in staff hours taking effect in January 2010 will have; the increasing number of citizens on limited or fixed incomes in danger of losing their homes because of tax and fee (e.g. water) increases to pay for ego/luxury facilities; the citizens on limited or fixed incomes who have to go to the food bank and other charities for basic necessities in order to have the money to pay the increases in fees and taxes.

The true shame in this lies in a council, staff and citizens who were/are focused only on how this would and does affect THEM, without giving any thought to the affect their decisions have on their many fellow citizens who currently struggle just to survive.

I make no apologies for demanding council and staff behave in prudent and responsible ways, for reminding them of the consequences their past bad decision making is having, for urging them to change their behaviour or for considering the affect councils behaviours have on all citizens – not just myself.