During the referendum we at stopplana.com asked repeatedly at public meetings, on the websites and in the written word why senior levels of government would contribute funds to a project after the City’s taxpayers were on the hook for the full amount. Why when senior staff and council blithely blew off this question did the News fail to pursue this point on behalf of City taxpayers/readers?

It is pretty easy to say “it appears, then, that Abbotsford City Hall should have approached the province for financial support prior to the $85 million Plan A referendum” after the premier says no. It is easy to not pursue questions that Abbotsford City Hall does not want asked, much less to answer. It is pretty hard to stand up for the taxpayers by demanding answers to those “unwanted” questions. It is harder to explain not pursuing answers to such obvious financing questions with their high cost to taxpayers/readers.

While on the subject of obvious questions: Why would anyone contribute funds to building the arena when the city is committed to building the arena and assuming all the costs and massive debt? In fact, with the City’s desperate need for a tenant of some kind for this white elephant, anyone with common sense would recognize an opportunity to squeeze lots of goodies, freebies, bonuses and low, low fees out of Abbotsford City Hall. A little financing help with the franchise fee? Covering start-up/relocations costs? A guarantee of minimum attendance and revenue levels?

Rather than stating the obvious in hindsight or hoping for divine intervention it would better serve taxpayers if the News were to promise to practice diligence in holding Abbotsford City Hall to standards of good financial practices and fiscal responsibility in future. At the very least and in particular with reference to any “success” they have in securing a tenant. Taxpayers cannot afford any more of what Abbotsford City Hall calls “success”.