blevkog

The way I understand it, the money being spent on the Commonwealth Games includes improvements to infrastructure - roads and public transportation. Sure, spending the whole amount on transit would be great, but not realistic.

Steve Streach: "When I took this job..."

You were voted in, moron. You aren't a superstar CEO, haggling for benefits. Plus, you are still getting free parking a scant one minute walk away! Holy whining. I know of people who pay $80/mo to park in lots that are 20 minutes away from their workplace. They _should_ be bussing, but I'm hardly one to tell them that, as I live within walking distance, with all those crack addicts.

Obviously, Streach is out of touch about downtown. Parade Square already hosts New Years Eve concerts (and others), and is generally overcrowded to the point of spilling onto Argyle Street during such events.

For anyone's interest: There are currently 12 vehicles parked in the councillor's spots (common for Tuesdays, which is council meeting night). A group of pre-schoolers is currently playing on one of the small patches of grass, which happens every day at about this time, weather permitting. Other common sightings include skateboarders, lunch-eaters, and photographers/tourists (taking pictures of City Hall, the cenotaph, St. Paul's, or the Citadel clock tower). Turning it into a park really does make sense, considering the foot traffic it receives and the views it offers.

Steve Streach gets himself quoted...in his eyes, and - in my experience - the eyes of any local politician anywhere, that's all that mattters.

The Grand Parade is just that, a parade square, conceived in the days when generals rode in on horseback and grunts walked.

This is a beautiful part of an historic city.

Councilllors and staff should leave the Parade to horses, on special occasions, and pedestrians the rest of the time.

Otherwise it's just another example of the almighty car having its way...aargh!!!

anon:> The CG committee has stated that there will be expenditures related to infrastructure development, however they have not said how much or on what it will be spent, because those damnable Scots might use that information agin us somehow.

That said, any infrastructure expenditures on this budget will have to benefit the Games; the city will not be the primary focus. That is not to say that we wouldn't derive some benefit from it, but it won't be done specifically for the city. For instance, I've heard talk of a ferry terminal in the Shannon Park area of Dartmouth, if that site is chosen as the main centre. That would be nice, but I have a feeling it would not get a lot of use after the Games. So, would the money not have been better spent on something that wouldn't be under-utilized? Like say, bike paths all over the city? More "express" transit routes? Pedestrian/cycling lanes on the Mackay bridge?

Maybe these don't make sense, but maybe they do. Lets have a discussion about spending things that might well make a difference in the long run, instead of pissing away billions on a single sporting orgy that noone really pays attention to.

Sorry for the sidetrack.

Ken Streach is acting like a cry-baby and if he really is unhappy with having to walk a couple of blocks he should give up his goddamned seat to someone who might give a fuck about his district.

Dick.

Ken Streatch. My apologies to Steve Streach, if such a creature exists.