scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
It's what goes on inside the stadium that's featured in the ceremonies, not outside...they'll have the obligatory helicopter and blimp shots, though.
Regarding Harper's unwillingness to back the World's Fair and things Torontonian, I think there's something to this. When Harper pledged to reduce the GST, he did so knowing full well that doing so would mean less money coming out of wealthier provinces like Alberta to be redistributed throughout the rest of the country. He said that if individual provinces wanted to up their provincial sales taxes in place of the GST, they were free to do so. But of course it's unpopular to raise taxes.
Now, in addition to having no provincial sales tax, Alberta will, if Harper's re-elected, have a smaller GST to pay (5%) -- great way to reduce the amount of money the federal government takes out of Alberta. The problem is, parts of the country, Toronto included, could really use that tax revenue. It frankly disgusts me that a province like Alberta, making unprecedented riches out of its energy-sucking, emissions-producing tar sands projects, generally feels little responsibility toward the rest of the country. In fact there is a strain of separatism in the province, so that even more oil wealth can be hoarded. I can't help but suspect that Mr. "Build a firewall around Alberta" Harper supports this individualistic program.
...Toronto is a major economic engine that needs major investments to modernize its infrastructure, especially in the area of transit. The World's Fair would have given Toronto an impetus to take a major leap forward. Now, we don't even have half measures. What kind of a prime minister wouldn't support a great opportunity for the country's largest city?
"Too true, but unfortunately there seems to be little political will at any level, be it federal, provincial or municipal, and Toronto was on the sore end of government funding long before the conservatives came around."
It seems Chicagans (sp?), don't want the olympics either...
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2007/08/olympics-can-he.html
I agree with them, I'd prefer the money go to improving the city to host smaller events and conferences.
In "geopolitical" terms, Rio would be logical, no?
I'd rather much see the Olympics in New York City before Chicago ever gets them. It's hard to believe NYC hasn't hosted yet.