Wonder where the money is coming from for the performing arts centre? How much debt load does the city already have?
We have the River Road project, a new police building, 2015 Winter Games, some of the worse streets for pot holes and now the arts people want to build a arts centre.
I attended the Home for the Holidays concert at Christmas. There was a good crowd and a wonderful concert, but Vanier Hall was not completely full.
I talked with a lady who is a season ticket holder who told me usually only the lower seats are full and she can't see how a bigger hall could be supported.
Taxes have risen every year for the last five years on top of garbage, water and sewer. Where does city admin think money grows? On trees? The trees have been killed by beetles, there are hardly any trees left and no money to spend on an arts centre.
Let's do it right and let the citizens of P.G. who will have to pay for this for years to come have a say in a referendum during civic elections by a simple question, do you support the borrowing of millions to build a arts centre, yes or no.
Let's not be dictated too again like when the art gallery was built for millions because it needed special glass, heating system, humidity controls so that we would be able to get international masterpieces on display, that never happens but a special interest group got their way and we the majority of taxpayers pay for it.
As it is the arts groups ask for thousands every year because they always run in the red, not only from the city but from the provincial as well as the federal governments. All taxes come from the same pocket, yours and my pockets are empty.
Remember when the Play House Society went broke and the city taxpayer now has to foot the bill?
Doug Walder
Prince George
