Hey,

I live in Edmonton and love the Oilers plenty, I agree Rexall Place is an outdated eyesore which seems overcrowded even at half-capacity BUT...
I dont see any reason why my property taxes should increase 65% to pay for it. Everybody knows Katz is extorting the city with thinly vieled threats to move the club unless the public builds him his new 1/2 billion complex. Which he would own, Filled with his businesses. WTF? Seriously ?
If you are an OIlers fan who lives in Moncton NB I understand saying "Build it, thay are rich in AB" Reality Check time, It doesnt work that way. It comes out of the pockets of Edmontonians, like me, who cant afford to pay $100 to go see a game often enough as it is.
Oh please, oh please, make me pay for the privledge of the the owner blessing us with his commitment to not move the team... for now.
In case you couldnt tell, I was bering sarcastic. Well Duh.
The building needs to be built - why the F*ck isnt the billionire paying for it ?

That is the real debate.
- gzatron

You don't understand that yes Katz will make money off of this but he isn't the only one benefiting. Him and the other property owners in the area will make probably a few hundred million divided between them but the businesses in them won't be his. They will pay him rent but there will be small businesses in the shops around the arena. Grant MacEwan needs this complex to expand and regardless that cost needs to be paid by someone. If it is the province, the federal government or the city, it is still coming from you because there is only so much they can raise tuition a year.

The city needs a new casino which will make the province and the city hundreds of millions a year. This goes back into Hospitals, education for grade school and roads (they do the nice things so no one can complain because it comes from addicts mostly, if you don't believe me their books are legal record). That alone pays for your tax dollars. Nothing else.

The city gets to improve their downtown core which attracts events like world games which again brings revenue. The city gets downtown condos and hotels which again provides jobs and housing which brings more life to the downtown core. Plus the people pushes crime further away from the university. Also it makes downtown less of an eye sore. West of 109 has been getting better but east hasn't done nothing. It is time.

Agreed his threats are in veign and he will make money, so will lots of people but don't the city, the province and federal government will make the most on this deal. Msg me if you want me to show you the math. As for this blog, it is ridiculous. Arena's have a shelf life and that is fact. To have the team here it has to be paid for and no team has had an arena paid for soley by its owner. The reason for this is because it makes a ton of money for the 3 levels of government. As for workers, there are tons of people from BC that would move out to work. I am a social worker and I talk to people all day that would go if the recruitment was done.

Is that actually true? If so that is complete horsepoop. But not surprising federal funding goes to poop out east and dont get squat in the west.
I am pretty sure with the amount of tax dollars it will bring in down the road, they will be able to build a new school every decade and pay for it. People just can't seem to see the whole picture of what it will create for the future.
- ruttager17

Last I heard, that was the case.

I realize this is a hockey thread but any cfl fans in here?
- Oilfan19

I like to get poop faced at the Esks games, does that count?

Yeah, drove me nuts. For one thing, you don't say that in public even if you're thinking it... second thing is that he says he should have listened to his wife... how inept is he that his wife is right about his football team and he's too stupid to listen to her? I guess he might be old-school but still...
- BigDre

Exactly

Just get the hutterites to build the (frank)ing thing it's be done by now and you'd only have to pay them with fertilizer.
- robin_steele264

People should really watch them. They have enough fertilizer in stock to blow up North America.

I like to get poop faced at the Esks games, does that count?
- ryan78

I thought that was the definition of cfl fan?

Man as soon as i heard the trade i knew we were (frank)ed. You read that article on tsn about how Tillman wouldnt do the trade again..
- Oilfan19

We were (frank)ed either way. We weren't going anywhere with Ray. How would he look without Bowman, a poopty o-line and Stamps who is playing like he lost a nut?

You don't understand that yes Katz will make money off of this but he isn't the only one benefiting. Him and the other property owners in the area will make probably a few hundred million divided between them but the businesses in them won't be his. They will pay him rent but there will be small businesses in the shops around the arena. Grant MacEwan needs this complex to expand and regardless that cost needs to be paid by someone. If it is the province, the federal government or the city, it is still coming from you because there is only so much they can raise tuition a year.

The city needs a new casino which will make the province and the city hundreds of millions a year. This goes back into Hospitals, education for grade school and roads (they do the nice things so no one can complain because it comes from addicts mostly, if you don't believe me their books are legal record). That alone pays for your tax dollars. Nothing else.

The city gets to improve their downtown core which attracts events like world games which again brings revenue. The city gets downtown condos and hotels which again provides jobs and housing which brings more life to the downtown core. Plus the people pushes crime further away from the university. Also it makes downtown less of an eye sore. West of 109 has been getting better but east hasn't done nothing. It is time.

Agreed his threats are in veign and he will make money, so will lots of people but don't the city, the province and federal government will make the most on this deal. Msg me if you want me to show you the math. As for this blog, it is ridiculous. Arena's have a shelf life and that is fact. To have the team here it has to be paid for and no team has had an arena paid for soley by its owner. The reason for this is because it makes a ton of money for the 3 levels of government. As for workers, there are tons of people from BC that would move out to work. I am a social worker and I talk to people all day that would go if the recruitment was done.
- bsteinley

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the deal is that the city would own the building, Katz is responsible for operating the concessions and all that stuff, which is why Northlands is pissed, because that's what they currently have at Rexall.

Yeah if only my parents would have made me play hockey instead of letting me pick whatever I wanted to... I have significant anger issues too and I like to throw normies around hindsight is 20/20 eh?
- BigDre

Just be thankful daddy forgot to pull out.

My Uncle told me that once

I thought that was the definition of cfl fan?
- Oilfan19

We were (frank)ed either way. We weren't going anywhere with Ray. How would he look without Bowman, a poopty o-line and Stamps who is playing like he lost a nut?
- ryan78

Well he brought us to the West final last year.. Stamps only looks bad this year because of jyles.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the deal is that the city would own the building, Katz is responsible for operating the concessions and all that stuff, which is why Northlands is pissed, because that's what they currently have at Rexall.
- BigDre

This is all true, although as much as I want this arena the City owning it doesn't seem that great to me.

(frank) northlands, they take millions of dollars a year and still can't find someone that can cook real (frank)ing food.

Hard to explain but projects like a new sports venue are often great drivers of economic velocity. They can generate down stream tax revenues that offset the public share of the cost of construction.

For example, if you build a school you get a proportionate kind of economic burst that creates jobs and services that pay taxes and buy new goods and services. But, going forward, the school draws more need for tax support. It does not drive the kind of economic energy that creates new spending and economic activity.

A new sports venue in downtowne Edmonton would create new jobs, taxes etc in the form of the initial economic activity. But, going beyond the construction phase the economic power of this kind of project is incredible. You can apply a simple rule of thumb that governments recoups 20% of every dollar spent in the form of one kind of tax or another (income tax, sales tax, etc). So the box office sales, concessions, parking, outside restaurants and bars, souvenirs etc. would probably produce gross sales in excess of $3m per event. The return of taxes on that money to various levels of government will be in the range of $600k per event.

The problem is that there are some voices that believe that it is money taken away from the building of schools, libraries and museums. Others want to argue that it somehow is just an exercise to subsidize already wealthy entertainers, athletes and the like. Usually the negative voices are old and cranky or just plain whiny. It always amazes me how the old, cranky and whiney form political alliances with politicians who are entirely without courage. They are neither entirely for or entirely opposed. They favor dithering and practice creative waffling.

Winnipeg and Quebec City found a great formula to test the importance of a modern facility. In the end the courageous politicians will probably settle on a ticket surtax to pay for their share of the cost. The beauty of the surtax is it makes it appear like the users are paying directly for the government share of the facility. In fact, the surtax is just another tax that makes the old and cranky and whiney think they have won something.
- spatso

Also known as the political right, which is in abundance in the entire province of Alberta. These people would happily give corporations a $450 million tax cut because they say it will stimulate the economy. When in reality that tax cut just helps the ultra rich go to the tropics with the whole family a few extra times a year. That $450 million pumped into infrastructure development would, as you said above, stimulate the economy and provide the local municipality, and provincial and federal government increased tax revenues. Sadly though, our leftist ideologies have no place in Alberta, and that reality will delay the building of an arena for the Oilers for a few more years than it should. Thus driving the price up by a couple hundred million or so.

Well he brought us to the West final last year.. Stamps only looks bad this year because of jyles.
- Oilfan19

It's the CFL, making it to the West Final is like fingering your sister while sleeping.

By the grey beard of Zeus, i think we have found the answer to the oilers size problems in the top 6. Now your user name makes sense
Glad to hear you are getting a handle on it now, your organs will thank you when you are in your 40's and 50's, as well as people who ride an elevator with you and already may be a little claustrophobic

I know what ya mean bout the hats though. I still got a couple of the plain blue with logo in the middle and orange underneath the brim. I have saved every single oilers hat i have bought since the early 90's, you think they have some ugly ones now, if i could load a pic of some from back then it would make your head explode
- ruttager17

1 word - Zubaz!

It's the CFL, making it to the West Final is like fingering your sister while sleeping.
- ryan78

and? ....

I downloaded 4 seasons of that last summer, havent watched them yet but i am getting to it
- ruttager17

Season 5 which is also the final one, starts on sunday.
So stoked

and? ....
- Oilfan19

Not something you brag about. Unless you are a hutterite.

Not something you brag about. Unless you are a hutterite.
- ryan78

Way to kill the thread

Way to kill the thread
- BigDre

yup... ummm, how about that smokey weather?

Way to kill the thread
- BigDre

- ryan78

Are these your sisters?

Are these your sisters?
- BigDre

Do you see my fingers in them?