- Another Harper Con - Will It Ever End

Submited: 7:43am, PST, 11 Feb.'11 CBC News
Gas tax changes for QC arena 'desperation': Liberals
Mayors balk at idea, saying money has already been spent, February 9, 2011, CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2011/02/09/liberals-sayquebec-city-arena-funding-will-corner-mayors.html

"federal gas tax revenues to be used for construction of "large entertainment centres" such as the proposed new Quebec City arena.

Cities and towns across the country currently share an annual pot of just over $2 billion from the federal gas taxes collected at the pumps.

While municipalities are free to pick their own projects, the federal government stipulates the gas-tax money can only be used for infrastructure such as roads, sewers and water treatment systems."

Sounds like a 'Con con' to me.

Nothing but a shill by Harper and the Con's - it may be that Harper, himself, didn't float this idea but neither Harper, Flaherty or any other Con are being very vocal about denying it.

The whole purpose is to con people, in particular voters in and around Quebec City, to think that somehow the Arena is the result of Harper and the Con being in power.

The reason that Harper would do this is purely partisan, with no consideration of what is best for all Canadians throughout all of Canada.

As everyone knows, it is to preserve and/or gain seats in and around Quebec.

$2 billion a years of federal gas tax revenues go towards roads, sewers and water treatment. So, each dollar that is allowed for arenas is one dollar less all Cities in Canada have for these things.

There was good reason Paul Martin and the Liberals introduced the idea of federal gas tax revenues being used by Cities for infrastructure such as roads, sewers and water treatment systems - they are vital to any City and, simply put, they desperately need the funds for these things.

It is only too bad that Harper was not more responsible about the deficit spending going towards these things - as opposed to maximizing votes for the Con's using money borrowed by Canadians.

This may come as a surprise to Harper and the Con's but there may be some Cities in Canada and some people living in these Cities that would prefer to have roads, sewers and water treatment over Harper and the Con's in power.

An Arena in Quebec City is also important but as we saw on Thursday, the total $400 million can be funded by the City and the Province of Quebec from other funds. It would not be surprising if they would accept Federal funding but perhaps the reason Jean Charest made the announcement yesterday - the Province of Quebec and Quebec City simply do not want to be associated with such a partisan, self-interested and narrow manipulation.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html