Scam 101
To: WFP EDITOR Winnipeg Free Press
Cc: WFP Bartley Kives, Winnipeg Free Press
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:29 PM
Subject: Scam 101
Dear sir:
What's the hurry?
What political powers have already been lubricated that this IKEA-shopping project is already on the fast track... the sell-it-to-the-public track?
How is it that the Provincial Government and City Hall are already throwing huge sums of money at a project when the only information available to the public is so obviously development spin?
There is no mention of possible negative effects: on furniture and other businesses and industries in Winnipeg; on already over-burdened roads and highways; on neighbouring communities.
There has been no True Cost Analysis of the whole idea let alone any honest evaluation of the exaggerated promises of tax revenue and benefits.
We've seen this sort of boondoggle before.
Gary Doer and Sam Katz were ready to sacrifice neighbourhoods, and existing, far better paying businesses and industries for low paying OlyWest jobs.
They have both identified themselves as 1950s style politicians who believe in urban sprawl as 'beneficial'.
It is also clear that Manitoba's reputation as a place for international business to scam dollars from the public purse with the help of local governments is strong even as far away as Sweden.
Obviously Manitoba is 'Open for Business'...at any cost!
Shane Nestruck
Winnipeg, MB
shanedn@mts.net