YOU SAID IT: No tax money for arena

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NO TAX MONEY FOR ARENA

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So the NCC and Ottawa Senators have inked an agreement in principle to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats.

As fantastic as that may be, it must come to fruition without a single dollar of Ottawa tax money. The desperate financial situation the mayor and council find the city in should be a clear and obvious signal: no municipal money toward any facet of the arena project.

Similarly, these same deficits at OC Transpo and other financial woes face the city after years of politically driven, unrealistically low property tax increases for political reasons. Council failed to keep pace with inflation, affecting both capital and operating budgets, and city needs.

The same position must apply to Lansdowne 2.0. Support and encourage the Redblacks, 67’s et al. to remain viable and in town, but not, repeat not, with a single tax dollar to this private, for-profit venture.

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OSEG is not a charity. Realistically, if it is to revitalize Lansdowne (again, hopefully more successfully), it needs to do so without a taxpayer dime.

MIKE ALAIN
OTTAWA

WON’T CONVERT TO SENS FANS

Re: Meet ‘n’ greet in Gatineau; Sens give local fans a taste of NHL hockey, Sept. 22

The Ottawa Senators will be disappointed if they expect residents on the other side of the river to change from cheering for their beloved Habs to our team.

There was also a large contingent of people cheering for Montreal at the Redblacks game. I would bet that most were from the national capital area.

BOB MORRIS
OTTAWA

NO DEBATING THE REASON

So, Americans vote on Nov. 5. Not surprisingly, Kamala Harris agreed to debate Donald Trump on CNN on Oct. 23. But Trump says there won’t be another debate because voting has already started. Sounds good, but that’s not the real reason.

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I can see it all now. CNN moderators would be asking Harris to explain her aspirations and share her middle-class upbringing while asking Trump to explain what he’d do about what’s happening in Ukraine and the Middle East.

So, to conclude then, the real reason Trump won’t debate Harris on CNN less than two weeks before voting is because he’s not a moron.

JILL YOUNG
OTTAWA

HAVE YOUR SAY

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