(As appeared in the 8/5/05 edition of Flamborough Review)

Dear Editor,

 I am writing this letter to clarify my opposition to the City of Hamilton’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

 Since Hamilton City Council voted to pursue bidding on the Games at July 18 meeting, I have been inundated with phone calls asking me why we would be chasing prestige-ticket items such as this when our core essential services have continually suffered since amalgamation in 2001. Good question. Unfortunately, I can’t provide an answer. As the sole opponent to the Games’ bid around the Council table, I can think of dozens and dozens of better ways to spend what would amount to more than $80 million should we secure the 2014 Commonwealth Games. (For the record, staff has not yet provided the figures that Hamilton taxpayers will have to shell out for the Games so I am using the $86 million that was estimated to be the city’s portion in our failed bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games a few years back.)

As I said at the Council table, I have seen so much money go into projects to benefit the old City of Hamilton while my recreational facilities are hanging on with duct tape and string. Even beyond the constant infusion of cash to the downtown core, such as paying double the market rate to rent space in the Lister Block and in essence, fund the property owned by LIUNA out of the taxpayers’ pocket, we are also seeing the construction of the Red Hill Creek Expressway, the creation of Aerotropolis and the Glanbrook Industrial Park – that’s $300 to $400 million right there alone. Even if we are again denied the Games, it cost the city $1.4 million for the international portion of the 2010 bid – should we beat out the other Canadian cities in contention, this time, it will be as much or more.

 This is money we do not have. It is not sitting there collecting dust in our coffers. We simply do not have it. And when the time comes to dip into the taxpayers’ pocketbook, it’s the citizens of the suburbs, notably Flamborough, who seem to get hit the hardest - all this for projects that are either downtown or practically on the other side of town. As Review columnist Kevin Werner noted last week, proponents of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, estimated it would cost $212 million to host the games. That has since soared to over $1 billion. I don’t expect the 2014 Games would be any cheaper.

I recognize and understand that the rest of Council and proponents of the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid are looking to put Hamilton’s name on the map. I also recognize that city properties, such as Ivor Wynne Stadium, do get refurbished through funding at the provincial and federal level (also taxpayers’ monies.) But I hope, in the end, that we don’t become famous for having the most White Elephants in a single municipality. That zoo is getting filled pretty quickly.

 Sincerely

Margaret McCarthy
Ward 15 Councillor