Mayor shouldn't gamble with budget | Editorial | Opinion | Ottawa Sun

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Mayor Jim Watson is right to champion the creation of a new Ottawa casino.

Although his recent comments are no surprise to us. Remember he?s the politician who, months ago, spoke with dismay at the number of Ontario licence plates he saw across the border in Lac Leamy.

Some people are expressing shock that a politician holds an opinion on a matter, rather than simply gleaning his stance from staff reports and public deputations. Sorry, but we prefer our politicians with robust views. Even if we fight them hard when we disagree!

The primary naysayers will be the public health crowd who tell us the adverse effects gambling will have on residents. True or not, these reports have always displayed a startling disregard for the fact that people have free will. It?s not like we can ban people from visiting Lac Leamy.

But what is new are the mayor?s comments that casino revenues can in turn be used to fund infrastructure expenses. His remarks worry us that he?s going to, pardon the pun, gamble on the budget.

Sure, the city has only just woken from its big spender hangover to realize it is hundreds of millions behind on infrastructure spending. But that?s not justification for cobbling together more revenue streams. It?s justification for cutting down the frills. We should be opening a casino because of demand for a casino, not because we?re cash-strapped.

We?re addicted to debt and addicted to finding alternate revenue streams. It?s a vicious circle. If the city predicts a certain amount of annual revenue from the casino and budgets with that in mind, we?re just setting ourselves up for more debt. Especially if those projections fall short (and government projections almost always do).

Yes, let?s go forward with this. The questions of where to put it and how to go about it are more detailed, of course. Economic benefits are no guaranteed home run. The numbers have to work. The size, the location, and the rest of the details have to work. Or else taxpayers will be on the hook ? which isn?t impossible, as other Ontario slots and casinos have experienced operating losses in the past.

So let?s allow government to put the same old fear tactics to rest and get on with sussing out the details.

Source: http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/09/25/mayor-shouldnt-gamble-with-budget

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