Playing Games with the Common Wealth

Well, the whining has stopped, and the games are over for Halifax, it looks like.

One cannot help think that perhaps the Games Organizing Committee are all running around looking for another full expenses, untendered, competition free, cushy job to continue their explorations of the globe.

But I can't help but wonder what they were thinking, keeping money for a public project secret from that public for that long. This is Nova Scotia - it was a certainty that mistrust (usually warranted) of politicians and political processes that now exists here would bring them down.

I have some advice, albeit late, for the Committee. Bring in Mick Jagger. Yeah, the Rolling Stones guy. He seemed able to convince anyone in government that it was worthwhile to inconvenience, and endanger, lots of people, solely to put a paid entry event on public lands. That event took away public lands for what is now 6 months and counting. How much is that worth? And it was public land (much is still fenced in) that by law is owned by everyone in Nova Scotia, in common (hence the name) that HRM is obligated to manage for the good of the people, not for the good of their wet dreams, hoping for a chance to kiss Mick's butt, and boy did they ever suck up to him.

So I see that council now wants to look at more concerts on my land (and yours too). Right on wet grass, in the middle of the most populated area of the Province, right by our hospitals, schools, main traffic and Emergency Measures Organization routes, and seniors apartments.

This when we have places like the Atlantic Motorsport Park, the Atlantic Winter Fair Grounds, and the unused runways at Shearwater that could do just as well, or better.

Everyone says the last concert was a great success. No it wasn't - they got lucky. There was no riot, there was no major accident that required emergency access to the Hospital, and it rained like crazy, keeping people out of the place, such that the full capacity was not there, and the troublemakers were too wet and cold to make trouble.

I say, while we are pulling plugs on things, lets get this idiotic idea of mega rock concerts on our common land flushed to where the Games have gone.