City of Edmonton to pay half the costs for a new McDonald's!

So, imagine this...

Ray Kroc comes to Edmonton, says "you guys really like Big Macs, don't you?"

"Wouldn't it be a shame if the McDonald's weren't here and Edmonton couldn't get Big Macs?"

"Well, we need to build a new McDonald's and since you guys like Big Macs and you want there to be McDonald's here - I think you should give my franchise owner Daryl here some money to build a new McDonald's. Just take some of your tax dollars and pay for half the store so Daryl can make his business successful and overcharge you for Big Macs!"

Sounds ludicrous? Well that's precisely what Gary Bettman is telling us we should do!

Daryl Katz is involved in the hockey business because he loves the game and is a big fan, but more importantly he is involved because he knows that having his name connected with the national game will get more people into his drug stores and sell more cold medicine than any other marketing campaign.

"I looooove the Oilers!! I'm the biggest Oilers fan in Edmonton and Rexall supports the Oilers - I'm going to buy all my kids Diapers at Rexall!" - That's the strategy in a nutshell. And if that doesn't work he could always muse about having to move the team until he gets a government bailout or more people develop their photos at a Rexall family pharmacy.

In actuality I have nothing against Katz and I think he's got his heart in the right place, but let's see the issue for what it is - a ploy to put public money in private pockets.

Something smells worse than the manure

Let me get this straight...

Ralph Klein was a standardbred horse owner. While in power, he along with at times finance minister Shirley McLellan provided repeated bail outs to the industry. The industry embarks on expensive ad campaigns, not promoting the races as entertainment (as Northlands does) but simply promoting the industry as being important to Albertans. Now McLellan is the Chairperson of Horse Racing Alberta, with her hand out?

For some reason, I have little sympathy.