The private sector should be doing this...
The City of Calgary is considering how to meet the demand for more ice sheets for people to play hockey, figure skate, etc. The existing rinks are overloaded due to the rapid population growth, and as most city rinks are owned and operated by the City, they seem to think the solution is more city owned rinks...
I don't know how the city rinks work, but I suspect that tax dollars subsidize the operation, thus subsidizing those people who choose to use them. This is government performing services that would be better served by the private sector, with competition.
Therefore, the city should simply simplify zoning requirements and let the private sector step up to the plate. In Calgary, there should be no shortage of entrepreneurs willing to invest in rinks, unless of course they would have to compete with taxpayer subsidized rinks. If that is the case, the proper solution is for the City to privatize the existing rinks and get out of the business altogether.
I don't know how the city rinks work, but I suspect that tax dollars subsidize the operation, thus subsidizing those people who choose to use them. This is government performing services that would be better served by the private sector, with competition.
Therefore, the city should simply simplify zoning requirements and let the private sector step up to the plate. In Calgary, there should be no shortage of entrepreneurs willing to invest in rinks, unless of course they would have to compete with taxpayer subsidized rinks. If that is the case, the proper solution is for the City to privatize the existing rinks and get out of the business altogether.
posted by Technical Bard | 08:01
2 Comments:
I can guarantee you city faciilities would cost less if nothing for the user to use thus making a variety of physical activity facilities more accessible to everyone. After all, the poor need to exercise just like everyone else. I am not a fan of government involvement everywhere but considering the public health crisis we have due to obesity, anything that helps people to get moving is a good thing. A little government money spent now will mean we save more later if we have fewer obese people.
The real solution might be some sort of public-private partnership whereby private companies finance most of the arenas and get long-term leases on the facilities. The city funds a smaller proportion and gets to use x number of hours for free over the term of the lease. Some of the Vancouver-area municipalities have struck these sorts of arrangements.
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