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Tax increase way to boost city: Asper

Impassioned speech fires up Winnipeg business audience

By: Martin Cash

29/05/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 32

'You can’t say you want something to happen and at the same time not be prepared to pay for it’ -- David Asper

MIKE.DEAL@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image

'You can’t say you want something to happen and at the same time not be prepared to pay for it’ -- David Asper

WINNIPEG – More than 300 business people gave David Asper a standing ovation at a luncheon speech Thursday even though one of his suggested remedies to knock Winnipeg out of its doldrums is anathema to business people far and wide -- a tax increase.

In an impassioned speech that would have been a barn-burner if he were running for public office, Asper went through the list of self-loathing elements of the Winnipeg state of mind and made a plea for the city to break away from its traditional constraints.

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He proposed a two per cent increase in the provincial sales tax, calling it a COD (Control Our Destiny) tax.

Such an increase would raise an additional $300 million per year that Asper said could go into a special fund exclusively dedicated to infrastructure projects, with full transparency regarding how it is spent.

"It could become an important turning point in our history," he said, suggesting a number of projects that could be done with a windfall like that, from sprucing up Portage Avenue to fixing the zoo to revitalizing the Exchange District. The tax would have a legislated sunset and would only be allowed to remain past that date if an overwhelming number of people voted to retain it in a referendum.

"Proponents of sound fiscal policy have no problem with consumption tax," he said. "The great criticism of the GST cuts was that it was the wrong tax to cut."

He said people who want to see the city grow and prosper will appreciate its effectiveness.

"You can't say you want something to happen and at the same time not be prepared to pay for it," he said.

He ran through a short, personal list of some of the city's recent setbacks -- no more polar bears at the zoo even though Manitoba is known as a polar bear habitat; decades of studies concerning the city's major sports arena; decades of studies about rapid transit systems with still no rapid transit; and the loss of its NHL franchise.

"There comes a time when the talking has to stop," he said. "We have to bust through the policy paralysis."

He said whenever he travels and is asked by people why Winnipeg, "I always unflinchingly respond, 'Why not Winnipeg?'"

His impassioned speech was a plea to the business community to overcome the negatives to get things done.

"Right now in this town to execute you have to stick your neck way out and be prepared to get it chopped off, publicly," he said. "You have to withstand stiff opposition, be prepared to grow a thick skin, keep your head down, take risks and be prepared to suffer, sometimes for years."

He said there are signs that attitudes in the city are changing, but there is still a long way to go.

"This is my greatest fear," he said. "It is an ominous syndrome that is holding the city back from achieving greatness -- that we are afraid of greatness, even worse that we don't think we deserve to be great. And even when we are great we're too modest to crow about it."

He said his own project that might create some civic pride -- building a new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers -- is going well.

Asper needs to build a retail development on the site of the current Bomber stadium to fund construction of the new stadium.

"We have a number of impressive tenants in the middle of due diligence right now," he said. "The reaction has been very positive and we are on track."

As for the future of the Asper family's controlling stake in Canwest Global Communications Corp., which is in the throes of a desperate debt crisis, he said, "Given what goes on on a daily basis it is a little hard to imagine the end."

"But I will tell you this... there is plenty of fight in the dog."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 29, 2009 B4

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32 Commentscomment icon

TO: STILL HERE
And just where that Utopia be?? Nowhere that I can think of.
Asper et al should reread Animal Farm: Beware when the pigs stand up on their back legs.
Enough is enough.

TO; WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Would it be possible for your newspaper to print ONE edition without the name of Asper in it?

This in the province where someone earning 30,000 dollars already pays the highest taxes in Canada? What is being done to relieve the tax burden rather than add to it?

Still Here... My, my, aren't you the forward thinking type that's been so sorely absent since this tiny town lost it's livelihood back in 1903. You sure are progressive in your approach. Too bad you're talking outcher beehind. [edited].

You and Dave can both beat it. Some of the citizenry have common sense and don't buy into everything they hear.

Beat it!!

Wow is all I have to say (and not in a good way) I concure with the phrase "Get Bent Asper". I predict that in a little while yet they'll be calling for another "surprising" cost increase to keep building the museum and again out with thier hands open for our money. I'll keep my money thanks, i'll never go to that museum. I've never been down that expensive bridge with a -seasonal- restaurant, sure the bridge is nice...but half of the year theres an empty building and seems like a waste of space. That waterpark is starting to sound like a better idea....i'll give my money to that along with sacrificing my time and gas while they rebuild the roads so that we dont mess up our cars later on or for rapid transit before I help build a human rights museum. L M A O

Anytime a business leader suggests or attempts a project to improve the livability of this town he is immediately set upon by its small-minded citizens who accuse him of merely trying to line his pockets at their expense. I agree that raising the PST is a bad idea; but seriously, enough with the proletariat paranoia. Mr. Asper: I too have to ask why Winnipeg? Move someplace nicer. Someplace where your civic efforts (misguided or not) will be better appreciated.

has he lost his [edited] mind?

More like raise money for his [edited] projects that he wants the tax payer to fund.

Let's see a politician support a 2% increase in provincial tax...which I doubt very much will happen....

[edited] Now he's asking for tax payer money to fund what ? infrastructure? is that sewers / roads or stadiums attached to free commercial properties ?

Mr. Asper stop begging for tax payer hand-outs and concentrate on making your debt obligations in your real businesses. Perhaps this is your backup plan for when those will fail?

Of course he wants to see taxes raised.
Where else will he, his family and their corporate welfare leaches get the funding for their ego-driven absurd ideas. From his pockets??? Yeah right.
I think 'little voice' put it best earlier in this thread - get bent Asper!

The PST is NOT A CONSUMPTION tax. It is a direct tax. This [edited] is calling for even more of my money to help him build his arena(hereafter called infrastructure), while his sister panhandles for her museum. I am fed up with his family, this nanny-state government and the freedoms I am losing everytime words come out of these elitists' mouths. Oh yeah, and Global Media missed their interest payment today. Must be nice to have connections. [edited]

Hey Roland... stop me if you heard this one... the poor will always be with us... you can't "phase out" people who are down on their luck or who have mental health issues. If they aren't downtown I guarantee it's because they have simply moved to another area of the city.

Why should I be expected to pay MORE taxes, just so we can have a better stadium, so Canwesst can stay out of debt and so we can get an NHL team back (yeah right!)??? I mean, I already pay enough and how is this fair for the people who don't live in Winnipeg? How exactly will paying more taxes benefit them? It won't.
This city is already slowly improving, piece by piece and we haven't seen our taxes go up yet. So what's the rush?
Honestly, if the PST got increased here, I would move to another province.

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