(08-20-2015, 11:44 AM)tomh009 Wrote: The ROI is pretty good if the region does not need to spend any money on construction, and receives lease payments as well as transit centre space.
And in this scenario there is really no risk of the public "being gouged" as the transit operations would be run by the region, the developer would just provide space for them. The region would receive transit facilities at zero construction cost, and also receive lease payments on the land.
The developer would have an opportunity to build residential, retail and office space, and make money from those. No monopolies or barriers to entry on those, other developers could do the same on other parcels of land.
ROI for politicians at every level is where will this be in four years? That is what screws this country up.
Their thinking is: Will I get re-elected? Which is a sad state for citizens as politicians have only four-year brain/life cycle plans.
Wynne Liberals = we will have zero budget deficit in 2017-18 = screw everybody else until election year
Harper CONs = we will have zero budget deficit in 2015 = screw everybody else until election year
No long term planning or thought by politicians based on a four-year life cycle.
On the other hand, I do give real strong kudos to Region politicians who stuck their elected necks out on a 10-15-20 year LRT proposal ... I guess my long-winded pontificating fails my own test ... sometimes.