MLSE has one of the biggest houses in the neighbourhood
Why should Torontonians consider paying for your party?
Imagine living in a neighbourhood and owning one of the biggest houses on the street. Your friends from around the world are excited to come visit you, so you decide to throw a party. Sounds exciting. But you do not want to pay for the renovations and repairs required to get your house into tip top shape. So, you ask your neighbours, irrespective of their housing situation, to pay for it.
This is essentially what the MLSE deal with Toronto is doing. As expected, there are two sides to the camp. MLSE, and those fond of the deal, would argue that Toronto will benefit from the deal with revenues and support for local businesses and venues. They would also say that MLSE is the only house on the block that can pull off this type of party. None of the other neighbours have the skill, expertise, or bandwidth to do it. It makes logical sense to them.
The other side are the people of Toronto, who assume all the risk, and may never reap the benefits. Most of its citizens are not hotel or restaurant owners. They do not like to party or play sports. In fact, most cannot even think about the party because they are too busy working, taking care of other responsibilities, or too darn tired to care.
Both of these camps have legitimate arguments, but is there a possibility of a happy medium? I think there is. Now, I should state that I am not privy to all the details of the deal, so what I am proposing may very well be included, but I will say it anyway.
What if MLSE and the City of Toronto split the costs - say 60/40. What can the benefits of this type of arrangement look like?
MLSE will definitely make back their 60%. Did you see the frenzy in Ontario for the last World Cup? It was insane. I was cheering for teams - and I do not watch football! On a more realistic side, MLSE makes hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. I am sure they will be ok.
People of Toronto can be given a 40% discount to all the games, events, hotels, restaurants and amenities for the duration of the events. This seems like a reasonable and tangible way for some of us to recoup the money we paid for in renovations and repairs. It is similar to Florida residents going to Disney World. If you have a Florida drivers license, you get a discounted fare. Show your Toronto address on your driver's license or any other form of ID, and you get a discount. The City can extend temporary passes to those without identification to ensure equitable access.
But what about those who cannot attend or do not want to attend, for whatever reason, Celina? They paid as well, should they not reap some of the benefits too? Of course they should! Arrangements should be made to have a percentage of the revenues generated from and by the event go to social programs that are financially starved. It is part of a social contract that ensures equitable outcomes for everyone, irrespective of their position in society.
It appears like the deal with MLSE may be done, but this is definitely not the last time a deal will be made. City officials, including the next mayor (who hopefully will be me), should put the people of Toronto at the centre of every decision they make. It is a compassionate approach that I will ensure is part of my mandate to have a Better Toronto for All. It is part of a three pronged approach that asks three questions:
Community - How does this decision or idea promote social justice and inclusive community?
Compassion - How does this decision or idea ensure that we are taking care of ourselves and each other?
Creativity - How does this decision or idea shift our way of traditionally doing things and spark imagination?
A better Toronto requires not only better leadership, but compassionate thinking that is community focused. Better is possible.
Love,
Celina
Love your ideas on this topic, CCC