谁说市民斗不过政府？万锦市的体育馆流产就是个好的例证

2012年和2013年期间，万锦市（当时还只是一个镇）的居民经历了一个痛苦的阶段，因为当时的镇政府提议兴建一个有20,000个座位的，符合全国冰球协会（简称NHL）标准的体育馆。有关此话题的早期文章，请点击：http://chinesenewsgroup.com/news/667663
During 2012 and 2013, the City (then a town) of Markham went through a tormentors period with its residents over the proposal for building of a National Hockey League (NHL) qualified arena of 20,000 seats. For an earlier article on this subject, please click: http://chinesenewsgroup.com/news/667663

反对这一项目上马的万锦居民为此成立了非牟利组织，万民问责市府大联盟（简称MCCRG）。万锦市政府的政客们把许多居民对这一项目的担心当耳旁风，而MCRCG希望市府认真对待市民的担忧。在市政府的一次会议上，Eileen Liasi宣布她打算成立一个反对这一项目上马的组织。后来，她成了MCCRG的创会董事。

The struggle over the arena gave birth to MCCRG(万民问责市府大联盟). Markham wasn’t listening to the legitimate concerns of the residents and MCCRG wanted them to be more responsive. One of the founding directors Eileen Liasi actually stood up and announced her intentions to start up the organization at one of the arena meetings in Council Chamber.



建体育馆的主意来自商人Graeme Roustan。他向万锦的政客、商家和居民兜售这个由纳税人出资兴建的的项目。项目一提出，十三位市议员中有六位投票反对让万锦市向该项目投入4.96亿元（本金和利息）。体育馆的收入全部来自举办各种活动的门票，好处全部归私人所有。按照提议，万锦将负责建造体育馆并负责其维护，并以年租100万元将体育馆回租给Roustan手下的公司。

The arena was promoted by Graeme Roustan who tried to sell Markham politicians, businesses, and residents on his grand scheme for a publicly financed arena. Initially, six City Councillors out of thirteen voted against the plan to have Markham go into debt for $496 million (principal and interest) for a facility that will be used almost entirely for ticketed events for the benefit of the private sector. The City will build the arena and responsible for its maintenance while leasing it to the promoter for a rumoured amount of one million dollars a year.

兴建体育馆的钱有两个资金来源。一是通过将体育馆指定为市政基础设施，万锦市每年将损失约375万元的地产税和约2,000万元的地产开发税。作为交换，万锦市每年有13天的时间在体育馆里举办各种社区活动。 （项目预测体育馆每年可以举办130个由私人公司举办的、需要人们购买门票的各类活动。）

The funding for the facility was to come from two sources. By designating the proposed arena a Municipal Capital Facility, the City of Markham will lose an estimated $3.75 million per year in property taxes and some $20 million in development charges, all in exchange for only 13 days per year for community use of the arena.  (There will be a predicted 130 private sector, ticketed events per year.)



第二个资金来源是万锦市向地产开发商收取的“特殊税”，开发商所建造的每套公寓和房屋的“特殊税”将用于偿还建体育馆的债务。但是，能否征收这些特殊税的合法性值得怀疑，有人可能会上法院打官司，反对这一额外的税收。官司结果有可能变成税收不到，钱的缺口得由万锦居民掏腰包来补。

The second source of funding comes from ‘special levies’ being charged to developers in Markham, for each condo and house they build, will be used to help pay the City’s debt on the arena.  However, the legality of these special levies is questionable and they can be challenged in the courts, thereby leaving tax payers at risk.

对于反对这一项目的居民而言，他们最担忧的是NHL能否会让一个旗下的一个球队把体育馆变成球队的大本营。他们认为，此项目的最大支持者，市长薛家平所鼓吹的“你建了，他们自然会来”的说法缺乏逻辑。

Even more worrisome for the opposing residents was the uncertainty in securing the much-needed NHL franchise to make the whole project viable. They felt that they cannot buy into the “build them, and they will come” philosophy preached by the biggest proponent of the project at the time – Mayor Frank Scarpitti.



一个“公民关注”的非牟利组织与那些反对体育馆项目的市议员一起在2013年7月27日至9月30日进行了一项民调。2013年10月11日，他们在万锦希尔顿举行了新闻发布会。新闻发布会的目的是公布体育馆项目的“公民调查”结果。该调查总共收到10,763个回复，其中700多个是邮寄的，其余由计算机完成。我很荣幸在那时整理统计数据，并在新闻发布会上回答相关的问题。

A group of “Concerned Citizens”, in conjunction with a number of Councillors who were opposed to the Arena Financial Framework, initiated a survey on July 27 and ended at midnight September 30. On Oct 11, 2013 a Press Conference was held at the Hilton Hotel in Markham. The purpose of the press conference was to announce the results of the “citizens’ survey” on the proposed Markham arena. The survey received a total of 10,763 unique responses, over 700 of them mailed-in and the rest completed by computer. I was honoured to present the statistics on that occasion and also answer to all related inquiries.

“公民关注”组织由许多纳税人协会会员，MCRCG和众多独立的义工组成。他们向万锦市的家庭派发了几万份调查表。此外，调查表还寄给了那些无法直接送上门的居民。通过这两种调查方式，“公民关注”试图将民调覆盖万锦市的各个居民角落。由义工挨家挨户分发并通过邮件发送的大约97,500张传单中，有高达10％的调查对象回答了民调，这个参与率是惊人的。

The “Concerned Citizens” group was comprised of a number of Ratepayers Association members, MCCRG, and numerous unaffiliated volunteers who physically distributed thousands of surveys to households in Markham. In addition, surveys were mailed to areas not covered by hand deliveries. These two distribution methods, taken together, attempted to cover all households in all wards of the City. From the approximately 97,500 flyers distributed by volunteers door to door, and sent by mail, over a 10% response rate was achieved which was phenomenal.

调查发现的主要民意倾向是，市民希望私人投资者而不是通过征收体育馆税来支付体育馆的花费。超过97％的受访者选择了体育馆100％应该由私人自负盈亏，而超过96％的受访者反对以任何借口拿纳税人的钱来补贴体育馆的运营。

One of the key findings is that the public wants the arena to be paid for by Private Investors and NOT by a special arena levy. Over 97% of respondents chose a 100% privately funded approach to this core element of the Financial Framework, and over 96% rejected any form of taxpayer subsidy.



这项调查显示万锦居民与那些主张建造体育馆的人背道而驰。在2013年12月3日摊牌前，其他一些因素也开始起作用：NHL宣布近期不会增加新的的职业球队，投资银行家Canaccord Genuity说他仅给此项目充当顾问，而不投钱。Roustan一开始承诺他们在此项目上的总投资额约为2亿元，包括体育馆3.25亿元建造费的一半，加上3000多万元租赁体育馆的租金。

With this survey, the tide began to turn against those who advocated the building of the arena. Just prior to the show down on Dec 3, 2013 a number of other factors came into play: The announcement by the NHL of not adding any new teams in the immediate future and the declaration by investment banker Canaccord Genuity acting only as an advisor (not an investor) in Roustan's pledge to provide half of the Markham arena's estimated $325-million construction cost plus more than $30-million for an arena lease for a total investment of around $200-million.

在为期三天的万锦市议会特别会议上发言的大多数人都反对使用纳税人的钱来建造体育馆。看到居民代表在会议中所表现的对此项目的愤怒，此项目是否上马的民调结果，以及在2014年10月将举行的市议员选举的因素，许多市议员在2013年12月5日改变了原有支持此项目的初衷。结果是只有两个人死不改悔，那就是市长薛家平和市议员何胡景。

A large majority of those who spoke at the three days of special Council meeting was against the City's use of tax payers money to build the arena. Mindful of the residents' anger shown in their meeting deputations, expressed in their earlier survey responses, and the upcoming municipal election in October of 2014, many of the councillors changed their votes on Dec 5, 2013. The only two who supported the proposal to the bitter end were Mayor Frank Scarpitti and ward councillor Alan Ho.



市议会以12票对1票通过了决议，如果Roustan或其他私人投资者想要兴建体育馆，他们必须在未来六个月的时间向万锦市政府证明他们已经凑足了3.25亿元的体育馆建设资金。 当然，由于没有人愿意掏钱，体育馆的故事也就成了历史。

Council voted 12-1 that if the current arena plan is to continue, Roustan or any other private arena developer has six months to come to the city with proof of $325-million in private financing to cover the full cost of the arena. Of course, all that is history now as no one came forward with the money.

这场角斗证明，当市议员们与多数选民的意向背道而驰时，选民完全可以打败市府里的那帮政客。 当年，正是因为团结一心，坚持自己的意向，万锦市居民赢得了这场斗争。

This arena fiasco proves that residents can defeat City Hall when its Council members make decisions that are not in line with that of a majority of the voters. Markham residents stood together, stayed firm on their convictions and won.