Some familiar names to Bombers fans (and prior discussions) in this.  Dont forget the story from earlier this year about the personal cheques Caspien wrote to Sam Katz...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/secret-commission-hq-1.3902708

1 minute ago, Rich said:

The ballpark will be an interesting discussion point, especially when you look at the deals and tax breaks that the Jets and Bombers get.

MTS Centre is assessed as recreational space and not commercial land.  

Bombers pay no business or property tax.  I would think the Bomber situation is different as they are a not for profit organisation and IGF is a shared use facility with U of M which has its own property tax rules.  True North and The Goldeyes are privately owned..

 

Thats a good point.  Not unreasonable for Sammy to want the same deal.  But this Police HQ stuff doesnt help him.  There will be a lot of reluctance to make "deals" with Sam that would not be the case in making deals with Chipman.  One is seen as a quality community guy and the other a scheming, shady jerk who barely lives here (if he lives here at all).

Well if you can get couple thousand people to come downtown at night I'd say that's worth $1/yr in property tax and it might be saving the restaurant on the Provencher bridge too. Still why extend it now when no one knows if that league around in 5 years.

What's with Sam and these $1 deals anyway?

 

Edited February 1, 20179 yr by FrostyWinnipeg

2 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Well if you can get couple thousand people to come downtown at night I'd say that's worth $1/yr in property tax and it might be saving the restaurant on the Provencher bridge too. Still why extend it now when no one knows if that league around in 5 years.

What's with Sam and these $1 deals anyway?

 

In the context of a 25 year deal that expires in 2023, its not *that* early to discuss a renewal.  Supposedly Sam wants to renew as part of a plan to invest money into facility upgrades.  if he makes significant upgrades, he likely amortizes that over many many years and thus he wants to know his costs over a longer period of time then the next 6 years.

Here's An excellent summary

http://blackrod.blogspot.ca/2017/02/katz-and-sheegl-forensic-files-winnipeg.html?m=1

13 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Well if you can get couple thousand people to come downtown at night I'd say that's worth $1/yr in property tax and it might be saving the restaurant on the Provencher bridge too. Still why extend it now when no one knows if that league around in 5 years.

It's not $1 for property tax. It's the lease on the land that the ballpark was built on. I agree that a $1/year lease was good when it was first built but with the success of the Goldeyes and the tax breaks they already get, it isn't enough now. The City has already forgiven over $200,000 in property taxes on that parking lot lease to Riverside Park Management (that whole thing had a bad stench to it) and the team gets the entertainment tax back like the Bombers and Jets do. They can afford to pay more for the lease.

It doesn't really matter if the current league survives or not - there's always another minor league wanting teams. How many leagues have the Goldeyes been in already.

Edited February 2, 20179 yr by Jacquie

Snippets:

The $127,200 cheque was confirmed by lawyer Robert Tapper who represents both Katz and former City of Winnipeg CAO Phil Sheegl. Tapper said Katz gave half the proceeds of the cheque to Sheegl.

"I always said Sam Katz in office was, how did I put it politely, ethically challenged," said Thomas. "He just didn't seem to have a good sense of right and wrong in terms of ethical standards in public office."

An estimated 10 to 12 cheques were issued by Caspian to Katz around 2013, including one for $30,000, according to allegations contained in an affidavit filed by RCMP Const. Marc Allard based on statements police received from company employees.

Katz previously denied business dealings with Babakhanians

I think this is what they call libel chill when you vaguely threaten to sue someone who's looking into you to "chill" then into backing off. 

Sammy on the offensive. And desperate 

they could sell tickets to a Sammy perp walk...

Arizona land deal involving Sam Katz doesn't make sense: real estate experts

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/katz-sheegl-arizona-land-deal-1.4025183

 

This reeks of corruption. I hope, if the evidence supports it, Katz and Sheegl are brought to justice. I hope they can't hide Arizona.

This may reveal a lot of shady dealings within City Hall.

40 minutes ago, JCon said:

Arizona land deal involving Sam Katz doesn't make sense: real estate experts

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/katz-sheegl-arizona-land-deal-1.4025183

 

This reeks of corruption. I hope, if the evidence supports it, Katz and Sheegl are brought to justice. I hope they can't hide Arizona.

This may reveal a lot of shady dealings within City Hall.

The fact they continue to point out that Katz is not alleged to have done wrong doing yet Katz lawyer is bending over backwards to prove he hasnt done anything wrong leads me to believe the RCMP investigation is leading to Katz.  That's their big prize.

Im not sure what their lawyer's motive is but everytime he opens his mouth to try and prove his clients were on the up and up, I come away more suspicious.  If his goal is to tip public perception in his favour I dont think that is working.  If he is hoping to chill the investigation, I cant imagine it working either.  But he is committing himself and his clients to certain stories.  I would think the more prudent thing to do would be to shut up and not reveal any evidence until you have to...in court.

Former Winnipeg CAO Phil Sheegl's case split from other defendants in police HQ lawsuit

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/phil-sheegl-police-headquarters-lawsuit-winnipeg-1.5604631

 

 

It would be nice if we could recoup some of the money lost over this scheme and some people faced jail time. Of course, I expect nothing of the sort. 

Winnipeg police HQ contractor paid for $8K deck at former city CAO's house, court documents reveal

Records show numerous emails and meetings between Phil Sheegl, Caspian owner during police HQ project

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-police-hq-emails-caspian-construction-cao-phil-sheegl-1.6166746

 

This is my shocked face. 

4 hours ago, JCon said:

Winnipeg police HQ contractor paid for $8K deck at former city CAO's house, court documents reveal

Records show numerous emails and meetings between Phil Sheegl, Caspian owner during police HQ project

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-police-hq-emails-caspian-construction-cao-phil-sheegl-1.6166746

 

This is my shocked face. 

One helluva deck.

Many in power are rotten to the core, this is not new and happens all the time, nothing will happen to these guys as they are all going to give cover to each other and lawyers employed by the city of Winnipeg suck