Kevin Gillies is quite correct “What we need here – dare I say it – is a little more nightlife”.

Regrettably for we citizens of “Boredomtown” and our pocketbooks, council refuses to see this reality because they do not want any nightlife they do not approve of. Unfortunately they disapprove of any nightlife that falls into the fun category.

When columnist Ed Willes wrote “… as thrilling as a weekend in Abbotsford” he was making reference to an NHL playoff hockey game being played in a huge arena. Abbotsford can spend its current $108.6+ million, plus $100”s of millions more and it will not change its province wide status as “Boredomtown”.

NHL playoff hockey games are not what make Vancouver or Montreal fun cities to live in; it is the day in and day out availability of entertaining nightlife.

Which is why come the end of hockey season Vancouver will still be fun and even once all the construction for Plan A is complete Abbotsford will still be the butt of hockey columnist’s humour and boredom will still be defined by BC residents as “a weekend in Abbotsford”.

Thinking about it, those who claim Plan A will make Abbotsford a fun place may have a point, just not quite the point they think. It may just be that the best chance we have to stop being Boredomtown lies in the effect of the huge costs and tax burden of Plan A.

In an ironic twist of fate, faced with a desperate need of cash flow from new sources to avoid cutting more City services and maintenance, a financial crisis or astronomical (20%) tax hikes, the lure of casino $$$ may prove irresistible to City Hall. Once started down that slippery slope who knows where the unintended fallout of Plan A could lead – theatre? Or – gasp – a comedy club? Later club hours and new clubs? Even normal city nightlife?

Because in the end fun is about a city’s attitude and behaviours and until Abbotsford City Hall changes its attitudes and behaviours, or voters change those who inhabit City Hall, Abbotsford will not offer the entertainment choices that make a City come alive, hum and be a fun place to live.

Those who say that Plan A is decided and we must live with the conswquences areboth right and wrong. Right in that citizens voted in favour of spending $85 million on capital projects. Wrong in that nowhere did the citizens vote and approve $23.6 million, much less $30 or $40 million (since the costs seems to be growing astronomically) in soft costs.

I attended all the public meetings, read all the statements from Abbotsford City Hall and despite Mr Beck’s recent assertions the only figure cited was $85 million. When asked about other costs by those opposing the lack of planning and financial transparency in Plan A they denied any $$$ millions in such costs. It is now clear why Councillors Beck and Smith together with City Manager Guthrie, refused to personally guarantee to cover any costs above the $85 million when called upon to do so.

If Mr Beck’s statement that council had “ …always projected in the round figures $100 million for the projects” then council and senior city staff lied to the citizens of Abbotsford about the costs of Plan A. At $23.6 million and climbing, the size of these lies by omission border on malfeasance. Lies of this magnitude certainly render the results of the referendum on which council and senior staff base the legitimacy of their continuing with Plan A null and void.

If Mr Beck and all others I herein have branded liars at Abbotsford City Hall want an apology, they simply have to show me where in the public record they stated that Plan A would cost $100+ million and that the $100+ million was likely to rise (as it already has by 9%). Show me where it was they did not insist the price was guaranteed to be no more that $85 million.

Otherwise they should resign or face charges of malfeasance.

Community Clean Up Day is this Thursday April 26th, let us all lend a hand in a small or big way to make up for those ill-mannered litterbugs who lack the intelligence to understand what a garbage container is for.

It would be great if Abbotsford City Hall were to set an example about cleaning up the disorder in Abbotsford. To that end senior managers and councilors resignations would be a great start on cleaning up the ethical, financial and business affairs chaos their behaviour has given rise to.

Once we address and cleanse the various messes defacing our City we can get down to making Abbotsford a great place to live and do business. So City Hall, set the citizens a good example – just this once.