Dear Editor,
Re: “The Roxy road to Rio,” Feature, Oct. 21.
How many other Richmond taxpayers read reporter Graeme Wood’s Oct. 21 article about the Oval financing and shook their heads in bewilderment?
While I thank Graeme for getting the conversation started, he has literally only scratched the surface of the ice about this issue.
How is it that our top public servants can start a secret, private, corporation and make untendered contracts with “our” other public corporations? I say “our” because “we” own the Richmond Oval!
Anything to do with our city and our city’s corporations are public domain.
How does George Duncan and Shana Turner come to be directors of this private corporation?
If George is a successful businessman in his private life, perhaps we can use his services that we already pay full-time for at the city, and again part-time for the Oval, to run our municipality more efficiently and run our Oval at an operating profit without us taxpayers having to bail it out each year with more than $5 million in grants, legacy funds, tax exemptions and rent breaks.
Also, why are sponsor corporations subsidizing our city staff to travel? Obviously, they will expect and are receiving something for their “support.” This is not proper.
If it is really travel for city business, then we should pay for it. Can I see the managers’ approvals and reports on these junkets?
All the while, our elected officials, whose duty it is to watch over our fair city, merely sanction every event and request.
Please, Graeme, I hope you continue questioning and letting us know just where our money is going and who is taking it.
A. Norm Brown
Richmond
