Recruiters offer hundreds of jobs in Christchurch

I think the point that was being made, that has been missed completely by Stevesone57 in his apparent zeal to overthrow the stadium is this.

This article has precisely zero to do with the stadium.  So why bring it up unless you're grandstanding?

How timely to see the latest proposal from Council re the stadium. It will only cost ratepayers a staggering $9.125 million 2013-2014. We all pay rates but sadly the stadium has to have its rates reduced from $1.8 million to a pitiful $134,000 per annum. I wonder how many of you in business who are struggling to makes end meet will get this kind of consideration from our esteemed Council?

And of course if you are a struggling tourism operator Dunedin Council will be coming to you to pay for its events fund to the tune of $400,000 (Not a direct stadium cost but put in place because of it).

You may be relieved you are not a tourism operator but wait - how long until taxi drivers, take away bars, supermarkets, dairys and others are called upon to contribute to the bail out the stadium fund?

Find the $400,000 by raising revenue in other ways. Add a couple of dollars to parking fines, do what you have to but leave ratepayers alone, they are already being hammered.

It seems to Bahrain anyone unhappy with Dunedin's burgeoning debt is a stadium hater and should be run out of town. I like the stadium but I like Ferrarris and Mercedes as well, only problem is I can't afford one. The fact is as a tourism operator I don't want to pay any more in targeted taxes for an edifice which will continue to suck money out of the local economy for years to come.

Do some research and you will see stadiums within NZ including Eden Park, North Harbour Stadium, Mt Smart etc are all being bailed out by rate payers, this in a city of over 1 million people. You don't have to be a genius to see that a town of 100,000 will always struggle to fill a stadium such as this on a regular basis. If you really want to stop the debate, admit it will never make money, try and stem the losses, and just see it as a public amenity which we all have to pay for. Dunedin's rates are now rising at double the rate of inflation, yet more targeted taxes are unacceptable.

Sell Carisbrook, Charge admission to the Settlers Museum, put a small increase on parking tickets, just do what it takes to lessen the load on Dunedin's long-suffering ratepayers. Sucking yet more money out of the local economy will impede growth, it's just basic economics 101.

@bahrain expat:  Were you not watching the tv a couple of nights ago to see the poor devil in Chch who had a job but nowhere to live and was sleeping in the car?

No broom of doom, just the reality of it all. 

What an exciting opportunity for young, or older, men and women of Dunedin.  Free on the job training, with a partial qualification at the end of it.  A living allowance and like most young workers/students they can flat or share accomodation.

Then along comes Speedfreak, on his broom of doom, to put a dampner on it, pick up your bottom lip or you'll get gravel rash.

Stevesone57, have the stadium haters run out of their own pages to comment on, that you have to hijack this one also!

As we know there is no charge to enter the Settlers Museum. It's bad enough that rate payers will have to pay for the ongoing annual costs of running the museum, now I hear a radio ad campaign promoting the museum and that admission is free. Anyone done any radio advertising lately? It costs plenty but this council are content to throw even more community money at projects that return nothing in revenue. $650 million or so in debt but no end to their excess. Their solution is to increase rates at twice the rate of inflation and to consider yet more targeted taxes on business. 

Council is the biggest  business in town, but unlike other businesses this business does not live within its means, it just gouges yet more tax from the community to fund its largess.

Eventually the well will run dry, what then Dunedin Council? 

It's just a shame they will have to live in their car.