$108 Million Dollar bailout for the Bixi Bike Rental deal......(some deal) What are we Communist Russia from yesteryear ? We are bailing out every business that loses money..BS: If you can't make it in business, you Go Under.Simple as that.
What are these Bixi's they are renting out, sounds like Full Dress Harley's,.what a croc of $hit. Average a Harley @ say $30k,...how many Harley's would that be,? 3500 or so? You could bail out HD themselves for that. Blatant Robbery of tax Payers Money.with absolutely no fear of reprisal..they should shot these ba$*%#'s
Here is the story in today's Gazette:
MONTREAL - Montreal city council was poised Tuesday morning to vote on a $108-million bailout package to keep its internationally renowned Bixi bicyle rental program rolling.
But the official opposition says Mayor Gérald Tremblay will be doing nothing more than giving the cash-strapped agency a "blank cheque," noting that council will approve the bailout without seeing a business plan or being able to question Bixi's administrators.
There's little doubt over the outcome of the vote, which is likely to take place Tuesday afternoon, as Tremblay's Union Montreal party controls a comfortable majority on council.
However, that vote will be preceded by auditor-general Jacques Bergeron's presentation to council of his annual report, a document that is expected to include an examination of Bixi's finances.
It will also be the first time Bergeron has set foot in council since he accused the Tremblay administration of illegally intercepting his emails.
More details to come
jmennie@montrealgazette.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
.......................Unbelievable.........................................................HF&RV
Hmmmmmmm this or a BIXI
this is an FLHTK 2011 Electra Glide Limited Classic base $28500 apprx.
11 comments:
Internationally Renown...................for what ,Sounds like you need to wear a Pie Plate strapped to your rear,when dealing with these guys....Yikes ! hahahahaha HF&RV
How about this 108 million ,would buy 540 THOUSAND new bicyles avg. 200 dollars.
108 000 000 divided by 200 = 540 000
You could chuck brand new bicyles off the back of a city truck into every 4th or 5th yard in Montreal,killing two birds here ,giving bikes away & giving the city workers something to actually do ,otherthan sleeping in their trucks................hahahahaha HF&RV
this article from Global News Media:
David McDougall's bike rental business is picking up these days.
Tune-ups and pretty soon— rentals – will be rolling into high gear.
“This time of year there are so many people who live in the area, we do a lot of tune-ups,” he said.
The owner of My Bicylette has to work hard to turn a profit.
If not, he’d be out of business.
“I get stressed with debt myself. I don't understand how people keep running their businesses going more and more into debt. I'm not that kind of person,” he said.
That’s not the case with Montreal's Bixi bike sharing program.
The publically funded system has been running a deficit since it started three years ago.
Montreal had to use $37 million of the city's budget surplus to help bail it out.
Plus, it costs city taxpayers more than double that amount to export the product.
International sales of the Bixi brand are turning into a biking bust.
Michael Applebaum makes no apologies that the Bixi system is in the red and will stay that way for the next five to seven years.
“This is just an accounting in and out process that is not costing anything to the taxpayer,” Applebaum said.
“It's the first time in my life that I've seen this kind of mess,” said Vision Montreal’s Pierre Lampron, city finance critic.
Opposition councillors are blasting the city's way of financing the bike program.
Pierre Lampron says Bixi would be bankrupt if it was a private company.
“It's impossible to let those kind of things happen,” Lampron said.
It costs almost $6,000 to build a Bixi bike, once all of the costs for parts, labour, parking stations, storage garages, and Bixi-toting trucks are accounted for.
Critcs say at that price, it’s no wonder it's so tough to turn a profit in the business.
“Come on, it’s impossible,” said Richard Bergeron, leader of Projet Montreal.
Bergeron complains the city should have never promised that the Bixi program would be profitable.
“This kind of service everywhere ion the world is a public service. It does not have to be profitable,” he said.
In the meantime, more and more people are riding Bixi bikes.
Even some of it's competitors – like McDougall – admit the publically funded program is a great idea.
He just wishes Bixi could make it's own money the way he has for the last four years.
so you have to add another $37 Million which the city already used........Holy Crap Batman !! so we are up to 145 Million, (and that's what they admit to.usually there is a lying ba$t**d fee in there somewhere too)
...and what are they making these things out of to average 6 grand a piece......& get this they have 5000 of them. hahahahahah
"Just when I think we here in BC are gaining ground on those thieving Quebec politicians they pull ahead in convincing fashion.........Ahh La Belle Province always setting the bar higher......lol
Politicians=crooks. Plain and simple.
Well again I get to use Arlo's song "I'm Changing my Name to Chrysler" he wrote way back in the 70's & it still apply's today only with a few other swine feeding at the public trough,..Nothing Really Changes does it.......anyway turn it up & have a laugh .
One thing I will say is at least Iacoca Paid back his money
Wel Now Did you think the snakes on council might have an attack of conscience ? Not bloody likely.
They passed the budget........
here is the online story from this evenings Gazette:
MONTREAL -After another day of tumult over Bixi, Mayor Gérald Tremblay won a city-council vote at 5 p.m. Tuesday to provide $108 million of financial backing for continued development of the controversial bike-share system operated by Public Bike System Co.
The vote, taken by roll call, carried by a margin of 35 to 25.
The full package has now been guaranteed by municipal taxpayers.
Louise Harel and Richard Bergeron, respectively the Vision Montreal and Projet Montréal opposition leaders, voted against the package.
So did their respective councillors.
Public Bike, a private, not-for-profit company, was “not asking for a gift,” Roger Plamondon, the voluble board chairman of Public Bike, had told the council earlier in the afternoon.
His energetic, upbeat presentation of Bixi's prospects was followed by a question-and-answer period.
He appeared in front of council for a total of about one hour.
Plamondon laid out an ambitious international expansion plan, which includes a five-year deal worth $210 million in Canadian funds that has begun to provide Bixi bikes and docking stations to London, England.
He told council the taxpayer-financed package - in which a $37-million loan from the city to cover Bixi full development costs to date has been added to a fresh $71 million of credit lines to finance the carrying of accounts receivable and meet other company-growth needs - was essential to ensure that Bixi can continue to expand.
Said Harel: “It’s not our role to transform the administration of a city into a bank.
“We are not a bank.
"And it’s sure we are proud of Bixi. But we consider that it’s not (up) to Montrealers to have to pay for the exports” of the Bixi system.
Instead, it’s the mandate of the Federal Business Development Bank, Export Development Corp. and others including the Quebec government to underwrite such business plans, Harel suggested - “not with (the exclusive use of) the taxes of Montrealers.”
Tremblay, showing unmistakeable glee, ensured that reporters were provided copies of a May 25, 2010, letter signed by Harel, addressed to Plamondon, in which Harel stated that “Montrealers can consider themselves well-treated to be able to count on a seasoned, passionate manager (like Plamondon), in order to make the city shine at the continental and international level, with a product as innovative and high-end as the Bixi.”
For his part, Bergeron predicted Public Bike would return to council for more taxpayer help in future years, perhaps after Tremblay has retired from political life.
“In the final analysis,” Bergeron said, “they are coming to Montrealers and asking for a (municipal) loan of $37 million to Bixi … they are asking us to believe in the success of Bixi, international, world, interplanetary.
“We think this is an ill-advised decision.
“We appreciate enormously the Bixi service," Bergeron said.
"But we believe it should be a public service, perfectly transparent” from an operating and financial point of view.
“If you believe what Mr. Plamondon told us this afternoon, we will make a lot of money with Bixi.”
But that will ultimately prove “not true,” Bergeron predicted.
To sustain the Plamondon business plan, “we will need to sell 10,000, 15,000 Bixis a year, overseas, year after year.
“That’s not probable, to say the least.”
“We have to assume, like any public service …. (that) this model of profitability for a public service was a mistake at the very beginning.”
janr@montrealgazette.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
......." When they hand a million grand out,& I'll be standing with my hand out, & I'll get mine"-Arlo
````````````````~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HF&RV ~~~~~~~
Les, how about some good news about Montreal for a change...surely former Verdunites and Montrealers check into Verdun Connections to be reminded of the great place they've come from and not all the negative articles that seem to be constantly appearing on V/C taking shots at La Belle Province. Sure, all is not great in our old hometown, but it's not perfect where the rest of us live either...and let's remember a great many of our members still live in the old hometown and enjoy all the good things about Quebec. I visit Montreal every couple of years and the city still has a lot going for it. I think if the tune changed on this site and became a little more upbeat, we would have a lot more members contributing to keep it going. No one wants constant reports about bad news...we can all listen to the radio or TV to get that! At least that's how I see it these days....Diane
Good news is , most of these clowns will only be in for a couple of terms.............hahahah
As far as people checking in I doubt that the things politicians do anywhere ,either makes or breaks any site of any nature. A lot of participation is done in the form of reading the threads, & from what I see a lot of people (as they always have) still read & check in to most threads.not all write a comment & they never have for that matter. I have let the site sit at times, & I see not a lot of 'new' posts,so I choose to share with everyone the the things I come across about the old province we once called home (good or bad)
Everyone is welcome to participate & post stories or photos ,like we have always suggested,& those are greatly appreciated too..However reality is sometimes what appears as news from the place we all know well. Montreal. Verdun, & Quebec in general is in fact not always good.. Rarely do we even post articles from other parts of the country. I would also offer that I think I have posted as much as anyone & participated as much as anyone, by finding & sharing old photos & stories of La Belle Province ,let alone Verdun.I will gladly read (as I do) anyone elses stories & I certainly appreciate everyone photos too,.................Now let's hope this will prompt an avalanche of 'new' Verdun stories & photos.
It would certainly save me a lot of surfing trying to find Verdun , or Montreal or Quebec stories to share. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HF&RV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.Hmmm now where are my rose coloured glasses.....lol
Oooooopppps ! What was I thinking when I posted this story about Verdun getting some sort of bike rebnting deal,...what was it called ,well would you look at that the 'Bixi comes to Verdun' and just look at what I suggested
****** With all the great work done around the island of Montreal beautifying the waterfront with pathways etc etc , it's now getting the Bixi renta bike system too...Imagine jumping on a bike in Lasalle and cruising along the waterfront through Verdun all the way to the Old Port & more.....Sounds like a great idea. Mr Bayard on Galt Avenue would be proud,(he was the fellow we all rented bikes from as kids......I wonder what ever happened to him & his little business.....Anyway if you like bikes ,rent one & take some pics along your travels & maybe share them with us here.
Geez, that almost sounded positive (what was I thinking---lol) here's the original story
http://verdunconnections2.multiply.com/journal/item/4091/Verdun_too_You_bet_your_Sweet_Bixi?replies_read=5
"Don't shoot the messenger",.well at least not the paperboy delivering the Messenger..........lol HF&RV
....and how about this only 88 people read that topic,and still only 5 replies/comments (3 were myself,answering others,so as to not let them feel that noone read their comment)
here's a copy of the responses & viewing history:
5 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded
delete replyonesmac wrote on Aug 4, '10
I would love rent a bike when I come to Montreal. What a great idea!
How does it work? If you are a person with low energy and want to just go a few miles, can you return the bike to another Bixi station, or does it have to go back to the place you rented it from?
Smac
edit delete replylesf wrote on Aug 4, '10
Drop it anywhere in town, We had an article on the whole deal posted a couple of times,but I'm not sure what I would have posted it as ?? -HF&RV-
delete replyonesmac wrote on Aug 5, '10
Great. thanks lesf.
It is definitely something I'll look into when I come out next summer.
delete replydawea wrote on Aug 8, '10
Saw these bikes at a "station" on Sherbrooke St., near Windsor St. last summer when I visited friends in the Montreal area. The bikes are well made and look pretty sporty. A great idea that should catch on well
Art
edit delete replylesf wrote on Aug 9, '10
On this site http://www.bixi.com/home you can read more about BIXI & where it's set up around the city of montreal as well as the various spots around the world ,that this bike rental idea is in full swing or at least testing the loacl waters.......Check it Out ......HF&RV
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