Public picking up tab for Olympics while services are cut

[Neecy]

This disillusion is developing as the financial burden of the Games becomes public. The original cost estimate was $660 million in public money. It's now at an admitted $6 billion and steadily climbing. An early economic impact statement was that the games could bring in $10 billion. Price Waterhouse Coopers just released their own study showing that the total economic impact will be more like $1 billion. In addition, the Olympic Village came in $100 million over budget and had to be bailed out by the city.

Security was estimated at $175 million and the final cost will exceed $1 billion. These budget overruns are coinciding with drastic cuts to city services. On my first day in town, the cover of the local paper blared cheery news about the Games on the top flap, while a headline announcing the imminent layoff off 800 teachers was much further down the page.

As a staunch Olympic supporter, a sports reporter from the Globe and Mail said to me, "The optics of cuts in city services alongside Olympic cost overruns are to put it mildly, not good."

...The people of the downtown eastside and beyond are developing a different outlet for their Olympic angst. For the first time in the history of the games, a full-scale protest is being planned to welcome the athletes, tourists, and foreign dignitaries.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dave_zirin/01/25/vancouver/index.html

[KittyWampus]

1. I am sick of "Big Sports" sucking on the public teat, in general. The Olympics should be broken up

and held in multiple cities if it costs this much.

Can you imagine if just a tiny fraction of that public money went into the Arts?

[niyad]

3. excellent point.

[jmowreader]

12. Can you imagine if just a tiny fraction of it went into Infrastructure?

For the price of just the security arrangements for these Games you could build new bridges, roads, schools...all sorts of good stuff.

[Retrograde]

14. or limit it to actual sports

by which I mean events that can be objectively measured: who jumps the highest/longest, or covers X distance the fastest. Any events involving scores for style or artistry are out. I'll miss the dressage, but it will make the games a lot shorter and easier to manage. Oh, and the wearing of glitter will be banned.

[niyad]

2. not on the same scale, but my community is cutting all public services--senior centers, parks,

transit, etc., while giving the USOC $45 million dollars. I am really beginning to hate the whole olympic boondoggle.

[niyad]

4. on Democracy Now several weeks ago, the environmental impact of the games on that area was

discussed. almost beyond belief.

[Neecy]

5. They're having to truck in snow now

Because the snowfall in BC this winter has been far below estimates.

Gee, I wonder who will have to pay for this?

[KittyWampus]

6. strange Thought O"The Day- global climate change may make winter sports obsolete.

[customerserviceguy]

9. Well, not ice skating and hockey

You'll always have those.

[Walk away]

7. Televised sports are just big billboards.

People should be out playing sports not sitting around watching over trained freaks on drugs.

[Kievan Rus]

10. At least NASCAR is honest about the "big billboards" aspect

[Yurovsky]

11. & you never see toothpaste advertised, do you?

just keeping it real in Banjo-land, I reckon.

[unabelladonna]

8. a bore and a waste of time

which should be financed by the private sector.

[Obamanaut]

13. Perhaps prior to bidding for the Olympics, cities should explore

how past sites fared. It would seem to be a reasonable predictor:

Athens Olympic Village abandoned http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1036373/Abandoned-derelict-covered-graffiti-rubbish-What-left-Athens-9billion-Olympic-glory.html

Beijing empty venues http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/sports/2009/feb/Beijing-s-Empty-Venues-Reveal-Heavy-Cost-of-Olympics.html