Posted on 02/22/2017 3:30:18 AM PST by dynachrome
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil cost Brazilian taxpayers $4.6 billion, conservative estimates show. But once related expenses covered by the Brazilian government are factored in, the overall costs hit the $12 billion mark, which equates to about 0.72 percent of Brazil’s national budget.
Prior to the Olympics, however, the Brazilian government had already spent BR$39.5 billion on infrastructure, or about $12 billion. Stadiums and urban projects designed to ensure the country was ready for the sports event were built, but aside from the events scheduled for 2014 and 2016, there seemed to be little to no demand for such public investments, which prompted the country to wonder whether the expenses were worth the trouble.
Now, as these same structures are left to rot, the documented decay becomes a symbol of government waste, not only because the investments weren’t meant to stand the test of time, but also because the Brazilian government’s lack of concern for the taxpayer is not the main story. It is, in fact, just a footnote.
Like many others, the government ignored the economic realities of the country, betting on inflation and cronyism in order to throw an unforgettable party.
(Excerpt) Read more at theantimedia.org ...
Wow....
How can we build such great structures and then walk away?
How many homeless in Brazil would LOVE to live in a structure that has its own swimming pool ?
If the IOC won't sober up, walk away and reorganize the games along new lines, with a new governing body.
What have we learned children—Don’t give the Olympics to third world Hell hole failed states. First world for sure, second world maybe, third world never.
To be fair, the structures were rotting as soon as they were built.
NBC’s excuse-laden coverage of a diving pool that turned green - from algae, from groundwater seepage, etc. - was patterned after their coverage of Obama...pretend the obvious isn’t there.
Are the Olympics even worth doing anymore? What is their value?
Better yet. . . .what if they opened a competition for hosting the games. . . . and nobody applied. . .
Have every country that wants to participate ante up for initial cost and maintenance.
“How many homeless in Brazil would LOVE to live in a structure that has its own swimming pool ?”
How many homeless would have the initiative to take care of such a facility?
How many are homeless because they lack any such initiative?
The incapable homeless ruin the thing, or let it rot into ruination ?
One homeless kid might be inspired to develop a cure for cancer while daydreaming at the pool for his good luck to live nicely for a month or two.
That's what God does with humans.
The scale is way beyond what a group of poorly resourced individuals could do no matter how much initiative they had. Maintaining a site like that would cost in the tens of millions each year - real costs like energy, water treatment, turf maintenance, general repairs, servicing of fire/security/plumbing/electrical/roofing/HVAC/elevators (etc etc).
Brazilian governments have had trouble paying police and public workers so it’s easy to imagine that some government was left holding the bag when the olympics were over and simply can’t afford to divert any more funds to an expensive showpiece (and is probably waiting for their federal government to pay).
Permanent locations. Participating countries ante up. Best idea yet!
I’ve always said Brazil got an omen of bad things to come when the Germans beat them by 2 field goals (so to speak) in the 2014 World Cup semi final - in Brazil!
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