Posted on 02/25/2010 3:37:04 AM PST by ricks_place
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Josie Lombardi came downtown this week for a taste of the Olympics accompanied by a friend rather than her husband, because he is on an Olympics boycott.
She was thrilled to see the Olympic caldron up close, she said, but after being told she would have to wait five hours to see an exhibit of Olympic medals, Mrs. Lombardi began to think her husband might have a point.
“O.K., are the Olympics worth it?” Mrs. Lombardi said while stopping for lunch at Murchie’s, a venerable tea and coffee shop. “I don’t want to be too negative because there’s good and bad, but I have to agree with my husband. All he can talk about is the debt. I’m worrying about what’s going to happen next.”
While hundreds of thousands of people have streamed onto the streets to enjoy (some of them to excess late at night) the Olympic party, there is still an undercurrent of crankiness and apprehension in the city.
...As for Vancouver’s municipal government and the taxpayers, the bad news is already in. The immediate Olympic legacy for this city of 580,000 people is a nearly $1 billion debt from bailing out the Olympic Village development. Beyond that, people in Vancouver and British Columbia have already seen cuts in services like education, health care and arts financing from their provincial government, which is stuck with many other Olympics-related costs. Many people, including Mrs. Lombardi, expect that more will follow.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Socialists will now try to soak “the rich” with the bill. However, Canada doesn’t a have a crisis to blame (which is a terrible thing to waste, don’t you know).
Obama is BossTweed from New York, only with virtually unlimited power to commit fraud and corruption.
The NYT would probably be spinning Vancouver’s situation differently if Chicago would of got stuck with the Olympics in their quest. Chicago, Ill and the US got lucky PBO failed on that one.
Ironic, isn’t it?
Chicago sure dodged a bullet by not getting the Olympics. They ought to feel good about that.
“Chicago sure dodged a bullet by not getting the Olympics. They ought to feel good about that.”
Not the thugs that were poised to make a fortune off of land development and contract deals.
“Not the thugs that were poised to make a fortune off of land development and contract deals.”
Good point. I didn’t think of that angle. Poor Barry couldn’t deliver for the mob.......
Until the IOC gets with modern times and allows advertising and sponsorships at the Olympics every single host city from now until the end of time will be billions in the hole.
Bank on it.
Does anyone else think that possibly we may have seen the LAST of the “Winter Olympics”? What SANE city will want to host such a bankrupting event in the future? Please note I said “sane”.
The taxpayers of Chicago and Illinois must be toasting the fact they lost out on their Olympic bid.
Besides this, I’ve noticed that, outside the media, there is sadly less and less interest in the “games”. I wonder if the same problem will kill future Summer Olympics.
At no2010 native indians have a list of sponsors and suppliers they want to boycott- it is a who's who of the global economy. Everyone of them is spending money like no tomorrow - in the middle of a worldwide meltdown.
What is unsaid is that in every Olympics there are very-wealthy, powerful elitists who make big profits. The actual loss that is in the news is shouldered by the little people, but golly, there is lots of money to be made. Not by you and me, mind you, because we are just the proletariat.
please, there’s enough advertisement..
Take a look at what you see on television at all Olympic venues.
You’ll notice that on the figure skating, speed skating and hockey games the dasherboards are decorated with art work, a slogan and Olympic logos only. Same with the in ice logos between the blue lines.
If you watch NHL, AHL or even juniors advertisers pay millions of dollars for local advertising for dasherboard and in ice advertising.
You watch curling? No corporate signage anywhere.
Ditto biathlon, all sliding events, alpine, downhill, slalom, snow boarding and ski jumping.
You will NOT see advertising at all on camera for the Olympics from venue placement. Yes, you have TV ads out the ying yang which NBC benefits from not the host city. You have tons of sponsorships in tourist areas, the athletes villages, venue access points etc. None of these things make it on air.
I know it’s against the Olympic charter but how many people complain about FIFA, Bundesliga, English Premier League electronic sideline signage?
Take a closer look at the broadcast before you say there’s enough advertisement, you see nothing in individual venues besides the apparel makers logos on the athletes themselves. You’ll also be curious about the fact that two goalies were forced to change the appearance of their masks due to sponsorships on their equipment that was painted on, not part of the manufacturing process.
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