2010 Olympics Legacy

[SurplusElect]

See Grandma?

If you criticize the rich - its jealousy.

Even if someone bought the entire planet and everything in it - if you suggested that might be a problem - you're just jealous.

[Rwede]

Fercryinginthekitchensink ........ those amounts paid to the execs on the Olympic Committee are only a part of the whole Olympic problem. One part.

How about YOU try understanding the massive debt load the Olympics are heaping on the taxpayers of today, the taxpayers of tomorrow and the taxpayers in the generation after that - all for the "fun" we had in 2010.

You call it a problem because of your jealousy over their remuneration packages.

Not for one second have you stopped to think about how much more the Olympics would have cost with lesser talent managing the event. A single botched contract by an incompetent, lesser executive could have cost the taxpayers many millions more. You just don't understand that, and think a bunch of $20 an hour good ol' boys would do the top jobs just fine.

When we look through our green glasses, all we can see is that they are getting paid more than we are, so it's BAD and a problem.

[grammafreddy]

Fercryinginthekitchensink ........ those amounts paid to the execs on the Olympic Committee are only a part of the whole Olympic problem. One part.

How about YOU try understanding the massive debt load the Olympics are heaping on the taxpayers of today, the taxpayers of tomorrow and the taxpayers in the generation after that - all for the "fun" we had in 2010.

You call it a problem because of your jealousy over their remuneration packages.

Not for one second have you stopped to think about how much more the Olympics would have cost with lesser talent managing the event. A single botched contract by an incompetent, lesser executive could have cost the taxpayers many millions more. You just don't understand that, and think a bunch of $20 an hour good ol' boys would do the top jobs just fine.

When we look through our green glasses, all we can see is that they are getting paid more than we are, so it's BAD and a problem.

Oh fer gawd's sake, STOP. You aren't a stupid person. How do you justify this massive debt being passed on to the future generations? Its not about me or jealousy at all. The whole Olympic thing as it has evolved into a *bleep* match to better each previous one, and the incredible lengths and expense they go to for security and for drug testing for corrupt athletes, coaches and even countries determined to win at all costs, boils down to totally ridiculous.

[Smurf]

Some people just don't care as long as they get their benefit or perceived benefit, forget the rest. If you ever watch the Dragon Den, Kevin O'Leary is the perfect example. He comes right out and says he doesn't care if it's ethical or whatever as long as it makes him money. I agree with you granny, these venues etc. are way out of hand. Especially when many are designed for a special purpose and will never again be used to their potential. I also agree we should get away from all the glitter and go back to the real meaning of the games.

[grammafreddy]

I also agree we should get away from all the glitter and go back to the real meaning of the games.

I'm not sure that is possible.

[Captain Awesome]

If you ever watch the Dragon Den, Kevin O'Leary is the perfect example.

OMG, I love Kevin O'Leary.

[Gone_Fishin]

I find it so amusing that people relate a TV personality to real life.

[logicalview]

Some people just don't care as long as they get their benefit or perceived benefit, forget the rest. If you ever watch the Dragon Den, Kevin O'Leary is the perfect example. He comes right out and says he doesn't care if it's ethical or whatever as long as it makes him money. I agree with you granny, these venues etc. are way out of hand. Especially when many are designed for a special purpose and will never again be used to their potential. I also agree we should get away from all the glitter and go back to the real meaning of the games.

I honestly don't think Kevin O'Leary has ever said that. Ever. And if you read his book, you'd find that the Kevin O'Leary persona he projects on TV isn't how he is in real life. It's television, and he's just trying to make a pretty dry show with a lot of really dumb people asking for money somewhat interesting.

[SurplusElect]

-Fleet of special "security screening buses" - 6 million dollars.
-In storage since the Olympics - storage costs - 400K

Sold in 2012 - for "credits" to a contracting company - undisclosed amount.

http://emedia.cknw.com/Podcasts/2552/In ... odcast.mp3

Today on the Simi Sarah Show. The "investigators" talk about the money spent on "economic action plan" ad's - and then go on the details about the Olympic buses.

Bread and Circuses, mixed in with a bunch of backscratching stinking deals at the common mans expense.

No public money, let the ticket-holders and investors fund it.

[Urbane]

There can be an honest debate about the Olympics but I don't see it as a political issue since the NDP started the process and the Liberals carried out the Olympics in a highly successful manner. The majority of British Columbians were likely in favour of the Olympics as well (judging from polls anyway) and certainly those in the lower mainland got to vote on having the Olympics and they voted YES.

[grammafreddy]

Sure beats me how anything can be called "a highly successful manner" when it has left so much debt behind it. Hell's bells, the taxpayers will never know just exactly how much this foolishness has cost us and will continue to cost us for several generations.

[DoDo1975]

Sure beats me how anything can be called "a highly successful manner" when it has left so much debt behind it. Hell's bells, the taxpayers will never know just exactly how much this foolishness has cost us and will continue to cost us for several generations.

It was successful indeed. Forget about all the events that were terrible, with no snow, too much ice or fog. Or even the tragedy.

They sold oodles and oodles of red mittens.

[flamingfingers]

Promises, promises that turned out to be more lies:

Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Where have all those post-Olympic tourists gone?

The mass protests in Brazil are big news down here. In part, Brazilians are mad that the government is spending billions to host the World Cup and the Olympics, and don’t buy promises of economic benefit.

B.C.’s post-Olympic tourism stats support the protesters’ skepticism.

The promised increase in visitors didn’t happen. In fact, two years after the Games British Columbia actually lost ground as a tourist destination.

In 2007, B.C. had 4,837,000 international visitors, 26.9 per cent of the Canadian total. The numbers plummeted in 2008 and 2009, not surprising given the global recession and financial crisis. International visitors increased slightly in 2010, fell in 2011 and inched up 1.1 per cent last year.

The number of international visitors in 2012 - 4,220,000 - was 13 per cent below the 2008 total.

And B.C.’s share of the total visitors to Canada was 25.9 per cent - the lowest in at least seven years.
You can rationalize changes in the raw numbers, pointing to external factors.

But B.C.’s tourist visits aren’t just flat-lined. They’re declining. The Games impact has been non-existent.

That’s not surprising. How many British Columbians decided to make visit Turin after watching the 2006 Games?

But in selling the public on the Games, the government promised big benefits. It commissioned a study in 2002 that predicted the Games would result in 1.7 million to 2.7 million additional international visitors between 2008 and 2015. That’s at least 200,000 per year.

Those were among the benefits a contribution from taxpayers equal to some $450 per person - kids included - to pay for the Games.

And the promise of tourism increases has turned out to be entirely empty.

Those Brazilians have good reason to be worried.


International visitors

BC BC Share Canada
2006 4,811 26.5% 18,175
2007 4,837 26.9% 17,975
2008 4,459 26.1% 17,089
2009 4,179 26.4% 15,804
2010 4,271 26.5% 16,093
2011 4,174 26.1% 15,976
2012 4,220 25.9% 16,311

http://willcocks.blogspot.ca/2013/07/wh ... ympic.html

And we spent $13 million on the TOIFA awards under the same pretext?

[Rwede]

^^^ So are international travellers all finished with the global recession and now spending as freely as they were in 2007, or is increased anxiety causing travellers to stay closer to home until some certainty comes back to their lives (and cashflows)?

Didn't think so.

Next.

[flamingfingers]

^^It's hardly likely that 'international travelers' (in the true sense of the word) worried or worry about their cashflow to the extent that they would 'stay closer to home' because of a global recession.

Face it, the Owelympics just did not prove to be up to Gordo's glowing promises.