Who could care less about the Olympics?

[steven lloyd]

I know, that's a lot to expect from the Dictator, especially the no nonsense part. He has issues with honesty, too. He would rather just tell you that you are too ignorant to know what's best for you so he'll tell you what that is - and he decided hosting the Olympics was best and we're all still going to have to pay for his playground and swallow his lies and deceit.

I hope the Olympics are successfully staged here, I really do. As far as the games having any lasting benefit to the people of this province, however, I am not so naive. In fact, I expect we will be paying dearly for this elitist party for decades to come.

For example, a good portion of our tax money specifically earmarked for specific and critical expenditures in health, education, mental illness services, additions services, the court service, criminal justice system including victim services, child protection, etc. is being skimmed and significant amounts (tens of millions) are being re-routed (stolen) to be used in general revenue where its use is not susceptible to any level of accountability. It can be used for anything, such as paying for and hiding additional embarrassing costs for the Olympics and executive perks such as rooms, tickets and invite-only parties. The people of this province are being stolen blind right from under their noses and are too stupid to care.

In the interim we are slashing funding and service levels in health, extended community care and seniors care, mental health services and addiction services, educational support services, correctional services both in the community and the institutions, access to legal aid services and victim services because we are in need of billions to try and pull off this Olympic fiasco. The cuts we are making to our public service right now are going to come back and bite us very hard and It will take decades and tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to repair the damage currently being done by this government. We are in for some very dark and desperate times ahead in this province and the blame will lie soley on the mismanagement of this government and the people who continue to blindly make excuses for them.

At the same time this Olympic debacle has about a 10% chance of realizing any lasting benefit for anyone, and certainly no one outside the lower mainland, Whistler or la-la land is going to realize any gain. That being said, every taxpayer in the province is going to be saddled with a huge bill that we will all be paying for decades to come. The fairy tale idea that we are all going to benefit is in reality a sad joke. The people who buy that joke the saddest of all. It will take decades and billions of dollars to repay the short-sighted and self-serving costs of these Olympics. We are in for an extended period of some very dark and desperate times ahead in this province. I wish I could be wrong about this. Everything says I’m right though. Right down to the sheeple ignoring the real issues and waving the flags.

[Mr. Personality]

the Dictator

I'm pretty sure this is your problem, not the Olympics, if this was an NDP innitiative, it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it.

[pbear]

It wouldn't be a wonderful thing for me no matter what political party suggested it. I agree with Gramma and Steven on this one. We will all be paying for years and needed services will remain unfunded because of it.

[Mr. Personality]

the Dictator

I'm pretty sure this is your problem, not the Olympics, if this was an NDP innitiative, it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it.

You've never read or even tried to understand any of gramma's previous posts, have you? You couldn't even begin to imagine how far off the mark your asinine comment is. This has absolutely nothing to do with a government that hasn't been in power for over a decade. Nice try though.

p.s. unless you live in a bubble and have some kind of opt-out clause that exempts you from paying taxes in the province for the next thirty years this is your problem too - even if you are too dense for that to have sunk in yet.

Actually it does. A lot of the comments can be related back to "Gordon Campbell is an idiot and a crook." The majority of people who spew this are NDP supporters. Do they not think that maybe there's a reason their beloved party hasn't been in power over a decade? Not to mention besides the Liberals and their horrible leader or the NDP, who else is there in BC? I think gramma's posts have little to do with the Olympics and everything to do with partisanship, whether she's right or not.

And, yes, I'll be paying for it, along with everyone else. And no, the pros of these events do not outweigh the cons. She's mostly right. It's the underlying political commentary that bothers me.

With that said, however, I choose to be proud that Vancouver and other parts of BC will be hosting the Olympics. I'm proud that the larger area of what I call home was chosen to be put on display at one of the world's most prestigious sporting events. I'd be proud if it was anywhere in Canada, I'm a little prouder of it being in Vancouver. Sure the money used should be going to better things, but really, they're going to mostly waste our taxes anyway. I'd rather see the Olympics than another payraise for the politicians.

[steven lloyd]

Actually it does. A lot of the comments can be related back to "Gordon Campbell is an idiot and a crook." The majority of people who spew this are NDP supporters.

That would be quite the erroneous assumption Mr. Personality. You don’t need to be an NDP supporter to recognize that Gordon Campbell is a crook (a significant error many lapdogs seem to make). You just need a brain that is still in working order. And if you think either gramma or myself are NDP supporters you are way off the mark. I just don’t like my elected politicians stealing from me and giving me the finger while they’re doing it. I’m just not much of one for the “bums up and kneeling” position that has become so popular in this province.

[Mr. Personality]

Actually it does. A lot of the comments can be related back to "Gordon Campbell is an idiot and a crook." The majority of people who spew this are NDP supporters.

That would be quite the erroneous assumption Mr. Personality. You don’t need to be an NDP supporter to recognize that Gordon Campbell is a crook (a significant error many lapdogs seem to make). You just need a brain that is still in working order. And if you think either gramma or myself are NDP supporters you are way off the mark. I just don’t like my elected politicians stealing from me and giving me the finger while they’re doing it. I’m just not much of one for the “bums up and kneeling” position that has become so popular in this province.

Fine, you're not NDP, whatever. It's still nothing but more anti-Campbell rhetoric. As for the rest of it, Olympics or not, Campbell or not, they're going to steal your money and give you the finger.

[Mr. Personality]

Prove me wrong.
We put these people in power and they steal our money. It's the way it goes, always has been always will be.
Have fun working on that stroke.

[DavidB52]

I could care less for the Olympics. They have never interested me for some reason. It just seems like too much work for very little pay-off in return for both the athletes and hosts.

I am turned off the whole thing too. I started out in support of them, but can't stand the way things have been done. It seems like every decision made surrounding these games has been the wrong one.

Some Okanagan cities should hold some "Counter Olympics" events, and try to appeal to the many residents of the Lower Mainland who are so turned off they just want to get out of here while the Olympics are on. I'll bet there is actually a pretty big niche market for that. (It is always nice to go to the Okanagan anyhow; this would just be another reason to do so in the off season.)

[grammafreddy]

the Dictator

I'm pretty sure this is your problem, not the Olympics, if this was an NDP innitiative, it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it.

No, definitely not. I do not support any party. I am very definitely anti-Olympic Games, though. Nice try, fella.

[grammafreddy]

I could care less for the Olympics. They have never interested me for some reason. It just seems like too much work for very little pay-off in return for both the athletes and hosts.

I am turned off the whole thing too. I started out in support of them, but can't stand the way things have been done. It seems like every decision made surrounding these games has been the wrong one.

Some Okanagan cities should hold some "Counter Olympics" events, and try to appeal to the many residents of the Lower Mainland who are so turned off they just want to get out of here while the Olympics are on. I'll bet there is actually a pretty big niche market for that. (It is always nice to go to the Okanagan anyhow; this would just be another reason to do so in the off season.)

Actually, you may have a really super idea there. I like the idea of "AVOID THE OLYMPIC MADNESS - COME TO KELOWNA!" I can see hotels having room specials, stay and ski packages, special rates for the H2O centre, even winter birding excursion packages. There are a lot of people at the coast who would probably love to get away from there during the frenzy. How about "snow-golf packages"?

Now, that might actually produce some economic spin-off from the Games. It'll be about all that would.

[Captain Awesome]

I can see crowds of people wanting to get away from wonderful city of Vancouver and all it has to offer, driving 400 kms through snow to sit in "Let's not have anything fun around here" Kelowna and drink coffee at Tim Hortons. Yeah, it's a real money maker right there.

[flamingfingers]

Well GFred, if this was a plan and it wasn't nixed by council, I could imagine that Gordo the Great would have some reason to stop this plan.... seems like anything that might interfere with the Olympics would be seen as treasonous.

[steven lloyd]

Well GFred, if this was a plan and it wasn't nixed by council, I could imagine that Gordo the Great would have some reason to stop this plan.... seems like anything that might interfere with the Olympics would be seen as treasonous.

Quick - call Crime Stoppers.

[fit4u5]

For all that I rant and rave about the games, I thought about your question (which, I believe, should actually be "Who couldn't care less" but that's okay - the message got through anyway) and I find I DO care about the Olympic Games ...

I care about the vast numbers of $$ being spent on facilities for single-use athletes.

I care about the risk of terrorism and the fact that the Games attract these people to our province's biggest city.

I care about the absolutely asinine number of dollars the security for the Games is costing.

I care about the lies and brainwashing the governments and VANOC are handing out almost daily.

I care about the money for the games that would be far better spent on the people in this province rather than athletes and rah-rah from some far off place.

I care about the fact that professional athletes are allowed to compete in what is supposed to be an amateur venue.

I care that all the Games mean any more is money and power and greed, not at all about amateur sports and amateur athletics.

I care that VANOC and the Olympic Committee and the whole organization has the power it does to rob businesses of the names and symbols they have used for many years.

I care that the public is threatened if they put up signs that oppose the games.

I care that retailers who sell the Olympic sponsors' products can't put up their advertising signs, even though they have advertised by way of signage for years.

I care that the dirt cheap hotels and flop houses in Vancouver are being renovated for the Games and the people who live in them are kicked out of the only housing available to them.

I care that under some kind of Benevolent Dictatorship, the government has decided these now homeless people will be herded into shelters so as to not be visible huddling in doorways during the Olympics.

I care that practically every other community in BC has in one way or another been "blackmailed" into supporting the Olympic rah-rah - even if they know there will be no spin-off for them in any way, shape or form.

I care that the madness continues every four years in another part of the world and the lies, deficit and greed happen all over again.

I care that the mascots for the Games look like Chinese puppets.

I care that the Olympic uniforms and merchandise is being manufactured in China and not in Canada or even in BC, so we don't even get that kick-back to our economy.

I care that the Cowichan People got slapped in the face over the use of their sweater designs.

I care that these Olympics are going to put this province more into the red and our children are going to have to pay for this round of foolishness because it has grown so huge we won't be able to pay the debt off in our lifetimes.

I care that what they are telling us for costs is only the tip of the iceberg and the real truth will not come out until after the hoopla has died down and everyone has gone.

So, yeah, I could care less.

THIS kind of stuff DESTROYS CANADA

[grammafreddy]

THIS kind of stuff DESTROYS CANADA

Explain, please. Are you supporting my comments or attacking them?