Opening Ceremony is a waste of time

[steven lloyd]

Though I'm not saying it will be the case I'm just sort of thinking that there will really be some folks with egg on their face if this whole Olympic venture actually turns a profit and winds up being the big boost to our BC economy that it was hoped to be.

If that ends up being the case I will willingly admit I was wrong (I like my eggs scrambled most of the time). Gladly in fact, as it would mean we weren’t spending the next thirty or forty years paying for this self-indulgent fiasco. I strongly suspect, however, that will not be the case and we will be paying dearly for this in many ways for a long time to come. Just watch the spring budget for an early indication. While the rare writer has suggested these Olympics have been revenue generating events, the vast majority have pointed out the actual long term drain on future tax revenues. As stated though, I will happily be willing to be proven wrong, but given what most of the information says regarding the economic strains created by previous Olympics, I am going to need to see the evidence from more than one credible source (ie. including not a Liberal or some self-congratulatory blurb from their website). We’ll see. Although I seriously doubt it, I sincerely hope you’re right.

[Liberty and Truth]

Though I'm not saying it will be the case I'm just sort of thinking that there will really be some folks with egg on their face if this whole Olympic venture actually turns a profit and winds up being the big boost to our BC economy that it was hoped to be.

If that ends up being the case I will willingly admit I was wrong (I like my eggs scrambled most of the time). Gladly in fact, as it would mean we weren’t spending the next thirty or forty years paying for this self-indulgent fiasco. I strongly suspect, however, that will not be the case and we will be paying dearly for this in many ways for a long time to come. Just watch the spring budget for an early indication. While the rare writer has suggested these Olympics have been revenue generating events, the vast majority have pointed out the actual long term drain on future tax revenues. As stated though, I will happily be willing to be proven wrong, but given what most of the information says regarding the economic strains created by previous Olympics, I am going to need to see the evidence from more than one credible source (ie. including not a Liberal or some self-congratulatory blurb from their website). We’ll see. Although I seriously doubt it, I sincerely hope you’re right.

SL - I hope Lone Wolf is right too. I don't know where all this myth started about 30 or 40 years to pay off the Olympics but what has saddened me is how some people, including yourself, have so readily and easily embraced this as truth. What is it about people that makes them just assume the worst? Is this another BC phenomenon that the rest of Canada doesn't share? The Calgary Olympics didn't take 30 years to pay off, why exactly would these take 30 years to pay off? Montreal was an exception - the organizers let the Mafia take over, and they ended up being $1.2 billion over budget. I don't know if the Mafia took over the Vancouver Olympics, but I just don't see this being the giant economic fiasco that many on these forums are predicting. I hope I am right.

[steven lloyd]

SL - I hope Lone Wolf is right too. I don't know where all this myth started about 30 or 40 years to pay off the Olympics but what has saddened me is how some people, including yourself, have so readily and easily embraced this as truth. What is it about people that makes them just assume the worst?

You mean the myth perpetuated by the majority of analysts (as opposed to just one) who suggest most Olympics have been a huge financial and economic burden for their host states and countries for decades after. Why should we buy that? Because Calgary self-reports itself to be an anomaly to that trend? Because “BC is an awesome place”? Because Gordon Campbell told you this was going to be a “new era of hope and prosperity?” (did you buy that one too?)

[Liberty and Truth]

SL - I hope Lone Wolf is right too. I don't know where all this myth started about 30 or 40 years to pay off the Olympics but what has saddened me is how some people, including yourself, have so readily and easily embraced this as truth. What is it about people that makes them just assume the worst?

You mean the myth perpetuated by the majority of analysts (as opposed to just one) who suggest most Olympics have been a huge financial and economic burden for their host states and countries for decades after. Why should we buy that? Because Calgary self-reports itself to be an anomaly to that trend? Because “BC is an awesome place”? Because Gordon Campbell told you this was going to be a “new era of hope and prosperity?” (did you buy that one too?)

Or maybe because I am an optimistic person and would like to think of the benefits that we are getting out of this event (and there are many), rather than being the giant sack of rain that enjoys dumping on anything and everything that seems to be the norm around these parts. Will the Olympics put us in a hole? Possibly. But it's done. Continuing to whine about it just solves nothing. It may feel good to say "I was right" and claim the moral and intellectual high ground here, but that's about all you'll be left with, a good feeling about how right you were. Congrats on that.

[Queen K]

Given the title of this thread everything after this post is truly a moot point.

Next title, "Let's Cancel the Closing Ceremonies."

Or, "Closing Ceremonies: Finally."

[Liberty and Truth]

Given the title of this thread everything after this post is truly a moot point.

Next title, "Let's Cancel the Closing Ceremonies."

Or, "Closing Ceremonies: Finally."

[steven lloyd]

Will the Olympics put us in a hole? Possibly. But it's done. Continuing to whine about it just solves nothing. It may feel good to say "I was right" and claim the moral and intellectual high ground here, but that's about all you'll be left with, a good feeling about how right you were. Congrats on that.

Ah ben, you’re just not getting it. I’m going to try this one more time and then let it drop (because I’m getting tired of you poor hard done by Olympic supporters whining about being picked on). I don’t want to be right about this whole fiasco plummeting us into some giant sinkhole and I sure as hell ain’t trying to be a “giant sack of rain that enjoys dumping on anything”. I really do hope I am wrong (Campbell’s already screwing us over enough without us paying for this for the next thirty to forty years). I hope that by some crazy dimensional shift in the space-time continuum this thing actually generates revenue (unlike almost all previous Olympics according to the majority of analysts). That does not mean I am going to take up the ever popular bums up and kneeling with my head in the sand position “that seems to be the norm around these parts”. You should recognize that persistent and enduring optimism in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary is known as delusion. Congrats on that.

Anyways, go Canada !!!

[RR24K]

Церемонія закриття чотири дні гості, ми потім будуть запрошувати в Сочі, Краснодарський край, Росія. Протягом наступних іграх зими. Ласкаво просимо до Росії.

[Captain Awesome]

Церемонія закриття чотири дні гості, ми потім будуть запрошувати в Сочі, Краснодарський край, Росія. Протягом наступних іграх зими. Ласкаво просимо до Росії.

Just don't tell Russians that, you might get beat up

[steven lloyd]

Церемонія закриття чотири дні гості, ми потім будуть запрошувати в Сочі, Краснодарський край, Росія. Протягом наступних іграх зими. Ласкаво просимо до Росії.

Just don't tell Russians that, you might get beat up

Hey. Was that planned getting to see Canada play Germany ? Good on ya Captain

edit to add: too bad you weren't able to stay an extra night and scalp some tickets to the Russia game. You would have been in Olympic hockey fan heaven Captain - two in a row.

[RR24K]

Церемонія закриття чотири дні гості, ми потім будуть запрошувати в Сочі, Краснодарський край, Росія. Протягом наступних іграх зими. Ласкаво просимо до Росії.

Just don't tell Russians that, you might get beat up

[Liberty and Truth]

Anyways, go Canada !!!

This was the smartest thing you've posted in awhile SL! This was the only part of your post I actually paid attention to - the rest was just blah blah blah same old same old negative blah blah blah. Anyway - here's what we agree on - and I am glad we do - Go Canada go!!

[Queen K]

Anyways, go Canada !!!

Smartest thing you've posted in awhile SL! Go Canada go!!

A smarmy backhanded compliment if I ever read one. Go, Campbell Go. Really. Just GO.

[Liberty and Truth]

Anyways, go Canada !!!

Smartest thing you've posted in awhile SL! Go Canada go!!

A smarmy backhanded compliment if I ever read one. Go, Campbell Go. Really. Just GO.

and we agree on that too - time for Gordo to go - and take all the enviro-whackos responsible for the idiotic carbon tax and BC's environmental nutjob action plan with him.

[mountain_climber4567]

Anyways, go Canada !!!

Smartest thing you've posted in awhile SL! Go Canada go!!

A smarmy backhanded compliment if I ever read one. Go, Campbell Go. Really. Just GO.

A smarmy OFF TOPIC post if I ever read one...

Bah, who am I kidding, that's what this forum is all about.