Quote:
Originally Posted by FireGilbert
Don't do it Calgary!
Personally, every time I'm waiting at a hospital or stuck in traffic I wish Sydney never hosted the 2000 Olympics. They ended up costing tax payers ~$2 billion with funds taken from health, education, and infrastructure. In return the city got a 2 week party that I wasn't even around for (my wife says it was pretty amazing though). The infrastructure improvements helped people get to the games but did nothing for the average commuter and there were no long term increases to the economy or tourism. The worst part is the white elephant Olympic stadium that less than 20 years later the government wants to replace for $1 billion.
|
The perspective is appreciated, but some of that is only relevant to the Sydney games (summer games is also a way more expensive, stadium demanding event).
- Infrastructure only helping people get to the games in Sydney? Sure, but what if the infrastructure we build is also needed and coming eventually anyways? Which by all accounts is what we're after.
- Albatross stadiums? It's been made pretty clear by the IOC that we're not going to be building some monolithic opening ceremony stadium or venues that won't be fully utilized afterwords, likely just a new hockey arena, with local contribution likely not exceeding what we would have given the Flames anyways.