Whose Backing This Bid?

LowBallin'WasTheirGame
VANOC IsTheirNameVille


Surprise, surpise.

The cost of hosting the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver has shot up by a whopping 23 per cent.

John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), revealed a revised venue budget for the 2010 Games on Friday, one that has ballooned to $580 million from the original $470 million estimate.

Rising construction costs and a shortage of skilled workers in Vancouver's competitive building industry led to the new budget figure.

"We will stop at nothing to responsibly manage the risk of cost increases through rigorous venue planning and design, negotiations and cost controls," said Furlong.


Very bold rhetoric from Mr. Furlong, indeed.

But let's parse that last statement (ie. try and figure out what it really means).

"We will stop at nothing to responsibly MANAGE the RISK of cost increases....."

He didn't say he would 'halt' the cost increases....he didn't say he would 'control' cost increases....he did say he would 'manage' the 'risk' of them.

In other words, he said absolutely nothing.

But GordCo's Minister of Service Cuts and Surpluses did:

B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor says she's not at all surprised about the 23-percent Olympic cost increase.

“Anyone who's been out there in construction in anyway whether it's your own home renovations or if you're in the business knows what's happened to prices, they've gone up hugely,” Taylor said.

Taylor says this is exactly why the government built a 139-million dollar contingency into its Olympic funding commitment.

“We recognize that when you price something in 2002 it's very likely to be a different price when you get to the end game so we feel comfortable that we've got enough in there to cover our part of what this increase will mean,” added Taylor.


So, let's check our addition here.....2002 + 4 years = 2006 = $110 million extra.

Which means how much more in the next 4 years to 2010?

Another $100 million?

Another $500 million?

Another $1 billion?

Oh well, who really cares anyway, as long as it's 'responsibly managed'.

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In the meantime the mean-spirited cuts continue. Here's a recent one brought to our attention by reader lenny....." I thought you might be interested in what BC ferries is up to with the Quadra Island ferry. They've removed a disabled/elderly shelter from the deck of the boat, amongst other things." .......Sounds fair, huh?.... no shelter for the disabled on ferries that we built for everyone with our money, but buckets of cash for a two week party which is making the chosen few stinking rich(er).

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