As if we don’t have enough trouble in the Northwest with high taxes, pie in the sky dreams of bloated projects taxpayers can ill afford, we now see that the cities of Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon were among 35 cities contacted by the U.S. Olympic Committee to gauge their interest in hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.
With 35 cities contacted it is far from a done deal by either city, but we all know that both cities operate along narcissistic lines, constantly doing what they can to draw attention to themselves and hiding the seedier sides of the respective cities, no matter the cost to taxpayers.
The Seattle PI is asking whether or not readers would want the 2024 Olympics and as of this posting those in favor are in the lead, labeling it an awesome idea.
The no ways are second by several votes.
In considering whether to vie for hosting the games, several things must be taken into consideration, including how to pay for a stadium and Olympic village. The Seattle PI says “a host city would also need to be able to provide 45,000 hotel rooms, an international airport, an Olympic village for 16,500 athletes and officials, a 5000-person dining hall and a workforce of up to 200,000.”
Along with that the UOC estimates an operating budget likely exceeding $3 Billion not including costs associated with venue construction and other infrastructure which begs the question, where will the funding come from for either city?
Both are currently locked into bloated transportation projects draining or planned to drain an excessive amount of tax dollars.
Both states are looking at increasing gas taxes, car license fees, employer taxes and more just to pay for bridge and light rail projects.
As we have seen all over the world, Olympic Stadiums and Villages cost host cities a lot of taxpayer money and run over budget. A July 23, 2012 Atlantic article, 3 Reasons Why Hosting the Olympics Is a Loser’s Game lays out the problems most often seen, (1) The bidding process is hijacked by private interests; (2) It creates massive over-building; (3) There’s little evidence that it meaningfully increases tourism.
Competition for hosting the games is tight as we witnessed in 2009 when the hopes of Chicago were dashed after Rio de Janeiro was selected, even after the messianic mission of Barack Obama, still reveling in his feigned stardom failed to secure the 2016 games for Chicago.
How much that losing trip cost taxpayers was not released.
Montreal hosted the 1976 Olympics and didn’t pay it off until 30 years later during good economic times and almost left the city bankrupt with its $1.48 billion-price tag.
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt lake City, Utah were mired in scandal over bribery in the bidding process with former Massachusetts Governor and failed Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney stepping in to balance their budgets and restore their credibility.
The host city will not be selected for at least two more years and it is unknown whether either Portland or Seattle will make a serious bid for the games in 2024. The Seattle PI poll is not scientific and not an accurate representation of anything other than those signing on to the site and taking it.
But before either city actually thinks too strong about the 2024 Olympics, both need to remember the deep debt they are already incurring for bloated projects today that will surely dry up taxpayer money needed to prepare.
I hope both mayors open their eyes to many past problems associated with the games and concentrate more on the plight of constituents and less on their legacies.
