Thank God for island tv stations

[KnowItAll]

There will be long term benefits similar to when we had Expo 86.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have fun..at a world-wide party.

meanwhile, a guy has to sit around for a week, in a hospital, waiting for surgery for a broken shoulder, thanks to budgets cuts to healthcare in order to pay for this party.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

Do you ever see the glass half full?????

Time to head down to your basement again

[MacNews]

meanwhile, a guy has to sit around for a week, in a hospital, waiting for surgery for a broken shoulder, thanks to budgets cuts to healthcare in order to pay for this party.

Nice try. If you think the Olympics have cost overruns, then wait until you see the Health Department figures for the last 10+ years.....

[Blue In BC]

There will be long term benefits similar to when we had Expo 86.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have fun..at a world-wide party.

meanwhile, a guy has to sit around for a week, in a hospital, waiting for surgery for a broken shoulder, thanks to budgets cuts to healthcare in order to pay for this party.

This was happening long before the Olympics were awarded. I don't agree with budget cuts to health care, but it's a reach to blame some of these situations to the games.

It's not unusual in government or business to cut budgets in order to force business entities to eliminate waste in where they spend money.

What we need is some new legislation that prevents governments from handing out these giant bonuses and / or severance clauses.

What does an election cost tax payers both in the cost of an election and the payment of displaced MLA's?

[Lionheart]

This was happening long before the Olympics were awarded.

Bingo. campbell does not need the Olympics to do what he's done. He is not Liberal, but very right wing. He would have cut the people down regardless. I can sympithise with knowitall I really do. I despise this *poop* he's pulled but what's done is done.

Time to enjoy it. I know you've got some health issues, and with that frame of mind you are in; that negetive energy is no doubt contributing badly to it. get out of the house and soak up some international flavour. There will be some nice German frauleins coming to town so cheer up!

[Solar Max]

This may sound simplistic, but the Olympics are going to happen in a couple of weeks whether or not we the people want them to.

The provincial government has made graver errors than this, in my opinion anyway. The HST will bury them, not Health Care, Carbon Tax or the Olympics.

[Blue In BC]

We lost $700M on the error of building the Fast Ferries a few years ago.

IMHO, it's a bigger issue of whether the government spends money wisely where ever they spend it, rather than where they actually spend it.

That's a bit simplistic but as a tax payer, I hope the local, provincial and federal governments aren't buying $1,000 hammers that can be bought at Home Depot for $12.

[KnowItAll]

We lost $700M on the error of building the Fast Ferries a few years ago.

IMHO, it's a bigger issue of whether the government spends money wisely where ever they spend it, rather than where they actually spend it.

That's a bit simplistic but as a tax payer, I hope the local, provincial and federal governments aren't buying $1,000 hammers that can be bought at Home Depot for $12.

at least most, if not all, of that $700M stayed in BC, instead of going over to germany to be lost from our economy forever.

[MacNews]

at least most, if not all, of that $700M stayed in BC, instead of going over to germany to be lost from our economy forever.

How did that money get 'lost'? Because the ferries built in Germany were on-time and on-budget, saving taxpayers (You) money? Money that could be spent on health-care, not union salaries?

Bingo. campbell does not need the Olympics to do what he's done. He is not Liberal, but very right wing.

If he is so right-wing, why did he give the public-sector unions $5.7 Billion in bonuses and raises in 2006?

Link

[Blue In BC]

We lost $700M on the error of building the Fast Ferries a few years ago.

IMHO, it's a bigger issue of whether the government spends money wisely where ever they spend it, rather than where they actually spend it.

That's a bit simplistic but as a tax payer, I hope the local, provincial and federal governments aren't buying $1,000 hammers that can be bought at Home Depot for $12.

at least most, if not all, of that $700M stayed in BC, instead of going over to germany to be lost from our economy forever.

Interesting argument. It's the basis of why ICBC is a better idea than private sector car insurance.

[Rammer]

We lost $700M on the error of building the Fast Ferries a few years ago.

IMHO, it's a bigger issue of whether the government spends money wisely where ever they spend it, rather than where they actually spend it.

That's a bit simplistic but as a tax payer, I hope the local, provincial and federal governments aren't buying $1,000 hammers that can be bought at Home Depot for $12.

at least most, if not all, of that $700M stayed in BC, instead of going over to germany to be lost from our economy forever.

Where did the Fast Ferries end up? IIRC the government netted about $40M for those maybe less, and they sure aren't in BC anymore. The Olympics are in a very similar position to your argument, so I don't see why you would defend one vs the other. The best part of the Olympics is the international recognition brought onto our Province, combine that with some of the infrastructure funding we were able to secure from the Federal Government, and the Oly's will pay dividends on the long term, Ferries not so much.

[Lionheart]

[
If he is so right-wing, why did he give the public-sector unions $5.7 Billion in bonuses and raises in 2006?

Link

You're sourcing his own website? lol During his tenure there have only been illegal breach of contracts which he had lost in a court of law.

[Lionheart]

How nice it is to have news to watch that isnt 80% Olympic related.

Those stations will be on board also very quickly.

So are you taking my advice yet or what?

[Lions4ever]

Which of the following are you against.

1. The thousands of man years worth of employment in construction and business's supporting that work.
2. Creation of new permanent sports facilities and updating to existing venues.
3. New full time jobs created due to these new venues.
4. The trickle down affect of all the costs to business.
5. Income tax, property tax and sales tax collected.
6. The hundreds of millions of dollars of tourism
7. Improvement to Sea to Sky Highway which hopefully reduces the numbers of deaths on the highway.
8. Sports

Just curious.

All of this exists, but does it offset the nine billion cost? Probably not.

Anyways I remember vividly when we were building expo86. A lot of talk about why are we doing this, that costs too much money, that looks ugly (I worked at the larger pavilions) what's the point. Then opening day happened and it all changed. The most incredible change in the air.. and pubs.. and streets..

$9 Billion? Every time somebody uses a financial figure it keeps going up. This is the biggest number I've heard yet. Maybe you are being factious?

What is the general breakdown of $9 billion?

Does it include the the Sea to Sky Highway which needed to be done in any case?

Dunno about $9 bill, but here's a quote from Forbes.com on December 16, 2009:

"Over the past 5 years the operational costs of the 2010 Winter games has mushroomed from $1.3 billion to almost $2 billion. Vancouver is going to take it on the chin as declining sponsorship and tourism revenue combined with higher security costs are going to push the Vancouver Olympic Committee deep into the red."

Anybody like the sounds of that?

[Lionheart]

Forbes is way off. They're just quoting some government mis-source. We now know the security alone is around 1 billion... anyways if it brings in the frauleins it's all worth while.