Vancouver is gearing up for the Olympics and you can see the latest news at their official website, Vancouver 2010.
This is the image of Vancouver we all know and love. However, from the fallen Mountie to the guy living in the trees at Jericho Beach (where the women are working out), it is not the complete picture. We all want our athletes to shine and show off how wonderful it is here. But who would give all their money to one child and let the other one live in the streets? Yes, our mindset is that they deserve to live there for whatever reason, but I argue that we need to provide for basic needs above hosting an Olympic event whose greatest financial benefit is to big business.
Security costs alone are about $1 billion. They have the ability to enforce relocation of the homeless, can't have any poor around! The City of Vancouver has spent almost $400,000 just on tickets as a perk for its board? And BC has spent a million dollars for extra tickets? And they are laying people off to do this?!! What's a million or so when billions are being spent. Too bad for the layoffs, I guess they all deserve it as well.
Does the world need the Olympics? Why are we wining and dining the world elite instead of ending homelessness in BC, never mind being able to provide aid to places like Haiti and Kenya. We should be helping people not hosting extravagance. It's not about sport, it's all about money.
The athletes would be fine without all the kerfuffle, they just want to play. Ask them if they would rather compete at the Olympics and have thousands die or else give up their spot and save them. Where is our soul?
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