Olympic Flame(out)

[frustrated1]

The red mitten website would indicate that money is going towards buying medals. "Own the podium" I believe is the slogan. The "net sales" from these mittens will be considerable less than the $10 pair they charge. No mention of paying for the torch run. I pay taxes too. Land tax, school tax, house tax, provincial tax, federal tax. With the amount of fuel we use we even get to pay a large amount of tax on tax. There are quite a few communities that did not see the torch run. Does it make them "feel good"? I've got relatives in Victoria. The last couple of years there has been a large increase in homeless people. Displaced from Vancouver in an effort to clean up for the games. Do you suppose they feel any extra national spirit? Do the people who watch the torch run by but go to an empty food bank feel any more special? I'm not saying the monies spent on this run could solve any or all of Canada's problems but there certainly is a large cost. If the private sector wants to back it, that's their business, I don't have to support them if I chose not to. My tax dollars however, I have no choice in.

[checking]

!!!! I happen to agree with you, F1. Just how much would that run matter if a 7.0 earthquake centered itself between Vancouver Island and the mainland?

Interesting numbers last news. 3000 troops deployed Afganistan, 2000 to Haiti, 5000 troops Vancouver games.

[frustrated1]

Not sure if this came through correctly. Jest of the story is Victoria police to bill Vancouver for $141,000 overtime for the Torch kick off security. Plus $60,000 extra in backup equipment. Day one of the torch run....

www.vancouversun.com/Victoria bills Vancouver Olympic organizers torch relay bills/...

Jan 18, Winnepeg Sun: RCMP to spend $4million on torch relay.


Costs Breakdown
February 22, 2009 - 23:45 — no2010
Olympic security squad talks Games bucks

By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS, Feb 20, 2009
RICHMOND, B.C.: The cost of personnel for the RCMP-led Olympic security force is just over the original $175 million estimate for all Games security.
RCMP Asst. Comm. Bud Mercer said the $491.9 million budget for the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit includes $177.5 million for regular and secondment pay, overtime and benefits. The operations portion dominates the RCMP share of the $900 million Games security budget at $306.3 million.