The Olympics

[La Poste]

I just thought I would start this thread about the Olympics.
I'm interested in peoples opinions about how the site was built and whether the money that has gone into the games, money that has ultimately come from our pockets, has been well spent.

People talk of the regeneration of the whole area around the Olympic site and benefiting future generations.
There are the flats used to house the athletes that will be sold off after the games and promises have been made that 30% will go as affordable housing. Will the games leave a lasting legacy for the area and help the average citizen living in those areas?

The actual construction of the games site I don't know much about but I wonder how much of it went to foreign companies and imported labour.

Now I don't want to start a racist rant etc but pound for pound do you think the Olympics will have benefited your average working man or just benefited a certain select few and where did all the money come from to build it?

Thanks.

 

[mogga]

defo a select few specialy watching the "Arrtist" describe a blue paint blob and getting all excited about it Better stuff was on view at my 3yrolds nursery

 

[telectrix]

might provide a bit more lasting benefit than that useless mushroom, the millenium dome. problem is that the benefits, if any, will go to line the pockets of developers, politicians, and other rich sods.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Can't answer your question, I don't know nor really care...but what does wind me up a bit is the fact they are spending over £80MILLION on the opening ceremony!
We're in the middle of one of the worst recessions ever and all that money is being spent on a 2 or 3 hour show which everyone will have forgotten about a few hours later...think there is more important things to spend it on.

Rant over.
HNY!

 

[La Poste]

Personally I agree with Archy but the wise minds in charge of our economy keep telling me we have to spend money first to get any return investments and the opening ceremony will in the long term be good for the economy.

I guess they know more than I do.

 

[Nolnoc]

As far as I'm aware every Olympic city has benefited from staging it over the last 60 years with the exception of Barcelona which was due to corruption. Think of the tourists that will travel to the city for years after. It's an oppourunity for London to showcase the city.I am from Ireland and know loads of people already planning a trip to the city. No city in Ireland will ever be big enough to host it and I think there should be a sense of pride in hosting such an event.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

My understanding, is that they have now admitted that there were very few jobs for local people as was initially promised.
The majority of the jobs went to foreign labour.
Studies show, that the tourist industry will take a knock and will take about three years to recuperate.
The local area is already suffering severe congestion, which will increase during the games, this is affecting the pockets of both local residents and commuters.
In Newham car parking charges have doubled, and disabled parking spaces have been removed from Local Authority run car parks.
Resident parking zones have had their hours of operation increased from just a few hours per day to all day.
The Westfield shopping center as had an effect on surounding shopping centers in Tottenham, Ilford and Walthamstow, reducing their custom, although congestion around those areas has diminished.

 

[La Poste]

As far as I'm aware every Olympic city has benefited from staging it over the last 60 years

What about Greece, it didn't do their economy much good in the long term.

 

[telectrix]

and the greeks bloody started it!. TBH, living miles away, the only effect it will have on me is it will be on the bloody TV for aeons.

 

[Nolnoc]

Don't think you can blame Greece's economy on the Olympics.

 

[Andy 7671]

Don't think you can blame Greece's economy on the Olympics.

No you cant but I believe the new shops are too expensive for local firms only global brands can afford to movein, thus exporting monies outside local economy

 

[La Poste]

What do you think will be the chances of a terrorist attack?

'Dirty bombs' may have been missed by private border staff as Games approach.

Security guards working for Serco, the private contractor drafted in to protect Britain's borders during the Olympics, have been at the centre of a series of security breaches that have allowed vehicles to enter the UK without screening for "dirty bombs".

'Dirty bombs' may have been missed by private border staff as Games approach | UK news | The Observer

We must be a big fat juicy target during these games.

 

[mickys86]

With a lot of you being from up north you won't know, but the main road from the city to heathrow airport is a bridge, hammersmith flyover. Well that was closed recently because of a structural fault and they had no idea how they was going to fix it.
In the end they decided that it can open with a weight limit, cars and vans only

This week they've closed a bigger section of the road. M4 j3-j1 due to a crack in the viaduct. It's not only the main road from the city to heathrow but also the main road connecting the western areas (like reading, slough etc) with London

"Don't worry they reckon they'll have it fixed before the games start"

Traffic is going to be a nightmare during the games, as if it wasn't bad enough as it is!

 

[Jonesy83]

to me the olympics is a complete waste of money it could of been spent elsewhere like the nhs, housing, policeing, equipment for the armed forces, care for the elderly, training for the unemployed who actually want to work

not to mention the ethnic cleansing they want to do around the area as they want to move thousands of familys on benifits up north to get them out of the area putting a strain on the northern services eg schools

the olympics wont benifit the country as it was promised only those who can afford to live in the south as they say the goverment think the country ends at newport pagnell services

 

[UNG]

Can't answer your question, I don't know nor really care...but what does wind me up a bit is the fact they are spending over £80MILLION on the opening ceremony!
We're in the middle of one of the worst recessions ever and all that money is being spent on a 2 or 3 hour show which everyone will have forgotten about a few hours later...think there is more important things to spend it on.

Rant over.
HNY!

And most of those taking part in the opening ceremony are volunteers, heard recently that the volunteer wayfinders staffing the olympics have to pay for their accommodation and food while at the games and travel expenses to get there

With a lot of you being from up north you won't know, but the main road from the city to heathrow airport is a bridge, hammersmith flyover. Well that was closed recently because of a structural fault and they had no idea how they was going to fix it.
In the end they decided that it can open with a weight limit, cars and vans only

This week they've closed a bigger section of the road. M4 j3-j1 due to a crack in the viaduct. It's not only the main road from the city to heathrow but also the main road connecting the western areas (like reading, slough etc) with London

"Don't worry they reckon they'll have it fixed before the games start"

Traffic is going to be a nightmare during the games, as if it wasn't bad enough as it is!

I assume the contractors are coming from Japan to sort this though not on a par with the repairs after the tsunami but I'm sure they could sort it in a week


The thing that annoys me with the London Olympic organisation is the numerous committees they appear to have not least the legacy committee all sounds to blairish to me when the biggest legacy will be the number of venues that will be flattened after the games the shooting venue being one of them millions spent when perfectly good shooting grounds could have been improved with an investment of a few million

And how much has Coe and his high profile underlings earned from the London Olympics

Amazes me the political waffle over the initial budget and the eventual budget the latest being that the 3.5 billion original quoted was not going to be the final budget as it didn't include the build costs

It seems nothing can be done for less than a few million £'s where the Olympics are concerned

Roll on September