I'd rather have the Olympics...

[R1Geezer]

which is free by the way, than give free money to workshy scum. We must be the only nation in the world where half the populaton would be so negative about it.

[jake-the-peg]

I think you might find Canada a bit negative.

The Montreal Olympics cost them 5 times the estimate and was a byword for financial mis management.

That was 35 years ago and there have been financial sucesses but it shows what can go wrong

[R1Geezer]

yes jake that's why all Olympics since then exept Moscow have been run along commercial lines.

[jno]

true. The British, more than any other race I've ever come across, love to go round with long faces saying 'Can't affooooord it.'

By British I mean English. The Scots are far less tight.

[Snafu03]

jno's sentence is incomplete;

'Can't affooooord it because we're always subsiding our ne'er do well neighbours'

[Gromit]

I'm sure the 15,000 Polish workers are grateful for their jobs building the Olympic Village.

[New Judge]

What makes you think it's free, Geezer?

When I last looked the budget was £9.2bn or thereabouts. (Some reports say it has risen to as much as £12bn and they are probably right). Of the £9.2bn only about £2bn was what might be termed "voluntary" contributions (from the National Lottery, with one pound in every five of the "Good Causes" money going to the games). £6bn of the remainder comes from "the government" (i.e. the taxpayer) and the rest from the Greater London Authority (i.e. London Council Tax payers).

Just how "free" is that?

[R1Geezer]

there is outlay up front but there are various incomes that should exceed the outlay.

[New Judge]

I won't hold my breath !!!