The Herald reports Boston 2024 will let reporters take a peek at their bid documents - but not make copies. The public? Yeah, right, like they're going to let just anybody see those documents, now go away.
No Boston Olympics, meanwhile, holds its first major organizing meeting at 6 p.m. today at the First Church in Boston, 55 Marlborough St.
Neighborhoods:
Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!
Ad:
Comments
Real confidence builder...
By Michael Kerpan
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:13am
... I wonder if they will let people actually read things (and at least take notes)?
How nice of Gov. Weld
By ChrisInEastie
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:28am
I'm sure it takes some serious sacrifice to be flown around the world to hang out with dignitaries and world leaders on someone else's dime for a few years. Really glad he's willing to step up for us.
Goodwill ambassador?
By Brian Riccio
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:43am
I'm sure our esteemed ex-Governor will be making us all look wonderful while engaging in some Olympic style drinking.
You beat me to it.
By John Costello
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:59am
The Tour Book could be called: How do you say Jack Daniels in Serbian or Bill Weld as Carrot Top From The Future; A Red Head trying to impress simple minded people with props. Go back to NYC Bill, you got the casino now clam up.
Finally!
By adamg
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:24am
That ambassador job Big Red's always wanted!
Such fiscal responsibility!
By Lady Commentariat
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 7:32pm
Much wow at his dedication to keeping costs down and being accountable for spending.
so much for transparency
By cybah
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:32am
I mean if there was, allowing the public to look should would be a non issue.
There must be stuff in there they just don't want us to see.....
Are those pages numbered
By Stevil
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:34am
If I were a member of the press, I'd be looking to see what's missing from that bid. My guess is they won't be seeing everything. This gets "Fish-ier" by the minute. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and see the numbers/condidtions when they come out before making a final decision - but this is looking very suspicious.
yeah
By cybah
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:36am
I was thinking that too.. if pages would be missing or stuff would be blacked out.
Caddyshack Quote Time
By John Costello
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:33am
"Is This Russia?'
The chutzpah of Boston2024 has gone into plaid. As each day goes by I am coming to the realization that this bid was composed with chimp feces written on zoo walls. They haven't a bloody clue what how to handle this.
The only surprise
By Scratchie
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 2:15pm
The only surprise is that it took so long for this to become apparent, said exactly nobody.
Already violating their own principles
By peter
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:36am
Their own web site pledges that they will:
>We will do our due diligence in an open, honest, and transparent manner.
If they can't even do this, how are they going to pull off the other miracles that have been promised?
"If they can't even do this,
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:57am
"If they can't even do this, how are they going to pull off the other miracles that have been promised?"
They're not, nor did they ever intend to from the start.
We don't want the public to see the sketches in the margins
By Michael
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:37am
Like this one
Bizzarre
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:38am
I feel like I'm living in Bizzarro Boston. Not one person in my circle of family, friends, business associates, and acquaintances wants the Olympics in Boston. Yet the powers that be keep on pushing this.
Mayor Walsh (who I voted for) says there are a few "skeptics". Wrong, Marty. We are not skeptics. We understand and comprehend. We do not want the Olympics in Boston. And as far as I can see, we are a large minority.
And Marty promises "transparency". It's too late Marty. There has been zero transparency, and this is just one more example.
Meant to say..
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:45am
we are a large majority
if you registered on the site, you could edit that yourself
By Jeff F
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:29am
just sayin'
Oh, really?
By Brian Riccio
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:45am
You're such a "majority", why not put it to a ballot question? Maybe because it would be roundly rejected and those who owe their allegiance to greed market capitalism over democracy would not like the outcome.
Ooops
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:57am
I think you followed that wrong. The Anon was saying that the people who think the Olympics are a bad idea are a large majority.
In other words, Anon agrees with you.
I love when the snark is
By relaxyapsycho
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:10pm
I love when the snark is blended with a lack of reading comprehension.
You'll take your Olympics and like it!
By Brian Riccio
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:53am
Mayah Walsh, man of the people that he is, has already ruled out a referendum on the Olympics. Apparently he's more than a little afraid that his masters might be disappointed when the great unwashed don't lay down and take it as the one percent try and push through this monstrosity.
And in an informal poll of some 20 of my clients, almost all of them said that they did not want the Olympics here. The only ones who wanted the Olympics? Those who will make money on the event.
As one of my clients put it, "Is this Russia or North Korea? A stadium full of smiling people under the watchful eye of literally thousands of armed men and they goddamn better be smiling is the scenario this mental midget Walsh is pushing".
I'm in this same situation:
By chaosjake
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 1:07pm
I'm in this same situation:
However, at the SOTC address last night, the vast majority of the crowd broke into wild applause and hoots when Mayor Marty brought up the Olympic bid. I was shocked, because I haven't talked to a single Bostonian who thinks this is a good idea.
Perhaps I am stuck in a "filter bubble" where I only interact with people who already agree with me?
No, they are
By Stevil
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 1:31pm
That hall is filled with people who rely on Mayor (fill in name of any sitting mayor here) for their livelihoods. They are the ones in a filter bubble - hell they are the filter.
Dan Rea is having the mayor and governor on tonight on WBZ radio at 8 pm (following the news) - I'm sure they will get asked some very pointed questions about the Olympic bid.
We can play that game.....
By RichM
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:02am
You can see the taxpayers checkbook but you can't write any checks.
where is the outrage over the billions given to convention ctr
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:06am
I don't see why people are so angry at the prospect of the olympics and the likelihood of it getting tax money, yet the Convention Center authority just got another billion in funds (on top of the billion they took to build the first phase) and have already signaled their need for funds to build more hotels (which is ironic considering we are told the reason we need to subsidize the convention center is it will create hotel jobs, but we need to subsidize those too). I just paid our annual household convention center fees for using zip car so the wound is fresh. Hopefully Baker will nix the latest billion grant to Rooney and his cronies.
Yes!
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:49am
I'm always happy to see that I'm not the only person who posts about this boondoggle of self-serving hacks.
I'm so glad I discovered the
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:34pm
I'm so glad I discovered the Watertown Enterprise. Now my very cheap car rentals for weekend road trips will be $10 cheaper, since I won't have to pay the Convention Center tax which applies at the Brighton location.
Mystic Ave. Medford/ville car rentals
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:54pm
95 bus line about 10 minutes out of Sullivan Station, no convention center tax ... and Enterprise delivers the car to you if you want!
There is a Hertz over that way, too, if you prefer.
I am undecided about whether
By Carty
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:24am
I am undecided about whether the Olympics in 2024 are a good idea for Boston. So that means that all of you have an "acquaintance" who is not yet against exploring the concept further.
I don't find analysis I have seen of the benefits to past olympic cities to be compelling, it seems to have varied greatly and much of what I read on both sides typically lacks rigor and seem to be from entrenched pro and anti camps.
Great example here http://www.nobostonolympics.org/why_oppose_the_games - long on passion, short on verifiable facts.
It's early, there is a lot to be considered and understood. Maybe a little milquetoast for appetites here but, I suspect, not atypical of many of my neighbors.
Not early, grasshopper
By Jeff F
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:43am
Early?! The city already has the USOC's imprimatur. Boston is through the 'regular season' and into the final round now. Exactly how and when do you expect we'll be able to 'consider and understand' - and approve! - of what will be required of Boston residents and citizens of the Commonwealth in terms of funding, personal liberty and quality of life sacrifices - if they won't let us see the actual, existing, blessed by the USOC proposal?
Not early
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:52am
but I still have hope that in spite of our mayor's resistance, the people will force the issue and reject it via popular vote in a referendum. Denver rejected the 1976 Olympics, every right thinking* democratically** run city in Europe rejected the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Why not us?
* don't mean conservative.
** don't mean Democratic
Burden of proof is on the organizers
By peter
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:15pm
The burden of proof here is on the organizers. They are the ones wanting to dip into public resources, disrupt the city for years, and subject us to DNC2004-style constitutional infringements. They are promising rainbows and puppies, but refuse to share the details of how those rainbows will get created, and who's going to feed the puppies. All the while promising to be open and transparent. They confidently claim they have an overwhelming majority of residents on their side, but are afraid to put it to an actual vote.
Feed the puppies?
By Kaz
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:20pm
I'm more concerned with who is going to have to walk them.
One thing we know....
By RichM
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 4:27pm
Is who will be picking up all the crap.
Puppies?
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:55pm
I WANT A PONY DAMMIT!
First they told us
By LLK
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 11:58am
Before the USOC vote, they said they couldn't make the bid public because they didn't want to "show their hand" to the other 3 US cities.
Well, that's obviously no longer a problem. So what are they telling us now? That it was only a "draft bid" so it's not worthy of being shared.
Chances are good that they're working on some sanitized document they can share, redacted or new, that leaves out the stuff that would make the public and taxpayers go crazy.
Sad thing is, because Boston 2024 is a private organization, I don't think they're subject to public info laws. They can do this, and the mayor apparently thinks it okay. Mayor Walsh and John Fish don't seem to hold our opinions or intelligence very high. Or democracy.
66, not 55
By APB
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 12:22pm
The First Church is at 66 Marlborough Street, at the corner of Berkeley.
Charade
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 1:40pm
I don't know why anyone is bothering with this charade. The Olympics in Boston is a done deal. It's already been decided in the back rooms where these things are decided. The rich get richer and the rest of us actual residents who will be impacted the most have to lie down and take it.
We could always....
By RichM
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 1:55pm
Block all the roads leading to events with protesters :)
Do you really think the powers that be would let that happen?
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 2:25pm
"Block all the roads leading to events with protesters "
Do you really think the powers that be would let that happen for a single minute? Too much big money is at stake. How quickly people forget the Democratic Convention in 2004. Remember the cage near the Boston garden where they made the protesters stand?
The sad thing is that thes events are for the rich and for tourists and not for the locals. For the Convention in 04 Mayor Menino urged all locals to stay home from work, and even leave town for a vacation if they could. And that was only a week. Imagine a month.
No such deal
By MadMax
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 6:32pm
The IOC has been in the news over and over again over the years regarding backroom payoffs leading up to the *final selection*. Its such an early stage in the process, there's no chance the IOC have been paid off to select Boston. The only people involved at this point are the USOC.
Got any evidence to the contrary?
No You Can't
By BlackKat
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 3:39pm
You will only be allowed to demonstrate in the "Free Speech Zone" which is a electric fence line snake pit in the bottom of the Malden Quarry and only available from the hours of 2:07 AM - 3:14 AM on alternate Tuesdays.
No, no, no. I'm pretty sure
By chaosjake
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 5:05pm
No, no, no. I'm pretty sure I read that the IOC requires all protesters to be summarily executed.
It's simple then...
By Milwaukee Mike
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 5:34pm
Out with Walsh. Since he's trying this crap fairly early in his administration, he's probably hoping that we all forget about it by reelection time, or that if it's a done deal one way or another, the electorate won't bother to punish him. Ballsy move. What a weasel.
We need a "Marty: don't think
By Milwaukee Mike
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 5:35pm
We need a "Marty: don't think that we're going to forget this" movement.
Secret deals
By anon
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 7:38pm
These deals involve much more than a mere Mayor of Boston. They are in the highest echelon of things, the richest of the rich. There are powerful people who stand to make money from having the Olympics here, and the rest of us be damned. There's more to the picture than meets the eye.
Certainly, but you can't kick
By Milwaukee Mike
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:44pm
Certainly, but you can't kick a multimillionaire our of office, so to speak (unless somebody's going to break out the torches and the pitchforks...). I'm all for doing what we can in the meantime, like putting a first term mayor on notice about who his employers are: the citizens, technically speaking.
And, almost certainly, some
By Milwaukee Mike
Wed, 01/14/2015 - 10:52pm
And, almost certainly, some of those richest of the rich have told him something along the lines of:
A way to maybe get those bid documents?
By No Boston Olympics
Thu, 01/15/2015 - 8:20am
It's crazy--crazy!--that the Boston 2024 folks are refusing to give people copies of their bid documents. But a possible way around their shenanigans may be to request copies from government agencies--like, say, the Walsh Administration--which likely has some version of the bid documents--and would be subject to public records access laws that the Boston 2024 apparently ain't.
It bears repeating.
By Irmo
Thu, 01/15/2015 - 5:59pm
The workers who built Sochi's facilities have still not been paid their wages.
If the IOC won't step forward to address this crime, we should not let them dishonor the city with their presence.
Add comment