Keeper Mallinson on 13/2/2010 at 00:13

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Greetings everyone, long time no see!

I live in Vancouver; where the Olympics are being hosted in... three hours. It's happening about two kilometres from my apartment, in the downtown core. I'd be pleased to keep you guys updated on how things go, but expect a mixed reaction that you won't find evidenced in the news. They might indicate that there are a few naysayers, but in fact there's an enormous percentage (or I sense so from my first-person perspective in a left-wing community); not necessarily that they're here, but notably that it could have come at a better time and there were a lot of schemes and bad choices with money at the people's expense.

I'm excited, deep down, that this is here and it's happening. I've wanted people to come here and enjoy our city and realize it doesn't always rain and try out our excellent food and cultural events all my life. I hope they have fun, and I hope to meet some good people.

However, there's a reason we're angry, despite the bones thrown regarding assistance to the poor thereafter. The thing is, we already had such funding within our infrastructure until it was cut. We had within our guaranteed infrastructure assistance (of a steadily reducing amount) for those with developmental disabilities, for the financially disenfranchised and the addiction afflicted. When the economic crisis came, our government began a campaign they called the "belt-tightening": it was declared that we would restore our economy's strength by refraining from spending, and thereby have more in our coffers with which to heal our economy. Many believed this campaign, and we supported that government once again.

Then this principle was betrayed - either that or exposed as a carefully constructed lie - when it was suddenly declared that we would host the Olympics, thereafter, all the money taken (from continuously subjugated programs that once effectively sustained our cities and their welfare) was poured into this new glory-seeking project, in direct violation of the promise made by our government to keep it in the piggy-bank for tough times. All of a sudden it was believed that the restoration of our economic welfare would come from the infrastructure we would now be forced to create to maintain this gargantuan event.

Well even if there are certain benefits thereafter, those benefits were already in place before they were stolen from us, and they were once much cheaper. No; I will not celebrate this event as a philanthropic creation, even if there is a tangible benefit thereafter; because the money was already doing its job, and we would have done it better. Campbell is now well known to promise permanent funding to non-partisan organizations and charities during election season and then take it away soon thereafter. But people just keep forgetting and continuously elect him.

The problem isn't just an economic one. A month ago, the paddy wagon that I suspect goes around every city hosting the Olympics, came around town and started rounding up the homeless. Police are now instructed to (unofficially) arrest any homeless person they find, and "drop them off" at a homeless shelter. The word arrest isn't used, but there's little else one can call it. In fact, in Whistler, the nearby mountain community where the largest snow sports are taking place, all homeless people were forcibly relocated to the nearby town of Squamish.

It goes beyond mistreatment of the homeless to free speech: Campbell put forward a bill to allow police to tear down any sign that depicts the Olympics in a negative light, or to even enter the home through which a sign is visible from the window. The bill surely will be shot down, but by then it will be too late. We are yet to discover whether police will exercise this authority, as the efficacy of this law is... ambiguous. Don't get us wrong, we care a great deal about freedom of expression in British Columbia... however when this particular event comes to a town, certain principles tend to be put on hold.

And, last but not least, they've taken on The Sasquatch (the Canadian and original name for Bigfoot) as their mascot. But.... they've cutified it! Into Quatchi! Teletubby of the Pacific Northwest! *low cute voice, etched in sarcasm* Wears earmuffs, falls over easily AWWWWWWWW.... Now I debunk the paranormal as a hobby, and I've debunked Bigfoot before, but for the first time I feel Canadian pride for the hunk of fur. =D

Still, now that it's happening, I'm going to welcome our guests, and enjoy myself. I'll never forgive Campbell for this final betrayal, but I'm not yet sure whether we'll make the same mistake come next election season. Our city is now equipped with bells and whistles, some of which we've been calling for for a long time, some of which are just pretty and hide an underlying problem. The healing process will begin next month. Today, Vancouver is a family and we'll take care of each other.

I'll keep everyone informed, admitting an only-human bias, but a broad perspective coming from friends and loved ones all over this beautiful city.



Here's a series of primary sources other than my own.

A note from a local slam poet from Vancouver who lives in my neighbourhood and saw the hubbub.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbuQ3P6bPZ0&feature=player_embedded#)


Here's an article:
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dave_zirin/01/25/vancouver/index.html)
"As Olympics near, people in Vancouver are dreading games", from Sports Illustrated Online by columnist Dave Zirin:

The original cost estimate was $660 million in public money. It's now at an admitted $6 billion and steadily climbing. An early economic impact statement was that the games could bring in $10 billion. Price Waterhouse Coopers just released their own study showing that the total economic impact will be more like $1 billion. In addition, the Olympic Village came in $100 million over budget and had to be bailed out by the city.

Security was estimated at $175 million and the final cost will exceed $1 billion. These budget overruns are coinciding with drastic cuts to city services. On my first day in town, the cover of the local paper blared cheery news about the Games on the top flap, while a headline announcing the imminent layoff off 800 teachers was much further down the page.

The Bid Committee promised that not a single person would be displaced due to the Games, but there are now 3,000 homeless people sleeping on Vancouver's streets and these people are facing increased police harassment as they try to clean the streets in the lead up to the Games.

For the first time in the history of the games, a full-scale protest is being planned to welcome the athletes, tourists, and foreign dignitaries.

PeeperStorm on 13/2/2010 at 03:23

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Hey, we're off to a good start! The games haven't even started yet and there's already been a dead luger

I dunno if I'd want to participate in a sport whose name sounds so much like "loser".

Keeper Mallinson on 13/2/2010 at 06:10

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Too... soon.

Fragony on 13/2/2010 at 11:08

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The footage if you can stomach it, I hope he was instantly dead.

(http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/829051/d0045fb7/rodelcrash.html)

Don't they do unmanned tests and things like that.

Fragony on 13/2/2010 at 13:03

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If they got the velocity wrong I don't know what to say, look at the footage, how the hell could did this track get the go, at least make sure there is nothing to crash into. And faster speeds be damned, put a roll-bar on these things and some belts so the whatisitcalled is properly strapped, time for some more rules.