Denver: Soccer is more important than people

[ParallelLines]

@echoreply

I’m sure back in 2004, or whenever the bonds were voted on, there were all kinds of promises about how much money it would generate for the city. Maybe if instead they’d spent some of that money on infrastructure our water/sewage rates wouldn’t have doubled to catch up on deferred maintenance.

It’s like we know how Colorado government works or something…

@ParallelLines

I’m completely sympathetic, but this is pretty much the norm everywhere in government, be it city, state, or federal. Oh look, we’re going to create a new complex which will generate jobs/tourism/taxes (almost always heavily exaggerated) but we can’t afford to improve the local schools/roads/infrastructure without more taxes from you worthless citizens.

(and I still say Denver is better than the Springs, though that’s damning with faint praise)

[kenobi_65]

@DavidNRockies

“Denver,” “mayor,” and “Hancock” were all the clues needed to solve this one, given a willingness to expend even a minimal amount of effort and do a Google search.

While not untrue, the OP could absolutely have also expended a minimal amount of effort to define things better in his OP, and not assume that his fellow Dopers follow and remember all of his posts and know his local references.

As a general point of courtesy and good posting habits, especially if you’re starting a new thread, don’t assume that other readers don’t need at least a little bit of backgrounding as to what you’re talking about.

[wolfpup]

@ParallelLines

I’m completely sympathetic, but this is pretty much the norm everywhere in government, be it city, state, or federal. Oh look, we’re going to create a new complex which will generate jobs/tourism/taxes (almost always heavily exaggerated) but we can’t afford to improve the local schools/roads/infrastructure without more taxes from you worthless citizens.

Yeah, one thing that really pisses me off is that super-rich major league sports teams demand billions in public money to build new stadiums.

Though I think the worst offender is the IOC. For some unfathomable reason, cities – with the backing of their nation – desperately bid for the Olympic Games. Then end up spending billions on the required infrastructure. Montreal “won” the 1976 Summer Olympics, then spent the next 30 years paying it off. Whether there was any net economic benefit is debatable.

The Olympics as an athletic event is noble and should be encouraged. But IMHO the IOC is corrupt and parasitic.

Expo 67, also in Montreal and celebrating Canada’s 100th birthday, was a stark contrast to the Olympics. Although different levels of government funded the infrastructure, virtually all the countries of the world established pavilions to celebrate their accomplishments, and did so at their own expense. Expo 67 was ultimately a great and positive economic benefit.