2010 Olympics: The gift that keeps on taking

Remember the 2010 Winter Olympics? Remember how fun they were? Remember how much is cost? Well it continues to cost the taxpaying victims of VANOC’s success well into the summer as the bills just keep rolling in.

ICBC reports that over $2.3 million of damage was done to VANOC’s fleet of General Motors vehicles used during the Olympics and Paralympics. The 4,791 vehicles suffered a variety of scratches, dents, crunches and smash-ups that will probably contribute to the cost of your automobile insurance. Don’t ya just love these guys?

As of May 5, there were 4,679 claims worth $2,300.392.34 when the vehicles were gathered at one location and inspected by claims personnel. There were no payments made on 757 of the claims and damage details were not disclosed. The drivers of the damaged vehicles were not identified nor were they hung from the nearest tree and beaten with sticks. Whew…that was close! Someone may have actually been made accountable for costing taxpayers more money than most of us will make in a lifetime.

A list of 2009 payments made to VANOC by Vancouver city hall was made public recently. Here’s some of the details:

  • A $25,147.25 cheque issued Dec. 8, 2009 with the comments “Reimburse VANOC re BOGOG wire transfer loss” was later identified as a payment error according to the city’s Olympic operations director. Paul Henderson said the city rented a wheelchair-accessible van from the Beijing Olympic organizing committee during the 2008 Summer Games for Vancouver’s past idiot mayor, Sam Sullivan. “We, in error, were reimbursed for a deposit that VANOC paid for that vehicle” Henderson said. Yeah, right.
  • City hall sent 66 cheques totaling $11,705,548.20 to VANOC last year.
  • Included in the payments was $7,549,748.14 paid VANOC to build the aquatic centre attached to the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Centre curling arena.
  • Another $3.1 million was spent on the curling rink and project managers
  • A list of miscellaneous items totaling $1,044,803.53 include $339,715 for Olympic tickets. Yes, they spent more than a quarter of a million dollars on tickets for undeserving public trough-feeders. I wonder what other items are on the list.
  • The city spent $250,744.42 for street banners, those dopey pieces of crap that hung from various light posts throughout the city. Imagine how that money could have been spent to better the lives of residents and taxpayers. Good God, money is certainly no object for these city idiots when they don’t have to work for it.
  • These clowns spent $120,000 on public art displayed here and there throughout the city to be ignored by residents and vistors alike.
  • VANOC charged the city $200 and $210 for appearances by those goofy mascots. Yes, Miga, Quatchi and Sumi are no better than hookers but they cost a bit more and don’t offer a happy ending.

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