World

How would you spend a billion dollars?

by Jessica Tucker | March 3, 2010 at 12:01 pm

614 views | 17 Recommendations | 5 comments

Shhhh.... Can you here the gasps? I know I sure did, after finding out this morning that the security bill for the recent Olympic Games in Vancouver almost reached a whopping billion dollar mark! So, I understand there was worry about a possible terror attack and there was quite a few VIP government visitors, celebrities, and athletes, but really, a billion dollars... Really?

The costs that were anticipated to be accrued in hosting the Olympic Games in Vancouver, was the largest upset for British Columbians in the preliminary planning phases of the 2010 Winter Games. The general public and taxpayers of the province worried that the numbers given to the public just did not seem right. They knew that the bill for this upcoming, extravagant event would bust through the seams of the original budget probably well before the Opening Ceremonies even finished… And now, the hammer has dropped...

I could think of a billion other things I could do with that money, what about you? Fifteen million dollars a day! I think we could feed all the world's hungry with that for probably close to a year? And what about that homeless problem?

What would you do with a billion dollars?

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Larry Kazdan

at 16:15 on March 3rd, 2010

If a stock promoter tried to sell an investment by means of dodgy estimates, misrepresentation, and excessive hype, that salesperson would likely end up in jail, but for the Olympics, rah rah patriotism serves as great cover for a complete lack of accountability.

British Columbians will soon discover the true cost of the Olympics through cuts to their health and educational services. That so many have lined up for seven hours just to touch an Olympic medal reminds me of a remark by Napoleon Bonaparte when awarding his military honours: "It is with such baubles men are led!"