Commonwealth Games - who pays?
As the budget increases from £373m to £450m plus, one has ask how a 20% overspend could possibly arise if we exclude incompetence, stupidity, lack of ability and general unprofessionalism.
However, the best prescient question came from our MSP in July 2007:
But let's leave the question hanging: just what benefit to the Commonwealth Games bring to the Western Isles?
However, the best prescient question came from our MSP in July 2007:
To ask the Scottish Executive (sic) what benefits the Commonwealth Games will have for the Western Isles constituency.Of course, you will by now have realised that the question was about the 2012 Olympics, and I have deliberately changed it to make a point; that point being that being in power has a cost.
Answered by Stewart Maxwell (14 August 2007): The Scottish Government is working with various sectors across Scotland to ensure they are aware of the possibilities and opportunities available to individuals, communities, groups, and businesses from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The 2014 Games will offer some opportunities for some businesses across Scotland to supply goods or provide services.
No specific benefits to the Western Isles constituency beyond the general ones outlined above have been identified.
But let's leave the question hanging: just what benefit to the Commonwealth Games bring to the Western Isles?
3 comments:
I've thought about this one for a while (largely to see if my businesses could make some money from it.....) I think that it will generate some business in the Isles, but the law of unintended consequences probably means that others will lose out.
I suspect that many of our offspring away at college will get profitable summer jobs that year working at Games-related businesses. That will free up a few more summer jobs locally.
Tourism businesses like mine may have trouble finding temporary summer staff; we may find that overseas Games tourists will make a side-trip here (and that will require marketing AND extra seats on ferries and planes).
The best thing we can all do is plan so that we don't hold big public events here at the same time as Games events. And what about a live-feed big-screen tent in the Castle Grounds (and for the Olympics, too). You heard it here first.
3.00 pm-
Big screen in the Grounds?
But people might want to watch on the saaaaabeth....
Sorry- but we could watch on Sunday in the Lewis public bar instead!
The Lewis Public bar? Yeah, right. My three school-age kids'll love that.
Actually, on second thoughts....
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