B.C. demands feds to cough up for Olympics B.C. demands feds to cough up for Olympi

[Trobin]

CanWest News Service; Vancouver Province
Published: Friday, May 05, 2006


VANCOUVER - B.C.'s $55-million share of 2010 Olympic cost overruns is on hold until Ottawa matches it.

"The commitment from the province is that we will approve it, subject to certain conditions, one of those being the federal government coming in," Colin Hansen, the B.C. minister responsible for the Vancouver 2010 Games, said Thursday.

He said the 50-50 share of venue costs between B.C. and Ottawa is an "important premise."

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/na...d5d67a&k=38194

[Realitycheck]

This could prove very interesting. The feds are demanding the impossible, a guarantee the costs of the oly won't keep rising.

One wonders just where this may go.

Harper has shot Campbell in the arse with his refusal to honour the deal with the natives.

This could be Campbell's way of getting back.

Perhaps the Oly vllage will be a bunch of bell tents?

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Realitycheck

This could prove very interesting. The feds are demanding the impossible, a guarantee the costs of the oly won't keep rising.

One wonders just where this may go.

Harper has shot Campbell in the arse with his refusal to honour the deal with the natives.

This could be Campbell's way of getting back.

Perhaps the Oly vllage will be a bunch of bell tents?

I think it's about time that the gov'ts demand some accountability from the contractors and VANOC. They cannot just let costs escalate without some controls. VANOC has got to tell the contractors that they have to stay in budget, and this is the way to do it. In this situation, even you, RC, should support the Feds...

[Periac]

RC:

You know as well as I do, if the Feds don't step up, the Province will have to make up the difference.

That's the beauty of the deal. The Province of BC is on the hook for the cost overruns, not the Feds.

Harper could easily say, "Go pound salt. That was the agreement you had with the Libs, we're not honouring it."

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Periac

RC:

You know as well as I do, if the Feds don't step up, the Province will have to make up the difference.

That's the beauty of the deal. The Province of BC is on the hook for the cost overruns, not the Feds.

Harper could easily say, "Go pound salt. That was the agreement you had with the Libs, we're not honouring it."

In which case Canaduh would still become an embarrasment. The Feds won't do that, methinks, they're just trying to get a point across...IMO.

[Periac]

Originally Posted by Trip

I think it's about time that the gov'ts demand some accountability from the contractors and VANOC. They cannot just let costs escalate without some controls. VANOC has got to tell the contractors that they have to stay in budget.

Trip:

VANOC (with the knowledge of the Provincial Government) used a budget that did not allow for any escalation of building costs.

Do you think the contractor should be held to a budget they didn't make? Maybe the Libs should bring down some legislation that reduces all the construction contracts by 15%. Not like they haven't done something similar before.

The only possible way VANOC can mitigate the rising costs is to redesign venue so they are not as extravagant (like that's going to happen).

They haven't even signed an agreement with GM Place yet and that a key venue.

The contractors' have VANOC (and by extension the taxpayer) over a barrel. The only question is how badly are we going to get screwed.

[Realitycheck]

The taxpayer is always screwed by an olympics. The most striking example the recent debacle in Greece.

The next prime example will be BC.

The feds are not the least bit interested in funding these games, despite Campbell's desperate hope they will be shamed into providing some funding.

I think it is not too late to back out and we should.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Periac

Trip:

VANOC (with the knowledge of the Provincial Government) used a budget that did not allow for any escalation of building costs.

Do you think the contractor should be held to a budget they didn't make?

Tough luck. As a contractor, my clients (or potential clients) let me know what their budget was. If I was able to come in with a price within that budget, hey, I got the job. If I couldn't, they went to the next guy. That's business.

So, in a word, YES, the contractor should be held to a budget he didn't make, because he agreed to do the job based on that budget.

[Realitycheck]

'n mirrors.

This is one of the little stunts the OC pulls in all the cities. They refuse to acknowledge or allow to be acknowledged the reality of cost increases.

So when the pols are selling it to the unsuspecting public, we are not getting truth and facts.

The sooner the OC is disbanded and this thievery stops, the better for taxpayers the world over. I wonder how the Greeks feel these days?

[Periac]

Originally Posted by Trip

Tough luck. As a contractor, my clients (or potential clients) let me know what their budget was. If I was able to come in with a price within that budget, hey, I got the job. If I couldn't, they went to the next guy. That's business.

True, but you know as well as I do. Clients want a dollars worth of work but only have th budget of a dime.

So, in a word, YES, the contractor should be held to a budget he didn't make, because he agreed to do the job based on that budget.

But the contractors never made this agreement.

Do you think any of them said they would build the Oval for $30,000,000 based on no drawing or specs?

I use to know a contractor who did something like that. Guess what? He went broke before completing the project and it ended up costing the owners even more money due to all the legal costs.

The budget was created by VANOC with input from various organizations (likely architect/engineering firms and some building associations (ICBA perhaps)).

Maybe VANOC ought to sue these orgs (along with their principals) for cost overruns. It wouldn't make the courthouse before the laughing started.

[Periac]

Originally Posted by Realitycheck

I wonder how the Greeks feel these days?

Probably like their sheep.

[Realitycheck]

I am shocked!

[Trobin]

CBC Radio reports that the feds aren't in a hurry to pony up the cash.

[Realitycheck]

Well, the CBC is their organ after all.

I think we are seeing a pissing match developing between BC and Ottawa myself.

[Trobin]

Could be. Wonder if it has anything to do with relatives of Liberals being on the Olympic board.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Trobin

Could be. Wonder if it has anything to do with relatives of Liberals being on the Olympic board.

Relatives who won't be there for long...

[XtremeJavaBean]

I think they'll get their money in the end, Ottawa is just sending a clear message that VANOC doesn't have access to a blank cheque, so they need to keep their spending under control and not assume that Ottawa will bail them out without a second thought.

[Trobin]

Originally Posted by Trip

Relatives who won't be there for long...

Not if it means getting more money out of the feds.

[Cpl_Brown]

They won't be happy till they suck it dry!