Government Olympic Tickets - Whats the problem?

[martin84]

Sky Sports News are running a story about how outrageous it seemingly is that the Government are spending £750,000 on Olympics tickets. Sky Sports News havent said anything about it being outrageous that the Government have spent £13billion on the Olympics themselves.

If you spent £13billion on something wouldnt you feel it reasonable to want to go to it? Or am i missing something?

[Bing o]

martin84 said:

Sky Sports News are running a story about how outrageous it seemingly is that the Government are spending £750,000 on Olympics tickets. Sky Sports News havent said anything about it being outrageous that the Government have spent £13billion on the Olympics themselves.

If you spent £13billion on something wouldnt you feel it reasonable to want to go to it? Or am i missing something?

And where did the 13 billion come from? The taxpayer. So fk the toady politician's mates off and let the tax payer go to what they paid for.

[greygoose]

They should have sold the tickets to the public to recoup some of the money paid for the Games, I hate to see politicians, Bank of England governor and co enjoying the best seats at Wimbledon etc for free, why should they get to see such events for nothing?

[AJS-]

The problem is they just keep pissing more and more money away on nonsense, when we haven't got any. We never should have bid for the cursed Olympics in the first place, and now it's just damage limitation.

So what if we look cheap in the eyes of "the world" (all 50 people who bother to watch a bunch of people they've never heard of running around a field). If I had my way the Olympics would be held on a school field, with plastic chairs, and the medals presented by the head of the local council, who would still have to pay his own entrance fee.

[rover 623gsi]

greygoose said:

They should have sold the tickets to the public to recoup some of the money paid for the Games, I hate to see politicians, Bank of England governor and co enjoying the best seats at Wimbledon etc for free, why should they get to see such events for nothing?

ticket sales have already recouped around £500million and a similar amount has been raised by selling the athletes village to a property developer

[anonymous-user]

rover 623gsi said:

ticket sales have already recouped around £500million and a similar amount has been raised by selling the athletes village to a property developer

So they've recouped a billion quid, how much did they spend again?

I'm looking forward to the Olympics as a sporting event, but I just don't understand why governments (not just ours) are so desperate to throw money at it.

[AJS-]

Inkyfingers said:

So they've recouped a billion quid, how much did they spend again?

I'm looking forward to the Olympics as a sporting event, but I just don't understand why governments (not just ours) are so desperate to throw money at it.

Well a Greek friend of mine was very excited about the 2004 Athens Olympics as he reckoned, along with much of the rest of Greece, it would boost their economy and cement their place amongst the democratic nations of western Europe...

The only other people I have known who have really cared about them at all have been old ladies and communists.

Politicians are a bit like both. And they are especially interested in things that are big, because it makes them feel powerful. The Olympics will be watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. So the fact that most of them are old women and communists doesn't matter, in the politicians mind, all those people, all the world over will be saying "wow, fireworks, lights, billions of pounds spent, isn't the Sports Minister of the UK (whoever holds that ridiculous job) a great man.

[mattviatura]

AJS- said:

Well a Greek friend of mine was very excited about the 2004 Athens Olympics as he reckoned, along with much of the rest of Greece, it would boost their economy and cement their place amongst the democratic nations of western Europe...

The only other people I have known who have really cared about them at all have been old ladies and communists.

Politicians are a bit like both. And they are especially interested in things that are big, because it makes them feel powerful. The Olympics will be watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. So the fact that most of them are old women and communists doesn't matter, in the politicians mind, all those people, all the world over will be saying "wow, fireworks, lights, billions of pounds spent, isn't the Sports Minister of the UK (whoever holds that ridiculous job) a great man.

An excellent post in so many ways.

[rover 623gsi]

Inkyfingers said:

So they've recouped a billion quid, how much did they spend again?

I'm looking forward to the Olympics as a sporting event, but I just don't understand why governments (not just ours) are so desperate to throw money at it.

Yep – re-couped about £1bn, also £3bn coming from private sector (mainly sponsorship) and £3bn from the National Lottery leaving around £6bn from the taxpayer.

So, London was awarded the Games in 2005 which means an expenditure from the public purse of just under £1bn a year (approx 0.5% of annual govt expenditure). Bargain – imho, of course.

Edited by rover 623gsi on Tuesday 8th November 08:53

[The Black Flash]

martin84 said:

Sky Sports News are running a story about how outrageous it seemingly is that the Government are spending £750,000 on Olympics tickets. Sky Sports News havent said anything about it being outrageous that the Government have spent £13billion on the Olympics themselves.

If you spent £13billion on something wouldnt you feel it reasonable to want to go to it? Or am i missing something?

Something? I think you've missed most of it.

[rah1888]

martin84 said:

Or am i missing something?

Yes.

[Police State]

rah1888 said:

martin84 said:

Or am i missing something?

Yes.

medicine?

[oyster]

AJS- said:

The problem is they just keep pissing more and more money away on nonsense, when we haven't got any. We never should have bid for the cursed Olympics in the first place, and now it's just damage limitation.

So what if we look cheap in the eyes of "the world" (all 50 people who bother to watch a bunch of people they've never heard of running around a field). If I had my way the Olympics would be held on a school field, with plastic chairs, and the medals presented by the head of the local council, who would still have to pay his own entrance fee.

You don't like sport do you?

[AJS-]

oyster said:

You don't like sport do you?

Not especially.

I like motorsport, and cricket, I have even been known to watch the odd game of rugby. What I really don't like though is the government pissing away untold billions on a bunch of sports that no one is really interested in the rest of the time.

If they're so popular why do they need a subsidy?

[ewenm]

AJS- said:

Not especially.

I like motorsport, and cricket, I have even been known to watch the odd game of rugby. What I really don't like though is the government pissing away untold billions on a bunch of sports that no one is really interested in the rest of the time.

If they're so popular why do they need a subsidy?

You seem confused - are they popular or not?

Surely something unpopular but seen (by some) as beneficial is exactly where subsidy should go. Of course, what one person sees as beneficial another will see as a waste.

Anyway, the government isn't spending taxpayers' billions on the sports, they are spending taxpayers' billions on the event. Very little of that will trickle down to those who participate in Olympic sports every day.

Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 8th November 13:33

[martin84]

I just dont see why this is such a big scandal, £750,000 is nothing to the Government. If you want a scandal or something to be outraged about then be outraged that they spent £13billion of taxpayers money on the games in the first place, i dont see Sky Sports News complaining that the games are coming here. If this was a scandal purely about money then we should be complaining about the games coming here in the first place so its obviously nothing to do with money. Its the fact that with all the problems and hoops involved in getting tickets, the Government big cheeses essentially pick and choose what they want which is hardly new is it?

I dont care who's there to be honest because in my view London's a horrible place and i could only name two Olympic sports at best anyway so its not like im interested in the Olympics. I was just surprised at 'Government spends money on games and then has cheek to attend them' scandal.

[The Black Flash]

martin84 said:

I dont care who's there to be honest because in my view London's a horrible place and i could only name two Olympic sports at best anyway so its not like im interested in the Olympics. I was just surprised at 'Government spends money on games and then has cheek to attend them' scandal.

You really are missing the point aren't you?

"The government" has no money of its own, only what it takes from us. Given that, those in government have a duty to spend it wisely, NOT for personal gain.

[rah1888]

I think it's probably be a bit late to do something about the games coming here next year, and I seem to recall there was no shortage of complaints at the time.

It just seems a bit much for the taxpayer to cover the rather large cost of funding the event, to then have to go on to pay for politicians and civil servants to enjoy watching the spectacle.

You're right £750k in the grand scheme of things isn't a great deal, but it does leave a pretty nasty taste, especially for those who wanted to see one event or another and were unsuccessful with their application for tickets.

[crankedup]

Bing o said:

And where did the 13 billion come from? The taxpayer. So fk the toady politician's mates off and let the tax payer go to what they paid for.

Stand back - I agree with Bing O!

[martin84]

The Black Flash said:

"The government" has no money of its own, only what it takes from us. Given that, those in government have a duty to spend it wisely, NOT for personal gain.

But the Government spends a lot more money than this on a lot of useless rubbish which doesnt get people as annoyed as some tickets to watch some numpty jump over a beam on a pole.

rah1888 said:

I think it's probably be a bit late to do something about the games coming here next year, and I seem to recall there was no shortage of complaints at the time.

Thats the funny bit, nobody wanted the games at the time until we found out France might get it. Nobody really wants to go to the games until they've now discovered the Government are going. British people just want things that they dont want just so as others cant have them.

rah1888 said:

It just seems a bit much for the taxpayer to cover the rather large cost of funding the event, to then have to go on to pay for politicians and civil servants to enjoy watching the spectacle.

Hunt has said they're not being given out to civil servants and their tickets are 0.1% of tickets sold. If thats correct then Its not like they're taking every seat and leaving poor public outside. If the taxpayer wants value for money then the entire public should be backing a move for Tottenham to buy the Olympic Stadium outright with private money.

rah1888 said:

You're right £750k in the grand scheme of things isn't a great deal

To give everyone an idea on what a small amount of money £750,000 is, thats enough to fund the NHS for 4 minutes.