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Rio Has Given Up On Clean Water For Olympics (go.com)
iONiUM writes: When bidding to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Jaineiro promised the International Olympics Committee that it would eliminate 80 percent of the sewage found in the city's notoriously filthy water, and would fully regenerate the lagoon in which rowing and kayaking events will be held. Now a few months from the start of the games, Rio has given up on keeping those promises. According to an article from Deadspin, "The U.S. will send 48 rowers to Rio, and they will be as forewarned and forearmed as the federation can make them, starting with squeeze bottles of hand sanitizer that will be distributed on the flight to Brazil. Hannafin says the athletes have been asked to get hepatitis A vaccinations and polio boosters and take the oral typhoid vaccine. Their oar handles will be bleached and their boats washed inside and out after each training session or competition. Gear will be laundered at a high enough temperature to kill microbes."
The Index of Economic Freedom says:
"Brazil's limited experiment with market-oriented reforms has been uneven and even derailed in some areas. The state's presence in such sectors as energy, financial services, and electricity remains extensive. The legacy of decades of central planning, state meddling in economic activity continues even where it has demonstrably failed, and the weak rule of law further undermines economic progress."
"Graft remains endemic, and Brazilians disapprove of President Dilma Rousseff's policies on corruption and crime. In 2014, a former director of state-owned Petrobas accused more than 40 politicians, including one minister and three governors, in a massive kickback investigation. Brazilâ(TM)s judiciary is inefficient and subject to political and economic influence. The court system is overburdened, and contract disputes can be lengthy and complex."
Stupid, no. The got the Olympics
Getting the Olympics is a winning proposition less than 50% of the time. It costs more to put on the olympics than the revenues from them. It only financially works if the facilities are used after the Olympics are over, which means that the facilities have to be built well enough to stand for decades, which means that they cost even more to build. There are lot more Sarajevos than there are Lake Placids.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Boston got smart, but not necessarily because of what has happened to other Olympic hosts, although that's part of it. The outrageous overruns and fraud that was part of the Big Dig tunnel project is still fresh in everyone's minds, and almost no one was held accountable for any of it. They're still having to make major repairs on tunnels that are still practically brand new.
Then on top of that the subway and commuter rail system has been an absolute disaster since last winter. If they can't get mass transit to work for the workforce, you could imagine what would happen with the Olympics in town.
On top of all that, the former Democrat Governor Deval Patrick was given a very well paid role in preparing the Olympic bid for the US and he hired a bunch of his cronies for big money. I think that was the final nail in the coffin. Governor Cadillac Deval started off on the wrong foot as governor by making some very questionable expenditures for his office and vehicle at a time when the economy was hurting.