Why we must vote on Olympics bid
Evan Falchuk
The Olympics is a wonderful sporting event. But it's also a business. Its model: Make money by working with organizing groups around the world (such as Boston 2024) whose job is to, among other things, get billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. The People's Vote Olympics Committee, of which I'm chairman, is working to get a statewide vote in November 2016 that would bar the use of taxpayer money for the games. Here are three reasons we must vote and have voters' voices heard.
1. We aren't getting a straight story from Boston 2024. Boston 2024 insists it doesn't want any taxpayer money. But its bid documents, the history of the Olympics, and the fact that the group's payroll is dominated by a “dream team” of lobbyists, political consultants and former government officials says otherwise. The big prize: a guarantee that if there are cost overruns or revenue shortfalls, Massachusetts taxpayers will pick up the tab. Since a typical Olympics cost overrun tops 250 percent, this would amount to billions of dollars.
2. We can't rely on our elected leaders to do the right thing. Elected officials haven't had much to say about Boston 2024. Gov. Baker, Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Rosenberg have claimed they don't want taxpayer money spent on the Olympics. But they recently announced they would spend up to $250,000 for a consultant to study the 2024 bid. During just one recent week, Boston 2024 had three closed-door meetings with these three leaders. We don't know what was discussed, but for a group that says it doesn't want taxpayer money, Boston 2024 spends a lot of time meeting in private with the people in charge of spending it.
3. We have the opportunity to set priorities in a way that benefits everyone. Voters often say they don't believe government represents their interests. If you're a small-business owner, live outside the Boston area, want more support for cities and towns, or job training and education, Boston 2024 doesn't promise to deal with those issues. Instead, it promises to divert government's precious attention and taxpayer resources to serve its aims. But we aren't powerless. In Massachusetts, voters can put binding laws on the ballot. Our proposed law would bar the use of taxpayer money for the Olympics. Through this kind of direct democracy, we all have the power — and the opportunity — to make sure our future is focused on the needs of the people of Massachusetts.
A connected group of insiders is driving government policy to serve the needs of a business to which so many of them are tied. As voters, we have two choices: Throw our hands up and say “There's nothing we can do,” or act. A vote on the Olympics is an opportunity to restore our democracy and build the kind of accountable government we all know we need.
Evan Falchuk is chairman of the United Independent Party and was an independent candidate for governor in 2014.
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