Rio de Janeiro wins bid for 2016 Olympics (tax, money)

[Cliff Clavin]

Good for Brazil, but too bad it wasn't São Paulo. Rio gets enough tourism coin. Spread it around a bit.

[sittingduck41]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

This is the General US forum. Last I knew Rio was in Brazil.

Your wit slays me.

[Chicago60614]

Everyone here seems very happy that Rio was the winner. I was hoping they'd win.

[18Montclair]

Can't wait to get back down there next week(SP tho, not Rio)--wish I were there now. I guess the work weeks a wrap in Brazil. LOL

[18Montclair]

[John Shaft]

1. Rio is timezone-friendly to the huge USA television audience.

2. Rio couldn't be more corrupt than Chicago.

3. Another victory for Obama.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

I don't think the southern half of the U.S. will ever be selected to represent the U.S. Olympic bid again, at least not in our lifetime.

The best bet is the West Coast, California more specifically. LA will definitely be in the mix again for 2020.

Doubt LA will get it again after hosting it twice. Have you seen the bids for 2020 for the US??? hilarious lol

[Chicago60614]

^ LA tried to bid on the 2016 games, but lost out to Chicago.

[B4U]

As much as I love this country, I'm glad Rio won. I worried what more US security issues would have arose. I don't think our nation needs this right now.
And although it may seem Rio has more of it's share of slum problems, the olympics will motivate change. It's a happy city, so what better place? I wish them success.

[eskercurve]

Personally I think the world has a very negative image of Chicago as a dangerous, corrupt place when nothing can be further from the truth. The US's behavior in the past 8 years has really pissed off the world too, note the one representative from Pakistan who asked Obama how he would address the "harrowing" experience one goes through when entering the USA.

Further, all those people who were Chicago-bid bashers really did it in for the city I think ... it all started when Daley did an about face and said that should cost overruns occur then taxpayers would be stuck with the bill. That was VERY negative. He should have just let Obama/Bush do what likely would have happened ... should overruns occur, let the fed gov't bail out the city. Obama made that pledge anyway, Daley didn't have to go and ruin it.

Further, the bid-bashers have a few good points though. In almost every city where the Olympics have been held, there's been enormous expenditure above the original estimate, not nearly as much stimulus economically as projected, and tons of land basically gets wasted. Not to mention violation of civil rights (Beijing displaced 2 million for hte games, Athens forced traffic off the streets and so did Beijing, Mexico City killed hundreds when protests erupted).

The IOC chose Rio because no matter how bad the crime is, nor how ugly the city is, nor how much building will have to get done, Rio will do it because their government is more about pomp and business than the US or Spain or Japan. they'll gladly bulldoze the ghettos and deploy the army to keep drug lords and protesters at bay or six feet under, whichever is more effective.

In the end I'm happy for Rio. I just hope their residents don't get the shaft like all other cities who've held it.