The U.S. may not host another Olympics for a long time — and, given the crushing expenses involved, that may not be a bad thing.
Let cities in other countries soak up the almost inevitable debt from these sports extravaganzas. Americans are increasingly leery of the blank checks involved.
Boston is the latest city to balk at the possibility of an Olympic bid. At a press conference Monday, Mayor Martin J. Walsh declared he would “not sign a document that puts one dollar of taxpayers’ money on the line for one penny of overruns for the Olympics.” Naturally, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) soon pulled the plug on its goal of pushing a Boston bid for the 2024 Games.
Walsh did the right thing, and Bostonians should be grateful. Meanwhile, citizens in every city that considers seeking an Olympic bid should hope their mayor takes an equally hard line.
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