Re: “Keeping an open mind about a Denver Winter Olympics bid,” Feb. 16 Vincent Carroll column.
Vincent Carroll asks us to keep an open mind about Colorado bidding for the Olympics in 2026 or 2030. Too bad the exploratory committee doesn’t have an open mind. Their survey is so biased in favor of hosting the Olympics, there is no way anyone can register their opposition. One section asks that five supposed Olympic legacies (new affordable housing, Interstate 70 congestion relief, increased transit options, opportunities for youth, community investment fund) be ranked as most important to least important. What a joke! The question should be which “legacy” is the most implausible. The Olympics would have a completely negative impact on Colorado as a whole, just like 40 years ago. Governor Lamm, where are you?
Ի岹ٰɰ,Evergreen
We lived in Atlanta when the 1996 Olympic Games were hosted there, and I’m offering my observations as a former resident and business owner. Two years prior to the Games, we saw a significant rise in our cost of living expenses. Food, gas and utilities rose disproportionately higher than we’d seen in the 10 years prior. In addition, traffic and stresses on our state’s infrastructure became an even bigger challenge. Lastly, the “privilege of hosting” cost Atlanta $1.8 billion.
In short, hosting was a great publicity boon to politicians, but not a success prior to, during or after the events. It took the state many years to recover from overriding costs, filth created from events, and bad publicity.
Colorado should seriously reconsider pitching to host the next Winter Olympics, due to economic strain as well as infrastructure concerns.
ReneeP.Walkup, Fort Collins
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