The 2024 Summer Olympics will not be held in Boston.
Beantown abandoned its bid to host the games after Mayor Marty Walsh refused to sign a contract that would have left the city responsible for billions in possible cost overruns.
Did I say possible?
Call it seemingly inevitable.
“I cannot commit to putting the taxpayers at risk,” declared Walsh.
People throughout the Bay State can now rest easy — no tax hike or debt burden to build expensive infrastructure . . . and produce bigger traffic jams. Of course, polls had long shown voters opposed to the idea. But that doesn’t matter to career politicians. Nor to the mayor — until recently.
Mayor Walsh’s deep concern for taxpayers notwithstanding, citizen activism made the difference. A month ago, the Yes on 1 committee joined together with Evan Falchuk, chairman of Citizens for a Say, in supporting a ballot measure to prohibit spending any tax dollars on the Olympics.
Last year, I worked with Yes on 1 — led by Steve Aylward, Rep. Geoff Diehl, Marty Lamb and Rep. Shaunna O’Connell — to pass Question 1, ending automatic gas tax increases in Massachusetts. Olympic officials had been assured a ballot measure was unlikely to get in the way; then came the Yes on 1 folks with the know-how to petition just such a measure onto the ballot.
Walsh claimed this opposition had nothing to do with his decision, calling them “about ten people on Twitter and a couple people out there who are constantly feeding the drumbeat.”
Dancing to a different drummer, Mr. Mayor.
Bostonians can thank the state’s ballot initiative process, which provides a way for the people to be heard. And, of course, citizen leaders who take the initiative.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
2 replies on “Gold Medal Worthy”
It is clear we are reaching the end of the line, taxpayers feel tapped out and are making it clear.
I would suggest that when it comes to crony capitalism the first reform is that those in the legislature and executive positions and agencies should personally guarantee the performance and/or payback of their largess.
People, even in government, gain a significantly greater concern for spending when they are personally at risk.
It is an added benefit that would simply impose the always correct standard to such decisions.
Just remember while high-fiving Marty Walsh that he was the person who directed ALL city employees not to say anything negative about the Olympics. To allow this nonsense to go further would have been political suicide for Mayor Walsh and he knew it.