Final Word from Thursday, October 5, 2006
Governments fall, and budget deficits rise, but the lobbying effort for bringing the Summer Olympics to Prague in 2016 or 2020 remains constant. For the Olympic enthusiasts, the thought that the country might be otherwise too financially or politically engaged holds no water. The Games will be self-financing and a boon to the country for years to come, they say. Critics point to the construction lobby and say the supporters are more interested in securing the contracts for the preparation than in hosting the actual event. Perhaps there's a way to satisfy the critics and, at the same time, test the supporters. Goldman Sachs is advising Fukuoka, Japan, on its 2016 bid and said that it's willing to put its own money into paying for the infrastructure. If Skanska is so keen on having the Olympics in Prague, let it put up a big chunk of its healthy Czech profits for making them a stunning success.[Czech Republic]