Olympic Backstabbing?
Our fellow big city, New York, unfortuanately won't get that opportunity, as least for some time to come. And you might be able to chalk up part of that to the efforts of a Los Angeles based company that intensely lobbied against the Big Apple.
The International Olympic Committee announced today that London will be the site of the 2012 Games. Mayor Sam is glad its going to the Brits over those good for nothing French, but I'm a little disturbed about the role of our "friends" over at the Anschutz Entertainment Group, better known as the owners of the Staples Center and developer of the Home Depot Center in Carson.
While Hilary Clinton and Muhammad Ali were at the IOC meetings in Singapore to lobby for New York City, the CEO of AEG, Scott Blackmum was working on behalf of the London effort. Why? Because AEG has a major financial interest in one of the facilities that will be used for the games there.
I wonder what happened to patriotism? Sure, New York is our rival, but c'mon on - hosting the Olympics there would have been good for all of America, and something positive for the City as it continues to recover from 9/11. Mayor Sam is a major capitalist but c'mon - is it always about the mighty buck?
You also have to wonder, besides the dough that will come into AEG (surely lots of subsidies as well from the British government) for the use of this event, why would they work so hard on it? They do have a major investment in their facility there, and surely the prestige of the place being used for the Olympics will help business in the years leading up to and many years after the 2012 Games. However, I wonder if AEG is looking at a 2016 or 2020 Olympics being held in Los Angeles where not only will they be sure to get to use the Staples Center, Home Depot Center, but whatever Bed, Bath and Beyond or IKEA or Crate & Barrell Center they build down the road. (Which of course an Olympics in Los Angeles would be most likely decades off if New York had got the 2012 bid.)
Good luck to the Brits and to New York, I apologize on behalf of Los Angeles.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 7/06/2005 09:52:00 AM
8 Comments:
This would have generated more money for our fellow NYC residents, but business is business. The brits won the lobby challenge and good for them. It is similiar to politics. Heck, if I had onwership to a building where the olympics might be held, I would lobby for it too. The lobbying from NYC was not sufficient and not up to par.
July 6- Today Governor Arnold S+13 and the California Liarslature will be announcing their capitulation to the incessant demands of the Teachers Association (should be known as the "Hold-Up Artistes") for more money for "education" (higher salaries".
It will be interesting to read the reaction of the polyscibase to these events.
AEG also is expanding their "Where the Soccer Team Plays" in Carson. So "Where the Lakers Play" on the Fig and their whole game plan for Downtown Los Angeles is a good insight into benefiting from a future Olympics, good call!
Steve Lee
These are Antonio's buddies. Talk about pay to play.
One of the $100,000 donors (
Antonio's gala) was L.A. Arena Co., owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, who is also co-owner of Staples Center.
The company signed an agreement with the city in 2001 to participate in building a $1-billion entertainment and shopping district near the Los Angeles Convention Center. The project will include a 55-story hotel that would receive up to $177 million in city subsidies.
An affiliated entity, Anschutz Entertainment Group, is hoping to win approval from the mayor and the City Council for the final subsidy agreement in the next three months.
Do not apologize, be happy for your fellow human being, which are celebrating their triumph-The Brits.
AEG is trying to get professional soccer really going in LA and they are trying to get David Beckham to take over in Carson - and bring his Spice Girl wife with him - to get white people interested in soccer. So, they kissed up to the Brits a bit.
Antonio is like a mediator to the business entities. I see him as a catalyst to make things happen for them, it is called pay to play in political terms.
The chameleon that will help generate money for the business that suits to his favor and purpose. It is that easy. Do not over analyze him, he wants to swim with the big SHARKS and this is his way of doing so. Why punish him verbally for wanting more power, more money, more of everything else. BTW, this is not just a capitalist agenda, look at the communist, dictators, liberals (Kerry, Clintons), they all want more power, more money, etc... It is a weak human trait. Let the Cell evolve into whatever monster it wants to become.
Antonio is no Hahn, who basically sold the office of the Mayor to special interests.
with that kind of dough maybe Los angeles should not pay for subsidies for the Convention center Hotel.
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