mr.x
July 27th, 2007, 01:22 AM
Not surprised, i would be shocked if they went ahead with only spending CAN$175 million on security when Torino spent US$250 million, Salt Lake US$300 million, Athens US$1.2 billion, and London is planning to spend US$1.6 billion.
Glad to hear that the RCMP is asking for more money....these Games need be safe. If terrorists hit these Games, it'd forever scar this city and all these years of bidding and planning and billions poured into this event would have been a complete waste.
Vanoc CEO unaware RCMP want more money
Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, July 26, 2007
Vanoc CEO John Furlong said today he wasn't aware that the RCMP is asking for more money for the 2010 Olympic security budget but is confident that the Games will be secure.
Furlong said the RCMP has yet to finish a business plan that will lay out the true costs of providing security, noting that Vanoc is not responsible for the plan and that any extra costs won't come out of Vanoc's budget.
"We are not aware that there is a new ask for more money," he said. "The budget is what it is and we've always known since we came home from (winning the bid in) Prague they've continued to look at it and assess and manage and look at everything. All I can tell you is that we are collaborating with them to make it as easy as possible to allow them to do their work and secure the venues."
The CBC reported today it obtained documents from the RCMP admitting that a $175 million security budget supplied by the federal and provincial governments is not enough.
For years the RCMP has deflected reporters' questions about the adequacy of its security budget, especially in light of pressures that increased Vanoc's construction budget from $470 million to $580 million.
Furlong said Vanoc isn't privy to the RCMP budget although it works with the force on planning.
"They are doing their own business planning and at some point we will know what is in that plan and what they have to do and if they are going to make an ask for more funds we will know it," he said.
"The budget that was done at that time was based on their best estimate of what it would cost back then (in 2002 when the bid and security budgets were first drafted)."
Furlong said the RCMP never said in the intervening years that their budget, which is independent of Vanoc's, was inadequate.
"No, they didn't. What they have done is told us they are doing their work."
Glad to hear that the RCMP is asking for more money....these Games need be safe. If terrorists hit these Games, it'd forever scar this city and all these years of bidding and planning and billions poured into this event would have been a complete waste.
Vanoc CEO unaware RCMP want more money
Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, July 26, 2007
Vanoc CEO John Furlong said today he wasn't aware that the RCMP is asking for more money for the 2010 Olympic security budget but is confident that the Games will be secure.
Furlong said the RCMP has yet to finish a business plan that will lay out the true costs of providing security, noting that Vanoc is not responsible for the plan and that any extra costs won't come out of Vanoc's budget.
"We are not aware that there is a new ask for more money," he said. "The budget is what it is and we've always known since we came home from (winning the bid in) Prague they've continued to look at it and assess and manage and look at everything. All I can tell you is that we are collaborating with them to make it as easy as possible to allow them to do their work and secure the venues."
The CBC reported today it obtained documents from the RCMP admitting that a $175 million security budget supplied by the federal and provincial governments is not enough.
For years the RCMP has deflected reporters' questions about the adequacy of its security budget, especially in light of pressures that increased Vanoc's construction budget from $470 million to $580 million.
Furlong said Vanoc isn't privy to the RCMP budget although it works with the force on planning.
"They are doing their own business planning and at some point we will know what is in that plan and what they have to do and if they are going to make an ask for more funds we will know it," he said.
"The budget that was done at that time was based on their best estimate of what it would cost back then (in 2002 when the bid and security budgets were first drafted)."
Furlong said the RCMP never said in the intervening years that their budget, which is independent of Vanoc's, was inadequate.
"No, they didn't. What they have done is told us they are doing their work."