I was listening to the radio earlier today and heard that our president is heading to Copenhagen to lobby for Chicago as the next Olympic statement.
Setting aside the question of how ridiculous it is that a president is personally lobbying for Olympic site selection (something apparently no other U.S. president has done), the gross hypocrisy is stunning.
What are two of Obama’s big priorities right now? The deficit and the environment.
Now admittedly, planes are among the most cost effective and environmentally friendly means of travel – but only if they’re completely filled. And something tells me that the president and the first lady aren’t flying coach to Copenhagen.
But of course I’m sure that won’t stop the administration from lecturing us about carbon emissions and trumpeting its measures that supposedly save money.
UPDATE: I just noticed that Matt Dernoga, MD enviro-blogger, has something up about Obama’s little trip. However he has nothing to say on the blatant hypocrisy of Obama’s Danish Adventure (which surprises me a bit, considering Dernoga pretty exclusively blogs on environmental issues), just a hope that he’ll do it again to lobby for a climate treaty at the Copenhagen conference later this year. Personally, I’d rather he not waste the taxpayers money jetting around the world and participate electronically if he really, absolutely feels the need to be a direct part of it.
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You have to admit, he IS the best person to lobby to have the Olympics here in the USA in Chicago. Unless of course you don’t want the Olymics (and the revenue they produce) here in the USA. And considering the amount of athaletes we send, keeping it here would cut down on that bad air travel you are complaining about, wouldn’t it?
Well, no, I don’t want the Olympics here. As I noted in a comment at Progressive Delmarva, Reason’s Steve Chapman has noted, the Olympic Games have consistently lost money for the cities that host them.
As for the athletes, I personally don’t think the U.S. should be footing the bill to send them there. The only economic benefit of the Olympics goes to a select few (champion athletes, large advertisers, well-connected contractors, etc.) who benefit from the massive subsidization of the Games by government. Apart from that the only benefits are intangibles derived from observing the Games; if people enjoy watching the Olympic Games that’s all fine and good, but let those that enjoy and/or benefit from them be the ones that pay for them, not the rest of us that could care less about them.
Hmmm. Ok, fair enough.