2008 Beijing Olympic: Gain or Lost?

Bidding for and hosting the Olympics uccessfully is, perhaps, the ultimate glory for a city. However, before transforming the dream into reality, the benefits and drawbacks of bidding for the Olympics should be weighed carefully.

     Hosting the Olympics surely would bring about much gain to a city. Boom of the local economy, more jobs, and the possibility of generating income all sound extremely attractive to the municipal government. At the same time, better infrastructure, cleaner environment, enjoying the spectacular game with hundreds of sports elites and entertainment stars, and the opportunity of contacting people from all over the world also seem exciting to the citizens. Besides, the bidding will definitely promote the patriotic emotion and pride, as well as the moral behavior in local people. In most cases, bidding for the Olympics is well supported by both the public and the central government.

     Unfortunately, this is not the entire view of the pretty picture. If looking from another angle, the Olympic bid might bring about some side-effects to a city.

     First of all, the environmental impacts, including the increasing exhaust fumes of cars, more pressure on water resources, huge amount of wasted leaflets and other materials used for public activities, are most probably neglected. In order to broaden the streets, some trees may have to be cut. Near the construction site, the tiny dust may linger in the air for a long time. Reduction of farmland may be caused by the need of setting up new sports centre or accommodation facilities. These environmental consequences can be especially serious in a resource-limited and densely-populated city in a third-world country.

     Besides, if talking about the economic benefit, it should not be forgotten that a quick boosting may lead to bubble growth, which may easily crash. If not well managed and organized, the big event may not be so ofitable, and the new facilities may be forever empty after the games. Yes, there have been cases that host cities ended up with enormous debts.

     Finally, let’s think about the low-income groups in the city. What will they get from the Olympics bidding? More tax, more fees, more expensive property prices, and higher cost of living. These definitely are not good news for them.

    To bid or not to, this is a question. It is up to the choice of the municipal government, and the local public. After the decision, what they can do is to make the most of the benefit, and reduce the drawbacks to the least.