Realistically Focus on the Family is probably number one on Fact Finder’s list (that is always the first thing I hear about during my travels), followed by the Academy, followed by any of our other incredible attractions listed in a variety of orders depending on what day of the week it is, whether or not it is snowing, and if mayor is talking out of both sides of his mouth or just one.

Mike- Only a quarter of the 46 (not 50) Governing Bodies are actually located here, and the only reason they are here is because of the USOTC, oh and they are all non-profits so no tax revenue there.

The National Governing Bodies are stand alone entities that find themselves at odds with USOC a lot of the time and have their own board that makes the real decisions. The USOC is the figure head of the Olympic movement. Since all of the NGB’s are financially independent there is no reason they have to stay here either. They stay because they want to not because the city has formulated elaborate deals to entice them into sticking around. It is a good thing they stick around too because the real money is coming from all of those aspiring athletes and their families who spend a boat load of money to come out for two week camps and bring their families along to enjoy everything else we have to offer. I’ll bet Anaheim loves the extra revenue coming in from all those teenage girls going to volleyball camp and using their down time to go on sunny southern California shopping sprees. The kid brother is all for it to because he gets to take his picture with Micky and Minnie while sis chases her dream. What about Phoenix? All those future Dream Teamers are heading down there. I pity them for not having the opportunity to taste on of those fine doughnuts on the summit of Pike’s Peak, or the cinnamon ice cream in Old Colorado City, or a sunset looking out over Garden of the Gods. I wonder if our leaders see it the same way?

The Olympic Training Center is what people want to come and see, and they do, and they spend money while they are in our city, no doubt about that. I wonder if people will make special trips downtown and pump our parking meters full of quarters (thank you council for causing an overflow of dimes and nickels in my change jar) to see an office building full of talking heads and bunch of whinny bureaucrats. Maybe they will snap a picture of Ray Marshall through his first floor office window instead of a group shot sitting in the Olympic rings or a Christmas card photo with a life sized cut out of Michael Phelps. What? They might actually see some of these olympic heros in real life, training here in our city?! You have got to be kidding! This is too good to be true.

Keep in mind that while the USOTC is run by the USOC, the USOC is a bunch of talking heads sitting in offices pushing paper and screwing up 40 year old sponsorships (that kind of work can be done from anywhere and probably should be done where the major sponsors are located i.e. New York, Chicago, LA, they could even out source it to India if they wanted to save a few million on salaries).

So here is my suggestion: Put 16 Million into renovations and upgrades at the OTC, they need it. Pay Jim Johnson for his work, especially since he is the only one that has held up his part of the deal. Let the USOC pay their own way. The governing bodies have been doing it for years. Take the remainder of the money and use it for the common good: schools, roads, parks, something that everyone can benefit from; better yet, let us keep our money since we didn’t get a say on any of this in the first place. Otherwise let everyone put the rings on our business cards too, after all we are the ones that are paying for all of this right?

Or how about this: Take some of that money and make our city government a strong mayor model and actually pay them to do their job adequately. …..(Now that is just crazy talk why would we ever want competent and focused people running our city).

Take it for what its worth, not much I am afraid, just one more perspective from a long time resident who loves his city. Wonder what Lionel is up to right now? An intense game of mine sweeper? Solitaire perhaps?

What a joke.

Dave Gardner
Founder, SaveTheSprings (from ourselves!)
http://www.savethesprings.org

The end result is the USOC gets everything for nothing, Landco gets what they wanted for nothing, the mayor’s political career is trashed, and the citizens pay for it all having no say in the matter at all. My input to the public review of the new proposal is to walk away from the whole deal. The USOC had no viable offers in the first place and even less now in this economy so there not going anywhere. Landco and the bank in Denver should own the building downtown and this whole mess should be a “learning moment” for the city.

1. Pikes Peak
2. Air Force Academy
3. NORAD
4. Garden of the Gods
5. Focus on the Family.
6. Rocky Mountains

If we took a poll to relate the Olympic Committee with a City, Beijing would get 3 times the votes Colorado Springs would get.