I am so sick of all this money spent on this Olympics. Our education and medical systems have suffered a major onslaught for this party that the average tax payer cannot even afford to attend. Mr Campbell will be out there strutting in front of everyone with his usual pompous arse smile. Watch, everyone will be cheering and clapping, giving him everything he needs. The only people in BC I am proud of right now are the athletes and the people with the guts to stand out there and protest this monstrosity. We have let the IOC come into our country and cause the laws to change, businesses have been threatened, and they have been living off of the tax payer’s dime for over a year now. Worse yet is that our constitutional rights have been ignored and abused. Who is letting this happen? Our Premier is! The majority is out there cheering on what? A torch! What a bunch of obedient sheep. I will support the athletes because it is not their fault and they have worked hard for years for this moment. But I will not be standing with the masses supporting the IOC, Campbell or the torch. All these things mean to me and my children’s future is debt.

Why should they tell us what they are doing with our money? It's no different with all other levels of government. It's just none of our buisness.

It even looks like Ben Meisner cannot or will not make the connection between low enrollment and school closures. Even he is blaming school closures on the Olympics. Too bad.

Major British Columbian money has been diverted into the Olympics! The only city, town or community who has reaped any benefits for it is Vancouver. 4 billion dollars could have been better spent. Low enrolment is not the only reason our schools are suffering and the provincial government is not innocent in all of this. I believe that the fat government bureaucratic departments are sucking up most of the money before it trickles down into the school system itself. Government is too big! Look at forestry for instance, they laid no one off yet there is less forestry work. Where 3 did a job there is now 7 and most days they sit and have nothing to do. I know, because our friend works there. When is government going to do their part in this down turn we are all living through and tighten the belt?

You say you support the Atheletes but yet you never want them to have a venue to compete. The Olympics are the highest goal and athelete can shoot for.

"Low enrolment is not the only reason our schools are suffering"

You're darned right it is, especially in PG. The quicker people can wrap their brains around this fact, the better. PG has been hit especially hard with enrollment declines as compared with bigger urban centres. The small town rural lifestyle is disappearing slowly but surely, and that's what should be the focus here.

But go ahead, keep blaming the Olympics for everything.

I don't think that is fair to say that Ben cannot or will not make the connection between low enrollment and school closures.

Of course he knows that low enrollment is the problem.

I think we are all frustrated with the way all levels of government are spending our money including that of future generations.

The drive to get the Winter Olympics started in 1996 by the Canada Olympics Committee. It was NOT Mr. Campbell's personal original idea to try to get the Games.

As soon as the Games were awarded Canada was committed to follow through, come hell or high water.

All the moaning and groaning and finger pointing are useless,i.e. after the fact.

Did any ordinary folks know the greatest economic meltdown in the last 8 decades was coming?

No, only those who had the power to *arrange* it.

If one wants to do so, one can virtually blame the lack of anything on the Olympics.

Still, it doesn't make sense. I am 100% against Canada spending 20 or 30 billion dollars on the useless war in Afghanistan, useless because just today the news has it that the international community has assembled a package of 500 million dollars to make an attempt to bribe the Taliban to join Mr. Karzai's government!!!

How screwed up is that? They are the same Taliban that have been killing our troops with improvised explosive devices!

We should all be very, very frustrated that the priorities of our politicians are so totally out of whack!

Our country keeps going INSPITE of the all the mediocre politicians!

And that fact is as amazing as it is frustrating.

And they said that Prince George wouldn't see any economic spin off from the Olympics.

The hotels and restraunts might disagree with that.

"I don't think that is fair to say that Ben cannot or will not make the connection between low enrollment and school closures."

Maybe that was a little harsh, but answer this, would they be closing 14 schools if they were all running at capacity?

I guess I'm getting a little tired of everything being blamed on the Olympics.

I also believe it is low enrollment for so many school closures. It is unfortunate the announcement of those closure came at the same time of all the Olympic spending. I hope that there is no hurtful demonstrating or bad vibes out there when the torch goes through, its just about here whether we like it or not. Lets put our best foot forward!

no point trying to convince MRPG that its govnt.he has all the fact,like how that enrollment money now has to pay for repair and stuff where it didnt before.Goof

Still at it with the name calling I see, meise. If you can't live with what I have to say, then I would suggest you avoid my comments in the future. Ignorance is bliss.

No wonder the government does whatever they want when they have brainwashed so many people into believing every thing they do with our money is all good. MrPG in case you didn't know,the government gets their money from us "The Taxpayer".

The great god Vanoc...aka...B.C.Government.
I am still trying to figure out exactly how they got so much power here in B.C.?
Who gave them them ultimite power?
So far,nobody will touch that question...especially Gordon Campbell!