Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee Announces $30 Million in Staff Bonuses

Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games mascots Miga (left), Quatchi (centre) and Sumi pose for a group portrait on East Hastings Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

A recently released Metro Vancouver/BC ROBBINS poll reveals Vancouverites aren't so enthused about the coming 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Poor timing for VANOC to announce it has set aside $30 million for staff bonuses.

A great many British Columbians already resent the 2010 Games. The way VANOC's behaving, you'd think they're looking to boost the ranks of the Olympic Resistance Network.

VANOC has already admitted the 2010 Games will not show a profit. That means public funds will be used to pay for its ridiculous staff bonus package. I know I'm not alone in taking the view that bonuses should be based on performance. If a company loses money, its executives and staff should receive their regular salary and nothing more. It is unethical for corporate heads to expect to dip into the public purse when it has failed to earn a profit so it may "retain the best people" or "keep the team intact" particularly when grants to school sports and community centre program budgets are being slashed.

How can they be referred to as "the best people" after they have not proven otherwise? And before anyone starts saying, "But no one saw the global economic meltdown coming," bear in mind the booms and busts of a capitalist economy are part of the context within which corporations knowingly operate. Business involves risk-taking so, when corporations miscalculate and fail or break even, it is unethical for their executives to expect taxpayers to pony up so they can keep mooring their yachts at their exclusive clubs and fly first class or in private jets around the world on business and vacation. That's theft-by-conversion in my book, and anyone - including those who facilitate such white collar crime is implicated in a conspiracy to defraud the public of its treasury.

VANOC says it wants to make sure it puts on "the best Games." The best Games would not be tarnished by greed when so many others are forced to make sacrifices. Why does VANOC believe they're so deserving of any amount of public money for their bonuses? Given the economic climate, there have to be many fully qualified business people who have recently been laid off who would step in and do wonderful jobs were any VANOC staff to jump ship. But, also given the economy, can you see any of them leaving anytime soon? Nice try, VANOC. You're spinning yourself dizzy if you think the public can't see through so simple a con designed to satisfy your absurd sense of entitlement .

This is more than mismanagement, folks. It's greed-driven corruption.

See you in Victoria on October 30th for the start of the Olympic Torch Relay! I'll be wearing orange.

Whoa! Stop the presses. This just in from the Vancouver Sun.