XPost: talk.politics.guns, sac.politics   
   From: j_d@invalid.org   
      
   To borrow a line from “Sesame Street,” today’s edition of “Learning to   
   Count” is brought to you by the letters “E,” “C” and “R.”   
      
   They stand for Enhanced City Resources. For taxpaying residents of the   
   city of Los Angeles, it’s a warning label of financial catastrophe,   
   courtesy of terrible decisions to bring the Summer Olympics to L.A. in   
   2028 without firmly protecting the city budget from unlimited and   
   uncontrollable expenses.   
      
   Enhanced city resources are any city services or other resources that go   
   beyond what the city normally provides in its day-to-day operations,   
   services and resources that will be needed because of the Olympic Games.   
      
   Imagine this phone conversation taking place sometime in early 2029:   
      
   City of L.A.: We have your bill for the extra costs of police, sanitation,   
   Rec & Parks vehicles, traffic control, fire department, emergency medical,   
   street services, transportation and lighting.   
      
   LA28 Committee: I’m sorry, the number you have called has been   
   disconnected or is no longer in service.   
      
   To prevent that from happening, the city has been negotiating with LA28   
   for an “Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement,” or ECRMA.   
      
   It’s not going well.   
      
   The deadline for this agreement to be signed was October 1, 2025, but it’s   
   still in the works. The ECRMA is supposed to make clear what the LA28   
   committee will pay for, and when. Once that’s established, the costs will   
   be estimated and included in “venue service agreements” for each site that   
   will host an Olympic event.   
      
   Like many relationships, it’s complicated. The federal government will   
   provide money for security costs, but the size and boundaries of the   
   secure area  for each venue are still to be determined. Who pays for the   
   extra security needed in the adjacent areas? How much will other cities   
   hosting Olympic venues, including Inglewood, have to pay for “enhanced   
   city resources?”   
      
   The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 14, 2028, with the closing   
   ceremony set for July 30. The Paralympic Games take place August 15-27.   
   It’s a month-long outdoor party in Southern California. The whole known   
   universe has been invited.   
      
   Imagine the extra costs just for sanitation services.   
      
   Granted, that’s not a very heroic or inspiring thing to contemplate, but   
   it’s the kind of thing adults have to think about. Unfortunately, it is   
   impossible to prove that there are any adults in elected office in Los   
   Angeles.   
      
   The 1984 Olympics had a relatively airtight contract that protected   
   taxpayers, but that’s not the case this time. Mayor Eric Garcetti signed   
   the Host City contract in 2017 and left pesky details to be negotiated   
   later.   
      
   Across the table from the city is the LA28 organization. Here’s how it   
   describes itself on press releases: “The LA28 Games are independently   
   operated by a privately funded, non-profit organization with revenue from   
   corporate partners, licensing agreements, hospitality and ticketing   
   programs and a significant contribution from the International Olympic   
   Committee.”   
      
   That makes it perfectly clear that LA28 gets the money. What’s less clear   
   is how much of that money will reimburse venue-hosting cities for the   
   inevitable extra costs.   
      
   Does LA28 take the position that the city is lucky to have the Games, and   
   all the spending from visitors will fill up the city treasury with hotel   
   taxes and sales tax revenue?   
      
   Does the city respond that the extra costs associated with hosting the   
   Olympics far exceed the marginal increase in tax collections?   
      
   In the middle of this negotiation, something unexpected happened. LA28   
   Chair Casey Wasserman’s name turned up in the Epstein files. L.A. Mayor   
   Karen Bass initially declined to criticize him. Then the board of LA28   
   said its investigation found nothing to cause them to ask Wasserman to   
   step down. And then Bass called on him to resign.   
   What does it mean? Who knows. The only thing that’s certain is that Los   
   Angeles taxpayers are on the hook for an open-ended tab. The state has   
   protected itself with a limit on what it will pay. The federal government   
   has approved $1 billion for security. The city of Los Angeles is still   
   trying to negotiate its “Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement” and   
   doesn’t even have cost estimates.   
      
   Some City Council members have asked questions – about sustainability,   
   social justice and local small business contracting opportunities.   
      
   Good luck, L.A.!   
      
   https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/where-are-the-adults-la-s-reckless-   
   gamble-on-the-2028-games/ar-AA1WCC6u   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)