Figures provided by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) show that of the 4,101 workers employed in constructing the Olympic Park, approximately 20% are from the five local boroughs.
Within the 20%, only 115 were formerly unemployed in Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest.
The cost of the Olympic Park is currently estimated to be £1.1BN.
Not much of a legacy for the local community!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Monday, 8 June 2009
Olympic Bugs
It seems that we may be taking one step further to becoming a police state. Emulating the Chinese, the police are studying Chinese surveillance tactics as they ready themselves for the 2012 London Olympics.
One tactic being considered is the installation of miniature microphones in thousands of taxis. These bugs will transmit passengers' conversations to a police control room. The police, if they consider the conversation to be "suspect", would then activate a disabling device to stop the cabs.
Another tactic used by the Chinese was to embed tracking microchips in the tickets and passes of Olympics spectators.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
One tactic being considered is the installation of miniature microphones in thousands of taxis. These bugs will transmit passengers' conversations to a police control room. The police, if they consider the conversation to be "suspect", would then activate a disabling device to stop the cabs.
Another tactic used by the Chinese was to embed tracking microchips in the tickets and passes of Olympics spectators.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Appalling Waste
Lord Lucas, during question time on Tuesday, said:
"Is it not a strange definition of cost-effective and a most appalling waste to spend £40m on a shooting venue at Woolwich, which will be destroyed immediately after the Olympics, rather than £10m less for a facility at Bisley that will be used for generations?"
I agree.
However, what is £40M in an ever expanding budget that currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs)?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
"Is it not a strange definition of cost-effective and a most appalling waste to spend £40m on a shooting venue at Woolwich, which will be destroyed immediately after the Olympics, rather than £10m less for a facility at Bisley that will be used for generations?"
I agree.
However, what is £40M in an ever expanding budget that currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs)?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Naval Protection
Seemingly the Royal Navy is on standby to deploy, what the government would have us believe is, the world's most advanced destroyer to protect the 2012 Olympics from attack.
One of the new Daring class of Type 45 destroyers will be deployed in the Thames estuary.
All very well. However, the ships are not yet fitted out and are not expected to be ready until at least 2011.
There is a very real chance that delays and teething problems will mean that the destroyers will not be ready in time for the 2012 Games.
Additionally, owing to government cutbacks (how ironic given the cost of the Olympics!), the destroyers will not have their missile systems installed at the time of their planned Olympic deployment.
What exactly are they expected to be able to do then?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
One of the new Daring class of Type 45 destroyers will be deployed in the Thames estuary.
All very well. However, the ships are not yet fitted out and are not expected to be ready until at least 2011.
There is a very real chance that delays and teething problems will mean that the destroyers will not be ready in time for the 2012 Games.
Additionally, owing to government cutbacks (how ironic given the cost of the Olympics!), the destroyers will not have their missile systems installed at the time of their planned Olympic deployment.
What exactly are they expected to be able to do then?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 15 May 2009
2000 More Police Needed?
People are never shy of jumping on the Olympics bandwagon, and using it as an excuse for demanding more money/resources.
True to form Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation, has stepped up to the plate and asked for 2000 more police officers. He is quoted in publicservice.co.uk:
"We must not lose sight that we will also be policing the biggest sporting event this country has handled in 2012, when the Olympics comes to the UK.
How we are expected to deal with the demands this will place upon the service, in addition to the increasing property crime rates with fewer officers per head of the population, is beyond me. My real fear is that the level of service and protection we will be able to afford the public will be severely affected unless action to address this is taken now."
Well, he would say that wouldn't he?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
True to form Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation, has stepped up to the plate and asked for 2000 more police officers. He is quoted in publicservice.co.uk:
"We must not lose sight that we will also be policing the biggest sporting event this country has handled in 2012, when the Olympics comes to the UK.
How we are expected to deal with the demands this will place upon the service, in addition to the increasing property crime rates with fewer officers per head of the population, is beyond me. My real fear is that the level of service and protection we will be able to afford the public will be severely affected unless action to address this is taken now."
Well, he would say that wouldn't he?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Jowell Nationalises Olympic Village
As expected, the private funds for the London Olympic Village have simply dried up, as the hapless Olympics Minister (Tessa Jowell) was forced to announce that the village has been "nationalised".
In other words the taxpayer is paying for construction, using the part of the contingency fund. To date £1.4BN of the £2.7BN fund has been used. Given that the Olympics are still three years away, this rapid draw down of the fund is somewhat alarming; and underscores the fact that the the Olympics budget (currently standing at £12BN including £2BN running costs) is not worth the paper that it is written on.
The "good" news, according to Jowell (quoted in the Telegraph) is that:
"It is clear that investing in the village will now save public money in the long term".
This of course is complete bollocks, as hosting the Olympics was never a compulsory event; ie no Olympics, no cost!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
In other words the taxpayer is paying for construction, using the part of the contingency fund. To date £1.4BN of the £2.7BN fund has been used. Given that the Olympics are still three years away, this rapid draw down of the fund is somewhat alarming; and underscores the fact that the the Olympics budget (currently standing at £12BN including £2BN running costs) is not worth the paper that it is written on.
The "good" news, according to Jowell (quoted in the Telegraph) is that:
"It is clear that investing in the village will now save public money in the long term".
This of course is complete bollocks, as hosting the Olympics was never a compulsory event; ie no Olympics, no cost!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Another Raid on The Contingency Fund
True to form, the financial black hole that is the London Olympics 2012 continues to suck ever increasingly large amounts of cash out of the hard pressed British taxpayers.
The government are discussing a further raid, estimated to be around £400M, on the Olympic contingency fund in order to make up the shortfall in private sector funding for the Olympic village.
The Government raided the fund to the tune of £326M in January.
The "budget" currently stands at £12M (including £2M running costs).
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The government are discussing a further raid, estimated to be around £400M, on the Olympic contingency fund in order to make up the shortfall in private sector funding for the Olympic village.
The Government raided the fund to the tune of £326M in January.
The "budget" currently stands at £12M (including £2M running costs).
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)