We don’t usually lure readers with clickbait like this headline, but since everybody else is getting sloppy seconds off this Boston 2024 bid, we couldn’t help but get in on the action. Really though, the news of just how high-paid their consultants are is almost as sickening as the fact they’re buying government influence, and deserving of no less than a memetic skewering; even conservative trolls who generally bolster plutocratic greed have turned against this grab.
And since we have your attention, you might as well take in this press release from the No Boston Olympics team. Some pretty salient points that can also be applied to coverage of the bid. What do those pushing for the Olympics have to gain? How about those who are opposed? How to you gauge credibility? Discuss …
If you’re like us, you were surprised to see some of the salary and consultant compensation numbers released by Boston2024 yesterday. We were left wondering, “if Boston2024 is such a good idea for Massachusetts, why do they need to hire a lengthy roster of political consultants to sell the idea?” But in the spirit of transparency, No Boston Olympics is today releasing its own compensation information:
Co-Chair Chris Dempsey: $0
Co-Chair Kelley Gossett: $0
Co-Chair Liam Kerr: $0
Retained Consultants: $0 (there are none)
Full-Time Staff: $0 (there are none)
No Boston Olympics is a volunteer organization. Since our founding in late 2013, we have dedicated countless hours to our efforts to balance the Olympicdebate here in Massachusetts. We’re up against an organization with a $75 million budget, while we’ve worked as volunteers on a shoestring budget and our average contribution is about $100. In fact, since we began in 2013, NoBoston Olympics has spent less than Governor Deval Patrick is paid in an hour for his work as a Global Ambassador for Boston2024.
Despite the uneven playing field, we’ve been effective at changing the terms of the dialogue to reflect the serious flaws, weaknesses, and potential costs of Boston2024’s bid. This has included:
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Coverage and interviews in the CBS Evening News, MSNBC, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, WBUR, WGBH, Channels 4, 5, and 7, Fox25, and many other outlets, and op-eds in the Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and Commonwealth Magazine.
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Building a volunteer base of hundreds and supporter list of thousands, representing every neighborhood in Boston and every corner of the Commonwealth.
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Development of policy research and advocacy work that has forced Boston2024 to be more transparent.
Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.
