The cost to NSW of hosting World Youth Day came in $64 million over budget, according to an Auditor-General's report. From an original estimate of $20 million, the global Catholic get-together in July 2008 blew out to a total cost to taxpayers of $86 million.
COMMENT: The pope is just not worth this sort of public expenditure. For goodness sake, we could book U2 for a
lot less money.
He wasn't worth all the blocking of the streets! And I saw a hell of a lot of Bishops in the lobby of one of the top hotels in Sydney each day (no youth hostels for them) so there was a bit of gravy train going on.
ReplyDeleteBoaz, that is the bishops living out their "Servant ministries" by providing business to the hotels.
ReplyDeleteFWIW
jimB
If the faithful long for his visit, why are the faithful not responsible for the expense? To expect others to bankroll it seems like bad manners.
ReplyDeleteExactly KJ.
ReplyDeleteThey should make whether the event occurs dependent upon the RC's buying tickets; not enough sales by a given date, no papal visit!
No. Benny should come anyway and they should pass a hat around. Then people could reward him in line with his performance.
ReplyDeleteWell, my major commuting street, one block from my house and connecting the Archbishop's mansion and the football stadium, got repaved due to JPII's visit. Really.
ReplyDeleteSo Nancy, they really fixed that pothole that was as big as a Popemobile?
ReplyDeletewv = conscon
In this story I am uncertain who is the con's con.