The debate over whether or not Boston should host the 2024 Summer Olympics has been going on for months. But Thursday night marked the first time supporters and opponents went head-to-head in a public forum over the subject.
Boston 2024 chairman Steve Pagliuca and board member Daniel Doctoroff defended the bid and made their case for why it would be beneficial for the city and its residents.
“We need to move Boston forward. The Olympics can be a catalyst to do that,” Pagliuca said, via The Boston Globe. “Our biggest risk is not taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Two opponents — No Boston Olympics co-chair Christopher Dempsey and Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist — made the case against bringing the 2024 Olympics to Boston.
“We have an important past and a bright future. We got that way by thinking big but also thinking smart,” Dempsey said. “We’re better off passing on Boston 2024’s risky sales pitch.”
The debate lasted an hour and touched on several specific issues, including growing concerns over traffic. Doctoroff, who has been to six Olympics, insisted that traffic wasn’t an issue at the Games he attended, but Dempsey argued that was simply caused by city mayors telling their largest employers to keep workers at home.
The debate was sponsored by the Globe and FOX25. FOX25’s Maria Stephanos and the Globe’s Sacha Pfeiffer were the moderators.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@BostonGlobe
