"Boston’s Olympics plan could rely on distant venues" by Shira Springer, Globe Staff January 18, 2015
Boston’s plans for the 2024 Summer Games probably will include staging some events outside Massachusetts, an approach that could mean early-round Olympic baseball at Yankee Stadium, basketball at Madison Square Garden, tennis on the courts where the US Open is played, and sailing off Newport, R.I.
A source familiar with Boston’s evolving bid said organizers have “held high-level conversations” with other cities about hosting events. New York and Washington, which both made unsuccessful pursuits for their own Games in recent years, are considered candidates for such a role.
While staging some events outside a host city’s boundaries has been commonplace for geographic reasons — the heart of the Games would remain in Boston.
Related: Games site in Boston would be no-frills stadium
The IOC changes were driven by the $51 billion price tag for last year’s Winter Games in Sochi, the fact that there are only two bidders — Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan — for the 2022 Winter Games, and concerns about the exorbitant costs and long-term sustainability of staging the Games.
By following the IOC’s guidelines and taking advantage of existing world-class facilities in other cities, Boston 2024 organizers believe they can avoid the white elephant venues and out-of-control costs that have plagued Olympic hosts for decades.
Additionally, expanding the reach of the Games to different cities probably would generate more ticket and sponsorship revenue....
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"Olympics bid will be a political campaign like no other; Boston campaign will try to show merits to far-flung members of IOC" by Mark Arsenault, Globe Staff January 20, 2015
Over the next 2½ years, supporters of Boston’s Olympic bid will embark on a campaign unlike any in the city’s history, spanning the world to promote the Hub to a tiny electorate of barely 100 people.
The target of this unprecedented effort to raise the city’s profile will be the International Olympic Committee — the keeper of the flame, with members hailing from more than 70 nations — which will meet in Peru in 2017 to choose the host city for the 2024 Olympics. Paris, Rome, Budapest, and Berlin could be among the cities on their ballot, but the campaign needed to win the Games is unmistakably political, “not far afield from a lobbying effort with a government body,” said an official from Chicago’s unsuccessful pursuit of the 2016 Olympics. “It’s about building relationships over time.”
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"Olympics group calls on wealthy executives; ‘Founders 100’ entry donation is $50,000" by Beth Healy, Globe Staff January 23, 2015
Organizers of Boston’s 2024 Olympics campaign are wooing wealthy business executives to join an elite group of private financial donors known as the “Founders 100.” Entry to the club starts at $50,000.
The Founders, numbering about 30 so far, are a microcosm of the city’s prosperous and powerful: male, white and at the peaks of their careers. They hail from private equity, health care, finance and sports, and include the heads of familiar companies like EMC Corp., Staples Inc. and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Well-known philanthropists like the families of Amos Hostetter and Peter Lynch also are on the list.
That's why the Globe is covering it so much: it is of, for, and by that target audience for whom the paper is written.
The roster is notable for its missing names, too. Some veterans of the business community, like retired advertising executive Jack Connors and food service giant Joe O’Donnell, are not among the founders. Neither are women like Abigail Johnson, the billionaire chief executive of Fidelity Investments.
See: Fidelity Won War With Washington
Several people involved in the group said it will quickly expand to be more diverse, both to become more inclusive and to raise the $75 million now being sought to sell Boston’s Olympic proposal.
“I think John Fish and the entire leadership of Boston 2024 will be highly invested from both a personal and professional level in making this the most diverse leadership team ever for the Olympics,’’ said Gloria Larson, president of Bentley University and a member of the Boston 2024 executive committee but not a check-writing founder. “Any endeavor like this starts with a small nucleus and expands.”
In a presentation to potential supporters, “Investing in Boston’s Future,’’ a copy of which was obtained by the Globe, donors are promised access to private events with Olympians, briefings on the progress of the bid, and a place for their names on the “founders wall featured prominently” in the Olympic stadium.
“This special society is limited to the first 100 businesses/individuals who donate at a leadership level to the Boston 2024 Olympic Bid. Membership in this unique group is nearing completion,’’ the presentation says.
Many of those perks would only be enjoyed a decade down the road, if Boston is selected to host the Games. The people who have given money thus far generally fall into two camps: those who fervently believe an Olympics would be good for Boston and their wealthy friends who want to support them.
“I like the idea of using the Olympics as a way to build infrastructure for Boston that is needed in any case,’’ said Mark Casady, chief executive of LPL Financial, a Boston-based brokerage company, in an e-mail while traveling. “I was skeptical but found the plans so compelling that I joined.” Casady gave $50,000.
Why must it take that? Because it is a $elf-$erving party?
William Achtmeyer, chairman of the Parthenon Group management consulting firm, gave $100,000.
Five Bain Capital executives, led by Stephen Pagliuca, who is cochairman of the 2024 fund-raising effort, wrote checks for a total of $650,000.
Owners of the Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and New England Patriots have donated. John Henry, who is principal owner of the Red Sox and owns The Boston Globe, has not donated.
Entry to the founders group costs $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for companies.
Some who have declined to contribute feel that 2024 is too far on the horizon to commit their time and money. Connors, for instance, noted that he will be 82 by then. Some companies were waiting for Boston to get the nod from the US Olympic Committee. Other prominent people have not yet been asked.
Fletcher “Flash” Wiley, a longtime Boston lawyer and civic leader who was part of a 2004 effort to bring the Olympics here, said he is not aware of any people of color being approached.
See: The Rotten Reverends of Boston
I think that is why. Not a race thing at all.
“The fact is that in 2015, you don’t have a lot of African-Americans running organizations that mean something to the city. I think John [Fish] was focused primarily on people that could come up with money quickly,’’ said Wiley, who is black.
“I think the optics of this will drive the need to increase the diversity, and I think they understand that and want to do that. But first things first — first they want to win the deal.’’
Possible $hakedown in the works?
Boston lawyer Wayne Budd said he has not yet been approached by the Founders but would be open to hearing more.
“On balance, I would be in favor of the Olympics coming here,’’ said Budd, who also is black. “I do know John Fish and have great respect and regard for him and just have not spoken to him about this or anybody else involved in the effort.”
At a 7:30 a.m. breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the Back Bay on Jan. 16, the 2024 fund-raisers met with confirmed and prospective donors. The meeting was hosted by Fish, Pagliuca, and his fund-raising cochairman, Roger Crandall, chief executive of Springfield’s Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., as well as Bill Glavin, the chairman of MassMutual’s OppenheimerFunds Inc.
Such insider updates on the bid process are among the perks offered to founders. Now that Boston has been confirmed, more companies and individuals are expected to jump on board and more publicly offer support.
Some companies had wanted to avoid picking favorites while four US cities were competing for the Games. Bank of America Corp., for instance, did not originally appear on the list, but the banking giant has provided $500,000 in support, at the direction of its Boston-based marketing chief, Anne Finucane.
I can't think of a stronger reason to oppose the Olympics coming here.
The city’s financial sector is well represented, from banks to Putnam Investments chief executive Robert Reynolds, State Street Corp., Natixis Global Asset Management, and Liberty Mutual.
Related: Nasty Natixis
Also see: "Shares of State Street Corp. fell after the bank said fourth-quarter profit fell 3.7 percent as expenses rose faster than revenue. Net income fell to $525 million, or $1.24 a share, from $545 million, or $1.22 a year earlier. Expenses rose 7.6 percent from a year earlier to $1.99 billion, outpacing the 6.9 percent increase in revenue to $2.63 billion. The bank also benefited from trading foreign exchange, where revenue rose 34.4 percent to $168 million from a year earlier. The bank said it expects operating fee revenue to increase 4 percent to 7 percent in 2015."
Haven't they been fined in the past for manipulating and overcharging on those trades?
Fidelity, given its prominence, is an unusual holdout. But the company dispatched a member of its government relations team to the Mandarin Oriental meeting to keep tabs.
Vincent Loporchio, a spokesman for the company, said, “As a major employer in the region, we are studying the issue and gathering information.”
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Related:
Olympic Games would transform industrial district
Landowners say consent not given for Games plans
Ex-transportation chief to head Boston 2024 campaign
Olympic decision in the kingdom of Boston
Walsh tries to clarify USOC rule on bid talk
Walsh, Olympic committee must drop ban on criticism
Walsh OK’d ban on criticism of Olympics bid
Lack of Olympics debate is chilling
Get ready for Olympic-sized protests
Olympic bid has Boston asking: ‘Huh? What inferiority complex?’
Let the public vote on the Olympics
Evan Falchuk presses for vote on Boston Olympics
Boston’s Olympic bid proves popular among polled residents
Until you tell them it is going to cost taxpayer dollars; then support falls to 33%.
A look at Olympics budget points to overruns
At what price will the Games be worth it to Boston?
Not at any price.
Boston, open up for small bars
See anywhere to park?
"Jenny Wahoske, a 35-year-old executive assistant who shares a car with her partner, has to be strategic to snag a parking space near her South End condo. She generally tries to run errands during business hours when it is easiest to find parking. If she has to leave home after 6 p.m, she generally walks or takes the MBTA — so she won’t lose her spot. “I never plan that there will be a space for me,” she said. But several blocks away, a Boston financial executive and his wife have permission from the city to park as many as 11 cars on the street at once. The man has residential parking permits for 10 cars, including two Ferraris, a Mercedes, and a Porsche, while his wife has an additional permit for her Volvo. Unlike many other large cities, Boston offers residents a parking permit for every car they own — with no limit on the number held by each household. Some say the practice makes the city’s notoriously tight parking situation even tighter in some neighborhoods."
Boston vows to review process for parking permits
Spot just opened up!
Olympics can give Boston its overdue urban transit ring
Someone going to give Keolis a hand and not hold one out to collect fines?
Boston taxi owners sue Boston over allowing Uber, Lyft to operate
Police to seek trespassing complaint in MBTA platform jump
Powder at State House appears to be harmless
That's the end of the coverage. Time to go home (if you have one):
Boston’s residency requirement no longer makes sense
Boston unveils new shelter to house homeless
City works fast, huh?!!
City opens upgraded homeless shelter on Southampton Street
To rave reviews.
Old South Church opens daytime shelters for homeless
Boston condo market prices set record in 2014
New York real estate giant to build condos, offices at Pier 4
"Strict shelter rules for homeless families draw critics" by Katie Johnston, Globe Staff January 15, 2015
Their predicaments were the result of tightened eligibility requirements that homeless advocates say are making the process of getting shelter more complex, even dangerous. Housing lawyers say they are overwhelmed with families who have been denied shelter since the regulations went into place a few years ago. Hospital emergency rooms report an increase in the number of people showing up with nowhere else to go....
In Massachusetts? Amidst all the wealth?
Massachusetts is the only state in the nation with a “right to shelter” law guaranteeing emergency housing for homeless families that qualify — and the only state with its own shelter system, which includes complexes with shared bathrooms and kitchens, apartments, and motel rooms. But as the number of people who can’t afford to keep a roof over their heads keeps increasing, those who work to find them housing worry that help isn’t coming quickly enough. Some even call the “right” to shelter a myth....
We live under so many and an entire society has been built on a foundation of them.
Regardless, the number of families in need of shelter is rising, [and] despite the strict guidelines for obtaining shelter, relatively few people live on the streets in Massachusetts....
Yeah, no big deal.
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Time for school, kids:
Teacher celebrates 90th birthday at Weymouth High School
City teachers overwhelmingly approve extended day
Will it make the kids any smarter?
Maybe you will be lucky enough to snag a motel room:
"Delaware hotel apologizes for turning away homeless people" Associated Press January 10, 2015
WILMINGTON, Del. — A luxury Delaware hotel that canceled the reservation of a group of homeless people on Christmas night has apologized and said it would provide a weekend stay for six homeless people.
Wow. Merry Xmas.
The Hotel du Pont’s reversal came Thursday after a story by WDEL-AM about the reservation cancellation.
The story caused a social media backlash, including a number of users who dropped the hotel’s Facebook rating from four stars Thursday morning to just 1.5 stars by later in the evening.
Hotel officials called the whole thing a misunderstanding, WDEL reported.
The hotel said it canceled a reservation for a $640 suite for six homeless people on Christmas because they wouldn’t have proper identification.
The room had been booked by a Newark man named Matt Senge whose wife used to be homeless. He said he wanted to give the group a treat.
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NDUs:
Car-sharing pilot may take precious city parking spots
Judge favors Uber drivers’ claim they are employees
A practical approach to middle-market housing
