BOSTON (
MyFoxBoston.com) -- Boston Mayor Marty Walsh tells FOX 25 he hopes Boston will be chosen as the potential site for the 2024 Olympics now that the bid has been submitted. And he's promising he won't leave taxpayers holding the bag.
"I am not going to mortgage the future of the city away for an Olympic bid," Walsh said. "I am not going to leave whoever follows me as mayor of the city of Boston with a large price tag of unpaid debt when it comes to the Olympics."
Dan O'Connell is president of the Boston 2024 organizing committee. He's confident the city can be financially responsible.
"Every game that's been held in the US winter or summer, that's Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Lake Placid, have been cash flow positive. We know how to put on a winter or summer games here in the us," O'Connell said.
O'Connell says the bid touted everything from hotel space to colleges and transportation. He says they want a "walkable" Olympics.
Chris Dempsey, of No Boston Olympics, a group organized against the Olympic push, says the games would be a distraction for the city.
"We think the Olympic bid is a really costly distraction from more important priorities that the city and the state should be focused on," Dempsey said. He questions if the benefits can outweigh the cost.
When Dempsey was asked if he believes Boston can hold a successful olympics, he said, "I think Boston can hold a great games. There's a lot to like about Boston and a lot to show the world. But it's not worth the price tag and the hangover for a three week party."
So what's next? Next month the USOC decides if it wants to move forward with Boston's plan or bids from San Francisco, Washington D.C. or Los Angeles.
Marty Walsh
