Yeah,throw unbelievable sums of money at any item and that item will always be the best. The Oly. Games organising committee here, having spent its budget, had to call on the state gov't three times in nine months for top-up funding. This totalled nearly 750 million of taxpayers money. I couldn't afford to go and it irks that my money went to subsidise an event that those, wealthier than I, could attend. Between games our Australian Institute of Sport soaks up truck loads of gov't funding, yeah - my money again. Tonight's news carries a report that each gold medal cost the taxpayer $30 to $40 million. I wonder what third world nations think of that ? Funny that - you can't eat gold. One could understand them despising us. Six years ago I was cheering for Manchester to get the nod. I'd rather see them go broke than us. Nothing I've seen since has made me change my mind. And Samaranch has just presented the state's sports minister with the Olympic gold cross, or whatever, and what for? Spending more of the taxpayers money than any other before him. Crikey, what time does the revolution start?

JG / FME