G8, G20 cost 1Billion

[Topaz]

There's the little things like wine and food and car pooling and the price of our own politic ans living the life style of the rich and famous time there. I wonder how much it cost Ottawa to host the Bilderberg Group and what exactly do they do?? So what is the deficit up to now? By the time the Tories leave, they would have beat the PC in deficit!

[M.Dancer]

I wonder how much it cost Ottawa to host the Bilderberg Group and what exactly do they do??

They are the operational wing of the illuminati...you can read about them in Dan Brown's amazing non fiction work, Angels and Demons...

[Shwa]

I'd like to see what the money is for. I'm assuming the vast majority is going for salaries, but wouldn't those salaries have to be paid regardless? Oh I'm sure there is some overtime, but how much? Ie, how much of this "billion dollars" would have been spent on salaries regardless of where the cops and soldiers and other security types were on any given weekend?

This is what I would like to know as well. The good news is that the money has been 'budgetted' or 'earmarked' but not yet spent. The bad news is that government contracts usually overrun by 25-50%.

Kimmy, when you were doing your calculations on person hours required, you forgot to factor in the food-tasters.

[eyeball]

In light of this boondoggle I can certainly see why people are nervous about how much the Tory's crime bills are going to cost.

It's just a good thing they aren't supportive of the gun registry.

[bjre]

The good news is that the money has been 'budgetted' or 'earmarked' but not yet spent.

Maybe some has already been spent for buying 'sound cannons' for crowd control: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/815061--toronto-police-get-sound-cannons-for-g20#article

Maybe that's the reason why they need asked U of T to close.

[Shwa]

Maybe some has already been spent for buying 'sound cannons' for crowd control: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/815061--toronto-police-get-sound-cannons-for-g20#article

Maybe that's the reason why they need asked U of T to close.

I thought they were going to try and blast some disco from those sound cannons and get all the protesters dancing in the streets in one big gigantic party and then use the profits from beer sales to subsidize the costs.

[PIK]

The right honourable Mr Clement only got his seat by 23 votes, I wonder if the people of Huntsville will give him a hugh majority for this honour. Especially if there is problems with protesters.

They is the answer right there,''Especially if there is problems with protesters.'' And thiose protesters are who ,cons . I don't think so, the left should get a handle on it's miltants and allow these meetings to take place and not wreck the place. Protesters people are the probelm and maybe we should call them what they are , terrorists. But I also think it is time to change the format.

[nicky10013]

They is the answer right there,''Especially if there is problems with protesters.'' And thiose protesters are who ,cons . I don't think so, the left should get a handle on it's miltants and allow these meetings to take place and not wreck the place. Protesters people are the probelm and maybe we should call them what they are , terrorists. But I also think it is time to change the format.

If you think people are going to blame protests on the left instead of the guy who brought the meeting (therefore the protestors as well) to their area, you've got another thing coming.

Also, the level of douchiness has just gone way up. They're spending a billion on security, but the government isn't rich enough to cover potential property damage from protestors. What a farce.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/815330--ottawa-won-t-cover-g20-protest-related-damage?bn=1

[nicky10013]

Maybe some has already been spent for buying 'sound cannons' for crowd control: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/815061--toronto-police-get-sound-cannons-for-g20#article

Maybe that's the reason why they need asked U of T to close.

I know administrators at U of T and that's not the reason. They made this decision a few weeks ago and it wasn't prompted. The reason why is the campus literally surrounds on 3 of 4 sides Queens Park. Queens Park North is the designated protest area for the summit. If protestors break out of that area and tear gas or other methods need to be used to break up riots, it would most likely happen directly on campus. Not only are they closing down the campus but they're actually moving summer residence students for the weekend.

[Remiel]

The sum certainly is ridiculous. If you consider it cost $200 million in 2002, when the threat of terrorism was fresh in our minds and it was relatively unknown what big threat could be lying around the corner, to now, where all recent terrorist incidents have been pretty much small scale and incompetently carried out... And yet somehow the cost of protecting them from less perceived danger is 5x higher?

[ZenOps]

Its probably because of the alleged/attempted poisoning assasination of the Bush administration at the G8 in 2007 in Germany.

[PIK]

But the question is , is it 1B extra or is most of it in salaries of police and military ,that we would be paying anyways, so what is the real cost?

[Smallc]

when it was still the G8 => 28th G8 Summit - took place in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 26 and June 27, 2002.

That's not the G20.

[Smallc]

Is that all you could find?

I was simply correcting a mistake.

[waldo]

That's not the G20.

like I said... when it was the G8. Would you like to offer a 'sliding-scale' to bump up that $200 Million G8 Kananaskis hit to the taxpayer... to something befitting the increased size of the G20. Surely you're not actually reconciling... actually accepting to that exorbitant Conservative budgeted $1 Billion amount - are you?

[Smallc]

I wasn't saying I agreed with the cost, I was saying that the G20 wouldn't fit in places where the G8 would. I accept the amount as factual. I don't necessarily accept it as necessary. Perhaps it is, I'd have to see everything to know.

That said, if Kananaskis was $200M, and then we adjust for inflation, the fact that there are two sites (one of them being Toronto) and the fact that there are more than 20 world leaders involved, it doesn't actually seem as ridiculous as it first did.

Edited May 28, 2010 by Smallc

[Oleg Bach]

The G gang is full of self importance - If they were good and honourable international corporate types they would not need security - good people walk free and are not harmed ...but...by those they angered and spited who see no other alternative other than violence - what I have noticed about anarchists - whether they be rap artists - or those in ski masks smashing windows -- Is that they are EXACTLY like the corporates - they are not raging against the machine or giving it to the man - They are exactly like the man. That's why violent and hateful hip hop is so big in the music buisness - because they are kin to the high and mighty corporates and have the same violence and hate in their hearts as those they attack..They deserve each other.

[Topaz]

Why don't we look at why these protesters protest. If the world leaders would do more for the needy around the world then people wouldn't have to protest the governments of the world. Sure there's bound to be a few that are there just to go over board just to destroy property but the greater of them are wanting help for those who really need it. BTW, if the government had used more military than hired security, it would have cost a lot less.

[maple_leafs182]

What a waste of money, can't they just meet at the holiday inn. This thing should cost $25,000 at most.

Where the hell did we get $1 billion dollars to pay for this.

We treat our world leaders as if they are kings, they do not deserve the recognition we give them.

We wonder why things like poverty are never solved, now that I think about it, they could of done this meeting over Skype on the internet.

I'll be there protesting.

Edited May 28, 2010 by maple_leafs182

[Bonam]

I'll be there protesting.

Evidently, people like you are why they need to spend all this money on security in the first place.

[maple_leafs182]

Evidently, people like you are why they need to spend all this money on security in the first place.

I'm a pacifist.

I look at the world now, I see war, poverty, manipulation, I'm not going to support our leaders.

[waldo]

I wasn't saying I agreed with the cost, I was saying that the G20 wouldn't fit in places where the G8 would. I accept the amount as factual. I don't necessarily accept it as necessary. Perhaps it is, I'd have to see everything to know.

That said, if Kananaskis was $200M, and then we adjust for inflation, the fact that there are two sites (one of them being Toronto) and the fact that there are more than 20 world leaders involved, it doesn't actually seem as ridiculous as it first did.

and yet... we read of the $18-million security tab for the G20 in Pittsburgh last September... we read of the $30-million cost for security at last March's G20 in London. Somehow, we have a Harper Conservative budget cost of $1.1 Billion for the Toronto G20. Yes, let's have the AG investigate... let's have Kevin Page scrutinize! => Don Martin: Political costs of G20 summit roll in

[madmax]

I'd like to see what the money is for. I'm assuming the vast majority is going for salaries, but wouldn't those salaries have to be paid regardless? Oh I'm sure there is some overtime, but how much? Ie, how much of this "billion dollars" would have been spent on salaries regardless of where the cops and soldiers and other security types were on any given weekend?

Holy Crap Bean Counter... no wonder we are in debt up to our eyeballs. Would you like to do the math on those salaries again?

To put this in perspective. The Federal Government was more willing to have a $350 Million dollar election (that lasts 6 weeks or so) then cough up $1billion for EI over 3 years. They stopped at 900million for three years servicing some 150,000 extra people. While the other 800,000 at the time got nothing.

The Fiscally Responsible and in touch with the common man Conservatives can blow 1 billion dollars on a 3 day photo op.

The Conservative government should have pulled the plug, the moment they let these costs get out of control

Great PR.... It's great talk in the coffee shop.

Edited May 28, 2010 by madmax

[Topaz]

Now Kevin Page is going to look into why so much money for 3 days and I think Canadians will welcome his report and clarify. When you look at the Tories, why are we so surprised at their spending? 56 Billion deficit and rising, the spending on certain military equipment when we are about to end the Afghanistan mission, the Detroit-Windsor bridge, which no US or Canadian tax dollars NEED to be spend but the Tory want to OWN the bridge and are willing to loan 500 MIL to get. The problem for that now is the Republican senate for Michigan may not pass, and save us all money. It will take a long time to get back that money from the tolls. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/budget-watchdog-probing-summits-1-billion-price-tag/article1583833/

[Smallc]

and yet... we read of the $18-million security tab for the G20 in Pittsburgh last September... we read of the $30-million cost for security at last March's G20 in London.

Quite frankly, I don't see how those numbers can possibly take into account most of the real costs given the cost to hold even the G8 in Alberta.

Let me though reiterate that I still think the costs are unnecessary, I just don't think they're so hard to understand anymore given the 200M figure.

Edited May 28, 2010 by Smallc