The USOC "has commissioned a poll" of Boston-area residents to "learn more about public opinion" over the bid for the '24 Games, according to Jim O'Sullivan of the BOSTON GLOBE. This comes as Boston 2024 "is due by the end of this month to release its revised proposal to the public and as questions remain about whether the national group will stand by Boston’s bid." Pollsters in the survey "drilled down specifically on how plausible and acceptable the public views the financing behind the Games and the promises of tax revenues that could ensue." Both "have been key stumbling blocks for the pro-Olympics forces." A source said that pollsters "asked respondents whether they supported or opposed" bringing the Games to Boston in '24, and then "asked their reasons." They "asked what type of impact the Olympics would have on six different subjects: Boston’s image on the world stage, the MBTA, and the condition of roads, public safety, jobs, and traffic." A source said that the "calls came from the American Directions Group," a DC-based market research firm. It is "unclear whether the polling is ongoing or has been completed." Sources said that the USOC this month "advised the local organizers of its intention to conduct the survey." The timing "came as a surprise to some of the Boston-based organizers, who wondered whether it would make more sense to wait until the proposal had been unveiled." Boston 2024 officials "are hoping the release of their altered proposal will rejuvenate public support for the effort" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/24).
THE MORE YOU NO: In Boston, Michael Levenson reports the opposition group No Boston Olympics "released a financial report on Tuesday that showed it is operating on a relatively shoestring budget, having raised $14,539 during the first three months of the year." The group’s quarterly financial report shows that it "received 166 donations during the period, and the average contribution was $87.58." During the same period, Boston 2024 raised $2.8M plus another $1M through in-kind contributions (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/24).
DOLLARS & SENSE: In Boston, Dante Ramos writes for Boston 2024 to "recover from a near-death experience, local Olympic organizers need to face up to how they got there." Ramos lists the ways: "A late start. ... Huge gaps in Boston's urban planning. ... No clear lines of authority." If the plans "are rushed and no one’s in charge, voters sense it." Without "a time machine," it remains to be seen if Boston 2024 Chair Steve Pagliuca and his team can "still win them over." Boston 2024 "is a goner unless it addresses the deeper fault lines within its bid" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/24). Meanwhile, Economist Andrew Zimbalist in a special to the BOSTON GLOBE writes under the header, "The Hidden Costs Of A Boston Olympics" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/24).
