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Taxpayers getting by easy with Paralympics
By Seth Lewis
Deseret News staff writer
Taxpayers aren't paying much for the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games.
In contrast to the $300 million it spent on security alone for the Winter Olympics, the federal government will shell out far less — roughly $11 million — for the Paralympics.
The state's contribution is smaller.
But those numbers hardly reflect the Paralympics' true benefit from tax money, said Xavier Gonzalez, managing director of the Paralympics.
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee oversees the Paralympics and covers costs of items and activities ranging from security to doping control to transportation infrastructure. Money spent on the Winter Games carries over to the Paralympics, Gonzalez said.
"We are part of the general budget," Gonzalez said. "We are part of the general cost, and our revenue is part of the general revenue."
That safety net has Gonzalez relieved.
A director of past Summer Paralympics, he knows the Games couldn't operate without the Olympics paving the way.
"We're able to take the Paralympics to a higher level," said Fraser Bullock, SLOC's chief operating officer.
The largest chunk of Paralympics cash — about $17 million — comes from corporate sponsors. It's the same group of corporate giants, such as Coca-Cola and Samsung, that funded the Olympics.
Included in the government's $11 million infusion, the U.S. Department of Education has provided a $1.42 million grant that will buy Paralympics tickets for 72,000 Utah schoolchildren.
In its only direct financial contribution to the Paralympics, the state added $100,000 to cover the costs of getting students to the venues.
In all, SLOC will lose $9 million hosting the Paralympics, but officials never expected to turn a profit with these Games like they did with the Olympics.
If the Paralympics ran independently, the Paralympics budget "would go up significantly because we would need to build the venues from scratch," Gonzalez said.
With SLOC pulling in a profit from the Winter Games, the Paralympics are enjoying fiscal security, not to mention the residual Games fever.
"The benefits of our close connection with the Olympics are paying off," Gonzalez said.
E-MAIL: slewis@desnews.com
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March 6, 2002
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