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What? Vancouverites Grumpy about the Olympics?

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— With one month to go, a local complains.

With a month to go with to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler and Vancouver, there's been press out there saying that Vancouverites are grumpy and put out by the Olympics. Gosh, I wonder why ... Here are my reasons:

1. The traffic Headaches. The road closures for the Games themselves are the cap on years of traffic headaches. Just two that jump to mind:
- Cambie Street from Yaletown to the Airport has been a mess for years due to the Canada Line. I like transit to the airport; it makes me think I live in a real city and, better yet, Toronto still hasn't figured out how to get a train to Pearson.
- The other one is 2nd Ave starting at Cambie all the way to Main Street has been a pain for ages due to infrastructure for the Athletes' Village. (I guess it's a bad idea to have the plumbing not work, eh?)

2. The Olympic Village costs. Every year the city bends residents over on property tax and the Olympic Village billion dollar fiasco is going to haunt residents long after the speed skaters and their muscular brethren have gone home.

3. The promise of cleaning up the Downtown Eastside. From my perspective, little has changed at Hastings and Main since 1990, when I first drove down that road. Even the spectre of international embarrassment over this neighbourhood has not moved those in power to put their poo in a pile and seriously address the problem. I do admit that the Woodward's redevelopment and some of the gentrification has started in that area, but frankly, it's not enough.

So, Vancouverites are grumpy. But, I suspect we will be downtown or in Richmond, cheering on the Canadian athletes. Nothing picks up your spirits than winning a home town game. Ask Canuck fans.

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