Jimmy patronsFlorida’s chief financial officer has called for the state to host the 2021 Olympics if Tokyo declines to hold them.
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The unusual proposal comes after Tokyo postponed the Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to a Press release Issued by his office, Patronis wrote a letter to the Olympic Committee in Switzerland to relocate the Olympic Games venue to Florida, arguing that Governor Ron DeSantis has chosen to keep the economy open.
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“There is still time to send a site selection team to Florida to meet with state and local officials about the celebration of the Olympic Games. In the sunshine state. I would appreciate the opportunity to introduce Florida and help you establish the right contacts to achieve this, ”he said in the letter addressed to Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee.
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Patronis acknowledged that in Japan there is great concern about coronavirus infections, however, he did not mention the status of infections in Florida, which ranks third in infections in the United States, with a cumulative 1,687,594 cases and 26,035 deaths Trailing only California and Texas, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering available here.
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He also noted that vaccines in Florida are not stored but are immediately distributed to the population, which contrasts with reports of people who have complained of difficulties in accessing the vaccine, which has been criticized by Democratic politicians.
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“The state of Florida has successfully allowed sports to be performed during the pandemic. When most of the states closed their sporting events, the city of Jacksonville hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) installed the ‘bubble’ to celebrate games in Orlando, “said Patronis.
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“Also, during the football season, the National Football League (NFL) and college teams were able to compete on Florida soil. Additionally, our international tourist destinations, such as Disney parks, have been open and operating safely in Florida for some time. In fact, Disney serves as an incredible model of how to run a complex organization in the midst of covid-19, “he said.
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Patronis noted that Florida received 131 million tourists in 2019 and that the state has extensive hotel capacity and well-maintained transportation networks to accommodate the type of infrastructure required for the Olympics.
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He noted that Florida has 20 commercial airports, 31 urban transit systems, 12 major universities that have existing sports facilities, and reputable healthcare facilities.
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They criticize the attempt as “madness”
According to the Huffington Post, Victor Matheson, a Holy Cross economist and expert on the economic impact of the Olympics, called Patronis’ proposal “insane.”
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“The idea that just because Florida has so many hotels they could host a full Olympic event in six months is absolutely insane,” said Matheson.
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Matheson noted that Florida currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to host the Olympics and noted that the state does not currently have a venue that can fit on an Olympic-size track nor does it have a 10,000-capacity swimming pool.
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“Let’s be honest here: if Tokyo is not safe enough due to COVID to host the event, there is no way in a million years Florida will be safe enough to host the event,” said Matheson.
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