World Youth Day

Sydney's newspaper, the Sun-Herald has just reported that its annual catholic youth recruitment drive otherwise known as World Youth Day World, which was hosted by the NSW Government Sydney in 2008 cost taxpayers $86 million. Yet the original estimate was just $20 million, so it blew out by $66 million.

Would NSW taxpayers have accepted $86M and the disruption, especially non-catholics had they known this? Clearly the people were misled.

And how dare the catholic church request the NSW and Commonwealth Governments fund its WYD08 recruitment drive to the tune of $86M+, when the catholic church has been found to generate $15 billion in revenue in 2004 alone?
How unethical!

Religion is socially irrelevant. Name one religion without a dogma, rules, prejudice and a history of persecution!
Check your facts before replying. I have checked mine and there ain't none! It was the church that started witch hunts.

Ethics and 'deity-free' spiritual beliefs are morally superior to religion. By 'superior' I mean morally right, objective, absence of ulterior motives, free thinking, democratic, rational, open-mined, more useful to society in guiding virtuous values, attitudes and behaviours. I challenge a debate.

Those who have accepted the necessity of the current fire sale of NSW government assets and the recent "slash and burn" budget, which is taking that state into recession, may be amazed to learn of the staggering blow-out in the costs of the World Youth Day celebrations held in Sydney in July 2008. In addition the Minister for State Development is prepared to bill NSW taxpayers up to $AU86million over three years to pay for planned V8 supercar races to be held at Olympic Park.

See also: NSW Electricity Privatisation, "Youth day ran $100m over budget" in SMH of 27 Nov 08 and more subdued reporting in "World Youth Day bill $100m over budget" in the Australian of 26 Nov 08 , NSW Auditor-General's World Youth Day Report (pdf, 45K)
"Why the V8 Supercars will be taxpayer-injected" in SMH of 29 Sep 08, "O'Farrell vows to restore free travel" on the ABC on 13 Nov 08, "Say no to v8 supercar racing at Olympic Park" on Lee Rhiannon's website, Parliamantary debate of V8 Supercar Races at Sydney Olympic Park of 24 Nov 08