England's 2018 World Cup bid should sell passion and football people, not politicians - Daily Telegraph - 19/05/09

It is extraordinary the way politicians fight one another to hog the "honours" of great events such as the Olympics (2012) and now the bid for the World Cup (2018) or indeed any such grande event, as long as it helps to project their name, party or both!
What these spendthrift megalomaniacs tend to forget is how and who's going to pay for their fanciful ideas...Actually, we all know. It's the usual suspects: the taxpayers. While the taxpayers do not benefit or may occasional do so in a very insignificant way, it is they who always have to fork out for all the massive and ever-increasing costs.The spiraling costs of the 2012 Olympics have become an almost daily issue. But fear not! Perhaps apart from putting in some dodgy receipts for expenses connected to "having to attend" the odd cerimony or sporting event, rest assured that those most likely to enjoy either of the above world events are those same politicians and their friends, the very same who'll have paid not a penny towards those mind numbing costs. Aren't usually these grandiose ideas the preserve of dictators and one-party states? It all makes sense after all!