🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <19990126070319.26631.00003300@ng122.aol.com>,
  pusssykatt@aol.com (PUSSSYKATT) wrote:
> NY POST...By CATHY BURKE
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Japanese officials yesterday acknowledged "excesses" - including providing
> geisha girls - during bidding for the 1998 Winter Games, as the Olympic
bribery
> probe widened.
>
> Nagano Mayor Tasuku Tsukada conceded that International Olympic Committee
> officials got free trips to the ancient capital of Kyoto, a popular tourist
> site.
>
> "At that time, we were the ones who were asking to be chosen," Tsukada said.
> "It's rather difficult to turn down the requests from IOC members who wanted
to
> tour Kyoto."
>
> The mayor said he couldn't remember any bribes given IOC officials, but said:
> "In some areas, there were excesses."
>
> Nagano bid officials have said they wined and dined visiting IOC officials,
> sometimes with geisha girls, during the 1989-92 bidding period for the Games -
> and also gave an expensive painting and sword to IOC President Juan Antonio
> Samaranch.
>
> But the bidders said they burned expense records in 1992, less than a year
> after Nagano was awarded the competition.
>
> It was Tsukada's first admission that IOC members traveled to Kyoto, about 150
> miles from Nagano, on the house. IOC officials - with the exception of
> Samaranch - are forbidden to accept gifts of more than $150. A round-trip
> ticket to Kyoto from Tokyo costs $230.
>
> The focus of the burgeoning corruption probe was initially on Salt Lake City
> and the 13 IOC members who were accused of taking $600,000 worth of goods and
> services before the Utah capital won a 1995 vote to stage the 2002 Winter
> Games.
>
> The stunning discovery led to the temporary exclusion of six IOC members,
three
> resignations - and a decision to broaden the investigation to other cities
> involved in tight contests to win the lucrative right to stage the Olympics.
>
> Also over the weekend, it was revealed that Sydney, Australia, had agreed to
> pay money for sports projects to two African delegates on the eve of the 1993
> vote for the 2000 Summer Games, which Sydney narrowly won.
>
> But Olympic boss Samaranch said yesterday nothing seemed amiss.
>
> Samaranch said Jacques Rogge, the IOC's chairman of the Coordination
Commission
> for Sydney, is flying to the Australian city "and he will get some
> information."
>
> "We think nothing wrong was going on," Samaranch said.
>
> Samaranch also said he believes most members involved in breaking Olympic
rules
> on gifts had now been suspended.
>
> "The great majority of IOC members are very honorable," he said.
>

**** YEah, right (in reference to that last quote from Samaranch). If they
are "honorable" they'll push for full investigation. Also, I'm afraid this
Rogge guy couldn't investigate his way out of a paper bag--if you gave him a
map, a GPS, and a five-day supply of food. Rogge is the same guy at the IOC's
debacle of a conference regarding doping by athletes worldwide just said the
US had no right to criticize the IOC because an American, Mark McGuire (who
broke Maris' home run record), had taken a substance that the IOC bans. Which
might be true. I mean the part about him taking a substance the IOC bans. The
part about that fact somehow also meaning that the US *can't* voice criticism
of the IOC is pure bull.... more pretzel logic.

Anyways, I believe geishas in Japan do not automoatically equate to sex or
prostitution. A geisha or geishas may have served as hostesses, dinner
servers, etnertainment, etc. in order to make Nagano's expensive dinner for
the IOC reps seem real "exotic" with native culture, etc. It doesn't
automatically mean it was some kinda big sex orgy. Someone more knowledgeable
on this topic can either vouch for that or correct me.So this story in the
estimable NY Post tabloid is a little like saying "The IOC big-wigs were
wined and dined in Salt Lake City at dinners that featured American
waitresses, hostesses, and entertainers dressed up in old fashioned cowgirl
uniforms!"  Oh the scandal of it all! :)

However, if the Nagano organizers had told these IOC reps "If we win the
election, we'll ship a half dozen geishas over to you to have sex" that would
constitute a *bribe*! Or if Japan had told Samaranch,  "If the IOC chooses
Nagano, we'll give you this really cool, expensive Samuri sword" that would
have been a bribe, too.

I don't think Rogge even knows what a bribe is (Bribe=either the IOU promise
or actual delivery of something of value with strings attached in a
conditional deal between a party wanting something and an official in the
capacity to help make that thing happen).

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/       Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own