Rome's woes including potholes,
public transport problems and a 13-billion-euro budget hole mean
it is "far" from being able to host the Olympics in 20124,
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) mayoral candidate
Virginia Raggi said Tuesday.
Raggi was responding to Premier Matteo Renzi's assertion
that if Rome elected a candidate who was against the 2024 bid it
would not end up hosting the Games.
Raggi said "many cities around the world, Krakow, Davos,
Boston and Stockholm, are thinking of giving up on their
candidacy because the IOC money isn't enough to cover all the
works and therefore other money is needed which will mortgage
citizens' future.
"Rome now is a city completely on its knees, where potholes
have become a government plan, so we have to start from scratch.
"Restoring public transport, with a debt of 13 billion
euros, and we're thinking of hosting the Olympics?
"Perhaps it's better to think of more ordinary things, and
then, when the city is ready, go for the Olympics.
"Today I would say we are far from that moment".
Raggi is running for mayor June 5.
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