Rome bid funds will go to Paris or LA (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, September 27 - The money that Rome would have gained from the 2024 Olympics will go to Paris or Los Angeles, Cabinet Secretary Claudio De Vincenti said Tuesday. He said the government was ready to seal a spending 'Pact for Rome' but Mayor Virginia Raggi "shouldn't bluff with us". He said "when the mayor feels like coming to the premier's office she'll find the door open and we''l explain to her in detail how a public balance sheet works". De Vincenti said the mayor's No to the Olympic 2024 bid had scotched money that could have been used to refurbish Rome's blighted outskirts. Raggi nixed the bid last week citing fears of cost overruns adding to Rome's huge debt and the possibility of real-estate speculators muscling in onto contracts.