The world is full of surprises. The least of them is that the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver will cost more than anticipated even months ago.

Such is the splatter of taxpayer provisions on these political fanboy baubles that it begins to anesthetize the mind’s requirement for sense in the world. Millions here, millions there, millions and millions everywhere, and economic modelling defiant of basic gravity.

Two years ago, when the plan was to host five games, the tab was going to be $230 million. Last year, after a new plan emerged to host seven games, the province, the City of Vancouver and the Crown corporation that owns BC Place estimated it would be more than double that—$483 million to $581 million.

Now—or, I should say, at least for now—the tally is between $532 million and $624 million.

Roughly throwing around the numbers, it means that every person attending a match will be supported by tax expenditures of about $1,780 a ticket. Actually, the expenditure is larger—more like $2,500 per ticket—because the organizers have bent the meaning of revenue by counting the $116 million in federal support and another $82 million in government-to-government........

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