2024 Boston Olympics

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, left, shakes hands with Boston Mayor Martin Walsh during a news conference in Boston Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 after Boston was picked by the USOC as its bid city for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games. Politicians, both Republican and Democrat, have lined up to support the Boston 2024 bid. To United Independent Party Chair Evan Falchuk, its all the more reason why voters should give his movement a look as it fights against "politics as usual." (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

(Winslow Townson)

BOSTON — As you look around Beacon Hill for political opposition to the powerful forces lining up to push for Boston hosting the U.S. Olympics in 2024, you may be more successful looking for another colonial time capsule hidden somewhere.

Evan Falchuk

Democrats and Republicans alike seem to be lining up in favor of the controversial plan, and to Evan Falchuk, the chair of the United Independent Party in Massachusetts, it is a classic case of the political establishment vs. the interests of the people they were elected to represent.

"We've got 200 plus people who we've elected to the legislative branch, why aren't more people speaking up? Voters are pretty upset about this as far as where I've been," Falchuk said in an interview with The Republican this week. "I think we've got a problem of timidity in our politics – a complete lack of bravery among the people we elect."

The problem with the U.S. Olympic bid as far as the opposition is concerned is that hosting such an event would require the greater Boston area invest untold amounts of money to improve infrastructure and transportation to accommodate an influx of people to coincide with the games. While Olympic proponents have said that no taxpayer money will be used for such, they have refused to release the actual bid, and been coy when asked about similar failed promises from U.S. cities which have made bids to host the games in the past.

"All of the problems we have in Massachusetts – not enough money for schools, not enough money for infrastructure, like the I-91 viaduct project (in Springfield). These don’t go away because we’re talking about the Olympics," Falchuk said. "Where are our priorities?"

For Falchuk, who is working to enroll 50,000 people in his new United Independent Party this year, the lack of political opposition to the Olympic bid is a sign that the differences between the two major parties is practically nonexistent, and further reason voters should align with his movement.

"We see people who have been elected and sworn in won’t speak up and take a stand, that is the problem. This is exactly what we were running against," Falchuk said. "There was no consultation of the voters. No public discussion – just a group of connected people who worked on this behind the scenes. They keep saying the public is on board but Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says he doesn't want to see a public vote on this. Why? If the support is overwhelming, let that stand. This is an interesting dynamic since Mayor Walsh is suing the Massachusetts Gaming Commission over the Everett casino since the city didn’t get to vote on it, but he doesn’t want to push a vote over the Olympics."

Falchuk, who won more than 3 percent of the vote in the November elections, officially established his United Independent Party and has since been working to grow its ranks. He is about to kick off a voter registration drive as the party needs to enroll 1 percent of the electorate to maintain its official party status.

With an eye toward the 2016 elections, Falchuk also said he's been approached by several people interested in running for legislative seats as a UIP candidate.

"We’ve had about 2 dozen people come to us saying they are interested in running for legislative seats as UIP candidates. Some were Democrats, others Republicans and some unenrolled," Falchuk said. "There’s a process we will follow and its early. But we will be picking people who are good people, independent candidates and believe people’s civil rights need to be protected and that the government needs to spend money wisely. What unifies them as a group is a desire to just be real. To have real conversations about the issues and a disinterest in the typical partisan approach to these things."