Olympic Pork Begins To Flow – Is THIS a Taxpayer Expense?

As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago has awarded contracts totaling $11.17 million to two politically connected firms for the demolition work on the Michael Resse Hospital site. Let’s see, $86 million to purchase, $11 million for demo work plus $1.3 million for site control plus tens of millions for clean-up. Can we now all agree that this IS taxpayer’s money that is being spent on behalf of the 2016 Olympic bid?

Chicago took a major, concrete step toward hosting a 2016 Olympics on Thursday by awarding the main contracts for demolition of the closed Michael Reese Hospital campus, the proposed site of an athletes village. Brandenburg Industrial Service Co. was awarded a contract worth $7.98 million and Heneghan Wrecking Co. won a contract worth $3.19 million.

Both of the firms that got contracts Thursday have contributed frequently to local politicians over the years, according to the state Board of Elections. From the late 1990s to the present, Brandenburg has given about $65,000 in political donations, while its officers gave $10,000 in 2001 to Daley. Heneghan Wrecking has given about $25,000, including a total of $1,200 to Daley.

Chicago, this is just the tip of a very BIG Olympic pork iceberg. If we get the games, get used to seeing dozens of stories like this over the next seven years.