/ No Games

Chicago NOT Awarded The 2016 Olympics – What Now?

Listen to President Rogge announce the vote.


Chicago has not been awarded the 2016 Olympics. No Games Chicago thinks is a very good decision for the people of Chicago. But what happens now? The mayor has been quoted as saying he has “nothing up his sleeve” with regards to economic development for the future of the city. Representatives of the 2016 Committee said on many occasions at public meetings that this was THE plan for jobs and prosperity for our future. There appears to be no Plan B.

What now?

No Games Chicago helped turn back a bad plan for our future. Should we stay around to help build a better plan?

Please answer the questions on our brief survey to tell us what role, if any, a group like our might play in helping to create a city where all prosper in health and security.

What ideas do YOU have for our city’s future economic development?

Lastly, we ask you to share your contact information with us so we might work together to make that vision become a reality.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO ANSWER OUR BRIEF THREE-QUESTION SURVEY.

202 Commments

    1. Thanks for nothing literally “No Games”. You fools are short-sighted. Luckily you do not run (or ruin) the City.

      1. Chi-proud, No Games is to blame for what happened. Some news reports blame IOC President Rogge, another report says that the conflict with the USOC is to blame. Others note the plea by former IOC President Samaranch for Madrid.

        And since the City is so well-run, why does it have tax increment financing districts everywhere that take property tax dollars away from the City and other government bodies and it helps expand the City’s financial problems?

      2. “take property tax dollars away from the City”
        That statement shows that you have no clue what you are talking about. Where does the property tax money go, over seas??

        You are trying to tie things together that have no relationship to one another, this group was not anywhere influential as the follow up audacity in asking ‘what’s next’. There is no next, this is a ragtag group of disparate positions that range from those wanting to attack the administration to those who know little. You TIF argument is illustrative of the latter.

      3. Chi-proud, my point was the Mayor and the staff he has entrusted have been running or ruining the City into the ground, so much that we will have a $500 million deficit, but you say, that you are thankful that No Games does not run the City, when the Mayor and his team has been running or ruining the City all by himself, with no assistance from No Games. I don’t know what is next, neither does No Games. I don’t know whether No Games is influential, but given the Chicago Tribune poll numbers, neither was the Chicago 2016 committee and the Mayor. The City population was split down the middle.

      4. 1) You are wrong, and the basis of this ‘movement’ is flawed. Thank you for admitting that relative to TIFs
        2) I am pretty sure you will fall away after this. Like I said it is rag tag group of the misinformed. Thanks to groups like this, the result is the Tribune poll. (which has some major flaws), but in any case your arguments would support to abolish the Olympics in their entirety. But alas that would undermine your ‘soft’ approach of saying ‘we love the City’.

        You reasoning is flawed, and your ‘facts’ are wrong, as it is clearly illustrated with in these handful of posts.

      5. You, my dear fellow, do not make any sense.

        Our dear Mayor started to place any and every part of the City into a TIF, and as a result we have a deficits which are more extreme than would have been the case if the cause was just the downturn in the real estate market.

        You place this influence in No Games in having influenced the public perception of the Chicago 2016 bid, when people feel that their City government doesn’t represent their interests and when they feel that the standard of living is getting beyond them.

        No Games was very informed, but in this environment of the sound bite and the 2 to 3 minute news segment where a newsmaker has only 20 to 30 seconds to make a point, a newsmaker says what one needs to.

        And your whole thing about abolishing the Olympics seems to nutty for me to comment on.

        You seem to want to believe that our Mayor can walk on water, so I will leave you with that fantasy. Sweet dreams…

    2. No reponse? Guess you can not respond when you are absolutely wrong.

      P.S. Love the idiot you sent overseas representing your group kissing the camera and stating “addressing the problems that need to be ‘dealed’ with.” Great job, wonderful representation. Same goes for the other two dingleberry’s… did you not tell them the webistes official lines?
      Like I said you were ineffectual, and this “group” is going nowhere.

      2. For those who care, the “Chicago fan” posted reply that do not fit the time frames listed above, and were not posted in real time. Regardless, the responses are incorrect and ill-informed.
        This statement is non-sensical, and out and out false, “tax increment financing districts everywhere that take property tax dollars away from the City and other government bodies and it helps expand the City’s financial problems?”

  4. Let’s make sure Daley, his aldermen, and every other crony of his in city hall gets voted out in the next election.

  6. You’re right about that, Pilsen Dude. If Daley loses the next election, there should a mayoral term limits like New York City & Los Angeles, so that other people who wants to be mayor of Chicago can leave a make on this city, good or bad.

  7. Congratulations. You not only assisted in torpedoing Chicago, but after New York went down in flames, no U.S. city will be hosting a summer games in your lifetime. Nice job.

    1. Denny, there were plenty of reasons for what happened beyond No Games. There are news reports on the bad relations with the USOC, President Rogge asking the African delegation to vote for Tokyo, and Samaranch making a plea for Madrid.

  9. Hope you sick folks feel great about your cities failure. Enjoy it. Really go for it.

    PS Go kid yourselves, but “No Games Chicago” had nothing to do with it (It was Madrids’ previous 89 year old IOC president vs. Rio’s S. American location)

    Enjoy your “victory” really, live it up.

    1. Mike Ray, the IOC has some very strange politics. And no, I do not feel that what happened is a victory. I love Chicago and enjoy the unique communities and each of their individual characters.

      I feel that IOC politics is poisonous and that people from the IOC president on down should always be watched. It appears the agenda for Rogge was to give Brazil the Games. Brazil is a rising power and hosting the Games is a way for the international community to demonstrate a nation has arrived.

  10. Thank GOD!!!! The best part about this is what a fool Daley looks like now!! Bonus for Barrack, Michelle, and Opra also looking like fools 🙂

    1. Spelling mistakes abound. Can’t even spell half the names right, and the two spelled wrong are the most notable persons internationally. Good job you really support your statements quite well!
      Local partisanship on an international stage.

  12. We elect the President of the US 1 to 2 times, I think it’s time that Chicago should have a mayoral term limit like N.Y.C. or L.A. so that other people who wants to be mayor of Chicago can leave a mark on this city, good or bad.

  13. Well, congratulations I suppose. You’ve crushed the hopes of hundreds of thousands children not only in Chicago, but around the country.

  14. THANKWS Bob and Tom and everybody,HONEST PEOPLE WIN ONE.. now let’s finnish the job and fill the prison with these crooked COMBINE MEMBERS. truckertom

  16. You hate America, you can’t stand to invest in its’ citizens. Keep the wealth at the top. F#ck you assholes.

  17. THANK GOD for nogameschicago.com u guys showed the world HONEST people have a chance by banding together in the web-age. GOD BLESS REAL CHICAGOANS. RYAN DOES NOT LIVE IN CHICAGO ;]

  18. Way to go @$$holes !
    We’ll remember who you are – individually.

    Great Job @$$HOLES !

  20. Good news for the city of Chicago — we have more important issues to deal with than hosting some games. Let’s keep the momentum going and VOTE DALEY OUT!

  22. Well, there has been a long standing feud with the IOC and the USOC for years. The latest was over a proposed television channel. Also, the USOC has changed presidents numerous times within the last few years, causing instability.

    Well, I now have collectors items. I wonder how much I can get for them?

    1. I think that the IOC members and their internal politics must have had a role, don’t you think. Consider that the USOC has various problems internally and with the IOC, something No Games was no a party to. They/USOC changed leadership and proposed an Olympic channel on Comcast in the midst of the Chicago bid process.

      1. I think you are primarily to blame. I think they thought that you spoke for a majority in this city. You did not. You were simply shrill. I hope you are happy now you smug piece of shit. Please get off of the public stage. You have done enough already.

      2. And if you don’t believe that your fucked up organization is responsible for this result, why did you take everyone’s money to fund your boondoggle to Copenhagen? Sounds like you are more corrupt than anyone in city government. At least they believed that their efforts would have an effect. You went not believing that it would matter at all — and now that it did, you are disputing your role.

  24. You guys have royally embarrassed the President and the US as a whole. You couldn’t have done more to set back Health Ins Reform if you had tried to do that directly. The next time Chicago needs a favor from the White House I wonder how quick they’ll be to respond? What’s next for you? Opposing the next supreme court nominee? Other economic development? Civil rights laws in Illinois?

    1. Chris, take a step back and think about this: an international body voted on whether or not Chicago should obtain the Games; there are very serious agendas and politics going on in the body.

      I doubt that this incident of Chicago’s elimination by the IOC factors into Obama’s priorities at all.

      You seem to have a laundry list of things that you assume No Games would want to oppose, which seem outlandish.

      You need to keep in mind that President Obama is from Chicago and his wife was born here, and they have a home in Chicago. And many of his staff and cabinet picks are from Chicago or Illinois.

  26. Like Rush Limbaugh, you’re already rooting for Obama to fail, maybe you guys should move to rooting for the US Olympic Team to fail at the Rio games too!

    1. jsfox,

      The Chicago 2016 bid committee said that such jobs would have been built up across years and that tourism would increase over time.

      This bid process has always been filled with risk. If the bid was successful, there would have been risk, then, too. And the economic impact study was written by people who, while academics, were not experts in the field of the business of professional sports and sport mega-events. They were marketing professors.

      The people who are commenting are people who have witnessed what has occurred under the tenure of Richard Daley and how he has consistently disregarded ordinary citizens in his plans for the City. People need to be able to participate in their own city in a meaningful way, but with our Mayor, participation has been largely symbolic.

  29. I find it strange that now in the NGC’s survey, the issue of the Olympics has dropped entirely off the map.

    Was past and forthcoming suffering caused by the Olympics in other cities solely an opportunist measure to galvanize folks to care solely about Chicago’s issues? I certainly hope it is not this extreme…

    But nonetheless, this hyper-localized vision is a problem NGC suffers, and must be changed. Even though problems local to Chicago must be dealt with, they should be understood as *universally*. Does NGC truely no longer care that Rio or Madrid will now deal with the burden of the Olympics? It appears so.

    http://platypus1917.org/2009/09/20/the-sport-of-protest/

  31. I hope you f****** enjoy spoiling the opportunity for the United States to showcase itself, its history, its culture, its values, all of those things – to the world.

    I hope you idilots are happy that you helped to ruin our chance to get the games back to the USA – GREAT F**KING JOB!

    Now we’re stuck waiting until AT LEAST 2020 to get the games back to the United States.

    Go kill yourselves.

  32. I hope you F****** are happy that you ruined the games, not only for chicago, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

    The Olympics are a national even, a time to showcase America to the world. You ruined it.

    nice job…..idiots

  33. America deserves the games BUT this group only thinks about themselves!!!!

    I hope we get the games one day and now I will be going to the World Cup and the games in Brazil and put my money in their economy!!!

    YOU HAPPY, I’mma spend at least $5,000 to $6,000 which could have went to Chicago and that’s only 1 person!

    1. The city has no moeny to spend on protecting kids from being killed everyday but we do have money for some olumpics. Do you live in the city?

      1. Krystian, this city would have had security EVERYWHERE to stop kids from killing kids. So you would have had a month without the killings. Now…. nothing has changed and we are where we were without the money to protect those kids for that month.

        ps, parents need to raise their kids NOT TO KILL. I was. Pretty basic. Why do we need tax payer dollars for that?

  35. Hey NGC,

    Go f@ck yourselves. And why are you asking for money? I’m sure you’re going to do nothing else now.

    How nice how some of your people got to go to Copenhagen while the rest of us our sitting here without jobs.

    Bourgeois dipsh1ts

  36. Hey Jimmy,
    u gonna spend 5 or 6k and many others will spend $ too but it doesn’t make up for the money that goes in to make the games a reality. Olympics are never profitable for the host city,
    Atlanta didn’t change, Athens is in ruins, Beijing’s bird’s nest has only been used 1 or 2 times since the olympics. The only jobs it will create are the temporary security jobs, concession stand jobs, cleaners etc(Americans are really rushing to get these jobs) during the only 2-3 weeks that the circus is in town. Show us a comprehensive document that shows how the host city can profit economically and we will shut up. We know u can’t, coz there isn’t one.

    1. Thomas, you’re wrong…and a lot of you No Games Chicago supporters keep spouting the same crap over and over. Just because you say it does NOT make it true. Los Angeles was profitable, Seoul was profitable, Barcelona was profitable, Atlanta was profitable. Chicago’s plan was studied by several consultants (including ones not paid for by Chicago 2016) and while they thought Chicago’s plans were ambitious and maybe overstated, they still ultimately thought the Olympics would pay off for the city. Again, you can claim financial failure all you want, and there have been failures, but they aren’t ALL failures.

      1. Brian, why did the Chicago 2016 committee not mention the $10 million that Atlanta had as surplus? Because they knew that if they actually told the truth that people would question their bid. Also, the review by the Civic Federation found that the Olympic Village was risky, given it was planned as residential development and the real estate market is over saturated and credit is difficult to obtain.

  37. The city that nickel-and dimes its citizens 24/7 , kills black mayors and gluttonizes on ribs and cheesy blues music couldnt have had a better comeuppance.

    Now get the fricking evil Daleyocracy out.

    until you do that, Chicago,
    you will never be international.

  40. what the hell do you think he means he’ll remember us individually,really man get a gripe.

  41. what a bunch of silly sallies a guy threatens you and you pull our posts.ask your att’y if that’s a vieled threat

  42. Good for you guys to show how much you hate our city. You don’t deserve to live in Chicago.

  43. I find it funny that a bunch of folks are upset on this forum about Chicago not being awarded the 2016 summer games.

    To Jimmy-
    Fine, go spend your money somewhere else. You don’t seem to realize that regardless of how much you might spend, Chicago would likely have come out in the red, leaving the bill to local taxpayers. And Chicago “deserved” the games? Really? Why did Chicago “deserve” them more than the other cities? Or do you just feel entitled somehow?

    To Chris Mansour-
    The name of the group is “No Games Chicago”, not “How To Make The Games Better Wherever They Are”. As far as I can tell, it’s a LOCAL group to deal with a LOCAL issue. If you’re worried about the games in Rio, start your own group!

    To PulSamsara-
    Get over yourself, and take your empty threats elsewhere. It’s people like you that give Chicago a bad rep.

    To mike ray-
    Sick folks, huh? Because they’re concerned about the Chicago taxpayers being stuck with the bill when it came due? If that’s your definition of “sick”, I’d hate to know what you think is “healthy”.

    1. But its locality is its biggest shortcoming.

      Do you–and NGC–not realize that the political actions put forth affect *everyone,* now including those in Rio?! NGC was walking a tight-rope between both a very local and a very *international* event. I find it entirely one-sided that NGC has chosen to solely focus on the former, and politically irresponsible.

      If NGC was fighting a local issue that would only be felt within Chicago (such as issues with city water, CTA, or what-have-you), not something that the whole world was a part of, than it would make sense to confine their actions towards these ends. But the Olympics is not purely a local event, nor should it be treated as such.

      This is why NGC is politically short-sighted, dishonest, and irresponsible.

  44. I don’t live in Chicago, don’t care about Chicago, but I am laughing anyway that the Almighty O couldn’t even get consideration to the IOC past round one!

    I’m really loving the comments by PulSamsara, mike ray and the other sour pusses, kicking their cans and sticking their pouty bottom lips out. Hahahahahahhha!!!!!!!!

  45. Chicago lost thanks to itself…way to go to our great corrupt city!!! This city doesn’t deserve this one bit…f#%king make our schools better and hour streets safer before you start having fantasies about the Olympics

  46. Sad to say my daughter, who will be 10 years old in 2016, won’t be able to have the experience of a lifetime, one I was perfectly willing to support financially. The Olympics could have been an amazing experience for her and inspirational to a whole generation of Chicago children.

  47. I don’t see how America ‘deserves’ the games, since they’ve already had them several times before in the past.

  48. While i don’t believe your movement had anything to do with the outcome, you have gotten what you wanted. The only issue i see is that the Olympics wasn’t the reason for the lack of involvement or change by your politicians at all. Nothing will continue to get done and now and your city, and its residents, will not receive the benefits that comes with a high profile event such as the Olympics that generates billions in revenue.

    Reap what you sow.

  49. PulSamsara, why not do what I would do and listen to each of the cities’ presentations and review all the bids, and think objectively. Chicago’s presentation was lukewarm and did not have a central theme or message and only when Arnot or the Obamas talked did something really light up. Pat Ryan was wooden and seemed uncomfortable as a speaker. Compare that to Lula or some of the other speakers from Rio and you will see a clear difference. Rio’s presentation was very well carried out and most speakers hit their points well (their style) and the message was effective, too (their content).

    If you blame No Games, then you must definitely must hate Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former IOC President, who pleaded to have Madrid considered http://www.reuters.com/article/olympicsNews/idUSL233726920091002. If you think that No Games had as much influence as Samaranch, think again, as Samaranch is a longtime IOC member and he is well regarded in the IOC membership.

    Jimmy, it’s good to know that you have a job. Some of us are just making it. If we had to pay more in City fees or taxes it may have broken us.

  50. Chris,

    No Games is made up of people from different parts of the political spectrum but we are not for a specific political program.

  51. Cancel Christmas 2009 Chicago. We can’t afford it! Don’t stop now people, there are so many other things to undermine! Otherwise, these guys are going to have to get jobs.

  53. Congratulations on your defeatist attitude. The No Games Chicago movement should now go to Rio where you apparently wanted the jobs and money that should have gone to Chicago to go. I really believe your group has undermined the City and that you are a disgrace to the City. I hope that your group and the other people who bad-mouthed the City have job programs and monies available.

    1. Undermined the City? What is the deficit for the City next year? What is the deficit for the Chicago Public Schools next year? How much money was generated by tax increment financing districts in the City of Chicago?

  54. Taxes will continue to go up in Chicago, crime will continue to rise, infrastructure will continue to be neglected, CPS will still suck, and Daley will be re-elected.

    What exactly are we celebrating?

  55. I forgot the most important part, Chicago will continue to be corrupt and Daley will continue to dole out contracts to his buddies.

    Hooray for no Olympics!!

  56. The logic behind “if you hate the olympics, you hate Chicago” argument is just flawed, baseless, and really getting old. Please, make some more informed and educated supporting arguments besides “you all suck” and “f**k you”.

  57. Maybe your fringe group is happy that the city will remain a shut-up, molding midwestern city (Against the opportunity to become a international-level destination), but if your group DID have anything to do with the vote, you ruined a great chance for America to showcase itself to the world.

    1. Chicago is far from being a “shut-up, moldering mid-western city”, but that is what we will indeed become if we continue to blast billions of dollars of tax-payer money on non-essentials while neglecting essential infrastructure and shorting lifeline services.

      Chicago is the theatre center of the country and has a vibrant visual arts and design community. The music scene is very “hopping” and we have one of the best symphony orchestras in the world. We have top-tier museums and educational institutions. We have a well-educated and highly cultivated population. We also already have many major sports venues.

      Most of all, we have more intact middle-income neighborhoods populated with people who love and care about this city than almost any other major city in the U.S. These are the people who truly support the city and are being shorted of essential police protection and access to transit in order for Da Mare to mount his vanity projects.

      The Olympics bid managed to cost this city hundreds of millions of dollars before it even got off the ground, thanks to the diversion of tax money into unnecessary infrastructure projects , such as the shuttered Block 37 el superstation and the express rail line to an airport already served by a CTA line, at the expense of more urgent projects, such as replacing our decrepitating water and sewer infrastructure, and upgrading and expanding transit where it is needed by the citizens to get to work and get cars off the streets.

      The Olympics cannot properly be compared to a public amenity like Millinium Park or to a major city plan like Burnham’s plan for Chicago. These are things that add permanent value to a city and make it a truly better place to live, while something like the Olympics is nothing but a money-sucking 8 week party that disrupts life for the residents, diverts scarce police protection from the neighborhoods to Olympic events, and causes displacement and abuse of poor residents… for no permanent improvement.

      Go look at Atlanta, stand around downtown there for a while, and tell me how the 1996 games improved that city. What the games there are most remembered for is a bombing.

      Time for Chicago and the United States at large to Get Real. We are, as a country, comprehensively broke. We don’t even have the money to repair our most dangerous dams and bridges. We have the largest public and private debt load, relative to the GDP, of any country that ever existed. We are much more over-extended than the old Roman Empire ever was, but, like those old Romans, all we can think about is Bread & Circuses.

      And the population at large gets nothing in return for its taxes but a televised view of the circuses, while the pols and their cronies get the bread.

  58. Da’ mayor has said it will not be coming to the western hemisphere back to back so do not even try Amerika. whaa whhaa thats so daley,why IOC saw threw the bulloney.GOD BLESS REAL CHICAGOANS [and supporters]

  59. To all those that like Chicago to have the Olympics, you people can go to hell. Rio have Mexico all the way down to Argentina. Madrid have Europe. Japan have Asia. I find the IOC leaning towards Europeans. I hope 2020 goes to Cape Town, South Africa.

  60. So, for those who hope that No Games saves Rio, what would you suggest we do? Relocate?

    1. It not a question of proximity, but of solidarity.

      If NGC is truly trying to overcome the problems the Olympics brings to host cities–which it seems they do not, only about Chicago–then it would take much more organizing that goes beyond the issue of the Olympics. The reason the Olympics has been such a burden since the 70s is bound up with the political decisions those in power man, and the complacency of our world citizens. To truly fight this battle, it would take adopting a political position–which, in my view, should be working-class–and organizing towards these ends. Whining about the Olympics or deflecting them to another city hardly even begins this work.

  61. Sad day, imo. The main reason why those who didn’t want the games was financial.

    What about the intangible motivation of those in need, some spiritual growth for those most in need in Chicago. It would garner 6 years of positive growth.

  62. Thanks for at least asking for ideas on how to make the city better by 2016…unfortunately, I feel like most of the people who were part of the “No Games Chicago” movement will now scurry back into their rat holes to find something else to complain about. This city will NEVER find the resources for improvements that would have been made had the city won the bid. Congratulations on shooting off our noses just to spite our faces.

    1. Brian, thanks for the comparison to rodents. That is a manner to villify instead of discussing things maturely.

      1. Unfortunately Chicago Fan, I don’t believe that this whole bid process was ever discussed by No Games Chicago members maturely. It was always a movement for people who are asking “what’s in it for me?”. All the signs at your rallies asked for better health care, better schools, blah blah blah. How will any of that be achieved by not having the games in Chicago? It won’t be. We’ll just be the same city that now did not have the Olympics. There will still be crime, there will still be corruption, and there will be 4.4 billion dollars less in revenue in the next 7 years by one of the most conservative estimates. No Games Chicago was a group dedicated only to ruining the chances of Chicago getting the Olympics, and has no real answers to any of the problems that Chicago currently faces. There’s nothing more immature than that.

    2. The issue is, how much of what was promised by the bid committee was hype and how much was of what was promised realistic. I don’t think that I know.

  63. you all might be the dumbest group I have seen. the only thing not having the olympics does is eliminate the jobs we could have had in chicago. we need jobs….bottom line. feel good about yourselves although you had nothing to do with the decision, just a group of nay sayers that howl at the moon and accomplish nothing. please hold your collective breathes until those infrastructure changes you want instead of the olympics happen, they are right around the corner just as they have been for the past 50 years

    1. And is that the fault of No Games or the fault of political leaders, who should be working on obtaining resources?

  64. Chris Mansour, why not talk about this with the foundation community or your most prosperous friends, get commitments over several years for resources to work on this important mission and let us know how it goes.

    1. Your sarcastic answer is indicative of the lack of political vision behind most who were galvanized by the Olympics issue. Why should I take on (more substantial than anti-Olympics-ism) political endeavor on my own when NGC is ostensibly about correcting these wrongs? The group already exists to take on such tasks, but as of now, is unfortunately misguided and short-sighted.

      But it seems you are more content with playing as the devil-advocate rather than trying to overcome ills that are felt in Chicago and beyond. We should leave it at this until you have something more constructive or critical to say.

      1. Chris Mansour,

        Practicality is a concern behind your suggestion. I was not being funny, because in order to dedicate time and effort to something, there needs to be resources or the possibility of resources available. If you feel strongly, find resources, inform a group or individuals you feel can carry it out and go from there. You seem to think that No Games Chicago is No Games Everywhere. If you want to start No Games Everywhere, contact advocates against the Games from around the world, find a base of operations, find some financial resources and you can spend time doing this important work.

        Personally, I take offense that would rather go on and on about No Games Chicago not wanting to do what YOU suggest than to actually read what I have written and understand that MONEY and CAPACITY are key concerns of any group to take on any larger, wider and more difficult responsibility. Mr. Monsour, you sound like someone who would rather write more and more responses than take responsibility for your own suggestion in order to make it happen.

        I don’t earn much and I want to help my City and my community and eventually get a graduate degree. If I am fighting your fight, I will not have the attention to focus on my priorities. You, Mr. Monsour, should focus on your fight and work to make it happen. And please do not write another response on how focusing on priorities that concern me and my future is selfish, all the while you seem to absolve yourself from actually committing to work on the mission you are suggesting.

      2. I hear that.

        But I would shy away from accusing me of choosing to writing something down instead of doing something about it. I do in fact *do* things about it. Even trying to spark conversation is “doing” something about it, however small it might be.

        Money and capacity are issues to be sure. But raising the issues of recognizing how NGC effects others internationally–because now that the games will continue to devastate other cities, which ostensibly *was* a concern of NGC about 12 hours ago–is costless. It takes no money and capacity to even talk about these problems, much less raise them.

        And why should I seek out such resources when NGC has already made so much effort already?! You have already lightly connected with other anti-Olympics groups, and raised a mass awareness of the issues it brings. You have already done a lot of the networking and organizing required, it is now an issue of ideology. Again, this costs nothing.

        NGC should also have been “No Games Elsewhere” in my opinion. It goes hand-in-hand. If you do not agree with this Mr. Fan, than maybe the Olympics should not have been the main rallying point to begin solving Chicago’s problems.

        However, since NGC had such the audacity to bring up an international phenomenon and problem, they must take responsibility for this. If NGC chooses not too fess up to the consequences they helped bring to Rio, than I have to say, as a Chicagoan and world citizen, I am disappointed.

        I guess it is pointless to ask NGC to continue fighting the Olympics, because in the end, it is a small fry of a battle. At least the Olympics helps us recognize that what happens here in Chicago is problems felt across the globe. In order to change Chicago for the better, it will take changing the whole world.

        Really, this is all that my point is. And the reason I rail so hard on it is because NGC treats this fact as a thought-taboo. They dipped thier foot in the ocean when they believe it to be a small pond.

      3. Mr. Mansour,

        Anything and everything will cost something. Announce a press conference and you will need to print something or copy something. If you need some evidence to reach the press or opinion makers, the time to make the documents and format it to look professional take time and effort, and perhaps some money. If the effort needs experts who are in several locations, that means international communications, which costs money and requires time. So the reality is that you have a great idea, but there is a need for resources and capacity.

        And one more thing, I hear that there is no Santa Claus, but don’t quote me on that. I hope that I haven’t disappointed you.

      4. Of course the nuanced spending comes into the picture now. I am aware that printing fliers, etc. costs money.

        But when acknowledging that NGC spent over $10,000 dollars to send their delegates overseas for the superfluous mission of talking to the IOC personally–whom you already confronted in Chicago–it is obvious that NGC has the capacity to raise money for such endeavors. Your allergy for spending money on an international cause–which NGC consequently involved themselves in only to retract after the illusion of success once the problems of the Olympics were deflected elsewhere–is not for practical reasons, but for ideological ones. To me, this *is* a NIMBY stance.

        All I am saying that NGC attempted to tackle two issues: raise awareness of the problems within Chicago, and expose the negative issues the Olympics brings its past and forthcoming host cities. However, the latter was dropped in favor of closing the vision specific to Chicago. NGC now has a responsibility to Rio, esp. since they played a role in deflecting the games there. They have just as many–or more–problems as Chicago.

        If you do not like hearing this from me, than why not take the advice in from your recent new pal, Dave Zirin?

        http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-zirin/victory-chicago-loses-the_b_307995.html

  65. As a long time Chicago resident, I know I speak on behalf of most of the citizens of Chicago (at least the ones that work and pay taxes) that we are so happy the Rio won!!!! The ones who lost it for Chicago are: Barrack, Michelle, Oprah, Rahm, Davey Axelrod. The world saw through their empty words (unfortunately a slight majority of American voters could not). Thank you for this site.

      1. Good comeback. With geniuses like you supporting the Chicago bid it is amazing Chicago came in dead last.

        I am so happy today!!! Thank you IOC!!!!!

  66. Those protesting this site with expletives and nastiness are merely making themselves look foolish.

    Protesters bemoaning the “loss” of “jobs” and “infrastructure” – think about who gets to pay. Chicago residents – who are already overtaxed (ref: highest sales tax in the nation, and high property taxes to go along with them) Existing job-creating businesses are having a hard enough time hanging on already.

    Anyone who thought Chicago might be able to make money on the Olympics needs only look at Millennium Park, O’Hare or any other major city project: late and over budget. We don’t have a Mitt Romney to run the project, we have friends of the mayor who know how to move low income residents out of the way and make tons of money (for themselves, not Chicago) doing it.

    1. You should avoid posting after you’ve been drinking. You make no sense to anyone. I don’t know if you have seen the Olympics before, but they generally bring people and money into a city. Its not a case (like Millennium Park) where revenue is made on the backs of those that already live here. Its the addition of new money into our economy the funds the jobs. Your idiocy about being built on the backs of the current taxpayers is nonsence.

  67. This whole thing was a city on a bipolar episode. The culmination for this mania episode was supposed to be the next Olympics. Reports are the proof the profits are for but a small percentage of people. All I want to know is, now that this is done with can we get our TIF status canceled on the sw side so that taxpayers here could get some green space, kid’s after school programs or maybe suitable park programs that work for families. After all our NS neighbors don’t have to put up with lack of services. Hey, contrary to what some suspect that no one here pays taxes. Just one example 26th Street pulling in more revenue for the city or maybe equal to Michigan Ave. I am suspicious that our TIF taxes went to enrich those who plan these get rich quick schemes.

  68. Your article asks how to now help Chicago. The Plan B. Well in a realistic point of view, in order to get out of a budget crisis & fix the city we need to:

    Raise taxes. Yup, taxes. Cut down on services such as less snow plowers or street sweepers. I’m sad to say but the possibility of a bigger Chicago Police Force which would’ve occurred with a international event just went out the window, if anything essential services might be cut. Spending on building new neighborhood projects needs to be slowed. A new push for federal funding on Chicago infrastructure needs to be made.

    Until we fix the city budget, i think planning on things to fix neighborhoods which cost money will have the same end result as Daley & the Chicago 2016 push.

    We are now officially back to square one. Hopefully Mr.Monopoly can lend us some money to magically fix the city like everyone wants but realistically…some neighborhoods are going to remain ghettos.

  69. Congratulations “No Games” – I always appreciate people who work for me who have the “we’re doomed” attitude and make no effort to find solutions as opposed to those who evaluate the negatives of a scenario and find ways to overcome obstacles. Make no mistake: the “No Games Chicago” movement has been one focused on negativity and one completely devoid of thoughtful proposals for bettering this city. I’m curious to see where those participating in this organization go from here. I suspect that you will continue to complain about what’s wrong in this city, but that you will not attempt to be part of any solutions.

    1. No Games Chicago was focused on one thing. There is no opportunity to debate other policy issues or suggest improvements when you have only one focus.

  70. Congrats on trying to make the city you say you love look bad. Well you got your wish. Chicago was embarrassed on the world stage. You all should get the out, because people who love Chicago and have civic pride would appreciate it.

  71. It is people like you that give the US a bad reputation. There is no reason that the US and Chicago should not have had the games. even though I do not agree with all of the Mayor’s actions I think going for the games was a good one. It is all the US haters that give us a bad global name and you contributed to it. GO AWAY!

  72. Chicago can barely handle a Cubs game let alone the Olympics. This news made my day. Everyone in my office was celebrating.

  73. I do not know whether your efforts helped contribute to Chicago losing the bid. All I can say is thank you for your efforts and your presentation of the facts that Daley, Ryan, et. al. would have preferred the citizenry not to know.

  74. Are you all now going to try and get the Bears game Sunday cancelled? We probably shouldn’t waste money on police security around Soldier Field. How bout the Chicago Marathon?

  75. Now that the ordeal is over, what will the No Games contingency do? Get real jobs? Find something else to protest?

  76. You know, honestly, I don’t care about chicago – one way or the other. I care about the United States, the USA, my home country, and the country that just lost a huge opportunity to display its values, culture, heritage, etc to the world.

    Now we’re stuck waiting for another four years – but Chicago may not even bid for those games, which leaves us having to start from square one.

    1. Matthew Kilburn said: “You know, honestly, I don’t care about chicago – one way or the other. I care about the United States, the USA, my home country, and the country that just lost a huge opportunity to display its values, culture, heritage, etc to the world.”

      Were you born yesterday? The USA has hosted the most Olympics than any other nation. The world has already seen our values, culture, heritage, etc. Salt Lake City did an excellent job last time. Chicago will have other chances to bid.

      Some of you people here are acting as if this were a once in a lifetime opportunity. That simply isn’t so. Stop being so fatalistic and short-minded. Use this opportunity to put pressure on your leaders to clean out Chicago’s corrupt civic leaders and politicians.

  77. All of these angry posts are just adding to my glee on this day!A big thank you to the No Games people, and everyone who spoke out against this mess! Better housing, A fairer distribution of money to every public school, not just those Daley favors, and more tax dollars into the neighborhoods, less in the central business district. That is a start for change in this city, but nothing will really change until we are rid of Daley. If the Blackhawks would have won, this would have been the perfect day!

  78. You know, the people here (and by that I mean the no games crowd, not those stepping up to defend their country from these loons) are simply not interested in facts:

    FACT: The last three games held in the US have been profitable.

    FACT: Cities like Beijing and Athens, who technically lost money on the games, got huge infrastructure improvements in return.

    You complain that the city is broke, but ignore that US cities make a profit from the games. You complain that infrastructure in CHI sucks, but ignore that cities get huge improvements in that area from the games.

  79. Matthew:

    “It’s fair to say that the bulk of the serious studies on the costs and benefits of the Olympics suggest that, in terms of direct benefits, they are unambiguous money losers,” says Mark Spiegel, vice president for economic research at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

  80. Hi Francesca Rodriguez,

    I hope everyone in Chicago remembers your name and the wonderful job you did in helping Chicago NOT get the bid. Your group deserves all the attention it can get (especially you, Francesca Rodriguez), and hopefully Chicagoans will want to provide the same energy for projects that you believe in as you did for the bid!

    Best of luck, Francesca Rodriguez, and please feel free to ALWAYS link yourself to this group. Why would you want to hide it?

    1. Ziggy,

      Please understand, you may dislike the group, but do not target the group or individuals in the group for what you feel about the International Olympic Committee’s decision. For or against, we are all Chicagoans and we all care about our City.

      1. Target?!? What are you talking about?!? I am giving credit to Francesca Rodriguez and Bob Quellos for achieving their goal of denying the Olympic Games to Chicago! Mission Accomplished!

        I hope Francesca Rodriguez and Bob Quellos are satisfied that they met their goal of No Games Chicago! All Chicagoans need to remember their names in the future!

        Why are you being so defensive, chicago fan?

      2. Ziggy,

        Don’t play around. I know that you are insinuating that you will target the individuals that you associate with the group. I am a Chicagoan and I feel okay that we did not win the bid. I cannot say that Friday was an easy day, given that many Chicagoans felt hurt and upset.

      3. Who’s playing around? Francesca Rodriguez and Bob Quellos and other No Games Chicago people put in hours upon hours of time, money and their personal reputations to fight against Chicago getting the Olympic games! By golly, they got their wishes!

        If I see their names on something, I will make sure to remember everyone I can on how triumphant they were, and how hard they fought to deny the Chicago bid in 2016! Congratulations! Mission accomplished, Francesca Rodriguez and Bob Quellos!

        How could it be a hard day for you and your gang when you got what you wanted? This is what YOU worked for, remember?!?

      4. Ziggy,

        So, should we blame the media for convincing you that Chicago’s bid was a strong bid:

        when the bid had a temporary stadium without built-in bathrooms.

        when the Metra and Chicago Transit Authority infrastructure was unable to handle both local commuters and the Olympic Games visitors at the same time, and

        when the trust in the City and the Mayor’s support had shrunk drastically over the past eleven months with the privatization of the parking meters, hurting the support for the bid in polls that the Chicago Tribune and the International Olympic Committee did.

        Let’s remember that No Games had help and that was from the Mayor, the bid itself, and the underfunded public transit system’s infrastructure. And if you want to know how mediocre the Chicago 2016 presentation was, watch it from this site (http://www.universalsports.com/club/std/ViewCategory.dbml).

        Also, keep in mind that the IOC may have wanted to award the 2016 Games to Rio all along, and No Games had nothing to do with Rio making a bid for the 2016 Games.

      5. I’m not sure why Bob Quellos and Francesca Rodriguez would want to hide their connection to this great group!?!

        They really didn’t want Chicago 2016 to succeed, going so far as to go on TV and travel to Europe on their own dime to tell anyone who would listen how lousy the bid was, how rotten a Chicago 2016 Olympics would be, and that Bob and Francesca personally knew that most Chicagoans didn’t want it.

        Why, Bob Quellos and Francesca Rodriguez, why don’t you want to be remembered for your work on this? It’s a valid question. If I see your names on something, I’ll always remember you and your efforts — seriously, why are you trying to disassociate yourselves from No Games Chicago?

      6. Ziggy,

        Your first message sounds like a stalker. Your messages afterwards sound like a person in denial that you sounded like a stalker.

        Your most recent message is not even factually accurate: Bob and Francesca never went to Europe for No Games.

        This is not Bob or Francesca. I doubt they would care what some stranger thinks about them. You seem to have an issue with the organization, and after two weeks you seem to have nothing better to do than be writing factually inaccurate responses about two people you don’t even know. And, I don’t think Bob or Francesca would ever disassociate themselves from their efforts for No Games. I know that 45% of Chicago were supportive of No Games’ view against holding the 2016 Games, and that is very reassuring. It’s too bad that people like yourself had your feelings hurt and that you blame No Games Chicago and two individuals who spoke for the group for the IOC decision.

  81. Frank, overall, perhaps the Olympics DO lose Money, but AGAIN:

    1) This takes into account cities like Nagano, Beijing, and Athens – which were nowhere near olympic cities before they won the right to host. American cities have far more venues aleady built, more infrastructure in place, etc.

    You cannot take the olympic hosts as a whole and apply that to the US. Instead, look at the cities in the USA that have hosted the games:

    Los Angeles. Profitable
    Salt Lake City. Profitable
    Atlanta. Profitable

    2) Look at the benefits for the cities that have not technically made a profit; Beijing and Athens both got huge infrastructure improvements.

    1. Matthew, there is a reason that the bid committee mentioned certain examples in detail and others were skimmed over. The case of Atlanta points to the reality that the surplus is not really great, especially when you are trying to avoid using local government money. They had a surplus of $10 million dollars, but if you asked the bid committee about Atlanta, they will talk about the structures that the 1996 Games left there as a gift to the people of Atlanta, which was always the plan and not really a gift, in that the strustures cannot hold an Olympics every year.

      And the 1984 Games in Los Angeles was special in that the City of Los Angeles was the sole bid city and Mayor Bradley was a hard negotiator, and he made certain that the taxpayer was not liable for the City hosting the games, so the Games used existing facilities for nearly all of the venues (even if the venues were stretched out over a large area) and the Games were the most commercialized (in that every opportunity to generate money was utilized).

      You probably don’t want to mention Beijing, because that was Olympic spending on steroids.

  82. Thank you for all your work, NGC!

    I grew up playing baseball and softball in Washington Park. The park has the biggest softball league in America. Thank God the Olympics won’t destroy our wonderful park to make room for white elephant projects built to entertain suburban and foreign douches. How many of these clown commenters above had ever even heard of Washington Park, much less been there, before this whole political project got started?

  83. All those people that want the Olympics in Chicago, get a !@#%king life you a$$holes. Chicago never had a plan B, no financial guarantees & their presentations are poorly organized.

    I personally want Tokyo to win because they have financial backup & theirs is organized like Los Angeles. If the US ever want to host the Olympics the best city for summer games is definitely Los Angeles because everything is there. Minneapolis/St. Paul would be a best new city to host a future games in my opinion. Lake Placid, Squaw Valley are the best cities to host the winter games.

    I’m glad that Rio won because their presentation is compelling, emotional & passionate that they all hit the right notes. It’s time for a change that the Olympics should be held in a new city & continent.

    The Olympics both summer & winter should not a privilege for well-developed places like US & Europe anymore. Hosting the Olympics is very expensive that events like these should be well-planned & organized from financial backup if there’s a shortfall. Also, construction of these venues must meet a deadline & the transportation system needs a massive overhaul improvement.

  84. Before the US ever want to host the Olympic games in the future, they need to resolve those issues with the USOC & IOC members.

  85. No Games Chicago is short sighted and Do not represent a majority of Chicago

    The Olympics would have been an economic engine for Chicago.

    Good Luck to Rio!

  86. The games makes profit and help the countries or else these countries wouldn’t be bidding! MOST GAMES HAVE TURN A PROFIT 300,000 JOBS CREAT IN BARCOLONA. YES some like China nad Montreal have not turn a profit but only aounr 4-5 have not it depends on how you manage it!

    It’s like people who go broke after winning the lottery! The games inChicago would have helped the city with jobs, to create jobs you have to spend money its a fact!

    1. Jimmy, can you cite sources because I like to be challenged, but I require information.

  87. What is NCG going to do to help the thousands of people who would have had jobs if the Olympics came here get jobs. I’m completely fine with not wanting the Olympics but I’m just curious what you have up your sleeve for helping Chicagoans. I’m sure it was easy to set up a website to protest the games and the mayor but now it’s time for you to show why you were right. Until you do something to help people get jobs that would have had them, I’ll have no respect for you. I will respect your opinions until then. Say what you want about the mayor, but he did something to try and help Chicagoans. That’s important for a mayor. Now it’s your turn to show why your ideas are better than his. I challenge everyone that was a part of this to do something. Show your love of Chicago that you ‘say’ you have. Good luck and god bless.

  88. Everybody that wants the games in the city will be the first to complain when their taxes go up. Wake up people, Chicago is broke, Chicago is the poorest and the most cash strapped of all cities competing. You want the games,yeh just tell us how u intend to pay for it. Thank you god for not bringing the 3 weeks circus to the city.

  89. CAN YOU CITE YOUR SOURCE!!! I KNOW IM RIGHT BUT YOU FIRST BECAUSE I DONT WANT TO DO WORK, LOL!!!

    WHY ARE CITIES BIDDING IF THEY LOSE BILLIONS THINK ABOUT IT!!!

  90. Wow! Some of you think No Games Chicago is the all-powerful factor in the IOC decision.
    Watch and compare the actual bid presentations by Rio and Chicago (I have not looked at Tokyo and Madrid yet) But Rio’s was way better done and more persuasive on the points that matter to the IOC. Here are the links for those of you who are more logical.

    For Chicago here’s the link.
    http://www.nbcchicago.com/station/as-seen-on/Watch_Chicago_s_2016_Olympic_Presentation_Chicago.html

    and the other city presentations are at “around the rings”

    http://www.aroundtherings.com/

  91. If No Games Chicago had anything to do with this, I as a taxpayer in Chicago, sincerely thank them!

  92. next lets end the TIFs

    Time to change the TIF laws and crack open Daley’s humungous piggy bank filled with $500 million dollars of tax money EVERY YEAR.

    Once the TIF dough is spent to actually fix the blight in the neighborhoods, Chicago will be better for the residents outside of Daley’s fortress of flowerplanters.

    Oh yes and the SSAs (TIF LITE) need to be cracked open

  93. next lets end the TIFs

    Time to change the TIF laws and crack open Daley’s humungous piggy bank filled with $500 million dollars of tax money EVERY YEAR.

    Once the TIF dough is spent to actually fix the blight in the neighborhoods, Chicago will be better for the residents outside of Daley’s fortress of flowerplanters.

    Oh yes and the SSAs (TIF LITE) need to be cracked open

  94. next lets end the TIFs

    Time to change the TIF laws and crack open Daley’s humungous piggy bank filled with $500 million dollars of tax money EVERY YEAR.

    Once the TIF dough is spent to actually fix the blight in the neighborhoods, Chicago will be better for the residents outside of Daley’s fortress of flowerplanters.

    Oh yes and the SSAs (TIF LITE) need to be cracked open

  95. That TIF slush fund is huge by now. Let’s use it to build a rocket to send Bush 2 to Mars on a one-way flight. And charge him for any luggage, as that needs added fuel. Let Bush 2 become the Governor of Mars! And send Daley on a second such flight.

  96. I love the Olympics. I love the USA. I love Chicago, the city and its people, and I’m very happy Chicago did not win the Olympic bid.

    I will be cheering on our proud US athletes at the Rio games in 2012!

    Chin up, Chicagoans. You live in a beautiful city, you do not need the Olympics to validate yourselves, unlike Rio.

    U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

  97. I said that once, and I will say this again!

    NGC, you think that corruption is big in the Windy City! SO thanks, you just opened an avenue in Brazil! I know you just don’t care, this is so… well american…

    Anyway, enjoy the rest of your crisis…

  98. Most of you are surprisingly inarticulate. Anybody ever heard of spell check? Ever heard of proofreading?

  99. For those people that want the 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago do not blame NoGamesChicago for losing the bid. Chicago has has a lot of problems already from the budget deficit, crime, pothole, unemployment, etc.

    Chicago lost because their presentation is poorly organized, all over the place & no Plan B if there is a financial shortfall. Even though Obama is president, there will still be anti-US sentiment Democratic or Republican president across the globe. It goes to show that Obama & Daley are immune to vunerabilities to be defeated. They can’t get whatever they want.

    Tokyo’s presentation is better than Chicago even though they never won because they have a financial backup in case they go over budget. Also, the existing sporting venues can be used. They have a good transportation system similar to Los Angeles.

    Rio won because their presentation is compelling, emotional & passionate that they hit all the right notes. Cities in Europe, North America, Australia & Asia have hosted the Olympics in the past that they want South America to host the Olympics in which they never hosted. This will only leaves Africa as the only continent not hosting the Olympics.

  100. I empathize with those who wanted the games and now need a scapegoat for the bid’s failure. What they neglect to acknowledge is that despite all of Chicago 2016’s promises, it was a committee of millionaires making vague promises that flew in the face of all existing evidence from past games and the record of the current leadership of the city.

    This was a group that pushed propaganda on to school children through required pro-olympic lessons.

    There is no budget crisis in schools. The city budget crisis is a result of corruption. Tossing another couple of billion dollars to that corrupt machine was not going to solve anything.

    I respect the anguish of those who were planning to blow the thousands of dollars on event tickets, but let’s face it, that’s an opportunity that most Chicago residents wouldn’t have had–especially those who homes would be destroyed to make way for the games.

  101. A minor correction: This leaves Africa AND Antarctica as the only continents to not yet have the Steroid Developers’ Convention.

    1. Been asking around and my small sample thinks Capetown will be the first site for the SDC on the African continent.

      Want to make the T-shirts.

  102. It’s too cold for Antarctica to host the Olympics, LOL. If World Cup 2010 in South Africa becomes a success next year, it is likely that country will bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Cape Town made bids in 2004 & 2012 but didn’t make it to the next round. I hope 2020 Summer Olympics bid goes to Cape Town, South Africa.

  103. good job no games chicago! we have to now organize and move the city in the direction it should go and not let corporate and civic people ruin the city. i’m so sick of elected officials listening to old grey headed elitist who care nothing of the working class people who really make this city prosper. hopefully oprah and the obama’s learned their lesson. just because you are famous, people should not kiss your little rear end!

  104. If indeed we citizens who opposed the games had anything to do Chicago’s “loss”, I’m glad of it. I believe that the strong opposition to the games among the citizens was a major factor in torpedoing our bid.

    I find it unbelievable that reasonably literate and informed people could believe that the city and its citizens stood to reap any economic benefit from this event, which has cost the public billions of dollars and caused displacement and disruption everywhere it is held. London’s organizers are sorry they ever bid the games, and so are those in many other host cities, where the cost overruns have saddled local taxpayers with bills that will take decades to pay down.

    Any economic benefits to be realized would have accrued to cronies who stood to reap the business benefits of the games, while we would have faced steeper taxes and reduced services in return for a few dedicated infrastructure projects that were distinctly NOT the ones we need. Even Mitt Romney, a games supporter and chairman of the Salt Lake City Games Committee, admitted publicly that there were no economic benefits to be realized, and that you would host the games only for “patriotic” reasons.

    Chicago has so much going for it as a city that an event like this would only be a costly and disruptive distraction that would deprive citizens of access to many of the city’s sports and cultural venues, while most people could not afford to attend the events themselves.

    There’s more to building an economy than big Disneyland spectacles. Instead of mourning the loss of an event that would have cost the taxpayers a minum of $4 Billion, we should be wondering why the Toyota plant that would have brought thousands of permanent, high-paying jobs to this former industrial powerhouse of a city, went to a tiny hamlet in Southern Indiana instead of to Chicago. We should wonder the only way businesses will build here is if they get a monster tax subsidy.

    Let’s now set to work making Chicago a fertile field for the type of industries that made this city great and wealthy and a land of opportunity for people at every socio-economic level. That would mean leveling the playing field for all legitimate businesses, small and large, and removing obstructions.

  105. YEA let’s give money to schools AWWWWWWW!!! Umm where you going to get that money, only schhols that make profit are colleges!

    Let’s not have the games, World Cup, Football, Soccer, Baseball , Racing or Hockey!!! Um you need stadiums to built them but no one want to pay taxes? There goes construction jobs, vendors, hotels, tourism, revenue from sports!

    You PEOPLE are really STUPID! You have to spend money to make profit. Money ain’t free, you spend money to make money profiting from tourism, food sale, clothes, taxes, hotel occupied, revenue from events.

    Go take economy class and financial class. You think more money will go to school now the games are coming, YEA RIGHT!

    IDIOTS!

    1. Jimmy take a hike! The olympics would have been a disaster and Daley can’t be in charge of such a large money windfall without corruption and back room deals. The IOC awarded the games to Rio because they had a better bid, that’s it! We lost and that’s a good deal for tax payers in Chicago.

  106. I forgot to note that the USOC & IOC have unresolved issues from revenue sharing & what TV networks have rights to broadcast the games.

  107. Government spending and tax-payer-financed boondoggles do NOT equal “economic development”.

    And they certainly are not free enterprise.

    The ticket to rebuilding Chicago’s economy for sustainability and equal opportunity for all legitimate enterprises is to level the playing field for all legitimate businesses, large and small. A successful economy is comprised of many networks of small and large businesses that are created by individual initiative and investment, and build layer by layer upon each other to create a dense, deep fabric of enterprises of every type, that serve the needs of the community at every level.

    This is not accomplished by government-sponsored “private/government” partnerships, or by any other top-heavy, top-down government program.

    It is done by creating a business climate that is free, low-cost, and favorable to all honest, legitimate enterprises. The role of the government is to remove obstructions, maintain law and order, and maintain the infrastructure.
    ‘
    It is not accomplished by government subsidies of some businesses, whether a mega-athletic event or a $37M subsidy to a failing airline to occupy a half-empty office building, or a $4M TIF subsidy to a big box store, for these “gimmes” to chosen winners come at the expense of the taxpayers, notably small businesses that pay their way, don’t get government props and handouts, and are destroyed to pay for this crap.

    All the Olympics would have accomplished would be to occasion monster misallocation of tax monies into infrastructure we don’t need at the expense of that which is badly needed, as well as displacement of thousands of local residents and the destruction of many parks. Still more tax money would have been diverted to providing the heavy security this event would need, at the expense of the policing of our neighborhoods.

    As for jobs, the number of jobs that would be generated is not only grossly inflated, but would be offset by the number of people from other localities who would fill them.

    Any business that has to be subsidized is not worth attracting. The whole point is to have businesses that pay their way and make a net contribution, not those that are subsidized at the expense of the local community. It’s species to speak of profits that will accrue only to crony businesses at the expense of the taxpayers who will bear the costs.

  108. For those of you who don’t know & aren’t keeping with the Olympic events. Here are the Olympic events, both summer & winter, in chronological order on the 1st half of the next decade:
    2010 Winter – Vancouver, Canada
    2012 Summer – London, UK
    2014 Winter – Sochi, Russia
    2016 Summer – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  109. You should economically support the six who were arrested in Daley Plaza! They are facing trumped up felony charges and need everyone’s support!!!

    1. I would never support such idiots! They did that to themselves, and accomplished nothing! I am sad that my tax dollars will be supporting them while they serve their well-deserved time.

  110. It’s all about reading between the lines folks. Pat Ryan and Mayor Daley are just as convincing as say, used lemon car salesmen. They make the olympics sound so fun and appealing and nice, but underneath all the pomp and frills, there’s the ugly truth of corruption, higher taxes, gentrification, and misappropriation of public funds that come along with it.

  111. It’s obvious, IOC wants Rio as the 1st in South America to host the games, not Chicago, Tokyo or Madrid. All 3 continents hosted Olympics games in the past that it’s their turn to hold the event in South America.

  112. If “No Games Chicago” is planning on tackling many of the issues they deemed important,they should change their name to”No Excuses Chicago”.

  113. Well, I guess we now see what “No Games Chicago’s” role will be in improving Chicago. Absolutely nothing at all. It’s now been nearly 10 days since the decision and absolutely no updates since then. You’ve all proven that you don’t give a damn about Chicago, only about pissing on everyone else’s parade. Thanks for thumbing your noses at all the revenue that would have come Chicago’s way with the Olympic Games that will never make it here now.

  114. America and Chicago will be better off for not hosting this expensive, self-gratifying spectacle. If Daley can’t keep the city in the black as it is, the Olympics would have definitely been too much for him to cope with.

  115. Brian,
    NGC has met four times since our Copenhagen delegation returned at the beginning of last week.

    We achieved the original stated goal of the group.

    There will be NO 2016 GAMES held in Chicago!

    A huge disaster was averted.

    The Olympic asteroid will not demolish Chicago.

    Its okay for NGC to take some time to decide what it will or won’t do next.

    So, chill Brian and stay tuned!

    1. Reality, where are the updates to the website to advise on the content of these meetings? Where are the updates to even show these meetings were happening? Or were these really just celebratory drink fests to kick dirt on the Chicago 2016 bid? Those of us who supported the bid felt all along that “No Games Chicago” had absolutely no interest in improving Chicago…so now you’re saying that the only goal of NGC was to submarine the bid at all costs, and MAYBE you’ll think about doing something constructive? Lord knows that if Chicago had won the bid, you’d be blogging constantly about anything negative that came from the preparations, so why shouldn’t I hold your feet to the fire to show why NOT hosting the Olympics was the best thing for Chicago?

      The Olympics Asteroid? Please. Name one city that has disappeared off the map because they held the Olympics. Actually, don’t even try because there isn’t one, and Chicago would not have become the first. The use of apocalyptic imagery to describe the Olympics is ridiculous, and an illustration that your group was never really grounded in reality. Those of us who deal in reality knew that having the Olympics here would have been a great thing.

      Here’s hoping that your group gets to stay alive for the next four years while Chicago gives it another shot for 2020.

      1. The one thing that really irked about NGC was their hyperbolic picture of the Olympics becoming the cataclysmic event that destroys all of Chicago. This tactic of spreading hysterical fears of doomsday is far from depicting a realistic situation, and I am positive NGC is aware of this.

        I, however, am not as optimistic as Brain that the Olympics would have been a good thing for Chicago. The way the plans were worked out, it would have inconvenienced most working-class Chicagoians, i.e. destruction of public parks, gentrification, etc. (But, we must realize it is not a good thing for Rio either! Congratulations for taking part in deflecting miss fortune to another city NGC!)

        But the point is this: NGC was so bogged down on painting propagandist pictures of “King” Daley’s ruthless crusade that, through all their publications and public out cry’s, they said nothing about how Chicagoians could *make* the Olympics benefit them. No positive program whatsoever besides the wishy-washy call for better schools, trains, housing, etc. They held this call more as a *value* rather than a *political* goal to achieve.

        If NGC truely wanted to change Chicago for the better, they should have dropped the hysterical response to the Olympics–which, indeed, was never the real problem to begin with, but the priorites of the government officials and docility of Chicagoans–and worked instead to make positive change beyond such a temporary issue.

        To be sure, it would have taken much more than rallying up a hodgepodge group of disparate citizens–in my view, where the real potential lies is in labor organizing. But for whatever reason, they seem to be against such an act, or have not investigated it substantially.

        The problems in Chicago are far from being solved, and there is really no greater force fighting for real change to happen. Did NGC push a progressive force forward? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. I still have to say that I am extremely disappointed that they have not taken any concern at all for the problems Rio will be facing in the future. Whatever happened to the concern about the Olympics in the world? Now that the Olympics has been dropped off the map entirely, it is clear that NGC is an *opportunist* group par excellence.

        They try to tell me they are not NIMBY’s, but what they do speaks louder than what they say.

        Good luck with your “fight” however, and good luck to Mr. Tresser in his candidacy. (At least this group of folk are more concerned with *some* peoples’ welfare than Daley and his cronies–who do not care about anyone at all).

      2. Chris,

        You seem to make blanket statements about No Games Chicago without any idea what people involved may think. It’s good to see that you have more than an hour to compose a comment online. If you knew people in No Games Chicago and understood where we (individually) are coming from, you’d probably feel badly about what you wrote.

      3. Chicago Fan, I don’t think that Chris would feel badly about what he wrote at all. I thought his post was well thought out and well written. Who cares how long he took to write it? Does that make the words any less true? Not really. NGC was the ultimate display of NIMBYism. This group was only interested in presenting false apocalyptic visions in an effort to stop the Olympics from coming to Chicago. They had vague talking points about how Chicago needs better schools or better health care or less crime, but absolutely no plan whatsoever to get to those goals. And now that the Olympics are gone, they’re gone as well, and the city of Chicago is the same as it was before they showed up. They have no intention of changing that either.

      4. Brian, I did not address you in my comment. I have no interest in responding to your comments at this time. You seem to want to believe whatever you wish. You do not want to discuss a topic, besides. You seem to want someone to tell you that you are right, which I will not do.

      5. Chicago Fan,

        I find it funny that with my well thought out criticisms (which, by the way, is a rare occurrence on your blog postings), you always find a way to evade my basic points. –Oh, how much you have clarified about NGC by posturing over how long I spent typing out a response! (For the record, it probably it took me 15 min..)

        Why is that I tend to criticize NGC for the same points over and over? –Because no one ever adequately addresses them!

        And please, give me one good reason why I should feel bad!

        There is a reason why criticize NGC as a whole–because it is an organization as a whole.

        A group of folk came together with a certain means to obtain an end. Hence, there is a line you all followed. And this line is simply this: negate the Olympics in Chicago, and drop the issue entirely once the games have been deflected from Chicago. To me, using the issue of the Olympics–which effects everyone around the world–and then debarring your political concerns to solely Chicago proper once it is not longer “your” concern is opportunist.

        And there may be some people that I’d agree with that are part of NGC. But then why did they not speak up when Chicagoans for Rio was posted? Why was there no conflict over the rhetoric over “sending the games elsewhere?” Why does it seem NGC is transforming to back Tresser’s political endeavors when you ostensibly claim to not hold any political party affiliates?

        If NGC are not NIMBYS–as *you* claim–than why does it look like it is the opposite on all NGC’s sources, announcements, and publications?

        I am basing my criticism on what I see come out of NGC as an *entity*–which it surely is; I am not interested in criticizing the individuals who take part in the organization stances. Once NGC as a *whole* takes these issues up, than maybe I will have nothing left to say.

        I am not intending to hurt peoples feelings–which you seemed to be confused by. My intentions are *political*. I want to see NGC improve *politically*. If your feeling are hurt, than you are in the wrong “game”, my friend.

  116. As I have stated before,reducing crime will attract jobs and increase property values.We can still do that.

  117. Those people who wants Chicago to win the Olympics are a bunch of narrow-minded, ignorant, bigots. All the US care about is money.

    Brazil’s economy is doing a lot better than the US. They are able to afford & bring international musicians to concert venues like Madonna & U2. It’s time that the Olympics host a new venue on a new continent.

    No US cities will bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Only 3 cities: Annecy (France), Munich (Germany) & PyeongChang (South Korea). My prediction will likely go to PyeongChang since they had failed bid attempts 2 times (2010 Vancouver & 2014 Sochi) + Munich (#2) & Annecy (#3).

    I hope Cape Town bids for the 2020 Summer Olympics & win like Rio. I hope the World Cup 2010 in South Africa becomes a success next year.

    After that, cities that hasn’t hosted the Olympics for a long time will be rebidding like Athens. Athens should have had 1996 instead it happened in 2004. Likely future Summer games will be as follows: Paris (2024), Asian city or Buenos Aires (2028).

    If a Summer Olympics ever come to the US, it would be the (100th) centennial anniversary Olympics Los Angeles (2032).

    I think will take a long time for the US to host the Olympics. 1996 Atlanta was heavily commercialize & 2002 Salt Lake City had bribery (vote-buying) scandal. The USOC needs to overhaul, reorganize + stop being arrogant & egotistic.

    1. Pardon me Rio? I don’t think wanting to have the Olympics in Chicago makes me a bigot in ANY way shape or form, and I think any reasonably sane person would agree with me. Even those in NGC. If you truly believe that, perhaps I’m wasting my time responding to you.

      Not sure about your statement that the United States is only about money. The whole world is driven by money, and Rio is no exception. The economy in the United States might be a little down right now, but we’re still doing ok. Your boasting about U2 and Madonna is a little ridiculous. U2 just played two sold out shows in Chicago at Soldier Field, and I’m pretty sure Madonna has been here recently. There’s a constant stream of concerts and other events in Chicago, and the Olympics would have been the biggest draw of them all, so I’m not sure what your point was.

      As for future Olympics, your projection leaves out one important fact. One that I really thought would have more impact on the vote for 2016. A LARGE portion of IOC revenue comes from broadcasting rights to show the Olympics on television in the United States. That contract is up for bid soon, and most analysts agreed that a Chicago 2016 Olympics would have increased the value of those rights by up to 20%. That means that with their vote, the IOC basically thumbed their noses at an extra $400 to $500 million they could have gotten from an American broadcaster. The mere fact that so much money for the IOC comes from the United States means that there will be a growing sense of urgency to send the games back to the United States soon because if they keep screwing the United States long enough, our citizens stop watching the Olympics and the broadcasting rights drop in value. No organization is dumb enough to shoot themselves in the foot like that, and if they are they don’t deserve to survive.

      Anyway, you need to drop your ridiculous stance that Chicago Olympic supporters are bigots. Are you an bigot towards Americans because you wanted the games in Rio?

  118. There’s a growing sense around the globe that people are tired of seeing the US dominate the world from politics, economy, sports, etc. Yet, they couldn’t take a stand against fixing & improving global-related issues like pollution, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, ozone depletion, saving endangered forests, plants & animals, etc.

    My point regarding concert venues is that if they can afford big ticket items like U2 & Madonna they can sure host the Olympics.

    The world maybe driven to money, but the US is #1 & they’re over-commercialize. Sporting venues have corporate names. In Europe, sporting venues are named after a holiday or deceased person, a hero, who made big achievements in their country or world.

    No, I’m not a bigot. The Chicago & Madrid delegation are labeled to be bigots because majority of the Olympic committee, both USOC & IOC, are Caucasian or Europeans. I think the IOC needs more minority representatives from Mexico all the way down to South America, Africa & Asia.

  119. I’ve lived in the South Side my whole life. I couldn’t care less about the games themselves. But for getting the rest of the world to take a look at Chicago as something besides Obama, the Bulls and Al Capone? (Yes, I’ve been abroad during college, and that’s the 3 things I get.) When will we ever get that chance again? These suburbanites who could let us South Siders rot– Don’t complain about TIFs. At least those can keep money in the local area; you divert one dollar from DuPage to a Chicago school and watch them squeal. At least maybe the CTA could finally get some decent funding if we were chosen, and the nation might actually think of us again. After all, even though we have Barack now, people -do- remember Blago. And these stains on our city won’t go away and suddenly make things shiny and nice, despite the collar counties’ heads in the sand.

  121. Tokyo is a lot better than Chicago. They have a good transportation system, less crime & clean environment. I want Tokyo to win, since they hosted the 1964 Summer games. Oh well, maybe next time.

    Everywhere you go there’s crime, nobody’s perfect. When London was awarded the 2012 Summer games, 7/7/05 was their version of 9/11. Double-decker bus was blown-up & subway car + station exploded killing innocent people. Rio’s downfall is crime. They need to put that on their high priority between now until after the Olympics as well. If that becomes a disaster, that will likely be the 1st & last Olympics in South America for a long time.

  122. Trust me when I say that the Games are just bankruptcy inducing nonsense that won’t do anything for the Windy City. You guys dodged a bullet-be glad that you did.

  124. Brian, it only proves that unlike some people, those who were involved in No Games Chicago have a life.

  125. Chicago Fan, I agree. Brian, plus, other people that want the Olympics in Chicago, needs to get a life & move on. Chicago is static, New York City & Los Angeles isn’t.

  126. Brian, Get a life.

    No Games was a coalition of people and groups working toward one major goal. NO GAMES! We won. There will be no Chicago 2016 Games.

    Members of the coalition are working on other initiatives now. And one of the strategist’s and spokesperson for No Games, Tom Tresser, is now running for Cook County Board.

    1. Please. No life? Grow up and stop using third grade excuses. I have a job and a life just like everyone else on this board. You guys dropped everything on the premise of “protecting and improving” Chicago prior to the Olympics, so why now are your lives getting in the way? In the end the group disintegrated just as quickly as they arrived. More proof that the people involved had absolutely no plan or even an idea of how to improve Chicago. What is wrong with holding someone accountable for their positions? So, in closing, thanks for finally getting around to reading your e-mails and publishing the results of your surveys…three months later! I expect no action from this group in the future whatsoever. You should probably stop patting yourselves on the backs for being such great activists, because you’ve accomplished absolutely nothing. If personally attacking me as having “no life” makes you feel better about your lack of action, so be it, but it’s far from the truth.

  127. Thank you, reality check. I used to live in Chicago but now live in Los Angeles. There was a time in the past that I lived in New York City as well, too. Your city needs to vote out Mayor Daley, Todd Stroger & other corrupt officials in your city that I used to live in.

    Chicago has the highest sales tax of 10.25%. While, Los Angeles is 2nd with 9.75% & New York City is 3rd with 8.875%. There’s corruption in Los Angeles & also New York City, too. At least, the people can vote out leaders who are not performing their tasks & put new faces in public office that people elected in the 1st place.

    Your city needs to elect new faces in public office & vote out those crooked politicians who are not doing their jobs.

    Speaking of Chicago, now that Oprah is leaving her talk show in September 2011, I’m sensing she will relocate to Los Angeles like Phil Jackson or move to New York City like the Clintons. After all, Hillary is from the Windy City.

    Chicago has been a lackluster city. Los Angeles had an earthquake in 1994, while the Twin Towers was attacked by terrorist in Manhattan on 9/11. I remember New York City was the 2nd city eliminated on the 2012 Summer Olympic bid that London won 4 years ago. I moved on even though I want the Olympics to land in the Big Apple. New York City will have the Olympics, eventually, but not in my lifetime.

    Both NYC & L.A. are dynamic & growing small in this tough economic period. Chicago needs to follow the footsteps of NYC & LA.

  129. How can we get the demolition of the Gropius buildings at Michael Reese stopped? Imagine the city council voting to stop the demolition and thereby saving Chicago from becoming a worldclass laughingstock for destroying the works of the founder of the Bauhaus.

  131. For those of you who still check out the site.
    This just in…

    BBC NEWS
    (photo at LINK)
    12/16/2009

    Everett would ‘cancel’ Olympics
    by Kev Geoghegan
    BBC News reporter
    Actor Rupert Everett says if he had the power, he would ‘”cancel” the London Olympics in 2012.

    Everett, 50, told the BBC he thought the event would turn into “a very expensive disaster” for the capital.
    His comments came after Dame Judi Dench expressed concerns that British theatre funding was being siphoned off, to the tune of £100m, to pay for the event.
    Everett is currently starring in the new St Trinian’s film, The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold.
    “If I was King, I would cancel the Olympics tomorrow,” the actor said.
    “I don’t like the Olympics anyway,” he added, “I don’t think they’re very sporting and I think London is already dysfunctional enough as it is.”

    “Disaster”
    In an interview with the Times newspaper last week, Dame Judi said she was “concerned that they’ve taken a lot of the subsidy to the arts away for the Olympics”.
    The Oscar-winner called for funding to be ring-fenced, saying she “mourned” the loss of a number of repertory companies.
    In April 2007, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced that the Arts Council England would lose out on more than £100m of its anticipated funding over the next four years to help pay for the London Olympics in 2012.
    “I just think it’s going to be a disaster, a very expensive disaster,” said Everett.

    St Trinian’s: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold opens in the UK on Friday.
    Story from BBC NEWS:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/8414530.stm

    Published: 2009/12/16 10:42:28 GMT

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