Watch this video where Nation magazine sports editor and columnist, Dave Zirin, lays out the history of the modern Olympics and explains why bringing the 2016 games to Chicago would be a disaster.
Crain’s Chicago reports that anew independent study of the 2016 Olympic plan debunks their inflated claims of economic benefits. The new study, by Anderson Economic Group of Michigan, estimates the games would generate $4.4 billion in total economic impact. Download the report. Since the 2016 folks say the games will cost about $5 billion (No …
Anita Beaty directs the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless and she was in Atlanta for the run up the 1996 Olympics and has lived through the delivery and aftermath. She warns us not to believe the hype. Will you listen to her? You can also listen to and embed an audio player for …
In the Sun-Times, Mayor Daley says it would take an earthquake or a tornado to make us foot the bill for the 2016 games. “They have been very, very fiscally responsible in regards to their presentation. I really believe that. Unless … ,” Daley said without completing the sentence. Unless what? What would it take …
David Zirin is The Nation’s sports editor. He writes about Chicago’s bid in his September 22 column: Recently Barack Obama criticized planned protests at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh because, as he knew from his Chicago days, “focusing on concrete, local, immediate issues that have an impact on people’s lives is what really makes a …
From the Chicago League of Women Voters (published in the Chicago Tribune, September 20): The League of Women Voters of Chicago opposes the selection of Chicago as the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics. We do so in reliance on the principle of our organization that democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation …
As reported in today’s Crain’s Chicago Business: Mayor Richard M. Daley and Patrick Ryan assure Chicago taxpayers that a safety net of insurance would insulate them from the financial risks of hosting the 2016 Olympics. But the insurance policies Mr. Ryan says he’ll secure would cover only about $1.1 billion of the $3.8-billion operating budget …
From an essay by Steve Bartin in Newgeography.com: Most American cities chose not to bid on the 2016 summer Olympics and with good reason. With the exception of the 1984 Los Angeles games, the Olympics has proved a big time money loser in city after city. More often than not, it has been staged more …
The Chicago Reader reports on a study done by the European Tour Operators Association, that, despite claims by Olympic organizers, international tourism to host cities actually DECREASES after hosting the games. According to the ETOA, in fact, “there is no strong link” between hosting any sporting event and growth in tourism. “The audiences regularly cited …
This news clip shows the amazing events of Wednesday, September 16 when Mayor Daley went to the White House with his 2016 road show and the President spoke out for the bid and announced his wife would be going to Copenhagen on October 2 to lobby the IOC. Then the clip reports on the Mayor …