As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times: As it has at times in recent weeks, a community meeting about Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics soon veered off into a heated discussion about other things. Affordable housing. Jobs. Crime. An upset Mark Carter, 35, stood in the audience and demanded that Mayor Daley’s Olympic …
As reported by ESPN.com: From Berlin – Patrick Ryan has traveled tens of thousands of miles, crisscrossed time zones and wandered through countless hotel lobbies — all in search of support for Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. With six weeks before the International Olympic Committee vote in Copenhagen on Oct. 2, Ryan and leaders …
In case you were wondering…
As reported in The Chicago Sun-Times: A guide for downtown growth through 2020 that calls for $15.6 billion in public works was endorsed Thursday by the Chicago Plan Commission. The Chicago Central Area Action Plan would allocate most of the spending for transportation projects. The most expensive would be a $6 billion West Loop transit …
National Taxpayers United of Illinois issued this statement today:
Without liability protection, a Chicago 2016 Olympics will put Illinois taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars, according to the president of Illinois’ largest taxpayer organization.
“Chicago submitted its bid details to the International Olympic Committee in February ballyhooing its financial strength, with organizers saying they have at least a 1 billion dollar safety net if the games exceed the estimated $4.8 billion price tag. They didn’t mention that they were putting Illinois taxpayers at risk for many billions of dollars,” said Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI).
“Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is pushing hard for the 2016 games and could end up pushing Illinois taxpayers over a cliff. He has stated that he will sign the standard Olympic host city contract, which includes the assumption of unlimited financial liability for the games.” Read the full press release
Founded in 1976, NTUI is the largest taxpayer organization in Illinois with over 30,000 members and affiliations with over 200 local taxpayer groups.
No Games organizer Tom Tresser makes a brief appearance on the radio and and discovers new allies!
The Council of Canadians is one of Canada’s largest public advocacy organizations. On July 21 they issued a statement on the 2010 Winter Games: We are concerned that the civil liberties of local communities and those who have a critique of the Games are being undermined by an unnecessary security presence. The security budget for …
Thanks to our friends at Chicago Clout… And the song has already made news! Sing Along: Same ol’ names makin’ headlines Same ol’ crew stealin’ from the kitty Slitherin’ snakes through departments of our city Mayor Richie Daley tells us wrong from right It’s hard to do when he’s on the next flight He’s hangin’ …
As reported by the Provocateur: Reporting from the 44th, 46th, and 48th Ward Olympics Community Meeting Now, I went to another one of these a couple weeks back. The difference was that this particular “town hall” was put on entirely by the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee. As such, this was something akin to a public …
He hasn’t asked for it, but we are awarding long-time political consultant and commentator Don Rose an honorary No Games Chicago membership for his August 17 column for the Daily Observer.
A few weeks back an old friend called to say he could get me $25,000 from Very Important People if I would “blog in favor of the Olympics.”
For those of you who may have been comatose in Central Waziristan for the past year or two, bringing the 2016 games to Chicago is something Mayor Daley wants more than oxygen itself.
“I am still agnostic on the Olympics,” say I.
This friend is indeed close to the mayor, but rarely actually represents him in such dealings. He is also
close to many wealthy developers.Through the years this friend, with whom I occasionally cooperate on a political project, has tried to lure me over to the Dark Side, suggesting that this Daley or the preceding one would welcome me with open arms if only I would endorse or work for such and such a candidate. My sense always is that he is free-lancing these offers of municipal largesse rather than being a direct emissary, but
I never know for sure because I never take him up on them.“Rose,” says this friend, “forget agnostic. You are now old enough to sell out and nobody would blame you. I’m talking about $25,000 cash, which is way more than you get for a lousy column.”
“Is this a firm offer?” ask I.
“I’ll go to those people and get back to you before you leave for Paris,” says he.
Of course I never hear back. I am apparently not as saleable a commodity as I once may have been.
It is clear, however, that the mayor and his business confederates are spending a lot of money as well as much political capital buying up the opposition–apparently even endorsing a sometimes reform
alderwoman for the presidency of the Cook County Board in exchange for her switching from anti- to pro-games.This is one of the reasons my agnosticism has morphed to antagonism. Daley Inc. just wants
this thing too much, which is always a dangerous sign. (Whether a firm offer of that 25-large would have swayed me in the other direction is something strictly between my shrink and me.)
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