Alderman Manny Flores of the First Ward introduced an ordinance at the June 29 City Council meeting that would limit the taxpayer’s exposure to the 2016 Olympics at $500 miillion. This has been called the Cap Ordinance. Download a copy of the bill.

No Games Chicago supports the Flores Cap Ordinance. Call your alderman and demand “No games! No Blank check!”

Here is the op-ed piece from Alderman Flores from Sunday’s Chicago Tribune:

No free check for the 2016 Summer Games

By Manny Flores – August 2, 2009

We will soon learn if Chicago receives the honor of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Winning the Games will be a testament to our city’s vitality and global leadership, and will offer an unparalleled opportunity for economic stimulus and community development. But these benefits will only be realized if we host a Games that respects community needs, is fully transparent in its contracting and hiring and is accountable to the citizens who will live with the Games’ infrastructure and financial legacy for coming decades.

Unfortunately, we’re not there yet.

At this late date, Chicago taxpayers have yet to receive information that is key to securing citywide support for the Games — a full accounting of Chicago 2016’s donors and expenditures, a plan that ensures an open and fair contracting process, detailed information about an insurance policy to protect Chicago taxpayers from cost overruns, and an independent third-party analysis of the proposed Olympics budget.

This information already exists. The technology to make it easily accessible also exists. And with only two months remaining before the host city is announced, it is time for the 2016 Committee to provide a greater degree of transparency and accountability by adopting these five principles:
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