As reported in the Sun-Times:

Mayor Daley today accused unidentified media naysayers of trying to sandbag Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid by reporting testimony from people at neighborhood hearings who don’t want the Olympics.

“You’re against it. You were against Millennium Park. You were against 911. You were against Soldiers Field. You were against Meigs Field. What else were you against? You’re against a lot. But, that’s freedom of speech,” Daley said.

“Some people don’t want this. … That’s part of American democracy. They can stand up and say anything they want. … But, in the next five years, six years, tell me one [other] thing that can bring jobs and economic opportunities and, besides that, guarantee an investment by the federal government [of] billions of dollars in infrastructure. If you have something better, I’d love to see it.”

The media in Chicago, as most of the civic organizations we rely on to protect the public good, have been cheerleaders for the 2016 bid from Day One. Only now, as people realize the Mayor is going sign a blank check for Olympic expenses, are they beginning to ask the tough questions the media SHOULD HAVE been asking since Day One.

Here is the list of questions from students that a No Games organizer was given when he spoke at a north side high school on April 30:

CHICAGO PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WANT TO KNOW:

• Do you think the Olympics will benefit more than just the upper, wealthy class?
• According to the proposal, at what point is Chicago going to see the profits from the Olympics?
• How might the Olympics affect prices and goods and services in Chicago?
• Will the Olympics provide jobs for Chicagoans? For who and for how long?
• How does the city plan to pay for the Olympics without uses public dollars? (more…)