As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago has awarded contracts totaling $11.17 million to two politically connected firms for the demolition work on the Michael Resse Hospital site. Let’s see, $86 million to purchase, $11 million for demo work plus $1.3 million for site control plus tens of millions for clean-up. Can we now all …
Take a look at this ABC News investigative report of what happened when a city sewage line ruptured under a house in Chicago. Privatization of essential service, incompetence, bloated payrolls, unqualified inspectors and evasion all were unearthed in this report. Only the presence of the ABC news team brought the homeowners any hope of relief. Listen to what the frustrated homeowner has to say about the Olympics and what he would like to send the IOC…
With all the talk about the mysterious state of the 2016 Olympic bid’s finances, the Illinois CPA Society has published a very timely article, “Olympic Risk.” that looks at the costs and supposed benefits of the games. The author quotes No Games organizer Tom Tresser along with Dr. Will Jennings, a research fellow at the …
As reported in the Hyde Park Herald: Over 200 neighbors from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Wards packed the room at the South Shore Cultural Center on July 15. Many in the crowd were distrustful of the city and business interests which have backed the Olympic bid. “Oprah and all those people who gave …
Ben Joravsky chronicles the 2016 community meetings in The Chicago Reader: In a more perfect democracy, the campaign to host the 2016 Olympic Games would have been the subject of intense public scrutiny from the moment Mayor Daley proposed it three years ago. The financial projections would’ve been scrutinized by independent-minded aldermen and their whiz-kid …
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:
As reported by CBC News online: Vancouver taxpayers could be on the hook for as much as $875 million to complete the Olympic Athletes Village unless city council can reopen a loan given to the developer or find new financing. The city has been forking out money to keep construction going since New York-based hedge …
Check out these news clips that review some of the news surrounding the cost overruns relating tot the Vancouver 2010 games and the promises that were made to the citizens there. Vancouver taxpayers are being handing a billion dollar plus bill for the Olympic Village and other Olympic construction projects soared over budget. It COULD NOT happen in Chicago, right?
It was four against two as the 2016 Committee sent four senior members of their staff to squared off against No Games organizer Tom Tresser and Friends of the Parks President Erma Tranter at the Lake View Citizens’ Council Olympic forum Monday night. Tranter presented a number of thorny issues about the bid’s reliance on …