Closer to reality

Remain skeptical, to the end

09/02/2009 10:00 PM

Editorial

2 Comments - Add Your Comment

We’ve spilled much ink on dead trees over the last several months over a hypothetical situation: the 2016 summer Olympics, which the city has pursued with the ardor of a teenager in love.

We’ve gone to the meetings, the city council sessions and heard the issues aired, hashed and rehashed, listened to the promises and reported what we found.

It was a very Chicago debate. Residents were angry about taxes, worried about the costs and skeptical the city (municipal government and the Olympic organizing committee are essentially one and the same, at this point) can deliver as promised. The cynicism comes after years of scandals large and small.

The game-changer in the debate occurred this summer, when the Daley Administration flip-flopped on the signing the standard host city contract, a document that places ultimate liability for unexpected costs with taxpayers.

Chicago 2016 quickly promised insurance policies would be bought to protect municipal coffers, and Pat Ryan put some meat on the bones of those promises Tuesday, detailing billions worth of insurance he claims will shield taxpayers.

And the Civic Federation essentially gave the Olympic plan a thumbs-up, though No Games Chicago, the group that has marshaled protests against an Olympics here, called the report riddled with conflicts of interest.

This debate has been hypothetical, up to now. It remains that way until Oct. 2. After that, should the International Olympic Committee, descend upon the Windy City, the mayor signs the dotted line. Residents are advised to remain skeptical.


2 Comments - Add Your Comment



By We need a new alderman from Pick your ward
Posted: 09/03/2009 7:54 PM

Tom, unfortunately our alderman is a hopeless lost cause. He takes money from developers when he says we won't, he backstabed a fellow alderman by supporting the Children's Museum Land Grab when he said he wouldn't, he supports spending TIF money so rich companies can move into the Sears Tower, he has a secret "council" that makes development decisions in private, and he put up a useless fence around a neighborhood park (land grab #2) after he said he wouldn't. He is totally untrustworthy!!!


By Tom Tresser from Lincoln Park
Posted: 09/03/2009 6:29 PM

The Chicago Tribune just released a poll showing 84% of people DO NOT want to pay for these games and only 47% even support pursuing the bid. You can read our analysis of the Civic Federation white wash here: http://nogames.wordpress.com/report. This has been a scam from beginning to the present. Call your alderman - "No games. No blank check."