Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Politics / Sports / Clout City I'm really not the only Olympics skeptic out there
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 07.21.09 at 04:25 PM
Interesting development in the coverage of Chicago's Olympics campaign in today's Tribune: the no-games crowd got about as much space as the pro-games crowd.
The Trib's account of last night's Olympics forum in Lakeview quoted Tom Tresser, one of the founders of No Games Chicago, on an equal footing with officials from the 2016 bid committee. The Trib even ran a picture of Tresser.
Over the last few months the No Games folks have had a hard time getting coverage in the mainstream press even though they've held rallies and flew Tresser and others to Switzerland in June to press their case to the International Olympic Committee.
In defense of the press, reporters have always had a hard time writing two-sided stories about Mayor Daley's Chicago—there's just not a whole lot of knowledgeable people willing to say anything critical on the record. A few years back you could count on one or two independent aldermen—maybe Joe Moore or Toni Preckwinkle—or a civic leader like Jacqueline Leavy of the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group.
But no aldermen have sharply questioned the mayor's Olympics plans, much less opposed them. And alas, in 2007 NCBG went out of business for lack of funding.
Maybe, just maybe, No Games Chicago can still fill the void.
Comments (8)
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I went to the forum. For me, the jaw dropper was when one of the 2016 folks (Doug Arnot, maybe, I'm not sure) said that the 80,000 seat stadium would be built in 2 years. Erma Tranter from Friends of the Parks jumped in to point out that the bid book said it would take 4 years.
His response: "We try to be honest in the bid book."
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It could be that the silent majority REALLY does want the games and few and far between miscreants like yourself are just spitting in the wind.
Take the "Land of Lincoln" off of State of Illinois license plates. Illinois has disgraced my name, my reputation, and my principles.
Abe Lincoln
A True Reformer, Not a dishonorable reformer like Mayor Daley or State Rep. John Fritchey
Well, I can tell you that it was daunting to come to the forum as a representative of No Games Chicago and find I was facing four senior staff from the 2016 Committee! I was told it was one person. But that's how they roll. The 2016 Committee has raised $40 million from the businesses that have large contracts with the city and $3 million from foundations who SHOULD be giving more to help our stressed out communities in this time of economic collapse. Despite the four talking heads from the 2016 Committee NO ONE answered the question of the financial guarantees demanded by the IOC and the billion dollar plus risk to Chicago taxpayers. It all comes down to trust. Who do you trust to tell you the truth about Chicago's finances and the risks we taxpayers face from the games?
Tom Tresser
http://www.nogameschicago.com
Maybe the finance questions that need to be answered comes from the state of the books of Pegasus Players, that Mr. Tresser ran into the ground during his stewardship. There are some still unresolved issues there aren't there Tom ?
My question is the purpose and value of the NOGames P.R. folderol now when the decision is already in the hands of the Olympics site selection committee and all the financial promises by the mayor have been inked. The site selection process is always politically influenced and most often corrupt. So raising Chicago corruption with the site selection committee was like waving a pork chop at a hungry wolf. Citing local protest? As a member of the site selection committee said in Geneva "There have been local protests against every Olympic bid ever made" except perhaps Athens 500 B.C. Greater community needs in Chicago for infrastructure improvements? Of course! that is why the Chicago bid is so pitiful. Unlike all other bids that are built around a bold community redevelopment project Chicago's bid is designed to pirate existing public resources for a few weeks of passing Olympic spotlight. The Chicago bid plants no trees, creates no new green open park space, redevelops no crime ridden blasted neighborhoods and only leaves the City taxpayers in greater debt. Every rival Olympic bid promises real civic improvements not Mayoral hot air. My prediction is that President Obama aside, the chicago bid has been a pipe dream from the start and the 2016 games will go to Rio or Barcelona where it will actually count for something,
"It could be that the silent majority REALLY does want the games and few and far between miscreants like yourself are just spitting in the wind."
Let's have a referendum and see.
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Chicago's 2016 Olympic Bid
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