Reader Columnist: “Dear IOC…”

By Ben Joravsky, from today’s Chicago Reader, “One last argument for why Chicago doesn’t need, want, or deserve the games.”

It’s been almost six months since I last wrote to encourage you not to award Chicago the 2016 games. Back then, as you recall, I was welcoming some of you to town for your official visit. Now, of course, you’re in Copenhagen, preparing to announce on October 2 which city they’ll be held in—Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, or Rio.

I don’t want Chicago to “win” for the reasons I mentioned last time: we can’t afford the games, and they’ll tear up our parks. But let’s talk about your needs. I urge you, for your own sake: spare yourself the cost overruns, backroom deals, political wrangling, embarrassing scandals, and ugly headlines a Chicago Olympics would almost certainly bring you.

Let me explain.

Let him explain…

2016 Orders Anti-Bid News Report Cancelled

From the Drudge Report:

FOX-TV CHICAGO ORDERED NOT TO RUN ANTI-OLYMPICS STORY
Sun Sep 27 2009 21:56:11 ET

A local TV station that reported on Chicagoans NOT wanting the Olympics has been told NOT to run the report again, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT!

The Chicago Olympic Committee told FOX Chicago that its broadcast "would harm Chicago's chances" to be awarded the games. The station's news director ordered staff to hold fire after the report aired once last Thursday morning, claims a source.

Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio are mounting strong bids for the honor to host in 2016. The International Olympic Committee makes its decision on Friday. President Obama will lead the in-person push.

Watch the offending news report from Fox Chicago News.

Sportswriter for Nation Lays It Out – “No Games For Chicago!”

Watch this video where Nation magazine sports editor and columnist, Dave Zirin, lays out the history of the modern Olympics and explains why bringing the 2016 games to Chicago would be a disaster.

Nation Sports Writer: Olympics in Chicago Would Be “Obama’s Folly”

David Zirin is The Nation’s sports editor. He writes about Chicago’s bid in his September 22 column:

Recently Barack Obama criticized planned protests at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh because, as he knew from his Chicago days, “focusing on concrete, local, immediate issues that have an impact on people’s lives is what really makes a difference and…having protests about abstractions [such] as global capitalism or something, generally, is not really going to make much of a difference.”

Well, on September 29 at Chicago’s City Hall a protest will take place that will focus on a “concrete, local, immediate issue,” putting the protesters across the barricades from Barack and Michelle Obama as well as the all-powerful Democratic political machine of the city. The issue is the 2016 Olympic bid and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s political pact with the Obamas to see the Games come to the Windy City. Mayor Daley, rocking a 35 percent approval rating, says that the Games would be “a huge boost to our economy, raising it to a new level. The Games will help us recover sooner from the recession that still grips our nation and enable us to better compete in the global economy.”

There is only one problem with this argument: the history of the Olympic Games almost without exception brands it as a lie.

2016 Insurance Useless Says Crain’s

As reported in today’s Crain’s Chicago Business:

Mayor Richard M. Daley and Patrick Ryan assure Chicago taxpayers that a safety net of insurance would insulate them from the financial risks of hosting the 2016 Olympics.

But the insurance policies Mr. Ryan says he’ll secure would cover only about $1.1 billion of the $3.8-billion operating budget that the mayor’s Olympic point man has drawn up for the games. In many key areas, no insurer stands between taxpayers and the risk of revenue shortfalls or cost overruns.

For example, there’s no insurance against the risk that private lenders won’t shell out $1 billion to finance construction of the Olympic Village, as Messrs. Daley and Ryan predict they will. And there’s no coverage against shortfalls in corporate sponsorship sales, which they predict will rake in $1.8 billion, two-thirds more than London expects to collect for the 2012 games.

So, it’s official. Chicago’s premiere business publication has looked at the “insurance” and found huge holes. Guess who gets to fill those holes? JOIN US ON SEPTEMBER 29 AT CITY HALL, 5:30PM TO PROTEST THIS MESS!

Olympics The Chicago Way

From an essay by Steve Bartin in Newgeography.com:

Most American cities chose not to bid on the 2016 summer Olympics and with good reason. With the exception of the 1984 Los Angeles games, the Olympics has proved a big time money loser in city after city. More often than not, it has been staged more for the prestige – think of Berlin in 1936 or China in 2008 – it brings to regimes, particularly autocratic ones.

In Chicago, prestige is important, but graft is the real king. In Chicago, one of the most corrupt big cities, the Olympics represents, more than anything, a grand chance for a giant heist.

Economists have a technical term for profiting from the political process: it’s called rent-seeking. Chicago’s politically favored businesses, unions, and insiders with ties to Mayor Daley and Alderman Burke have perfected this activity. The Olympics just provide another opportunity to clean up at the public expense.  – read the full essay -

Longest Serving Alderman’s Son Gives “Top 10 Reasons Why Chicago Should Not Host Olympics”

Jay Stone is the son of Alderman Bernie Stone of the 50th Ward. Jay has created a web site, No Chicago Games, that outlines Chicago’s long history of political corruption.  He makes the case that President Obama should NOT endorse or support Mayor Daley in his fanatic quest to host the 2016 Olympics.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Chicago Shouldn’t Host the Olympics

1. President Obama should not reward Daley with his support for a Chicago Olympics because of the numerous crimes and civil rights violations that have occurred during Daley’s 29 year tenure as mayor and states attorney. Given the amount of corruption that has happened under Daley, it is absurd that President Obama or First Lady Michelle are even considering making a presentation on behalf of a Daley sponsored Chicago Olympics.

2. Daley planned and followed through on an unlawful hiring and election rigging system before Daley was sworn in as mayor. Daley is scheming to use Olympic contracts and contractors to further his political might just like Daley did before becoming mayor of Chicago. One election rigging scheme, shame on Daley. A second election rigging scheme, shame on us.

Read the rest of the reasons…

CTA Airs 2016 Propaganda

The CTA is now airing promotional spots for the 2016 bid on our buses!

To complain, call them at 312-664-7200 press 2, then press 4.

We called and the customer service representative told us that these new promos started yesterday and were paid for by the 2016 Committee.

In response to the question “Is this a new ad program – can anyone place audio ads on public transportation now?” We were told a representative of the CTA’s marketing department would call back. [Days later - no call.] Here’s their official e-mail response:

Thank you for your feedback. The CTA is airing messages in support of Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. The messages were produced and paid for by Chicago 2016. Adjustments have been made to decrease the volume of the announcements and ensure they do not preempt stop announcements and other information. If you notice ongoing technical issues, please send us the 4-digit bus number, and we will forward your information to our Bus Maintenance Department for testing and repair.

We appreciate your comments.
CTA FEEDBACK TEAM

Comment at Chicago Now.  Steve Chapman at the Chicago Tribune is pissed. Chicago Examiner – “Chicago’s CTA plays new role as political messenger.“

This is only the latest city agency turned over to the bid. The 2016 visuals are all over the airports. Our public schools were ordered to produce “Olympic Week” events that turned our children into props for the bid. Chicago police were assigned to all the 2016 community meetings – ofter two to four uniformed officers per event. Of course, our parks. lake front and harbors were turned over the 2016 Committee to do with as they please. Now we can’t even ride a bus without being subjected to the bid publicity swill.

From a No Games supporter (Sept 17):

I called and complained to CTA about the bus messages. The woman did tell me they have received many complaints and plan on eliminating the messages. I will also be sending you a check in the mail. You all have done a tremendous job with getting the word out and informing all those that will listen. I have also passed on to others. I support all your/our efforts 100% and ridding the city of this potential disaster, maybe we can rid ourselves of the mayor along the way!!!!

Chairman Burke Can’t Oversee 2016 – He’s In The Bag Big Time

So the City Council is set to sign the Mayor’s 2016 blank check and will give oversight of our taxes for the games to Alderman Ed Burke, Chairman of the City Council Finance Committee.

This clearly won’t work for Chicago’s taxpayers. The Alderman has so many conflict of interests representing firms that do business with the city that he has become a millionaire. He regularly uses the city government for his personal gain.

Although he chairs the Finance Committee which has a huge staff and multi-million dollar budget he hasn’t exercised oversight over anything that we can see, including the parking meeter rip off.  Crain’s Chicago ran a front page story titled “Amid Crisis, Where’s Ed?”

The council’s cursory review and quick approval of the $1.16-billion, 75-year parking-meter lease, designed to help fill a $469-million budget deficit, spurred some aldermen to call for a more-activist finance committee. Currently, the committee devotes much of its time to legal claims against the city, employee benefits issues and other routine matters.

The Crain’s report notes Mr. Burke’s ability to raise campaign contributions from firms that do business with the city.

He rakes in campaign contributions, some from companies like Bank of America Corp., CenterPoint Properties Trust, Commonwealth Edison Co. and Cole Taylor Bank that do business with the city and with Mr. Burke’s law firm. At last count, his campaign fund totaled $3.7 million — more than any other alderman’s. Among recent contributions was $3,000 from Patrick Ryan, the former Aon Corp. CEO who chairs the Chicago 2016 Olympics committee. In his latest disclosure statement filed with the city, Mr. Burke reported receiving at least $5,000 in 2008 from each of 31 law clients that also do business with the city. His firm, Klafter & Burke, is known for its work on property tax appeals.

Hold the phone! Patrick Ryan gave Burke $3,000?! Surely, THAT’S GOT TO BE a conflict of interest? But wait, there’s more. An examination of Burke’s 2008 “Statement of Financial Interest” reveals that the Alderman listed ten clients who are major donors to the 2016 Committee!

Bank of America, Chicago & N.E. Il District Council of Carpenters, Commonwealth Edison, Dominick’s, Harris Bank, MB Real Estate, Northern Trust Company, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, U.S. Equities Realty and William Wrigley Jr. Company are all clients of Mr. Burke and they or a related entity all made contributions of cash or service to the 2016 Committee. Exact amounts of donations are not listed on the 2016 reports, but these contributions are worth AT LEAST $1,000.000. Download our analysis of his conflicts.

No Games Chicago has always predicted that our aldermen would abandon their duty to protect taxpayer interests and go along with the Mayor’s Olympic blank check. With their placement of Alderman Burke at the helm of so called “oversight,” the sheep have sent the fox to watch the wolves.  Download our press release.

City Council Finance Committee Signs Blank Check – Ald. Burke Will Watch the Store

As reported online by the Chicago Sun-Times:

The City Council’s Finance Committee today set the stage to remove the single-biggest impediment to Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid — by authorizing Mayor Daley to sign a host-city contract that amounts to an open-ended guarantee from Chicago taxpayers.

Chicago’s reluctance to match the blank-check promise to cover Olympic losses made by Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro was the major criticism cited by the International Olympic Committee in an evaulation report issued last week.

Today’s Finance Committee vote signals the removal of that road-block. If, as expected, the full Council signs off on Wednesday, the about-face will be communicated directly to IOC members — through letters, phone calls and in-person — before the IOC’s Oct. 2 vote.

The ordinance guarantees that aldermen will have, what Corporation Counsel Mara Georges called “tremendous oversight” over Olympic spending and operations, as the Civic Federation has recommended.

Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th) and Budget Committee Chairman Carrie Austin (34th) will be ex-officio members of the Olympic Organizing Committee set to replace Chicago 2016 if the IOC chooses Chicago.

This is all going according to the Mayor’s wishes. Alderman Burke will keep a sure eye on the taxpayer’s money, so not to worry! Say wasn’t he busted today for spending our money to enhance his private property?

Alderman Burke has made millions representing clients who do business with the city.