Support Kickstarter Project, “The Olympic City”

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/586262941/the-olympic-city/widget/video.html

The Olympic City is a photography project by Jon Pack and Gary Hustwit that looks at the legacy of the Olympic Games in former host cities around the world. Hosting the Olympics has become a way for a city to show itself off on an international stage and generate toursim dollars, and cities spend millions or billions for the privilege. But after the events are over, the medals have been handed out, and the torch is extinguished, what’s next? What happens to a city after the Olympics are gone?

In The Olympic City, we’re documenting the successes and failures, the forgotten remnants and ghosts of the Olympic spectacle. Some former Olympic sites are retrofitted and used in ways that belie their grand beginnings; turned into prisons, housing, malls, gyms, churches. Others sit unused for decades and become tragic time capsules, examples of misguided planning and broken promises of the benefits that the Games would bring. We’re interested in these disparate ideas — decay and rebirth — and how each site seems to have gone one way or the other, either by choice or circumstance. We’re equally interested in the lives of the people whose neighborhoods have been transformed by Olympic development. Click here to support this project.

Support Ongoing Efforts Of Citizen Journalism, Fighting Privatization

The No Games Chciago volunteers dug deep into their own pockets to fight the bid. Many of us continue to work for the public good. Tom Tresser is working to expose the Tax Increment Finance Program as another huge give-away that transfers the wealth of the many into the pockets of the few. Will you help support this work? Click here to contribute. These gifts are NOT deductible, but they ARE appreciated and they will help finance the work of The TIF Report.

No Games Honored As “Protrector of the Environment”

On April 30, 2011 No Games Chicago was honored by the Chicago Audubon Society as a Protector of the Environment for our work on stopping the 2016 Olympics from coming here.

“Congratulations! The Chicago Audubon Society has just selected the recipients of its Biennial Environmental Awards. I am very pleased to tell you that “No Games Chicago’ was chosen to receive the award for “Protector of the Environment” This reflects the fact that our Board of Directors was very thankful for your work against bringing the 2016 Olympic games to Chicago, since an Olympics here would have created a number of difficulties for both parkland and other area open space, and the wildlife and birds using those habitats, for many years.”

Tom Tresser  accepted the award on behalf of all the volunteers who worked to make No Games Chicago effective and successful.

No Games Nominated for “Most Valuable Campaign”

The No Games Chicago campaign was nominated for “Most Valuable Campaign” for Roots Camp and The New Organizing Institute. The winners will be announced in mid-December.

Chicago NOT Awarded The 2016 Olympics – What Now?

Listen to President Rogge announce the vote.

Chicago has not been awarded the 2016 Olympics. No Games Chicago thinks is a very good decision for the people of Chicago. But what happens now? The mayor has been quoted as saying he has “nothing up his sleeve” with regards to economic development for the future of the city. Representatives of the 2016 Committee said on many occasions at public meetings that this was THE plan for jobs and prosperity for our future. There appears to be no Plan B.

What now?

No Games Chicago helped turn back a bad plan for our future. Should we stay around to help build a better plan?

Please answer the questions on our brief survey to tell us what role, if any, a group like our might play in helping to create a city where all prosper in health and security.

What ideas do YOU have for our city’s future economic development?

Lastly, we ask you to share your contact information with us so we might work together to make that vision become a reality.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO ANSWER OUR BRIEF THREE-QUESTION SURVEY.

Copenhagen Update #3

Copenhagen Update #2

Copenhagen Update #1

We spare no expense to update Chicago on what we’re doing! Seriously, Copenhagen has been flooded with olice, security and Secret Service agents. Everyone here is excited about Oprah, Michelle Obama or Pele. We still like to think that our presence is making a difference…

Live From Copenhagen!

No Games Chicago is in Copenhagen! The same team that went to Lausanne, Switzerland in June is now in Copenhagen. Our goal remains the same – to convince the International Olympic Committee that the 2016 Olympics for Chicago is the wrong project for the wrong city at the wrong time.

We;re still raising funds to pay for this trip – so please do use the PayPal button on the right!

Follow the news of our efforts on the “Live From Copenhagen” page on this web site!

The iconic mermaid of Copenhagen.

A Friend Sent Us This…

For No Games supporters an inspirational quote from the late great Molly Ivins:

“So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin’ ass and celebratin’ the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was. ”

See you at the rally at City Hall 5:30 today!