Couldn't our aldermen have managed at least one dissenting vote during Wednesday's vote on the Olympics?
Apparently not.
In a unanimous vote, the City Council authorized Mayor Daley to sign a host city contract that puts Chicago taxpayers on the financial hook for Olympic cost overruns.
The vote keeps Chicago in the running for the 2016 games with just three weeks to go before the International Olympic Committee chooses the host city.
The vote also tells the IOC that all of Chicago is behind the bid -- even if it's not true.
An entirely different City Council came to life this summer, pushing hard against the bid after Daley unilaterally agreed to sign the host city contract.
As a result, the Chicago 2016 bid committee added additional insurance to protect taxpayers, listened to residents in every ward of the city and agreed to fairly sweeping -- though incomplete -- oversight by the council.
The bid committee deserves credit for responding. The City Council deserves credit for finding a backbone.
But none of that sweeps aside the very legitimate fears about what the Olympics might
cost taxpayers.
And none of that warrants a unanimous vote.
This blog brought to you by the Sun-Times editorial board (click on names to read bios):
The aldermanic backbone was only that of a very few and momentary at best as evidenced by the unanimous cave in of the vote. We citizens are on the hook just as the IOC wants it. The IOC is not willing to take on any risk for its self which of course is why it is so high on their list of host city requirements prior to holding the vote. IOC is beholden to no one, no city, no state, no government, no country. NO ONE.
Yet, who ever is the bid "winner", a questionable term, is beholden, held hostage if you will, to the IOC and its governance of the games, not the "winners" own citizenry. At least not until after the fact, when of course "oversite" comes into play. In this instant, oversite becomes an oxymoron, even a lie, as there is no F.O.I.A..that applies. No FO.I.A. anywhere on this earth that applies to the IOC. None, Nada, Nunca, Zip. Oversite comes after the fact. The only party left holding the bag are the only ones not invited to the party, you and me, the taxpayers.
The IOC wants you to have all the liability, as does the Chicago City Council, Pat Ryan and his 2016 bid committee, Mayor Daley, the State of Illinois, and "Chicago politics lite" the Obama administration.
I have some questions that I can't believe no one in city council feels should be asked:
Does Pat Ryan - or do any of the 2016 bid committee members reside in the city? (No, Pat Ryan does not.)
Are the members of the bid committee willing to "Back the Bid" with their own cash? (As it is such a great thing?)
How much is the premium for this insurance policy they are buying to safeguard us, who is paying the premium, who sold the policy and is getting the commission, and what are the provisions of this policy?
If members of the committee and Daley are paying that premium from their own pockets, great - if not - this damn bid is ALREADY costing the taxpayers.
Sojourner and Laura seem better qualified to serve on City Council than our alderman. See, they just want the opportunity to party on our dimes, QUARTERS, millions.
I have yet to see that this mythical insurance has actually been purchased. In addition to Laura's questions, what's the deductible? Let me guess: $750 million that the city and state had previously pledged (clearly from their expansive reserves!)
What good is reporting and oversight when the city is still on the hook for gross overexpenditures, graft, corruption, etc. that Chicago is known for? (No, Mayor Daley, we don't need Al Capone to sully Chicago's image; current pols do just fine.) So they report, the aldermen feign indignation, and we pay the bills.
A bunch of fat cats get even fatter feeding at the publicly-funded Olympic trough while the schools, parks, libraries and other services for the people of the city continue to be chronically under-funded. This is Chicago, where the practice of shafting citizens for the benefit of the privileged and connected few has been raised to a high art form under the long reign of King Richard II.
alright now!i love what the city council did.they know a good thang when they see it like an olympics!
Something tells me that "sojourner", Laura or Suz, will never run for any elective office because it is much easier to be a Monday morning quarterback from the comfort of the cheap seats, instead of actually doing something.
When will Kate break a story about the sun-times gross financial mis-management into bankruptcy ?
I am in agreement with Suz; Sojourner and Laura need to run for aldermanic seats on the city council! It is so sad when some city employees are being laid off and others have to take cuts (benefits, holidays, and furlough days) supposedly to help the city budget while city jobs are taken by suburbanites who do not have to live in the city because the company they work for that got the city contract to fix street lights, paint stripes on the city streets, etc., is in the suburbs. So, our tax dollars are taken from the city and not spent in the city.
Every day I have to look at young Black men standing on the corners (some high school graduates and some dropouts) because they cannot find employment while I see young men from the suburbs laying brick, mixing concrete, erecting scaffolds, etc. And yes, I am bold. I ask these young men who I see working how old are they and where do they live. During the summer, the library downtown was having a facelift; not one Black man did I see on the scaffold. But every truck with a crew was from the suburbs.
And I know, Oprah, Michael Jordan, and other "big wigs" have come out for the olympics to come to Chicago, but Michael has Never lived in Chicago and Oprah had always lived DOWNTOWN! And she made the comment that Chicago is so clean. Hell, come to my neighborhood. If I do not clean the alley where I live, it does not get cleaned because taxpayers in the Black wards do not have a clue about city sweepers cleaning alleys also not just the streets because they do not see the sweepers in our alleys. But when I was a ward superintendent, I demanded the alleys be cleaned in the Ward I supervised. And maybe that is why I am not there anymore, but the culprits who got rid of me are all doing prison time.
I really would love for the olympics to come to Chicago, but the hard-working (poor) people of this town would be left out. Would they be able to take off from work or be able to afford a ticket to any of the events? Hell, no!
Until this city is really for All of the taxpayers, Chicago will never be "the city that works!"
Hey blokes, stop whinning. Chicago is one big ghetto and tourism is extremely high here with or without the olympics. alot ofpeople were not actively complaining in unisom about potholes until the media started reporting more of them. I am sorry to say it, but i dont think the tax payers have a choice on this one , thats why alot of residents are not even allowing themselves to get upset. People are not marching or throwing a tissy down at city hall, so the mayor could care less, its just like the parking meter fiasco- the millions are going toward a budget. So i wouldnt get my blood pressure up over it. At this point we should all be so-what thankful that if the city wins some of these poor people may get a job.I am from boston and chicago is a very much segregated city, hopefully this may change when all people of diverse countries ,states and even locals come together to work and give some employment, its a long shot butits a hope. ourhands are tied at this point, so look at it this way, if chicago loses the bid, then more city workers may lose another days pay as well as cuts will be rampant and more people will be out of work. Its a long shot with hopes of lowering the citys' budget but theres a upside and downside, with only one winner, and thats the unemployed if jobs are created to accomodate the olympics
City taxes will go up, services will decline, public education will continue to be poorly funded while required reforms are grossly overspent, City Hall's yes men will continue the running of the Machine, and the city's areas hosting the games look great in 2016.
I kind of figured taxpayers would be on the hook for the Olympics.
This is not a necessity and these politicians are treating taxpayers like we are their own personal piggybank. This is way out of control.
We are in a recession with people losing cars, jobs, homes, and the frivolous spending will not stop.
I have no interest in the Olympics, so why is someone like me being forced to pay, having this rammed down my throat.
My suggestion is charge an admission fee among other things to those who do want to see this event.
I don't understand something how can mayor daley and all the rest of the politicians of chicago feel we the tax payers can afford to keep paying for their little whims when ever they decide they continue to spend our money when ever they please. What is the purpose of the olympics comin to chicago who will benifit if the city do make revenue from the olympics will we the tax payers get to decide how its spent or will they come up with another plan like beautyfing chicago.
The writing on the wall for this was apparent several years ago... The multi-million dollar ad campaign, coupled with Daley's attitude and temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants pretty much ensured it. You know that the back-room deals extend well beyond the city limits, and they're pulling out all the stops on this one.
No alderman was going to step out of line on this one, because Daley was making it very clear that dissent would not be tolerated.
Daley wants to have the olympics hosted here because it will go down under his legacy, something that happened under his watch, not because it's something that's good for the city.
However, if we can get a decent crosstown el out of the deal, or maybe some other infrastructure improvements that are desperately needed, perhaps it won't be all bad... but just like the parking meter fiasco or the Skyway, this will be one of Daley's pet projects that we'll be paying for for generations to come
What is a matter with you people!!!! The Olympics WILL be the greatest thing that ever came to this city!! As a lifelong Chicagoan, I can assure you that the Olympics will bring great prosperity and wealth to our already world class city. Al you nay-sayers really do not know what you are talking about- do the math and use some common sense- the Olympics will make a great city even greater!!!! I back the Bid!!!!
Chicago is a great city with a myriad of problems. Terrible schools,awful public trans, and appalling lack of affordable housing, even for middle class people, and a heartbreak for some family every night! The Olympics will not solve any of these problems, and will likely exacerbate them! The cost of living in this city has gone through the roof in the last fifteen years, and we don't need the added debt of this fun and games. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I also back the bid...FOR RIO!
A lot of White House Staffers will profit plenty with a Chicago Olympics! Its evil what corrupt politicians do! Come on!
I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively. I am looking forward to hearing more from you.
Thank you for sharing your insights!