Why We're in Copenhagen (Meeting the IOC, Again)

No Games Chicago has sent the same team who went to Switzerland In June to meet with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Copenhagen to do it again. I was one of the delegates who went to Lausanne and I'm part of the team again.

Our purpose then and now is to take a simple message to the members of the IOC -- the people of Chicago do not want the 2016 Olympics. 84% don't want them, according to a recent poll conducted by the Chicago Tribune. 45% don't want the games under any circumstances and 84% don't want public funds used for the party. Since the city has already spent or committed over $240 million for the games (see our tally at the end of this piece), that threshold has already been crossed. Hence 84% of the people of Chicago oppose the bringing of the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, That's a big number, too big, we think, to be ignored.

We ddn't come on a chartered jet and we're not wearing clothes designed by the First Lady's dress maker. No TV crews saw us off and none will welcome us back. We did grassroots fund raising up the last moment to pay for the trip.

When we went to Switzerland in June we took 100 copies of our "Book of Evidence" (download your very own copy -- 12MB PDF file) that laid out our arguments as to why Chicago would not be an ideal host for the 2016 Olympics. Each of these arguments has been strengthened by developments since then. We're bringing updates to the "Book of Evidence."

Will the members of the IOC listen?

Will the arrival of President Obama blind them to the defects in Chicago's bid and the angry mood of the people who feel abandoned by their government?

Will the press continue to fawn over the bid team and repeat their spin as gospel?

Stand by for further details.

$243 million and counting ...

$86 million for purchase of Michael Reese Hospital site. Lori Healey, president of the Chicago 2016 committee, has said the purchase of the site has nothing to do with the bid, but at the 2016 community meeting at the Palmer House on August XX Pat Ryan was quizzed by a No Games member and he revealed that they approached the city when their plans for siting the athlete's village over rail tracks proved too expensive.

$11 million for demolition of the site.

$1 million for securing the site.

Unknown millions for cleaning up the site (medical waste)

$110 million for improving the site.

$35 million from the Chicago Park District for the construction of the velodrome and kayaking course.

But wait, there's more ...

$12 million in lost revenues from 1,600 boat slips taken off line for three seasons.

$1 billion (probably much more) for security.

Unknown cost for destroying acres of priceless park land and making them unavailable to Chicagoans for years.

And if there are significant shortfalls or cost overruns, $500 million from the city and $250 million from the state (plus another $250 million for downstate pork projects to mollify the non-Chicago legislators.

Follow Tom Tresser on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tomstee

Comments

[jade7243]

Shame on you.

[Truthosaurus]

As a Chicagoan, I would like to say thanks Tom and your group, for helping to spare us from hosting the corrupt IOCs overblown and bloated two week party. This time the good guys won.

[iblogleft]

You sir, have no concept of marketing, and I question your common sense.

Chicago was by no means the optimum site, and South America definitely deserves to take a shot, but there was no price that could have been paid too change the way people think about China, the way China's massive investment in the Olympics.

Sometimes I wonder just how forgetful people are. With everything falling apart in this country, even the questioning of our very economic system, this is The United States of America. We have the capacity to do anything we put our minds too.

You should have stayed home, because you lack something many have forgotten. We put a man on the moon in ten years, actually 12 men. How dare you disrespect my nation by telling them you lack the foresight, the will, the means, and the vision needed to hold a world sporting event. You lighten your country and the world forum at which you attend.

You don't have the money... Please.

Chicago doesn't NOT have the money.

You think Rio is crying about the cash? You think they are bickering on party lines?

Patriotism sir, in its most benign, harmless form.

[Lakeview Greg]

You really have no clue as to what was going on with the 2016 plan, do you? Well, maybe your town can get the Olympics some time and then the city can come to you and tell you to get out because they are going to tear down your building and build something else. When you ask them where you are supposed to go, they literally tell you, "We'll get back to you."

Save the nonsense for Limbaugh.

[Lakeview Greg]

Thank you, Tom. I wish the mayor and the Chicago 2016 were as well spoken and knowledgeable as you. Reason being, if they had just been a lot more open and honest about things up front instead of the "Trust us" stuff, some sort of give and take might have happened. But they pulled the usual stuff and now here we are. If I had any faith in this plan, I would be for it. I'm not a grouch. I would love to have the games in Chicago. But not with the way things are now in the city.

[writerjohnny]

Mayor Daley and President Obama are democratically elected officials representing their constituencies. Who elected Tom Tresser? I mean other than "Chicago's creative community". More to the point the great majority of the $900 million paid to LOCAL workers will be recycled through the Chicago community and ANYONE who doesn't think that won't have a qualitatively good effect on the local economy had better go back to those "super well-prepared teens" and see what they think. Where will the money come from to expand local public transportation? How about the taxes collected on that $900 million. Let me say that again - $900 MILLION. Isn't that almost a billion American dollars? Spent here in the city. If Mr. Tresser has a creative way to get that type of public works program done to improve the city and provide jobs to the tune of $900 million we'd love to hear it. More to the point the straw man argument that companies with clout or connections get the work and that somehow that only happens in Chicago is complete nonsense. That's how it works EVERYWHERE. In every city. In every state. In every country. You know campaign contributions, "lobbying" and just plain old nepotism. If you want to change that you're talking about a much bigger battle than just the 2016 Olympics.

[larry278]

Good luck, the Olympics are too expensive for Chicago & the USA. We're still in an ever deepening depression.

[ejhickey]

If Chicago gets the Games , I am sure the whole project will be handled as well as the Parking Meter Deal . That was the deal in which Mayor sold out the City to Morgan Stanley. The only question is which connected corporations and fat cats will benefit the most from this party. One thing is for sure - it won't be the average Chicagoan.

[ekom]

Your method of accounting is just factually wrong. You take any possible expense and try to relate it to the Olympics without thinking that these costs would be incurred even if the Olympics didn't come. Plus, you might want to subtract the money that will be earned from hosting the Olympics from your cost totals. In terms of taxes from jobs and increased visitors who will spend money throughout the city, plus the externalities created by infrastructure improvements and the unquantifiable benefits from the lasting legacy an Olympics brings to a city.

When Chicago hosted the Columbian Exposition in 1893, I'm sure there were people like you who refused to objectively weigh the potential benefits from making investments in Chicago's future. Thankfully the naysayers didn't succeed then and Chicago has been reaping the benefits ever since. Let's hope that your half-truths and unsubstantiated claims don't ruin it for us this time either.

[ejhickey]

I like tom's argument better. By the way, how does one calculate the unquantifiable?

[ekom]

Unquantifiable benefits means that in addition to things like jobs created that there will be certain benefits that don't have an identifiable price. The Field Museum started as a way to collect the artifacts from the Columbia Exposition. Chicago didn't bid for the Exposition with the idea of building the museum, but the city has benefited from it since then. I guess I could make up some numbers and that would make you feel better. Kind of like saying security will cost $1 billion.

[Kngkyle]

You failed to mention the insurance policies.
You failed to mention the federal government handles security for major events, not the city.
You failed to mention the new jobs, transit improvements, increase in tourism, and other benefits.
You failed to mention what a dump the Michael Reese hospital site is and how the redevelopment of it will spark private investment in the area.

Your agenda is clear. Ignore everything that is good about the Olympics and only look at the bad. When people make educated decisions and weigh the good vs the bad, they overwhelmingly support the bid. When people make uneducated decisions based on the kind of rubbish you write that only gives one side of the story, well, they turn out just like you.

Many people support the bid. I am obviously one of them.

[Tom Tresser]

- Insurance policies only cover 10% project overruns - and this in the city where so many major construction project s over the past 20 years have gone through the roof. The mayor will appoint 7 members of the operating committee board and Pat Ryan will appoint 10 - 17 out of 31. And overseeing the city's participation will be Money Bags Ed Burke who has made millions representing firms who do business with the city and has 10 clients who together gave OVER $1 MILLION to 2016.
- Michael Reese site - The city has spent or committed over $200 million for this site - solely because the 2016 team wanted it.
- Jobs - Well, if you spend almost $900 million on a bunch of stadiums that we DON'T NEED and then knock most of them down, you will have jobs. But it makes much more sense to build a new el line that will benefit people for decades and not throw billions at a party by the lake seven years from now.
- Transit improvements - None are contemplated and ARE NOT in the bid. Any promises of special funds are just words.
- Educated - We've done our home work on this over the past year. We've been to over 50 community forums and meetings, including one last Saturday where super well-prepared teens grilled 2016 staff. Our experience is that the more information people have about the games the more they OPPOSE them coming here.

[Duppy]

jobs jobs jobs

[47th]

Not for the people in Washington or Douglas Parks though.