Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid: Alderman may not get details on ci...

Joe of Wicker Park wrote:

<quoted text>
That's exactly what the world thought when Chicago was awarded the 1893 Columbian Exposition. And the result was the White City, which is still the standard by which all World's Fairs are compared too. Chicago has the best architects and urban planners in the world and they will team up to create an Olympics campus that matches the high expectations.

Joe,
Have you read the bid book.
I paid $150 to have it printed because it is impossible to read on line.
The Games will be in the parks. The parks will be unusable beginning Oct 2009 til a couple of years after the games. The parks include Washington Park, Douglas Park, Meigs Field/Northerly Island, Waveland, North Avenue and the harbors.
Where will Chicagoans go for recreation during the next seven years?
Also do you realize that the Bid numbers do not include any infrasturcture improvements.
Also the University Village numbers aren't fully disclosed. And I did realize until yesterday that the Village is built as a dorm and then must be reconfrigured (totally gutted) to be turned into real living units. What developer is going to take on that risk today? Taxpayers don't need it.
When Chicago 2016 closes I hope you find a new job.

Maag Barg Diktator!
Maag Barg Diktator!
Maag Barg Diktator!

Joe of Wicker Park wrote:

<quoted text>
Have you seen the fabulous improvements at Parkside of Old Town and Madden-Wells and Park Boulevard? The City has torn down the horrid high-rise housing projects and replaced them with mixed-income neighborhoods with replacement housing.
<quoted text>
Agreed. He has turned a rat-infested wharf into an international tourist attraction and has made Millenium Park the number one rated destination for tourists. <quoted text>
This wasn't Daley, but the Chicago Park District. And the design for Soldier Field was the perfect design solution for the problem the architects were given.
Therefore, your point is....?

And, your job is....

You are full of so much baloney is smells
like Oscar Meyer. Next you will praise
his "honor" for the splendid job he has
done of organizing the rats so that they
only come out at night. Are you kidding
with this? A corner playlot -tearing down
the shame of city "housing" is supposed
to get credit? Who built the projects and
let them deteriorate? Santa Claus? Navy
Pier is a joke. No Chicagoans go there..
it is a cartoonish waste that Penny
Pritzker refused to pay rent in for her
pet Chucky Cheese Children's "museum" that
she'll now get free land and subsidies for.
Millenium Park...is exactly what Central
Park will never be..the beginnings of
crass commericalization that doomed Navy
Pier. Imagine Tivoli Gardens turning into
such crap. European influence inspired the
graceful Grant Park and Daley is dragging
our city down as fast as the payoffs fly.

If Solider Field, having lost its distinction and national recognition as
a Landmark and being absolutely useless
more than half the year, is "perfect" then
you must be working in City Hall...
planning perhaps? Or maybe you are a
building inspector, are you old enough to
vote yet? Or are you just riding out this
latest scam to collect your 80% salary
pension and this is how you are serving
the public. Tell me, do you pay for
parking at Solider Field or just hang
a homemade sign on the drivers side saying
"hack"

This is fun!

I love being able to talk with people who have no idea what they are talking about and only spew what other people tell them they should think. It would be nice to speak to someone who has actually researched the subject and can discuss this issue like an adult.

Fear of doing something because of some person's record on other ventures is very stifling. "We'll never go the the moon because we have had two rockets fail to clear the launching pad. I guess we will let Spain or Brazil get to the moon first."

If this goes according to pattern, Daley will provide some, but not all, data to the City Council about 48 hours prior to an IOC deadline.

Then he'll announce, "yeah we gotta approve dis deal now or we're gonna lose duh Olympics. We invested a lot in dis already. We don't have time to answer dose questions now, we'll answer dem later, I really mean dat."

The Council will approve it. Competitive bidding will be scrapped as always. Taxpayers will be saddled with the overruns. Primary winners will be real estate developers, trucking companies, building supply houses, storage leasing companies, and of course property insurance companies. All of them will have some link to Daley family & friends. Welcome to Daleyland.

This is completely unacceptable. After Mr. Ryan announced upon his return that he and the mayor had known for weeks in advance prior to going over to Europe and committing the citizens of Chicago to foot the bill for a proposal that they have stated over and over again that we would not have to spend tax dollars on - they are now going to keep US in the dark once again.

Didn't they learn anything from the parking meter fiasco?

Transparency - at the very least to those hacks who populate the city council - and hopefully to the taxpayers - and if they don't provide it - VOTE THEM OUT!

If anyone has money to bet, I'll bet that when this is all over the city will have a big surprise for its citizens - tax increase to pay for the cost overruns that will be the grand daddy or all tax increases, and Daley will be retired by then and taking credit for putting Chicago on the international map (at our expense).

Joe of Wicker Park wrote:

This is fun!
I love being able to talk with people who have no idea what they are talking about and only spew what other people tell them they should think. It would be nice to speak to someone who has actually researched the subject and can discuss this issue like an adult.
Fear of doing something because of some person's record on other ventures is very stifling. "We'll never go the the moon because we have had two rockets fail to clear the launching pad. I guess we will let Spain or Brazil get to the moon first."

Let them hold the Olympics on the moon...
but don't get Chicago on the hook for it.
And, this is not fear, its experience...
if Chicago got its hands on the moon they'd
be refilling craters every spring..but
the wrought iron would last forever.
You are a shill. And not very good...
a record is exactly what you judge someone
on...does your dentist treat only toothless
patients? If so, then that explains why you
have faith in his "honor" and this Olympic
scam.

ed mcmann wrote:

If this goes according to pattern, Daley will provide some, but not all, data to the City Council about 48 hours prior to an IOC deadline.
Then he'll announce, "yeah we gotta approve dis deal now or we're gonna lose duh Olympics. We invested a lot in dis already. We don't have time to answer dose questions now, we'll answer dem later, I really mean dat."
The Council will approve it. Competitive bidding will be scrapped as always. Taxpayers will be saddled with the overruns. Primary winners will be real estate developers, trucking companies, building supply houses, storage leasing companies, and of course property insurance companies. All of them will have some link to Daley family & friends. Welcome to Daleyland.

We should take Iran's lead...start repeated
periods of mourning every 40 days until
they "share" the results of the secret
guarantees.

Toocool wrote:

<quoted text>
Most people in Chicago do want them, only the backwater, poor, uneducated people don't want them because they feel they'll be cheated. Move...

Well, I asked my colleagues on the hospital board I chair today, and not a single one expressed a desire to have the Olympics in Chicago. You were saying?

Kevin wrote:

"We can't go to the City Council today," bid team leader Patrick Ryan said at a press briefing Monday. "We'd look like dummies because we don't have it all complete."
But you could sign the contract in Switzerland without having it all complete?!!! You look like dummies NOW!!
Enough is enough! I was all for the Olympics coming to Chicago when they were first proposed, but Mayor Daley is making a fool of himself and the citizens of this city. I hope the Games are awarded to Madrid, Rio or Tokyo.

No contract has yet been signed, Kevin.

Joe, you are sniffing glue. Not a chance that 75% or even half want the Olypmics. I don't know a single person that wants them here.

I agree, I don't know a single city-dweller that wants the games here.

The Olympics are Mayor Daley's capstone on his political career. The man will do anything, and crush anyone who tries to stop this. Our alderpersons have shown no willingness to stand up to the mayor on much smaller issues, they will cave on this too. If we're hoping to be saved by the IOC, forget about it. If there's any organization that rivals our city council for corruption, the IOC is right there. The fix is in, Obama will go over there and bring home the bacon for Daley.

Joe of Wicker Park wrote:

<quoted text>
That's exactly what the world thought when Chicago was awarded the 1893 Columbian Exposition. And the result was the White City, which is still the standard by which all World's Fairs are compared too. Chicago has the best architects and urban planners in the world and they will team up to create an Olympics campus that matches the high expectations.

Joe, despite the abuse you're taking here, please be assured there are lots of people who want the Olympics despite the challenges and with the expectation that we won't be on the hook for a massive bailout using tax funds. Just the job creation alone for the six years of preparations has many people desperately wanting this economic boon to our city.

Chicago Voter wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, I asked my colleagues on the hospital board I chair today, and not a single one expressed a desire to have the Olympics in Chicago. You were saying?

And how many million people are on your hospital board?

Facts and Figures NOW wrote:

<quoted text>
Joe,
Have you read the bid book.
I paid $150 to have it printed because it is impossible to read on line.
The Games will be in the parks. The parks will be unusable beginning Oct 2009 til a couple of years after the games. The parks include Washington Park, Douglas Park, Meigs Field/Northerly Island, Waveland, North Avenue and the harbors.
Where will Chicagoans go for recreation during the next seven years?
Also do you realize that the Bid numbers do not include any infrasturcture improvements.
Also the University Village numbers aren't fully disclosed. And I did realize until yesterday that the Village is built as a dorm and then must be reconfrigured (totally gutted) to be turned into real living units. What developer is going to take on that risk today? Taxpayers don't need it.
When Chicago 2016 closes I hope you find a new job.

It is true that some parks will be out of commission. The ballparks that my kids used for Little League were closed for several years also while they were being improved and we were inconvenienced by having to go to another park. But, guess what, when the park was reopened with new ballfields they were beautiful and modern. We were glad to have sacrificed for the short-term while the facilities were improved and modernized.
Or we could have grumbled about it and still be using the dilapidated fields and backstops from the 1950's.
I am not sure what University Village you are talking about, but the one on Halsted by UIC (known as Ivy Hall)is rental and for-sale properties (single-family homes, condos, and lofts.) There are no dorms in this development. I am not sure what this has to do with 2016.

Joe wrote:

<quoted text>
Joe, despite the abuse you're taking here, please be assured there are lots of people who want the Olympics despite the challenges and with the expectation that we won't be on the hook for a massive bailout using tax funds. Just the job creation alone for the six years of preparations has many people desperately wanting this economic boon to our city.

Thanks, Joe.

Joe wrote:

<quoted text>
And how many million people are on your hospital board?

And how many million Chicagoans who oppose
the Olympics are "backwater" hicks-his point was refuted. You miss the point.

So, here is a new one-
how many elections did we have to vote,
in our little backwater way, to actually
register our sentiments? Our Aldermen "representatives" clearly heard from their
constituents that citizens did not wish to
be on the hook for Daley's Games. We did not agree to this yet undisclosed deal...
we did not agree to put our collective
"skin" on the BBQ. But, the sizzle has begun....which you, no doubt, know about.

Joe of Wicker Park wrote:

<quoted text>
It is true that some parks will be out of commission. The ballparks that my kids used for Little League were closed for several years also while they were being improved and we were inconvenienced by having to go to another park. But, guess what, when the park was reopened with new ballfields they were beautiful and modern. We were glad to have sacrificed for the short-term while the facilities were improved and modernized.
Or we could have grumbled about it and still be using the dilapidated fields and backstops from the 1950's.
I am not sure what University Village you are talking about, but the one on Halsted by UIC (known as Ivy Hall)is rental and for-sale properties (single-family homes, condos, and lofts.) There are no dorms in this development. I am not sure what this has to do with 2016.

How many insurance policies did it take
to secure financing for the completion of
the park used for Little League? No doubt
someone, in say, the Park District, presented a budget to someone in say, the
City Council Budget Committee, who ran the
numbers. How many outside contractors were
hired in an "open bid" process to redo the
park(s) Now, multiply that number with more
zeros than a Little Leaguer can count and
you will understand why your example has
absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the
scam that is being run here.

my kind of town wrote:

<quoted text>
How many insurance policies did it take
to secure financing for the completion of
the park used for Little League? No doubt
someone, in say, the Park District, presented a budget to someone in say, the
City Council Budget Committee, who ran the
numbers. How many outside contractors were
hired in an "open bid" process to redo the
park(s) Now, multiply that number with more
zeros than a Little Leaguer can count and
you will understand why your example has
absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the
scam that is being run here.

Focus, MKOT, and stay on topic.
The point you were making was about the parks being out of service. Now you are back to the old standby--the corrupt bidding and shady financials of City Hall. This is tired.