Join IVI-IPO in opposing Chicago's
2016 Olympic Bid
Can you help us send a message to the City Council to oppose Chicago's 2016 Olympic
Bid?
The initial promise that "not a dime" of taxpayer money would be used (1) has already
been violated, most notably by the creation of a new TIF district to pay for Olympic
Village infrastructure. (2)
The recent revelation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) host city contract
will require the City of Chicago to be liable for all cost overruns (3) puts city residents in
a precarious position, especially when the City is facing severe budget shortfalls. (4)
The Olympics are a wonderful institution, but the City's record of extreme cost overruns
on large projects (5) (6) makes this a bad deal for Chicago residents.
What can you do?
Contact your Alderman
Ask your alderman NOT to give Mayor Daley the authority to sign the host-city
contract. You can find contact information for your Alderman here:
http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/alderman/find.html
Attend one of the Chicago 2016 community meetings
If you would be willing to testify on behalf of IVI-IPO at one of these meetings
please email us at iviipo@yahoo.com. We will provide you with a statement
you can read and additional facts for your testimony. The meetings are:
July 13 5:30 p.m. - 39th and 40th Ward Meeting North Park University's Hamming Hall
- 3225 W. Foster
July 14 6:30 p.m. - 28th Ward Meeting Garfield Park Field House (Gold Dome) - 100
N. Central Park Ave
July 15 5:30 p.m. - 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Ward Meeting South Shore Cultural Center 7059 S. South Shore Drive July 20 5:30p.m. 13th, 18th, 23rd Ward Meeting Richard J.
Daley College - 7500 S. Pulaski, Room 1037 July 22 6:00 p.m. 29th Ward Meeting
Columbus Park Refectory - 500 S. Central Ave.
Additional meetings are being planned. Check here for updated schedule
Some basic things to know
Chicago has a history of being unable to contain special project costs including
Millennium Park, which had an initial price tag of $150 million with no public financing,
but ended up costing taxpayers $270 million (6) and the Block 37 CTA Superstation,
which was budgeted at $213 million and remains unfinished after $320 million in
expenditures. (7)
Olympics in other cities have often gone wildly over budget. The London Olympics are
now projected to cost $14.4 billion, almost four times the initial estimate (8). The
1976 Montreal Olympics came in at ten times the initial estimate, and it took the city of
Montreal twenty years to pay off the debt. (9)
Please join us in asking our City Council not to authorize Mayor Daley to
sign the host-city contract.
About IVI-IPO: Since 1944, IVI-IPO has fought for an idealistic vision of open and
honest government. The organization's primary tools are voter's registration, voter
information and candidate endorsement. IVI-IPO also lobbies on behalf of governmental
reforms designed to open the system and better inform the public about the political
process.
Not an IVI-IPO member? Memberships are just $35 per year, or $50 per couple.
today at: www.iviipo.org
(1) http://www.suntimes.com/sports/olympics/294896,olymp031307.stng (2)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32581 (3)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-olympics-host-city-18-jun18,0,6793037.story (4)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124579799322444137.html
(5) http://www.ncbg.org/public_works/millennium_park.htm (6)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-05-16-millenium-park_x.htm (7)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?rssFeed=news;id=29736&seenIt=1 (8)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6391075.stm (9)
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/history/story/2008/05/09/f-olympics-history-1976.html
Join