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A new poll today says that 84 percent of Chicago-area residents support or "somewhat support" hosting the Olympics here. Residents of other applicant cities Madrid and Rio show similar levels of enthusiasm, but only 62 percent of Tokyo dwellers back their city's bid.
The poll was commissioned by the Chicago 2016 bid committee, which sounds fishy to us but who knows. Also, did everyone else know the 2014 Winter Games are in Sochi, Russia? [Trib]
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i mean it would be really cool, not just for the fact its our city on the world's stage... but if you havent all noticed the changes in the world of the past 7 years, isnt anyone else worried about the changes of the coming 8??? Were going to be a focal point for Americas policies, wherever we end up in world politics bu then... When I was in London last year it was a mess of preparation. Plus chicagoians deal very poorly with things they should be used to but arent.. yknow how everyone cant drive once it snows? I dont mind showing off our city but Im weary of the impending chaos and heightened threats well no doubetdly face.. (we were doing a good job being the quiet large city no one bothered with, now were going to have the and some of the worlds tallest buildings... just seems like one of those post911 lessons people ignore)
Seriously, what's with the cynicism, Chicagoist!?
The poll was commissioned by the Chicago 2016 bid committee, which sounds fishy to us but who knows.
Chicago has a long history of fair and open input from its citizens -- if you have any doubts, you need only look at our elections. If these can work well and be above-board, it should be clear that something as apolitical as an olympic bid would be devoid of scandal or corruption. Fishy!? Come now.
RIO!! RIO!!
Chicago gets the Olympics, that is like an energy boost to the machine and all their easily-bought-off pals in the trades/unions, in zoning, in insurance, in retail, in finance.
Chicago does not get the Olympics, the machine likely will sputter on as usual, but without all that easy cash.
That's part of my calculations on this matter.
A new poll today says that 84 percent of Chicago-area residents support or "somewhat support" hosting the Olympics here.
The other 16 percent post to Chicagoist.
Seriously though, I do understand the trepidation that many might feel, but on the other hand, I say fuck it--let's throw caution to the wind. I can deal with a few months of inconvenience, congestion and aggravation for what might very well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...
Furthermore, I'm curious to see how hosting the Olympics will ultimately change the landscape of our city. The Columbian Exposition was well over 100 years ago, with the Museum of Science & Industry as one of its most celebrated legacies...
It's a somewhat broad definition of the word "Chicagoan":
"The poll respondents were from 16 counties in the Chicago metropolitan area as far away from the city center as Kankakee and northern Indiana."
If I still live in Chicago 8 years from now, I'm taking a month long vacation come summer 2016.
The Machine will grow fat like a tick on all the Olympic money. Mayor Daley likely won't still be in office, but you'll see him up in the stands, smiling like a viper, eyes like dollar signs.
I have no use for the Olympics. It's a bunch of silly people competing in sporting events no one pays attention to but once every 4 years. Bringing it to chicago so the same old bastards can make millions makes me flat out hate the thing.
In unrelated news, only 16 percent of Chicagoans seem to have a FREAKIN' BRAIN IN THEIR HEADS!
Now back to you, Linda.
The one constant through all the years has been Chicagoists disapproval of the Olympics in our fine city. I say bring it on.
Bring it. It's great for the city and it's great for anybody with an entrepreneurial itch.
Having lived in Atlanta during the run-up to the '96 games, I've seen the positive impact that hosting the Olympics have on a city. Mass transit and airport improvements, new parks and sports venues, new housing, etc. Money the city otherwise wouldn't get pours in to help fund these projects. And these projects create lots of jobs, which helps the local economy for years.
I, for one, don't get why my Chicagoist colleagues are so anti-games...
We can't even take care of the people that live in our own city: no jobs, horrid transit, gangs, crime, etc.
And you WANT to bring the Olympics here!!??!
In my karmic dream of dreams the Olympic Committee tells Daley, "Sorry, we'd love to have the games in Chicago but the public transportation system that you allowed to go to crap so your college roommate could collect a fat paycheck just won't do. See you Tokyo where getting to work on time is rule not the exception."
We can't even take care of the people that live in our own city: no jobs, horrid transit, gangs, crime, etc.
The same can be said for just about every major city in the U.S., let alone the world (how do you think our gangs would fare against the automatic weapon-toting drug gangs of Rio?). The IOC isn't interested in hosting the games in Mayberry, if that's what you're thinking...
And as horrid as our mass transit system has been managed and can run at times, it's still the second-largest in the nation. I've lived here without a car for most of the last ten years and haven't missed a beat...
ACK!
Take the Olympics somewhere else.
I have to disagree with #11. I lived in Atlanta during the 1996 games and worked for a company affiliated with them. The general public saw few improvements. Ok...downtown Atlanta got a park and some interstates were repaved/redone. Whoopie.
Job growth was temporary in nature and primarily low-wage service level jobs (outside of the construction...which tended to be handled by preferred vendors)
Some private insitutions benefitted. A university got control of the athlete dorms and the Braves got the smaller version of the Olympic Stadium (Turner Field).
Atlanta mass transit was not upgraded (but then again - Atlanta mass transit is an oxymoron). About the best thing that happened is the normally clogged roads were empty for those 2 weeks since leading up to the games they scared the hell out of everyone saying how bad traffic would be. Driving around the city was wonderful!
As expected - there were lots of shady goings on, back-room deals, mis-information about how everything was going to be privately financed, etc...
And given how corrupt Chicago already is on a daily basis - I would HATE to see how bad it would get if we got the games.
The only reason I would want the Olympics in Chicago is that it would force that idiot mayor to fix the CTA!
Otherwise, let Rio have the headaches of having a huge portion of the city on lockdown for a month.
The need for total security can only become worse in 2016!
@Prescott:
You have a problem with Kankakee? :-)
84%???? I'm not one of them! It would be an absolute nightmare.
South American has never hosted an Olympics in history. This would be a perfect opportunity for Rio to be first South American city to host. PLEEEZE let it be rio!
all of you opposed to having the olympics in Chicago are idiots.
I should say, for the record, that it is taking an inordinate (did I spell that right?) (is that a word?) amount of time to type this given the amount of wine I have consumed and, uh, sutff I have smoked, so forgive me if I meander a bit.
First, the ONLY reason to go after the olympics is for the federally-funded infrastructure improvements it will bring. Did everyone forget the transit funding crisis? The only way out of this hole our govt has created is federal money. The only way to get enough federal money for an overhaul is the olympics.
Second, let's not forget who our mayor is. He is the son of his father, the guy who thought that the more stuff with his name on it, the more successful he was. Have you seen how much stuff in this city says 'Richard M. Daley, Mayor' on it? If you haven't read Boss (and I know everyone says they have, but once you have read it you know who is just saying that they have), you can't possibly understand why he's so hell-bent on getting the olympics.
Third, the short-term economic impact alone is enough to justify it. Hotels, restaurants,bars, shopping, jobs, taxis, merchandise...you're a fool if you think it won't be a 10-year jolt for the economy.
Fourth, maybe, just maybe, Atlanta will prove to be a lesson for Chicago. They have done nothing with the infrastructure they built to support the olympics. The success of this project as a city project will be in two phases: how we capitalize on the event itself, and how we leverage what has been built for future use. This is why a big part of the infrastructure is, essentially disposable. The city knows what will have use and what won't.
There was a great piece on the Olympics at Alternet last year, which lays out exactly why the Olympics coming to Chicago would be the worst idea ever. It’s a money pit, period: http://www.alternet.org/rights/56128/?page=entire
I don't think having our transit system held hostage unless we get the olympics is healthy.
They should fix the transit system regardless of the olympics.
yes, mary. there is NO way we will get a return even close to the amount our taxes will skyrocket. infrastructue improvements and tourist dollars won't make up the difference. it won't add up and we will lose. luke, i know you're stoned and not making much sense but how does having the olympics to sate daleys ego benefit the city?
also, taking a poll and including people in the outskirts of chicago is absolutely ridiculous. why in the world would people in indiana or kankakee be opposed to the olympics coming to chicago? they should do a poll of cook county residents and there'd be a different outcome.
Why on earth are you Olympic supporters so certain the games will mean good things for the CTA (I guess you don't care about the rest of the RTA agencies, but hey)?
All you need are a few improvements to downtown lines and stations, and two weeks of shuttle buses and similar forms of temporary transit. You do not need to fix all the the Red Line, for instance, to have the games here.
As well, please keep in mind the state, and increasingly the federal government, is going broke, which limits the amount of money that can be poured into the system. Also realize the CTA system is, more or less, a century old, and fixing the problems of age and neglect are likely to take longer than a few years in the run up to the games.
Here's a challenge for you supporters of the games (and I hope you can prove me wrong--honestly): What hard evidence do you have that getting the Olympics will result in wholesale and lasting improvements to the CTA? (Keep in mind the ongoing nature of capital needs and operating funds as you make your case.)
As any one supprised? I mean our most widely read "news paper" is the Red( Stupid) Eye, we continue to elect a common gangster for Mayor and more Chicagoans know far ( and care) more about what's going on with the Cubs, than Iraq. Of course they are for the Olympics. I'm sure they would also support combining it with the Taste of Chicago and the Air and Water Show
Please bring the Olympics to Chicago...
From Reuters:
"In the Sydney 2000 Games, each competing athlete was given 51 condoms on arrival at the Olympic Village, but another 20,000 had to be shipped in when supplies began to run low."
Olympics equals thousands of athletes in prime shape all worked up after winning GOOOOOLD. It will be amazing.
Spav: I detect a hopeful tone. But that is funny.
I am extrapolating here a bit, but there were 11,000 athletes in Greece according to Wikipedia. If they were each given 51 condoms like in Australia, and then exhausted their supply, that is over 500,000 sex acts in the 18 days of the Olympics.
I will take those odds. I mean, it can't be hard to get into the Olympic Village. Me thinks all it must take are some convincing fake press credentials.
...and more Chicagoans know far ( and care) more about what's going on with the Cubs, than Iraq.
Yeah, but hey...in our defense, the same thing can be said about old man McCain, and he's running for POTUS...
@Spav1
You've incentivized me to start training for the 2016 games. See you in the Village in eight years, babe...
I too would like to see somebody take up Matilda's challenge.
All these big improvements in infrastructure could simply mean surface improvements on cta stations around the loop and olympic events for a couple weeks.
I view this more as bankrobber's (Daley) last big heist before retiring to the villa......
Quoted for fucking absolute truth:
In my karmic dream of dreams the Olympic Committee tells Daley, "Sorry, we'd love to have the games in Chicago but the public transportation system that you allowed to go to crap so your college roommate could collect a fat paycheck just won't do. See you Tokyo where getting to work on time is rule not the exception."
Chicagoist should hold their own poll to see how many support the Olympics. Here's my vote cast: I support the Olympics.
We'll be lucky if they don't raise our taxes 84% to pay for this boondoggle!
@Pinko:
I will be the most out-of-shape person there. But I will also be the most grateful and willing. So, it works out about even I should say.
Thanks, Artdude75, for that tremendous insight.
Care to say why you support the Games? Who knows, maybe you could change a mind or two to your point-of-view, or offer a point no one has yet considered.
@Spav:
Take up shooting. How good a shape do you really have to be to shoot a BB gun?
(Probably pretty good shape. I know nothing about sport shooting...)