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The Chicago 2016 committee and Mayor Daley co-hosted a massive fundraiser in Millennium Park last night, raising more than $12 million for Chicago’s Olympic bid. Unlike former speech-heavy Olympic celebrations, the gala fundraiser event, “Chicago Believes,” was presented in the format of a concert, dipping into some of the best entertainment that Chicago has to offer.
We didn’t make it for the pre-performance athletic demonstrations in the park, such as the rhythmic gymnasts performing in front of the Bean, but we arrived in time to catch the main celebration over at Pritzker. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Hubbard Street Dance, Cirque Shanghai, a local gospel choir, and tenor Rodrick Dixon all contributed to the excellent program, which was (naturally) interspersed with speech-making and Olympic montages streamed onto the big onstage screen.
The sizable crowd at Pritzker would dutifully clap at every speech or presentation, but seemed to be there generally for the free entertainment. Frankly, the sentiment at the pavilion seemed to be similar to our evening companion, who when asked how they felt about Chicago hosting the Olympics, said, “Meh, I would be happy either way.”
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Same night a nine-year-old girl was being raped and murdered on the block her father lives on.
Screw the Olympics. Fix the damn city.
While loosing a nine-year-old girl is tragic for sure, I really believe one way to fix the city is to bring the type of stimuli the olympics has to Chicago and funding better social functions to keep kids out of trouble and inspiring them to greatness.
I was at the event last night and the "pre-performances" were really pretty cool. While I enjoyed the dinner, it was very tasty, the in tent entertainment, e.g. fencers and gymnasts, kept me turning around from my food. Additionally, I found the wrestlers to be quite amusing. Didn't stop me from taking pictures and ogling.
My brother was the overall director of this event so I'm proud of the talent and creative lineup he put together, and the way he showed off our city's talent and beauty.
I agree that Chicago has a lot of problems to solve but, were we awarded the 2016 Olympics, we might then have much more incentive and resources to address some of those problems.
elizabeth:
it was a beautiful show, and please give your brother my compliments. discussion revolving around the olympic bid aside, i - and the thousands that came to millennium last night - were certainly treated to some world-class entertainment. huge diversity of attendence, and there was a good and peaceful feeling running throughout the entire pavilion.
And this how the Machine operates: Give the citizens something pretty to look at while they either steal, or plan how they will steal, from taxpayers. (No, I am not suggesting everyone involved last night or even in the overall effort is in the Machine, only that the Machine controls this ultimately, and nothing happens with the top guy mumbling his blessings.)
Make no mistake: Landing the Olympics is a jobs and pension program for the Machine. That is at least as important as increasing Chicago's international image (which should rise or fall on its own, but hey). And taxpayers will be providing the financial backup so these crooks and hacks can retire more easily than most of us.
Just say no to these silly games, aka the Machine Jobs Program.
"were we awarded the 2016 Olympics, we might then have much more incentive and resources to address some of those problems"...
kudos to your bro for planning such a kick-ass event, but it hurts my heart to hear such a terrible argument for fixing our city. what more incentive do we need to fix our public schools and do our part to create jobs that people where people can learn a living wage? what can we do to ensure that people who really need the jobs will get them? where does all this frivolous tax money go to right now?
granted, the only time *my* apartment gets a deep clean is when *i'm* having a big party, but i'd hate to think that a world-class city like chicago would take on the theory of a 34-year-old cleaning slack.
not to mention, i think it's an insult to the hard working citizens of chicago to tell them 1. you're not good enough to have a great city by your own merits and 2. you'll get a great city in 8 years, when we have the world over. not to mention that i only hear vagaries of how any or all of this will really be paid for.
one more throw-in. they're working feverishly to finish the brown line construction, and they're cleaning up blue and red line slow zones. but let's face it ... bus lines are still woefully unpredictable at best and sometimes near useless form of transportation at worst. we've seen time and time again, at moments of critical mass or urgency, the CTA fails in their efforts (or lack thereof) to communicate with riders and help them navigate troubled situations safely.
we're not ready this time around. we need to clean up our transportation, our police force, and our social services. we need to take care of the public schools and we need to look at segregation and poverty. we need to fix our own home before we go inviting everyone else over.
Elizabeth:
Your optimism is charming, but really misplaced. The answer is in the latin "Cui Bono?" Who profits?
The average Chicagoan is not going to have an easier commute, better schools or safer neighborhoods thanks to the Olympics. The poor are going to get lost along the way, but that's not really a change now is it?
You can argue for a trickle down effect, but considering how building contractors are able to skirt fair pay and the unions that argument does not wash. A very narrow and already very wealthy, band of people are going to benefit from the Olympics. If you doubt this, look at the recent Children's Museum debacle. When the Pritzker's or the McKaskeys want to have a party on the city's dime, it's going to happen.
I'm sure it was a lovely event. But it's another Roman expression that sums it up for me. "Bread and Circuses."
All those dead kids in the past year, the surges in violent crime, the staggering poverty on the south and west sides, the complete breakdown of transportation infrastructure, these are hard issues.
It's easier to plan fanciful housing for Olympians and quibble about logos than face the parents of murdered kids.
I would've loved to have caught this, and I'm glad it went of successfully. I've seen firsthand the positive effects the Olympics had on Athens with the public transit system, roads, airports, and some housing.
That being said I'm sure some folks will now bring up some random statistic about how 1/3 of 3/7ths of 9/17ths are profiting and supporting the march of the rich Canadian haberdashers who will only go forth to oppress the poor without laptops who are to busy to argue for themselves.
Congrats Elizabeth to your brother for an event which was apparently pulled off very well!
Also, I like the games, they're awfully entertaining. The hard work the athletes put in to become the top of their field is incredible. The new open water swim event should be an excellent addition.
It may have been a lovely show however, I heard Pat Ryan at a luncheon yesterday say that only 2300 people showed up to the event.
To me that sounds like lackluster support from Chicagoans, since it was a beautiful night and the first 7000 people were to get in free.
Let me follow up on what dear Tilda Till Till said
with a little Ghetto Latin!
See this reminds me of Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis,aka Juvenal, the father of western satire who wrote about the people having abdicated their duties and now personally restrain themselves and “anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses” or panem et circenses
But hey gotta give Elizabeth points for honesty in proudly stating the Chicago way, “My family( brother)got his palm greased and that’s all that matters" or using Royko’s old motto for Chicago politicos -"Ubi est Meum?" "where is mine"?
p.s oh and how apropos
that Daley is revving up our support for “The Games” right as we slip into a economic depression
Bring on The Games!
Albanyparkour
I totally missed your comment!
Nice
They should all breeze by Uptown, where we're all dodging bullets in broad daylight these days like the wild west. No dis to the hard work that went on to produce this event, but we have bigger fish to fry.
...gotta give Elizabeth points for honesty in proudly stating the Chicago way, “My family( brother)got his palm greased and that’s all that matters"...
Actually, Spook, my brother didn't "get his palm greased," as he and all the rest of the event's planners worked pro bono/at a reduced cost so the evening's resources could be directed toward the bid effort, nor did I say anything resembling "that's all that matters," so please don't put words in my mouth.
The purpose of the event (which is the focus of this post) was to give a nice send-off to our American Olympians heading to Beijing, showcase Chicago talent and spirit, and raise private funds, all of which it did.
I can't predict the nature of the ripple effect should we be awarded the bid (note that I said it might offer more incentive and resources to address problems) and, honestly, I'm not even sure whether I'm for or against a 2016 Chicago Olympics, but, post-event, I thought it appropriate to enjoy a moment of pride and hope.
I thought it appropriate to enjoy a moment of pride and hope.
Less talk, less "hope", less good joy-joy feelings, more action. I'm getting sick of hearing people talk about hope. It's like faith in that without works, it's dead.
Sorry, a bunch of people in the park feeling good about the city isn't helping the very real issues this city is facing down. It's a sideshow and a distraction.
I appreciate your point, Albanyparkour, and all the others as well.
And I realize that by revealing my familial connection to Chicago's Olympics bid, I've opened myself up to feel personally criticized, but I have to point out that the phrase "palm greased" is innaccurate, since it alludes to government-related "money for nothing" situation, while
#1 all Olympic bids are entirely privately funded and
#2 this event's organizers worked like mad to make this project a success
I'll boil my perspective down to this: I love Chicago!
Popsicles for everyone.
Popsicles for everyone.
Elizabeth for mayor.
Elizabeth:
No harm, no foul.
I'd love more events of civic pride, and I love this city for all it's strange and terrible sides.
The track record of the current government is dubious at best, and just plain criminal at worst. Handing them BILLIONS that come in from the Olympics...eek.
But yes, it's damn hot, so Popsicles for all.
Here here Elizabeth!
I just have to question Albany's want of more events of civic pride; I feel if there were more, you would cry foul louder. It is one thing to stand at a distance and scream "fix the city" but it is another to make a change. Do you support your alderman/woman? If not, would you consider running yourself? Fix the city the way it was meant to be fixed. Use the functions in place and if they don't work, change them.
Can I have a grape popsicle please?
I like how Lakeview just sales right over the important points raised because she/he wants to Rah Rah Rah as if its about one big gay pride parade.
I think people that love Chicago the most are those who are willing to tell the truth on behalf of the voiceless.
If we were to get the Olympics, how the hell would we move all those extra people through O'Hare? As it is, it took me over 2 1/2 hours to get through security in the international terminal last time I flew.
And then what? Have them all get on the Blue Line to get downtown?
This city has some serious infrastructure problems that need to be addressed.
Daley would just rip the seats out of the Blue Line to squeez any more people onto the cattle cars