 As in second to Rio de Janeiro. Or Tokyo. Or Madrid.The
opposition is not as visible as the "We Back the Bid" signs
plastered across town. But in a city all too familiar with stories
of public corruption and problems with public services, there is
serious concern the games can only mean more troubles -- and bills
-- for residents.
"I know it's going to cost us money somehow," said Joseph
Patrick, a 51-year-old stay-at-home dad. "The government doesn't
have a job (so) the only place they can get money is from us."
A new Web site --
Chicagoansforrio.com -- is the talk of the town and features the
game "Match the Olympic host with its estimated budget overrun."
About 170 protesters marched outside City Hall on Tuesday night,
many insisting that no matter what organizers say, the games will push
people from their homes, trigger more corruption and raise taxes.
"I don't believe anything the city and the 2016 committee says,"
said Larry Rivkin, who grew up in Chicago.
At least one person was later arrested for trying to interfere
with workers erecting Olympic symbols in a downtown plaza.
It's not that the bid does not enjoy wide support. Laid-off
laborer Dennis Ries, 45, said the Olympics would bring jobs.
Resident Molly Mason, 53, sees the games enhancing tourism and
public transportation.
"There's no downside, only upside," Mason said.
Others note protests routinely accompany Olympic bids.
"The Olympics always galvanizes all sorts of opposition," said
A.D. Frazier, chief operating officer for the 1996 Atlanta Games.
In Chicago, though, the opposition seems to be getting stronger.
A poll released this month by the Chicago Tribune showed
residents almost evenly split, with 47 percent in favor of the bid
and 45 percent against; that's a drop from the 2-1 support the
newspaper found in a February poll.
The 2016 bid committee said its own poll last week shows support
from 72 percent of Chicagoans. But even that segment has concerns.
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Seconds after saying the games in Chicago would be "thrilling," Susan Blaine,
51, was wondering what tens of thousands more riders will do to an already
overwhelmed public transportation system. "A Cubs game turns my commute to
chaos," Blaine said. "You're belly button to belly button."
For others, concerns about taxes have only intensified since
Mayor Richard Daley flip-flopped in April, telling the IOC he'd sign
a contract promising the city would take full financial
responsibility for the games after long maintaining he wouldn't.
"For a lot of people, that was definitely a major moment, when
they said, 'Wait a minute, we're going to be ... on the hook
financially for a very large amount,'" said Anna Tarkov, who writes
The Daily Daley blog and opposes the bid.
Organizers have tried to allay such fears, but it can be a tough
sell at a time of headline-grabbing corruption cases, the biggest
one involving former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- a Chicagoan
accused of trying to sell President Barack Obama's vacant U.S.
Senate seat to the highest bidder.
"I just think that the history of corruption sets the stage for a
brutal series of events like misuse of funds and insider dealings,"
said Brian Hayes, 53, of Chicago.
Frazier, of the Atlanta Games, doesn't think the opposition
matters to the IOC.
"They will probably be disappointed if there wasn't anything," he
said.
Members of a group called No Games Chicago hope he's wrong.
They're headed to Copenhagen to tell the IOC that Chicago is in such
financial straits it cannot afford the games and is such a hotbed of
political corruption it doesn't deserve them.
"We are bringing materials to back up our claim that Chicago is
not fit to host the games," said Tom Tresser, an organizer for the
group.
[Associated Press;
By DON BABWIN]
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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