Comments on: A Chicagoan’s letter to Michelle Obama: Thanks for plugging a Chicago Olympics–but no thanks

By: Chicago

Chicago — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:59:20 +0000

[...] [...]

By: Jeff McMahon - Scorched Earth – Home field disadvantage: Chicago Olympics opponents dropped the ball - True/Slant

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:18:13 +0000

[...] the Olympics were on the outs. (There was a fair sampling on True/Slant as well: Laura Heller, Lou Carlozo, Patrick Somerville all posted paragons of the genre–fearful prognostications about parking [...]

By: Lou Carlozo

Lou Carlozo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:34:46 +0000

Thanks Marjie for humoring me on this topic. It’s all in the spirit of good, clean debate and civility–nothing personal.

By: Marjie Killeen

Marjie Killeen — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:53:56 +0000

Geez, I’m almost afraid to post this amidst all the doom and gloom, but it sounds like at worst Chicago after the Olympics will be about the bad as Chicago is right now. You guys should join Chicagoans for Rio – check out my page for info and some more crazy, fun-loving optimism from me.

By: Jeff McMahon

Jeff McMahon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:01:47 +0000

Cally, I’m guessing you haven’t been to 35th and anything in a long time. It IS the It place to live.

By: cbgz

cbgz — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:42:08 +0000

There is one thing that’s bugging me about this post and it’s that I’m supposed to feel sorry for people who run red lights. It’s not trickery–it’s either you’re a bad/dangerous driver or you’re not.

By: cally1972

cally1972 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:18:49 +0000

I agree with Lou in every single aspect and might post this to my facebook. Fun, fun, fun… our culture is so much about fun that we are forgetting that there will be a bill. I love the idea of the Olympics, I just don’t want to pay for it. Just wait until you see what these slimballs are going to pull on us to make us pay. It’s all going to be a total scam just like everything else. I sell real estate, but I’m going to buy that this is going to save our local economy an bring real estate prices back up to 2006.

Also, if stadiums revitalized a neighborhood, why isn’t 35th and the Dan Ryan the it place to live?

By: Jeff McMahon

Jeff McMahon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:20:57 +0000

Dodged gangs? There are mature members of Almighty Saints living in my building. I don’t so much dodge them as say hello. They’re not that different than anybody else. They’re worried about surviving and raising their kids. Their kids love baseball and are excited about the Olympics. They’re not interested in my business, except as any other neighbor would be, and I stay out of theirs. And we get along fine.

They tell some good stories.

As reporters, we have opportunities to visit other groups of people and get their perspective instead of just labeling and dodging them. But the Chicago Tribune doesn’t cover this Chicago.

I don’t doubt that Daley and his cronies will benefit from the Olympics. But what’s stopping you or I or anyone else from buying up land along the future thoroughfare of the Olympics:

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard?

By: Lou Carlozo

Lou Carlozo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:24:18 +0000

Good point. I lived on the South Side for three years, and would drive by the prospective Olympic site at Washington Park on a daily basis. It sure could use revitalization, and the Olympics could provide that.

And yes, I sure do take the bus–and ride my bike–plenty, and not because of the meter increase. It’s better for the environment, and my health.

This to me is more an issue of How Things Work in Chicago … and whom can be trusted. Mayor Daley did not ask the citizens for input on the parking meter deal. He will not ask the citizens for input when–and it will be when–the Olympics run over budget. Every major public works project (see: Millennium Park) goes way over budget in this city.

For whatever benefit the South Side may see, developers and Daley’s cronies will benefit 10-fold. And guess what? You and I will pay to keep them fat and happy.

And just to the west of the Olympic site, kids will still have to walk to school two steps ahead of gang gunfire, because the city budget is strapped to hire a few extra cops.

Have you ever dodged gangs before? I have, as a reporter. Not fun.

I’m all for fixing the South Side, but let’s put first things first.

By: Jeff McMahon

Jeff McMahon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:44:37 +0000

Lou, why don’t you take the bus?

The Olympics have always been about revitalizing the South Side. Englewood is getting the Olympics, not Lincoln Park. And isn’t that something? Michelle Obama is not just a Chicagoan, she’s a South Sider. And it’s hard not to notice that the opposition tends to come from well heeled North Siders miffed about parking their fancy cars.