Stir the Soul
Faithfully Liberal on Chicago's bid for the Olympics.
...Barcelona used the occasion in 1992 to reinvent itself much like Chicago could do on a global scale.Maybe Chicago will too, but the slogan will always be Ubi Est Mea? and it will be asked plenty.
How about appointing a Special IG for Audits now to start watching?
4 comments:
I'm mixed about these Olympics coming to Chicago. This could mean so many things and the world will certainly be watching Chicago. Could this mean a change?
I'm with Bill Barr perhaps we need to start watching now with audits.
Very constructive suggestion. Two further thoughts. First, the Chicago City Council has backstopped an Olympian half billion dollar debt on the most vaporous of promises. Not that the Aldermen lack the necessary oversight skills, themselves, or, Heavens, any might ever be silenced with hic tuam est. But now, before many people have an ox to be gored (bos transfixus?), seems an excellent time to start institutionally protecting the City's financial interest. A dedicated IG could go a good way.
Second, if a goal of hosting the Olympics is to recast Chicago's world image as something other than Capone's playground, we should want foreigners and Americans trying to compete in the business side of the games to encounter a Scandawegian level of transparency and integrity. I wish I believed Mayor Daley or Gov. Blagojevich had that in them. Rumors or real instances of government officials or whatever quasi-governmental bodies we create to administer the Olympics shaking people down for pinstripe kickbacks or accepting old fashioned bribes, and we will see Chicago's effulgent globalized new millennium image deeply stained. Exempli gratia Salt Lake City. Publicizing that an up and running independent IG's office vigorously investigates misconduct allegations would be a decent, second tier approach. If we get it wrong, not even Michael Jordan will be able to help the image.
Chicago needs to get beyond the Police torture issues and the evils of Jon Burge.
The Olympics will allow not only
BURGE to do security
and the DUFFS to do cleaning
and HANLEY to get a cut
or VICTOR REYES to do the lobbying
or TIM DEGNAN to sell construction parts
or JERRY JOYCE to consult, sell ice cream, McDonalds
maybe MICHAEL MARCHESE can buy some land for a dollar after the Olympics
or the politically connected construction companies like
MCDONOUGH, WALSH, KENNEY
to build and cost the taxpayers
and AON Ryan can do the insurance
and MIKE TADIN AND FREDDIE BARBARA can do the trucking
AL SANCHEZ can do the Streets and Sans and give guys overtime
In addition to making Daleys friends rich on the taxpayers dime
Chicago can also pay for the cleanup, overrruns
AND
be a terrorist target
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