And speaking of money, this event is costing Chicago millions, literally. Officials say that the estimated 40 to 65 million dollar price tag for the event will be completely funded by the federal government and corporate sponsors. However, so far those two sources have only come up with roughly 55 million, leaving a rather substantial potential gap in funding, even if the city’s upper estimate is accurate (and frankly I doubt it is). Chicago’s inability to successfully predict and control spending is legendary, as illustrated quite plainly by the city’s gargantuan 7.3 billion dollar debt load.
No one seems to be complaining about Chicago’s waste of resources in hosting NATO, though. Chicago can’t even borrow money to pay for infrastructure repairs made necessary by King Daley II’s incompetence, and it is shutting down half its health clinics because there is no money for funding them, yet there is cash to throw a party for NATO? Shouldn’t someone be stepping in and pointing out the foolishness here?
Seems like the answer is no. Logic has a hard time breaking in on a giant, civil-rights-suppressing ego stroke for Da President and Da Mayor. I wonder if NATO will one day return the favor and send in peacekeeping troops when Chicago’s pension system collapses…
3 Comments
Great job Theo.
Many municipalities from all over the Chicagoland have been training at
the old Lake County Fairgrounds for the NATO summit. My sources state they are essentionally preparing for the Chicago cops to overreact and
all hell is going to break loose. Also threat of terrorism, domestic and from abroad.
Lovely