Story URL: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=140945
Story Retrieval Date: 2/9/2010 8:48:59 PM CST
Chika Oduah/MEDILL
No Games member Rachel Goodstein, seen here outside the Chicago Cultural Center, says she's hopeful city officials will start focusing on real solutions for Chicago now that the bid is over.
Going after the Olympics had officials ignoring Chicago’s real problems, say opponents of the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. They are urging city officials to refocus.
“Today is a time of reflection for the entire city to decide what our priorities really should be,” said Joan Levin, a member of No Games Chicago. “Now we need to get back to work.”
No Games members gathered outside Chicago’s Cultural Center Friday morning to watch coverage of the International Olympic Committee decision. They say they were relieved the games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, but feel sympathy for those who backed Chicago’s bid.
“Ultimately, the people who were for the bid and the people who were against it were all for a better Chicago and making our city a better place to live,” said No Games spokeswoman Francesca Rodriquez. “Our city will improve, but not with this magic silver bullet of the Olympics.”
They say it was short-sighted for Mayor Richard M. Daley to focus on the bid as the key to economic development.
“Mayor Daley said he didn’t have any other tricks up his sleeve to get us out of this economic morass,” said No Games member Patricia Yeray. “Well, I think he better get busy.”
They said they hope the spotlight on the city doesn’t dim just because Chicago lost the bid.
“I hope that some of the enthusiasm that went into promoting the games can go into promoting the city as a whole,” Levin said.
The bid included plans to build an Olympic Village in the Bronzeville neighborhood. No Games members say just because Chicago lost the bid, plans to improve the area should not be forgotten.
“People perhaps got a better vision of what the South Side offers and what it needs,” Levin said.
Rodriquez says the group’s future is unclear, but that they will continue to fight for better city services.
Going after the Olympics had officials ignoring Chicago’s real problems, say opponents of the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. They are urging city officials to refocus.
“Today is a time of reflection for the entire city to decide what our priorities really should be,” said Joan Levin, a member of No Games Chicago. “Now we need to get back to work.”
No Games members gathered outside Chicago’s Cultural Center Friday morning to watch coverage of the International Olympic Committee decision. They say they were relieved the games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, but feel sympathy for those who backed Chicago’s bid.
“Ultimately, the people who were for the bid and the people who were against it were all for a better Chicago and making our city a better place to live,” said No Games spokeswoman Francesca Rodriquez. “Our city will improve, but not with this magic silver bullet of the Olympics.”
They say it was short-sighted for Mayor Richard M. Daley to focus on the bid as the key to economic development.
“Mayor Daley said he didn’t have any other tricks up his sleeve to get us out of this economic morass,” said No Games member Patricia Yeray. “Well, I think he better get busy.”
They said they hope the spotlight on the city doesn’t dim just because Chicago lost the bid.
“I hope that some of the enthusiasm that went into promoting the games can go into promoting the city as a whole,” Levin said.
The bid included plans to build an Olympic Village in the Bronzeville neighborhood. No Games members say just because Chicago lost the bid, plans to improve the area should not be forgotten.
“People perhaps got a better vision of what the South Side offers and what it needs,” Levin said.
Rodriquez says the group’s future is unclear, but that they will continue to fight for better city services.
Printer-Friendly Version
E-mail This Story
