You want an answer? Okay, pappy, think of it as colors. There’s black, and there’s white, and in between is mostly gray. That’s us. Now gray is a tough color, because it’s not as simple as black and white - and for the media, certainly not as interesting. But… it’s what we are. - Mayor John Pappas
In case you haven’t noticed, the City of Chicago just took the liberty of lightening the wallets of its citizenry a few days ago.
Take note:
- 635 city job firings
- only 200 eventual hirings in law enforcement
- an additional $52.5 million to be culled from taxes
Don’t forget to return that borrowed library book. Those late fees increased as well. And all this at the heels of last year’s record breaking city tax hikes.
Mayor Daley made an interesting ironical comment concerning the necessity of tax overkill:
“Look at what’s happening in Philadelphia. Look at Atlanta. They’re all cutting back. Some cities will eventually go bankrupt. They can’t even meet their payroll,” Daley warned earlier this week.
Okey dokey, so we did. And BigBadBill was kind enough to post the link to a study demonstrating the dismal failure of Atlanta’s affordable living programs following 1996 Olympics. Evidently, Beijing is not the only host Olympic city to attempt to wipe away its less fortunate with a broad stroke.
Incredibly, Alderman Billy Ocasio was the single lone dissenter to the Mayor’s budget proposal. And he is commended for remembering that his job is to represent his constituents rather than the self-interests of the Olympic bidding committee:
“We find millions of dollars in private and public funds when it comes to places like Millennium Park, the 2016 Olympics or Buckingham Fountain. But when it comes to finding….$75,000 for a woman’s homeless shelter, the city says it’s an ongoing process. We all know what that means. It means no,” Ocasio said.
“For the reasons mentioned — the wrong people being laid off, my community being taken for granted, all of the false promises and the fact that this administration believes that everything and everyone is expendable — I vote no.”
Well said Alderman Ocasio, well said.
Hard questions must be asked about this Olympic bid. And concrete answers to such questions must be delivered.
Otherwise, Chicago may just end up facing the threat of bankruptcy.
Just like Atlanta. Right Mayor?