Tom Tresser - (Tom is an educator, organizer and consultant in Chicago's creative community.)

[ Note -- I was one of the three No Games Chicago delegates who travelled to Copenhagen last week to deliver materials and messages to the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)]

nogameschicago reports:

City and 2016 Destroy Parks – It’s Just the Start, Folks

August 4, 2009

As reported on the Save Michael Reese Hospital web site:

By Andrew Jennings, Sunday 21 June, 2009

Swiss bagman Jean-Marie Weber who admitted in court last year that he paid $100 million in kickbacks to sports officials in return for lucrative marketing contracts was at it again in Lausanne last week, schmoozing wannabee Olympic 2016 hosts Chicago, Rio, Madrid and Tokyo.

By Tom Tresser

I live in Lincoln Park and have been working in the arts, local economic development and civic engagement in Chicago since 1980. In 1993 I went to work for Peoples Housing, a grass roots community development organization in east Rogers Park that developed and maintained low income housing. I organized a community arts program that combined culture, education and micro-enterprise.

As reported by Crain’s Chicago Business reporter, Greg Hinz:

Olympic chief admits errors, but promises full disclosure

Perhaps while watching yesterday's breaking news regarding the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich you said to yourself, "Surely Chicago politics couldn't get more absurd." Well, try this one on for size.

One of the first things Barack Obama did after the presidential election was to make a pitch to the European Olympic Committee for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Bid.

Chicago is up against Tokyo, Madrid and Rio. The winner gets announced in October. While hosting the Olympics would present opportunities, it would also present challenges.

June 6 2008 - At a Daley Plaza Olympics rally to mark the city making the first cut in the contest to win the right to host the games, the South Side Democrat also noted that his home is only a few blocks from the proposed site of the main Olympic Stadium in Washington Park.