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.

The Rail Freight Group is a company which lobbies on behalf of its members "to promote cost effective rail solutions for freight. Our members include customers, logistics providers, suppliers, terminal operators, ports and freight train operating companies." On May 22 2009 it published a paper 'A High Carbon Olympics at Stratford?'

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

Olympic chief admits errors, but promises full disclosure

I came across this comment about the impact of the Olympics on the regeneration of the east end of London in a recent interview with Peter Hall. He is Professor of Planning and Regeneration at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College London. From 1991 to 1994 he was Special Adviser on Strategic Planning to the Secretary of State for the Environment, with special reference to London and South-East regional planning, including Thames Gateway and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. In 1998-9 he was a member of the Deputy Prime Minister's Urban Task Force.

The security fence © Mike Wells: .
“...the Olympic Park, venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games will be the most inclusive and accessible to date.

.: The IOC code of ethics

Many of the world’s most powerful corporate, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations are not answerable to the people they affect according to ‘The Global Accountability Report’ (GAR), released [in Dec 2008] by one of the world’s leading global governance think tanks, the One World Trust.

At a time when serious global challenges such as the credit crunch are devastating lives, businesses and economies across the globe, all thirty organisations in the report failed to score over 80% when assessed against the think tanks accountability indicators – a level the One World Trust says indicates accountability reforms beyond the basic minimum.

Listening to Bob Crow RMT Gen Secretary: .Photo © Martin Slavin

Recent Freedom of Information responses from 2012 Olympics 'host boroughs' confirm the suspicion that local council funds and resources are being diverted into Olympics matters in ways that are not easily identifiable or accounted for. The lack of transparency and thorough accounting procedures make it almost impossible to calculate how much council tax payers are contributing to the 2012 Olympics as a whole, over and above the highly publicised £9.3billion budget.

Leabank Square residents have panned the design for the Media Centre. So has CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. Only they won't have to live opposite what one resident has called a 'tower block on its side'.