Not Un-American to Want to Protect Taxpayers

Peggy Venable, AFP Foundation Texas director, made the following statement in response to criticisms of speakers at AFP Foundation’s recent Defending the American Dream Summit:

Some taxpayers expressed relief that the U.S. taxpayer would not end up footing the bill for the Olympics in Chicago in 2016. Many Chicago residents agree. While we as an organization do not have a position on the Olympic location, we feel this is not the time to incur these extraordinary costs and likely debt which usually accompanies Olympic events.

Background:

According to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, the Olympics costs would have been in excess of $2.1 billion, though most of these events far exceed the original cost estimates. A HuffingtonPost.com article said it would be as much as $3.3 billion and “Olympic games are notorious for busting their budgets. The 2012 Olympics in London will cost an estimated $16.5 billion, three times its original estimate.” To think the Chicago Olympics would have been 1/5th that cost is naive at best, and probably downright ridiculous.

The Chicago 2016 bid committee had said much of the cost would be picked up by federal taxpayers, not local ones. But in the end, Chicago citizens would be on the hook for any huge cost overruns.

Many in Chicago were also cheering that the City didn’t get the Olympics. They weren’t un-American, but were concerned about their city’s priorities and the debt they would incur with the Olympics in their City. They had written President Obama asking him not to go to Copenhagen to personally plea for the Olympic bid:
“This summer has not been easy for many people who reside in Chicago. As the city entered into the final leg of competition for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Chicago citizens witnessed cuts in services, and city employees were forced to take furlough days to balance the budget. At the same time, many state programs and jobs were slashed.
“While funds were nowhere to be found for basic services, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee, the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois lined up nearly $2 billion in taxpayer funds for the 2016 Olympics….
“As a longtime resident of Chicago, you are well aware that in this city, cost overruns and delays of large civic construction projects go hand in hand.
“Millennium Park came in four years behind schedule and three times over budget…
“Stay home and represent the will of Chicagoans who are tired of the corruption that plagues politics in this city, tired of watching their tax dollars funneled elsewhere while their neighborhoods crumble, and tired of being lied to and ignored by elected officials.
The people of Chicago who packed Grant Park on Election Night to listen to your victory speech joined you in hopes of change. Change in Chicago would mean a direct investment in hospitals, housing, schools, trains and other services that would improve the quality of life in our city.
Chicago's Olympic bid isn't a promise of change--it's just more politics as usual.”
Read that full letter here: http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2009/09/28/an-open-letter-to-barack-obama-for-the-good-of-chicago-dont-go-to-copenhagen/

On Friday, Oct 2, in Copenhagen, the OIC members voted from contenders Chicago, Tokyo, Rio and Madrid. Chicago did not make it to round two of the voting. AFP Foundation’s annual Defending the Dream Summit was held in the D.C. area and in one of the breakout sessions; a panelist read from an email sent to their Blackberry that the Olympics had gone to Rio de Janeiro. Critics claimed these citizens were “un-American” to express relief that the Olympics would not be held in the U.S.