Last Shot to Privatize
Gotta take care of those connected individuals before the lights go out:
- Mayor Daley said Wednesday he plans to forge ahead with his plan to privatize Taste of Chicago — even if a private operator imposes an admission fee.
“You have to. The cost factor was enormous for Taste of Chicago. No one made any money,” the mayor told reporters after a City Council meeting.
Daley said he has “no idea” how high the entrance fee would be or whether a private operator would impose one at all on Taste patrons. The staggering tab for police services does not include a private security contractor hired by the city to assist with crowd control and work the gates. That contract is held by a clout-heavy company owned by three of Daley's former bodyguards.
Despite those costs, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Lois Weisberg has argued that it would be a mistake to privatize the Taste because a private operator would impose an admission fee that would drive down attendance.
Well Lois, that sounds like a feature, not a bug. Keeping the riff-raff out of what has turned into a gigantic gang banger display of colors and fights would be a good thing. Maybe they can move it into Soldier Field or somewhere similar with a big fence around it. Maybe then we wouldn't be treated to the yearly spectacle of "youtube" videos that are an embarrassment to behold.
Labels: city politics
posted by SCC at 12:02 AM
25 Comments:
YES SIR...
Remember when Jane Byrne did the same thing with Chicago Fest ? She gave it to a mob outfit called Festivals Inc. and they turned around and charged the city a fee the following year. Washington flushed that bullshit down the toilet and rightly so. I never was a big fan of Washington, a man who served time in the country jail before, not after he was mayor. But he did a few things right.
Let Daley sucker someone into buying it and the next administration can end it. It won’t be missed.
the parking meters were sold off and it was supposed to be such a good deal--- look what happened....
SCC, I wish you were running for mayor, because your grasp of the issues is ten times better than the politicians.
"Maybe they can move it into Soldier Field or somewhere similar with a big fence around it"
Also, I have to say, nowadays charging to get in is ten bucks I would gladly pay if it meant the animals were kept away.
so, rather than charge a fee, mayor mumbles will....let a company charge a fee and turn a profit. Nice.
Wait a minute, your perception of history is wrong. Jane Byrne charged a fee because she modeled it after Milwaukee, where they do their festival with only eight cops and an entrance fee. Jesse Jackson put demonstrators at the gates because he felt that the fee discriminated against blacks, so Byrne folded and it became the gang festival that we have today. The politcal threat from Jackson kept Daley from charging an entrance fee, but now if it is run by one of his cronies, profit will be O.K..
Just look at Milwaukee's food fest. They charge a fee, and as I understand it, the event is riff-raff free and they haven't had any fest-related shootings.
Sounds like a plus to me.
When Rahm takes over things will be different. We should hold his feet to the fire and see what we can get from him IT HAS TO BE BETTER THAN DALEY!!!! Instead of bashing the guy we (FOP) should approach him and see what is on his mind. Why be last. He IS going to win make no mistake about it. The slate is clean and I think we may be blowing a chance to get off to a good start. Random thoughts from a realist
Milwaukee does fine with their summerfest. Much better then the taste.
Shortshanks started selling off city assets when no revenue could be had by taxpayers, continued BS contruction projects to pay his cronies. Scheming the past 20 years will do that, see how that Olympic Village deal went sour after the city bought it for unk millions. Now no developer will proceed with it. What happened, hmmmm? All those "investors" ran off. How quick Shanks is running off to leave the next mayor a pile of crap, but if it's Rahmbama, it'll be business as usual, no books to open- just raise taxes. Here's an idea, sell off & privatize JFLED and Hubie, see where they can find gainful 6 figure employment.
Lois Weinberg really doesn't get it, does she? Yes, attendance fee = smaller crowds. That would be lovely, thanks.
bring on the admission fee... if they did I think I actually might go again.. im not opposed to it
Why privatize it? Why not have the city run it and still charge an admission. That would work.
$5 a head will keep the shitheads out...then maybe I'll go for the first time in twenty years.
I saygo for it make everybody pay like milwaukee get rid of the riff raff bring better acts and evryone that attends will appreciate it more only shitheads t ha t pay will have all eyes on them the only thing to worry about is the fureworks all shithead will do is park right outside the fest
DALEY CRIME ORGANIZATION GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.
Government Property at Bargain Prices.
Long Term Leases a Specialty.
Kickbacks-Throwbacks-Hijacks anytime anyplace.
Citizen, Taxpayers and City Employees be Damned.
Not sell it off, but a entry fee, or minimum number of food tickets bought to get in to keep out the gangbangers.
Not a bad idea.
What makes any dumb fucking ass think that just by imposing a fee it would keep the gang bangers out? Gangs make lots of money by selling drugs, stolen items, etc.... They have lots of money to spare. It's the working stiff who is less likely to go if he and his family have to pay an admission fee.
Great idea, some third world country outa put in and if they kick enough money to the "king" a done deal. Geez maybe Bin Laden could get a front man for that gig.... Shortshanks wont give a shit about that, as long as his bag-man brings in the $$$.
I went to a festival in Milwaukee this summer and will never attend another Chicago event again. The cost of admission was only $12.00, it was not overcrowded, supremely clean and I felt totally safe. Milwaukee knows how to do festivals and make sure that the attendees are protected from the animals.
Vanecko Event Management, LLC is on the case...
Excerpts From Wikipedia:
ChicagoFest was a summer music festival in the city of Chicago, started in 1978 by Mayor Michael Bilandic. It was held annually at Navy Pier, and lasted for roughly two weeks. ChicagoFest, started by mayor Michael Bilandic, was the precursor to the Taste of Chicago.
In 1982, after black Chicago residents were angered by various events, including Mayor Byrne's nomination of three white board members to new positions in the Chicago Housing Authority, Jesse Jackson and other civil rights leaders called for a boycott of ChicagoFest. Later reports indicated that the festival lost millions of dollars that year, but that was not the case.
ChicagoFest was cancelled by Byrne's successor, Mayor Harold Washington.
Links:
ChicagoFest
Taste of Chicago
Taste of Chicago is a waste of tax payer money.
-Overpriced, unhealthy, reheated food left out all day
-Overcrowded
-Not much going on but the nasty food and potential fights
Summerfest has rides, 3 stages with music free to anyone that pays the $12 entrance fee, booths with trinkets and trash to buy. Fairly well behaved crowds. Food is not the draw, it's just a side concession. It's a true "Fest".
I've lived in Chicago for many years and have only gone to one Taste. One was enough. Blech. It's mainly for naive suburbanites that want to experience "the City."
Privatize the taste, let someone with a clue run it (versus the City) or let it die. I don't care. But I'd far rather see any money the city spends on it go to pay for more PO's!
Private Citizen
Indict criminal daley. Then convict and incarcerate. Repeat with the whole daley family. Wipe the scourge of the daley crime family from the earth.
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