Parks Give Away a Million
- The Chicago Park District waived a $937,500 rental fee and a security deposit for the NFL to use Grant Park when it held the draft in the city from April 30-May 2, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday afternoon.
An outdoor fan festival dubbed “Draft Town” was held in Grant Park, and it was a large selling point for mayor Rahm Emanuel to help persuade the NFL to move its big event from New York City to Chicago this this year for the first time since 1964. By all accounts, the fan festival went over well, with more than 200,000 estimated to have attended the draft and an NFL spokesman saying of how it all played out, “It far exceeded our expectations.”
Perhaps part of that glowing review was because the use of Grant Park was free. Typically, it would cost around $1 million to host an event the size of the NFL Draft, the Tribune reported, but the this was a different circumstance because it was deemed a benefit to the public.
The city is pleading "broke" at every opportunity. Rahm is holding clandestine meetings with public employee unions trying to circumvent a state law requiring a $500+ million payment to shore up pension funds neglected for years under his predecessors and lately, his administration.
Yet, someone somewhere waives a $1 million rental-and-insurance fee from an organization that generates $10 billion in revenue per year. That's something like one-ten-thousandth of it's total revenue flow. We'd certainly like to meet whoever made that decision. So would a lot of taxpayers.
Yet, someone somewhere waives a $1 million rental-and-insurance fee from an organization that generates $10 billion in revenue per year. That's something like one-ten-thousandth of it's total revenue flow. We'd certainly like to meet whoever made that decision. So would a lot of taxpayers.
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:31 AM
47 Comments:
The goodwill and other income from the NFL more than makes up for it. Lets not forget the parks dept is run by astute businessmen.
That million would help with the pension debt.
Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! This city has money to burn and they will when Rahm gives the final go-ahead to pour gasoline over card-board houses in the river. And, check out the 'RiverWalk'...its only 15 feet wide with no railings..and little kiosks of ma, pa vendors. Whoopdido!! Folks falling and jumping into the dirty river..it'll be a different kind of gymnasium.
A million dollar gift to the NFL?
Of course they gave away the money to the NFL.
It's the NFL! In Chicago! Isn't that wonderful?!?
The NFL is the master at extorting money and favors from the event host cities. And if you do not go along, there are thirty other cities that happily bribe the NFL.
Don't believe me, look at the Super bowl perks for the NFL and the Team Owners. Free Hotel rooms, Free parking, and free tickets. The Minneapolis Star Tribune did a story on this.
It's not bribery by the host cities. Bribery is something those soccer playing weirdos in FIFA do. This is just the host city showing its appreciation to the friends in the NFL.
A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon you are talking about real money.
Can anyone name the Famous IL Senator?
ON the plus side...
Jesse J. and Al Sharpton were probably paid to stay out of Chiraq during this time. They were too busy burning up Baltimore.
Just thinking...
Willie Nelson also had BIG tax problems with the IRS.
So what does he do to solve his problems. He holds special concerts just to pay his taxes. That's what a Proud American Redneck does.
Now Al Sharpton could hold special riots to pay his taxes. That is what a Entitled, Never Held a Real J-O-B (fill-in-the-blank) would do.
Free??
Next time I come downtown, I want my Parking Fees to be FREE. AND - the sales tax on anything I buy to be FREE.
AND WHAT MORON ALDERMAN SAID CHICAGO SHOULD TAX SUBURBANITES?
What is his position on the "giveaway" from the Park District? That was $1,000,000 they gave up from someone who could pay it.
Sorry, don't cry to me about your revenue problems when you are giving away the store.
Ask the Mayor what the NFL draft cost the taxpayers! You know if it had made ANY money he would have been shrieking it from his tower. Show us the books.
Corporate welfare
you elected that guy president of our union that guy is on disability! most of the elected representatives are retirees! go figure...were screwed!
This is classic corrupt government in action. My next door neighbor is from Morocco. Morocco is a very corrupt country. He asks me sometimes "why do people in Chicago put up with this sort of corruption?". In Morocco if you challenge the government's authority you die. In America nothing can happen to you. In the meantime our property taxes and garbage collection fees will go up.
Pensions 101 - The current law passed in exchange for the new lower Tier 2 pensions system for new hires mandates the City make actuarial based payments to the pension fund to achieve full funding. This year is the first year of the required payment. If the City does not make the payment State funds to the city are garnished by the Pension fund.
Come on SCC, you always gripe about reading fundamentals....
Choose Chicago is the nonprofit tourism agency that played a leading role organizing the event and helped finance it. A spokesperson for Choose Chicago emphasized again that no taxpayer money was used to host the NFL Draft, the Tribune reported.
Surly you can trust Choose Chicago, right...?
As long as it benefits Rahm, it's all good.
Would the NFL or the City have assumed liability if something had gone wrong? Just asking.
Can someone please tell me how much mo wy Rhammy is spending at Ohare and why he has this money to pit there and not into the pension funds. I don't remember ever being able to call city hall and defer my water bill....property tax.....vehicle city sticker.....as a matter of fact if I didn't pay I was subject to discipline methods and additional fees. Why does Rhamdini get to play hocus pocus with the pension funds. The mayor should be held to task just as we are. Pay that pension bill. He has money for all his pet projects .....gives NFL a million off the cuff......doesn't charge the junkies for all of the clean up in the park leaving our children in the middle of needle park.....expansions at ohare.....free property and pay offs for BO library and he is going to live in New York City and not contribute a dam thing here. FLOP hold him to task....do something .......he is hurting all of us......we need you to do exactly what you are supposed to do, fight for us,, show the media and the world this city is in broke.....the idea of bankruptcy is farseeing....its to cement his cronies in more stolen funds...Our pension funds......
Dyla Hata
The guy who made that decision sits on the 5th floor of city hall and was reelected to 4 more years of bullshit like this. All told, with all the city gives away free, about $10 million a year is lost forever.
Wow....how about waiving my taxes? Or the tax I paid because I do not want Nobamacare?
I'll watch the Bears again once they get rid of Cutler. The McDonald fiasco was bad enough.
The NFL (and Swan Lake) have no shame..."benefit to the public" my ass.
--No Cop Here
As much as I dislike rahm, on this one I will agree to waive a million cause he made the draft happened. The city made more with hotels, park, restaurant etc.. but rahm please stop spending tax payers money like is growing on trees!
And don't forget the park district bond rating is junk...........This is an example of why it's junk.............Emmanuel and the democratic party are junk
I think the waiver was probably a good move. I loath Rahm, but while bringing the Draft to Chicago by waiving the fee may have cost a million or two, all-in, with the fee waiver and park maintance afterwards, the tax revenue derived from all the visitors was a significan't net gain.
Let's not step over hundred dollar bills to pick up quarters.
Now Rahm has to take it a step beyond and -- lower -- taxes on all the things residents leave the county to buy, because of the high city taxes. Doing so will also be a net revenue gain.
-Citizen
Sometimes I guess these politicians just cant do math....
"we'll spend all this money in services and we'll charge.....lets see...nutin"
WTF and how does anyone get surprise when the total has a negative number??
Glad they don't do my checkbook balancing, they'd be doing back flips when I spent more then I made...
With this kind of Chicago accounting, there will be nothing left for first responders. Rahm does not care about anyone but himself and honoring the promises he made under the table to his "friends."
I guess Dean did fuck it up. Some of us still respect law enforecment. Would be nice if your upper echelon did too.
It's not their money.
It's taxpayer money.
It should be illegal for the city
to waive a million dollar fee.
Let's see the credible numbers the event brought in. May have been a net positive
At least the George Lucas museum will pay rent. A whopping one dollar per year. Ridiculous!
NFL a 10 billion+ enterprise, the owners pay no taxes, and now we give them over a million in free land? What about police,fire, streets, security, contract services did the taxpayers pay that also? The hotels were not overbooked, most people avoided the thug feat, waste of money and time! Football who cares! Look over here the Blackhawks are winning and doing it without gang banging and nefarious players! Hockey is the game to watch!!
(OT) Fop cannot even keep up with retires how do you expect the "Dean crew" to even look at making progress on saying no to any pension non-payment?
http://www.chicagofop.org/retirees/retirees-by-month/
"Surely you can trust Choose Chicago, right...?"
Civilian here. Here's the list of the power behind "Choose Chicago". Recognize the names?
"Choose Chicago" Board of Directors
OFFICERS
Desiree Rogers, Chair
CEO
Johnson Publishing, Co.
Gillian Darlow, Vice Chair
CEO
Polk Bros. Foundation
Lou Raizin, Treasurer
President
Broadway In Chicago
Patrick Donelly, Secretary
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Chicago
BOARD
Holly Agra
President
Chicago's First Lady
Theresa Mintle
CEO
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Terry Allen
Business Manager
Local 134, IBEW
Lynn Osmond
President
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Rosemarie Andolino
Commissioner
Department of Aviation
Adam Pollett
Director
Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Development
Michelle Boone
Commissioner
Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events
Jorge Ramirez
President
Chicago Federation of Labor
Alderman Walter Burnett
27th Ward
Maria Razumich-Zec
Regional Vice President
The Peninsula Chicago
William Byrne
Managing Director Specialty Sales
United Airlines
James R. Reilly
Trustee
Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority
Mike Cassidy
Vice President of Operations
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Sandra Reynolds
Partner
IntraLink Global
Ray Chin
President
Chicago Chinatown
Tom Ricketts
Chairman
Incapital LLC/Chicago Cubs
John T. Coli
Secretary-Treasurer
Teamsters Local 727
Manny Sanchez
Founding Partner
Sanchez Daniels and Hoffman
John Colleti
Managing Partner
The Gibsons Restaurant Group
Harriet Seitler
Executive Vice President /CMO
Harpo Studios/OWN
Laurence Geller
Chairman
Geller Investment Co., LLC
Alpana Singh
Proprietor
The Boarding House
Sue Gin
President
Flying Food Group
Melody Spann-Cooper
Chairman
Midway Broadcasting Company
Billy Glunz
Regional Director
American Airlines
John Tomasiewicz
Director Client Management
American Express
Jack Greenberg
Chairman
Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority
John Tomasiewicz
Director Client Management
American Express
Mary Pat Heftman
EVP, Convention & Strategic Alliances
National Restaurant Association
Carlos Tortolero
President
National Museum of Mexican Art
Jake Henry
Principal
McKinsey & Co.
Thomas P. Villanova
President
Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council
Kwang-Wu Kim
President & CEO
Columbia College Chicago
Ron Vlasic
Regional Vice President
Kimpton Hotels & Resorts
Rosemary Krimbel
Commissioner
Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Products
Mark Watson
Executive Director
Radiological Society of North America
Tom Loughlin
Area Vice President
Hilton Worldwide
Don Welsh
President & CEO
Choose Chicago
Jerry Mickelson
Principal
JAM Productions
W.t.f. They can give a no good punk killer like Aaron Hernandez a 40 million $$ contract.......but can not pay a few bucks to use a park, a nationally televised draft event that made them millions more??? What a great city we live in......
This nonsense about making up the waived costs because of the visitors spending money in other spots the Shitty makes money on is ludicrous.
The Shity and County owe billions in pension obligations. They can't afford to be waiving anything for anyone.
Of course, we all know who ACTUALLY got the million in their campaign fund... So NFL actually paid out somehow...
It'd be so nice if the Feds would come in and conduct a forensic accounting of these scheisters, then put them in prison forever.
How come Dean who is on disability is not called back to duty like all the other disability officers are being brought back? Obviously he can type a few reports at 311. I know he is president of the FLOP but he should have his disability stasis removed like the rest of disABLEd officer. He is not disabled so much that he can't write a report. Hell he must have wrote at least one or two to get that Sheepskin while on the disability roll.
5/28/2015 02:06:00 AM
willie nelson is no friend of the Police.Do a little research before posting.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
W.t.f. They can give a no good punk killer like Aaron Hernandez a 40 million $$ contract.......but can not pay a few bucks to use a park, a nationally televised draft event that made them millions more??? What a great city we live in......
5/28/2015 03:12:00 PM
True! But we have thugalicicious "waste of Chicago" coming no fences, no admission think if they charged minimal admission what we would have the thugs won't pay! Look to Naperville rib fest admission top shelf music not the crap we have at this "celebration"
Carcass of bankrupt Detroit still being picked over.
Kind of reminds one of the Michael Reese property here, sitting there bleeding money into Rahm's friends' pockets.
Unfinished prison costs Detroit area taxpayers $1.2M per month
May 28, 2015
"A prison in downtown Detroit that was deemed too expensive to complete is now a construction site frozen in time that still costs cash-strapped local taxpayers more than $1 million a month.
"It was supposed to be a state-of-art lockup in the heart of the Motor City, but four years after breaking ground, with construction costs totaling $150 million and no end in sight, the city pulled the plug on the project four years ago.
"Now, the Wayne County Jail sits empty among the ruins of a bankrupt city, costing taxpayers upwards of $1.2 million in debt service and monthly upkeep costs for electricity, security, sump pumps - and even off-site storage for pre-fabricated jail cells that will never be used.
"The Wayne County Jail was originally proposed as a $300 million, 2,000-bed jail that would combine the other county correctional facilities. Ground was broken on the work site in September 2011, but was stalled nearly two years later, in June 2013, when a 60-day suspension was imposed after projected cost overruns totaled nearly $100 million. Construction never resumed, and later that summer, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the project.
"The investigation led to the arrest of former Wayne County Chief Financial Officer Carla Sledge, attorney Steven Collins and construction manager Anthony Parlovecchio..."
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/28/jailhouse-crock-unfinished-prison-costs-detroit-area-taxpayers-1m-per-month/?intcmp=latestnews
"Chicago taxpayers have paid a wealthy North Shore family more than $24 million since June for the vacant Michael Reese Hospital property that former Mayor Richard M. Daley bought as part of his failed Olympic dream.
"And Chicagoans will keep paying — possibly another $120 million in principal and interest by the year 2024...City Hall must continue paying the property’s former owners, the Mills family, owners of Medline Industries Inc., a medical supply business. A federal bankruptcy judge awarded the Michael Reese property to settle the hospital’s debts to the family.
"The Mills family includes Wendy Mills Abrams and her husband James Abrams, who are close friends of Emanuel. Abrams and his wife each contributed $50,000 last month to Chicago Forward, a political campaign fund the mayor’s allies used to financially support aldermen loyal to Emanuel..."
http://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/7/71/565270/the-watchdogs-daleys-michael-reese-hospital-deal-still-costing-taxpayers-millions
The next bankrupt city? Baltimore staggers around, clutching at its throat...
'Sales are next to nothing': Merchants worry crime crisis could cast pall over Baltimore downtown
May 28, 2015
"BALTIMORE – An epidemic of murder that has gripped Baltimore in the month following the Freddie Gray riots is threatening to undo decades of rebirth in the city's popular downtown -- and in the process, wipe away tens of millions of tourist dollars.
"“Sales are next to nothing,” said Kenneth Robinson, manager of the Fudgery, an iconic candy store tucked in the heart of the Inner Harbor.
"Local merchants were just starting to see business bounce back after last month's riots. But a crime crisis has since gripped Baltimore, with police saying criminals have taken advantage of the situation to wreak havoc on Charm City.
“Business has been very slow,” said Robinson, whose store has been around since 1980. 'I wouldn’t be surprised if Baltimore never fully comes back,' [said] Baltimore restaurateur Blake Smith.
"Two groups canceled trips scheduled for April 28 to May 1. The American Heart Association backed out of its meeting at the Hilton Baltimore. And the Door and Hardware Institute canceled a scheduled gathering at the Baltimore Convention Center, after having booked rooms for more than 2,000 attendees..."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/baltimore-merchants-crime-crisis/?intcmp=trending
Bread and circuses to distract from the graft, mismanagement, crime rate, crumbling roads, decreasing quality of life, etc.
bet that million could have picked up a lot of needles in douglas park.
A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon you are talking about real money.
Can anyone name the Famous IL Senator?
5/28/2015 01:31:00 AM
Who is Sen Everett Dirksen?
>>>Anonymous said...
At least the George Lucas museum will pay rent. A whopping one dollar per year. Ridiculous!
5/28/2015 12:59:00 PM<<<
Isn't there also an Entertainment Tax, Parking Tax, Sales Tax on good sold?
It will employ how many people, including Wookies, Imperial Storm Troopers and Jedis?
It will generate a lot of roll over revenue. All and all a much better deal for Chicago than Shortshanks' Parking Meter Deal. Is he still on the Board of Directors of Coca Cola, and a law partner of the firm that represents the Parking Meter Company but is medically unable to answer questions about his tenure as Dictator of Chicago.
Although often quoted, it seems Dirksen never actually said this. The Dirksen Congressional Research Center made an extensive search when fully 25% of enquiries to them were about the quotation. They could find Dirksen did say "a billion here, a billion there", and things close to that, but not the "pretty soon you're talking real money" part. They had one gentleman report to them he had asked Dirksen about it on an airflight and received the reply: "Oh, I never said that. A newspaper fella misquoted me once, and I thought it sounded so good that I never bothered to deny it."
>>>Anonymous said...
It's not their money.
It's taxpayer money.
It should be illegal for the city
to waive a million dollar fee.
5/28/2015 11:07:00 AM<<<
It should have been ILLEGAL AS HELL for the Pension Board to wave a $25Million Pension Payment for Richie to make a phone call which made our pension max-out go from 33 years and a day to 29 and a day. Or have we forgotten.
(OT) 60 million more found by mayor treasurer hunter! on Channel 7 news now, the intersection near elsdon and damen is being redone to help cure the traffic congestion, but it does not need to be done until Chicago gets more money, think this 60 Million could of went directly to pension fund, the casino money could pay for this intersection improvement, no breaks you owe you pay. Police are tired of being short changed!
It's not like the city is hurting for money or anything.
Isn't Rahm constantly crying broke and talking about "unfair burdens" on taxpayers when he's talking about our pensions?
Actions speak louder than words. Even though Rahm continues to cry broke when talking about our pensions he continues to piss away money like a drunken sailor.
C'mon Rahm..... you can't have it both ways.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
(OT) 60 million more found by mayor treasurer hunter! on Channel 7 news now, the intersection near elsdon and damen is being redone to help cure the traffic congestion, but it does not need to be done until Chicago gets more money, think this 60 Million could of went directly to pension fund, the casino money could pay for this intersection improvement, no breaks you owe you pay. Police are tired of being short changed!
5/28/2015 10:10:00 PM
For some 20yrs, Elston/Damen/Fullerton has been a nightmare to travel through. There are eleven intersection control lights there and they can NOT be timed properly to make the various streets and islands sync well enough to move the traffic. It's confusing and dangerous.
It can take more than ten minutes to get through that mess on a good day. And, since it's one of the top intersections for traffic accidents, sometimes we're talking 20-25 minutes if there's a fender-bender. With the Kennedy intersecting both Fullerton and Damen within two blocks of this disaster, the situation is compounded further. Even getting a marked car through there, lights and siren, is insane and dangerous.
I'm all for reining in unnecessary spending, but this reroute is necessary and long overdue. It's the kind of thing I DO want my tax dollars spent on. And it's not some big surprise: the planning precedes Rahm's return to Chicago by at least five years. There have been numerous media stories on the reroute proposals (because the planning phase alone has gone on for TEN YEARS), the loss of Vienna Beef's parking lot to the new configuration, the concern over losing Vienna itself (it's staying), the relocation of the tennis club and businesses at the intersection, the closing of Dunkin and its pending demolition a few months ago. It's been well-documented at every step of the project. Relax. It's something that's a huge benefit to the city, for a change.
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