Congratulations Chicago Residents

[larry kremis]

You don't have to put up with the Olympics.

[darroll]

Now you can't get killed in the windy city.
Rio, thats another story, another rough place.

[HAVE_A_HEART]

What? What happened? Not that I am a Chicago resident--but that would have been great for the Country's economy!

[larry kremis]

I disagree HAVE, the G20 summit was just held in Pittsburgh. Downtown was shut down and industry around the city was shut down for a few days. Chicago and our country can't afford to shell out billions in order to have giant, month-long party. To work and live anywhere near Chicago would have been a nightmare. Let Rio have it. Let the Brazilian politicians revel in the attention.

AIN'T LIKE IT USED TO BE!

[HAVE_A_HEART]

Yeah...And let's see those volleyball gals play on those brazillian beaches!!

[larry kremis]

OH YEAH!

[darroll]

They gave the Olympics to Rio instead of Chicago.
Copenhagen voted them down on the first round.
The Obama’s and Oprah lobbied to no avail.

[HAVE_A_HEART]

I just read the story. Chicago wasn't even thought of for the vote---even with Oprah at the Olympic comittee! Guess she is not as internationaly powerful as she is made out to be!

[kainsworth]

Actually, with all of the famous kings and prime ministers and other dignitaries there, Oprah is the one person that everyone wanted to get their picture with. I'm not sure anyone said she is internationally powerful, but she is internationally famous.

[Katherine Hughes]

I'm in the Chicago suburbs, and I am very, very happy with today's vote. Chicago is already impossibly expensive and tax-heavy - sales tax over 10%! - and Chicago residents would have been on the hook for any cost overruns. For about a thousand different reasons - let Rio deal with the 2016 games.

[Red One]

What happened with all the charm from the Big O's that were there today?

[z100]

What did the Olympics do for Denver, Atlanta, Upstate NY, Calgary, does it actually help the ecomony after the games are over??? if so wouldn't Detroit have been a better place given its state of unemployment etc.

[larry kremis]

I honestly don't believe it would have helped Chicago's economy. Like Katherine said, Chicago residents would have been on the hook for any cost overruns and there would certainly have been cost overruns. Industrys would have to be shut down during the Olympics. Hotels and restaraunts would have done well, that's it. Local and state politicians would have looked good, lying about how well it did for Chicago.