Which Neighborhoods are dangerous?

So to cut down on the possibility of "steering" you can't be given information on the safety of the neighborhood you are potentially going to choose to live in. Why not? It fits right in with The Chicago Way.

Murder In Chicago: Which Neighborhoods Are Dangerous?

				Murder In Chicago: Which Neighborhoods Are Dangerous? People looking to buy a home in Chicago frequently want to know whether or not a particular neighborhood is "safe" or "dangerous". Unfortunately, there are a whole ...
				View on www.chicagonow.com	Preview by Yahoo

This article is from June of 2013.

So, the government doesn't like real estate agents pontificating on this matter precisely because it is so subjective and they don't want real estate agents "steering" home buyers to particular neighborhoods based upon their own prejudices. Steering can also prevent a neighborhood from ever improving by discouraging law abiding citizens from moving into it. So there are fair housing laws that prevent us from making certain kinds of statements about which neighborhoods are dangerous or safe.

However, that doesn't mean that real estate agents have to remain totally silent on the matter. Usually we will recommend that a home buyer check some Web site for crime statistics or hang out in a neighborhood for a while to see if they feel comfortable there. For example, a bunch of loitering adult males in the middle of the work day is usually not a good sign. Idle hands..

By just looking at this map and comparing it to a heat map of median income for Chicago you can plainly see that murder correlates pretty strongly with income. Again, idle hands... Also, isn't it odd that the murders appear to occur along diagonal lines - from northwest to southeast. What's with that? If anyone has any insights I'm all ears.

Getting Real

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Chicago Murders: The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods Posted: 06 Jul 2015 05:20 AM PDT I first looked at Chicago murders a couple of years ago and have been meaning to update it since. That first blog post is actually good reading for all the necessary caveats and nuances that go with any sort of data like this: Murder In Chicago: Which Neighborhoods Are Dangerous. As I explained in that original post it's difficult to definitively declare a particular neighborhood safe or dangerous. But it's still helpful to look at the data to see where the most people are being killed. For this exercise I went back to the city of Chicago's crime data portal and pulled all the homicide records for the 12 month period ending June 30. There were a total of 448 murders during that time period, which is on par with the last time I did this analysis. I then aggregated the data by community area and mapped it on Google Maps. Here is the summary by community area, sorted from highest to lowest. However, you can't possibly read this graph without first clicking on it to expand it. Also, note that if a community area had no murders it's not on the list. Case in point: Lincoln Park. The map below is interactive so you can zoom in or out and also click on the balloons for a bit more information. (Note: if you are reading this via email I don't think you will be seeing an interactive map below. However, you can click on the title of this post in your email and it should take you to the post on the Web where you can see everything.) Also, if you want to work with a larger map you can go to my underlying Chicago murder crime map. Yeah, I know that there are other crime maps out there but they often have a lot of different crimes lumped together, or they are limited to a small area, or they limit you to just a few weeks' data. #ChicagoCrime #ChicagoMurders If you want to keep up to date on the Chicago real estate market, get an insider's view of the seamy underbelly of the real estate industry, or you just think I'm the next Kurt Vonnegut you can Subscribe to Getting Real by Email. Please be sure to verify your email address when you receive the verification notice.

Chicago says good bye to Mr. Cub

from @Chicago Cubs Twitter


RIP Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks.

from ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/28617/baseball-says-goodbye-to-mr-cub

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts added: “Never in time have numbers fallen so short in describing the true greatness of a baseball player. Ernie Banks was known as much for his off-the-field demeanor as his on-the-field performance.” 

Listening and watching from the front of Fourth Presbyterian Church were many baseball greats, including Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson and Lou Brock. Other current and former Cubs and team employees attending included Kerry Wood, Jim Hendry, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, John McDonough, Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. All got an opportunity to remember Mr. Cub for the player and person he was. 

“Ernie Banks was living proof that you don’t have to wear a championship ring on your finger in order to be a pillar of baseball and a champion in life,” Joe Torre said in representing Major League Baseball at the ceremony. “He made the confines of Wrigley Field friendly, he made the Cubs lovable, and he was one of the pivotal people during a vital time in our history who made a great game worthy of being our national pastime.” 

Another Tale of Two Cities?

Sounds like we should have LED Detroit into bankruptcy, not followed it. - CS
	Another Tale of Two Cities? Source: statedatalab.org Forty nine of the 50 states are required to 'balance their budgets,' either via statute or state constitutions.  Debt loads have been rising sharply anyway, as government accounting standards and budget gimmicks have enabled some states to persistently spend more than they take in.  This is particularly true as retirement obligations accumulated off balance sheets, when true accrual accounting would have included that growth in any valid 'balanced budget' calculation. How about cities?  Cities c...

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Forty nine of the 50 states are required to 'balance their budgets,' either via statute or state constitutions.  Debt loads have been rising sharply anyway, as government accounting standards and budget gimmicks have enabled some states to persistently spend more than they take in.  This is particularly true as retirement obligations accumulated off balance sheets, when true accrual accounting would have included that growth in any valid 'balanced budget' calculation.

How about cities? 

Cities can have similar requirements, in their own city charter or from state constitutions.   Both Detroit and Chicago, for example, are in states with laws requiring balanced budgets for cities within the states.  Like the states, however, ambiguity in the language of the law can couple with accounting practices to allow cities to accumulate debt while they spend beyond their incoming revenue.

At State Data Lab, we calculate and report a metric called 'Net Revenue' for all 50 states.  Net Revenue subtracts total reported net expenses from general revenue.  It can inform whether a state is truly 'balancing its budget,' at least as far as reported results.  States reporting net expenses higher than general revenue have negative net revenue in a given year.  In some states, like Illinois, net revenue has been persistently negative despite a state 'balanced budget' requirement.

Net revenue can also be calculated for cities.  The chart above shows how net revenue in Detroit was persistently negative in the five years before its bankruptcy filing.  The chart also shows an even more alarming trend for the city of Chicago.  And those results can understate reality; they rely on the city's financial reports, which do not include accumulating off-balance sheet retirement obligations.

In 2009, when net revenue in Chicago first dropped through the (negative) $1 billion level, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley included the following observations in his letter introducing the annual report for that year:

Although we do see some signs of recovery on the horizon, city government must operate on a balanced budget, and we have instituted strong management initiatives to ensure that we match our responsibilities to available revenues.  This will continue to be our overriding theme: a smaller, more flexible, streamlined city government that lives within its means and can quickly respond to the needs of its citizens.

Way to go, Chicago!! (and Illinois) the numbers don't lie

It's sad but true that what happens in Chicago, tears down the entire state of Illinois as well.  

Chicago is the tail that wags the dog in this state, so what happens in Chicago, bleeds all over Illinois. 

REPORT FROM BLUE AMERICA: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel should be crying about what Democrats have done to his city and Illinois. 

A recent study named Chicago the most corrupt city in the United States, and 340 city officials and 31 aldermen have been convicted of corruption since 1970.

* Despite raising the individual income tax 66% and the corporate tax 46% in 2011, the state is projected to end the current fiscal year with an accumulated deficit of $5.2 billion. Illinois has just stopped paying its bills. Some vendors have gone unpaid for nine months or even longer. 

* Unsurprisingly, Illinois has the worst credit rating of any state. It is in de facto bankrupt.

* New York City has over 8 million people and had 414 homicides this year. Chicago has less than 3 million people and had 500 homicides. 

* Of the 15 largest cities in the United States in 2010, Chicago was the only one that lost population. Its population has dropped to a level not seen since 1910. 

* Chicago has a terrible business climate and it has the nation's highest sales tax. The city's vaunted Loop is the second-largest central business district in the nation, and in the past decade it has lost 18.6% of its private-sector jobs. The entire Chicago region lost 7.1% of its jobs—the worst performance of any of the country's ten largest metro areas.

* City Journal asks "What accounts for Chicago's miserable performance in the 2000s? It is the result of poor leadership and powerful interest groups that benefit from the status quo. Public-union clout is literally written into the state constitution."

The ramifications of this type of political culture results in people taking the only steps that they can take --  they vote with their wallets and their feet and they increasingly walk away.

According to Migration Data from the Tax Foundation http://interactive.taxfoundation.org/migration/ (net migration from 1993 - 2010):

When you compare Illinois to every other state in the union in terms of people either moving into or out of the comparative states, Illinois is losing in the transaction in virtually every example.

Only when compared against Delaware (small # of exchanges), Iowa (virtual dead heat), North Dakota (small # of exchanges) and Ohio does Illinois come out ahead. In many instances, they get absolutely swamped.

You have to wonder about Ohio, but they at least seem to be taking steps to turn things around.

CHICAGO VICTORY PARADE!!!

THE CHAMPIONS HAVE ARRIVED WITH THE STANLEY CUP IN CHICAGO!!

Our on-site photographer sent this picture (which I stole from FB) of Blackhawks fans descending on the downtown area where the victory parade will be held.

WAY TO GO, CHICAGO!!

This is how we do it in Chicago.....a stirring rendition....an emotional reaction

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US National Anthem drowned out by cheers at 91 NHL All Star Game

Wayne Messmer sings the National Anthem at Chicago Stadium during the '91 NHL All-Star game, days after the U.S. went into Iraq at the start of the Gulf War. He is nearly drowned out by the crowd.

This was broadcast live to the troops in the Middle East, and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf reportedly played a tape of this to his soldiers.

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I don't know if this will start the debate anew, but I like this. I like it a lot. And maybe it is time for the somewhat quaint and antiquated tradition of showing quiet respect for the flag falls by the wayside. And maybe we can show our love and support for our country and the troops in a passionate way. Why not? To do otherwise conveys the impression that the support is not there.

I understand why veterans quietly bow there heads and pay homage and respect in their own way, but they do not seem to be offended by the 'Hawks fans level of support. It is veterans and armed services groups that present the colors each time the anthem is played here and they do not seem offended.

In the Fox News debate below the columnist from Detroit who takes issue with the 'Hawks fans display mentions that the "penalties" for this type of action are the same as those for defacing the flag. Well someone should have pointed out to him that thanks to the Supreme Court those "penalties" are zero. It's a free speech right apparently to deface, defile and rebuke the flag and all its stands for in every way, shape and form imaginable. IMO, it is high time those of us who support the flag and this country and all that it stands for stand quietly no more. Those that stand for something else can choose to stand somewhere far away from myself and those who attend games at "The Madhouse on Madison". By law, we may not be able to silence you, but we sure as hell can drown your sorry ass voices out.

I agree with Marv Albert's description of the 1991 display. A stirring rendition.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY, GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GO BLACKHAWKS!!!

BLACKHAWKS IN SIX.

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2010 Chicago Blackhawks National Anthem: "Let's Show The World How We Do It In Chicago"

In 1991, a week after we sent our troops into the Gulf War, the Blackhawks hosted the NHL all-star game. After it was announced that the troops were watching the game overseas, the crowd cheered throughout the ENTIRE national anthem. It's been a tradidtion ever since. You've never seen anything like this...

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Blackhawks National Anthem Controversy

The Stanley Cup and LeBron in Chicago?

RESPECT THE CHIEF!!

It seems as if the Blackhawks are about to put the finishing touches on a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals by taking two road wins against the suddenly listless San Jose Sharks.

Dustin Byfuglein is an absolute BEAST!!

http://espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3070

I have not really been into hockey that much since the year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup down in Tampa. I thought it was very unfortunate that they did not get a fair chance to defend the title and further promote the sport in that area due to the lockout. This Blackhawks team reminds me of the Lightning, a lot of guys filling roles and meshing well together.

Combined with becoming the possible destination for one LeBron James, the Chicago market could become the center of the sports world for the next couple of years. Hopefully, the Chucklehead in Chief stays out of the negotiations for LeBron, given his track record bringing home the Olympics and all.

LEBRON AND DERRICK ROSE EQUALS CHAMPIONSHIP??

Now, if only the Cubs could provide some excitement on the baseball front, this city would really ROCK!! Maybe, I ask for too much.

ERIC BYRNES IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

With the release by the Rays of Pat Burrell, I was reminded that "Pat the Bat" and "The Crash Test Dummy" Eric Byrnes were on my short list of free-agent signees for the Gigantes recently (after passing on Matt Holliday).

Considering that Burrell can't break the Mendoza line and Byrnes is playing beer-league softball, maybe this GM thing is harder than it looks and I owe Brian Sabean an apology?

HAHAHAHA, I must be high......I'd have to piss away a lot more payroll than that before I was in Sab's league. Approximately, the GDP of a small country.

FREE BUSTER POSEY!!!

The Smoking Gun that killed Chicago 2016?

At least according to NBC Sports & Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol, who speculated that the USOC's move to create a separate cable channel for broadcast was a less than genteel attempt to grab an even larger portion of the pie than ever.

IOC members currently feel the USOC peels off a greater portion of the pie than they should be entitled to. The USOC I believe takes the position that since the lions share of the money comes from US TV networks and sponsors the money should be divided up proportionally rather than evenly.

EBERSOL INTERVIEW WITH CNBC:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=1282880714&play=1


Sounds like the MLB owners to me.

USOC NETWORK STORY FROM SPORTS-CITY.ORG
http://www.sports-city.org/news_details.php?news_id=9329&idCategory=24


USOC admits it badly miscalculated anger over TV plan
(Gee, you think?)

The United States Olympic Committee has conceded it badly miscalculated the angry IOC response to its plans for an Olympic television network but believes the row will not affect Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games.

"Simply put, we miscalculated the negative response to the launch of the United States Olympic Network," USOC acting chief executive officer Stephanie Streeter said on Wednesday.

"While we received many positive statements of support at home and from international members of the Olympic and Paralympic families, we have put the network on 'pause'."

The USOC announced in Berlin last month that it would delay launching a cable television network devoted to the Olympics.

Streeter, who was making a keynote speech to the U.S. Olympic assembly, said she did not think the dispute would adversely affect Chicago's bid.

The International Olympic Committee will choose between Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid in Copenhagen on October 2.

Streeter offered a conciliatory tone during her speech, saying the USOC hoped to work on the television project with the IOC.

So it sounds like it wasn't Obama's fault, not Bush's fault, maybe not even Daley's fault....all right I got carried away there for a minute, let me take a deep breath.

Whew, that's better.

But hey don't worry about Chicago, we'll move on. People are used to tough defeats up here. C'mon we have the Cubbies and the Bears to keep us in shape in the life disappointment department.

And to prove it, this was posted by a fellow Daily Herald reader earlier today.

From the Daily Herald comments section. Sometimes you find a diamond in the sewer.

10 Reasons Chicago Didn't Get the Olympics [from Rich Lowry]

10. Dead people can't vote at IOC meetings
9. Obama distracted by 25 min meeting with Gen. McChrystal
8. Who cares if Obama couldn't talk the IOC into Chicago? He'll be able to talk Iran out of nukes.
7. The impediment is Israel still building settlements.
6. Obviously no president would have been able to acomplish it.
5. We've been quite clear and said all along that we didn't want the Olympics.
4. This isn't about the number of Olympics "lost", it's about the number of Olympics "saved" or "created".
3. Clearly not enough wise Latina judges on the committee
2. Because the IOC is racist.
1. It's George Bush's fault.

That's just some funny stuff there, regardless of party affiliation.

It's all good though, there will be other Olympics. But they've just stiffed NYC and Chicago in the last two bids. Maybe they just love LA.

CHICAGO 2016 BOUNCED IN THE FIRST ROUND

Turn out the lights...
the party's over...
They say that all...
good things must end....
turn out the lights.......

WOW!!!! A first round knockout. Didn't see that one coming.

This is not referendum on President Obama. If anyone LOST the bid, I would gladly blame Mayor Daley. But even with his sub-Bush approval rating, he keeps getting re-elected. You get the government you ask for I suppose.

The late slump in local support (from 61% to 47%) has been widely attributed to Daley putting the taxpayers on the hook for any cost-overruns (in Chicago???). This was a no-win situation as well however, since if you do not put that safety net in place, the IOC doesn't bless the bid.

So the lesson learned when you deal with these scoundrels is that it always seems to be a no-win, damned if you do-damned if you don't scenario and that is where most of the local ambivalence comes from.

It will be interesting to hear the post-mortem blame game. The far-right and the far-left seemed to team up to rip Obama for supporting the "home" team. Lets' hear what each says now. It will also be interesting to hear the bleating coming from the Mayor's office. Can they possibly blame IOC corruption and insider dealing? With a straight face?

Maybe now the city of Chicago can dial back the hourly rate on their parking meters to somewhere south of the hourly minimum wage.

There's really no perceived upside to having this event anymore, except for a Rio that wants to CHANGE their image around the world. Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid seemingly do not need that as much as perhaps a Rio does.

I wish them luck. I hope for a lot of reasons that it is one of the most poorly watched and sponsored Summer Games in history. I was hoping for that result from the Games held in China, but no such luck.

The Obamas go to Stockholm....and why I love sports

THOSE CRAZY KIDS!!!!

The Obamas are going to Stockholm to meet with IOC officials and make the pitch that their adopted hometown and the country gets to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Now admittedly, I am not the greatest fan either the President or the Olympic movement as it is constituted today, but I have to call BS on the criticism directed at the President for going.

People, what on earth do you expect him to do? I would criticize him more for not going, for not helping the city nail down the prize.

It's funny to hear where it seems the bulk of the criticism is coming from. Republican party pooper Michael Steele says he shouldn't go for various reasons--none of them good. We're at war, Iranian mischief threatens world security, he should stay here and protect us...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Don't worry. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will protect the country while the Pres. is gone.

Here's some free advice for you Mr. Steele: If your job is to lead the party back from eight years of stupidity by the party, please think before you talk. And check with Mitt Romney, one of your 2012 front-runners, who appears to applaud the effort.

Actually, most of the criticism comes from the extreme left. The Huffington Post columnists must be apoplectic with anger at the President for fronting this effort.

It just goes to show how sports has the power to bring people with diverse backgrounds together and experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

They should have brought along Geithner and Bernanke because those guys have the financial wherewithal (our tax dollars) to talk these guys into orgasmic fits of praise for Chicago.

Stay tuned, only a couple of days before the final decision.

I'm officially on record as being for the games to come to Chicago. The human drama of athletic competition will be enhanced by the two most corrupt organizations getting together and putting on an event that used to be steeped in virtue and idealism. That has to be good for some fireworks. Who is going to be the pimp and who is going to be the whore for two weeks while the IOC and Chicago's finest politicians play nicey-nice?



I hereby nominate "Huggy Bear" from the Starsky and Hutch TV series as the head of entertainment and good times for our future Olympic guests.

Chicago in the lead for 2016 Olympics...by one point

The Chicago bid was characterized as "ambitious, but achievable". All three of the other contenders fell under the category of "reasonable, but achievable."

I'm not sure what elevated Chicago to the lofty "ambitious" status, but my Spider sense suspects that--given that we are dealing with the International Olympic Committee and Chicago politicians--bribery, liquor and hookers were probably involved.

HEY, HO!!! WAY TO GO!!! CHICAGO!!!

According to Around the Rings:
http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=30687

One point is all that separates the four cities in the race for the 2016 Olympics: that's based on the results of the latest edition of the Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index. The third edition of this contest's ranking is the only authoritative, independent review of the race for the 2016 Games.

Chicago Leads, But Barely

Based on the strengths of its venue plan and infrastructure, the U.S. bid from Chicago keeps its spot as the leader in the ATR Power Index -- but just by a single point over the rest of the field. Chicago scores 77, with Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro tied at 76.

That lead is trivial. In a practical sense, the race is tied among the four cities. Each have indisputable assets, each comes with liabilities.

ELECTION DAY - JUST VOTE

http://www.justvote.org/

No matter who wins, the good news that should come out of this election is the sheer number of people going out and voting. Hopefully this will keep those elected on their toes.

Maybe in the high 60% range from reports I'm hearing.

This is where all Americans win. It was an embarrassment recently to see our voter numbers drop into the 50% range. More embarrassing when you would see folks in countries like Iraq exercising their right to vote in spite of threats of suicide bombers or some wack-job lobbing a grenade into a polling place. We have no such worries.

My other hope is that whoever wins, they win with dignity and good grace. We need more good winners.

And the side that loses, should lose gracefully. There's things that can be learned from losing. If you are willing to listen and not make excuses for your losses.

We've seen recently the results, or lack thereof that follow when the losing side digs in their heels and refuses to do what is good for the country.

One thing I will predict, from a sports perspective, should Obama win I think the odds of Chicago securing the 2016 Olympics goes up to nearly 100%. In fact the other entrants should just gracefully withdraw.

We will be witnessing history once again, no matter what the result.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Happy 8th Birthday, Beemer. ~;::::::;( )">

CHICAGO MAKES THE FINAL FOUR FOR 2016 OLYMPICS

Congratulations to Chicago for making the final cut along with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. Now the real heavy lifting of winning an Olympic bid begins.

Maybe it's the cynic in me, but why when I read an article with the title "IOC official says 'sign of goodwill' could help Chicago's Olympic bid" do I think that the term 'sign of goodwill' is a euphemism for "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!"

I guess you have to read the entire article, but I'll highlight the excerpts (confirmation bias??) that lead me in that direction.

It is funny how the International grand-poo bahs appear to awarding of the Games as a thinly-veiled negotiating tool in order to extort more money from the USOC.

This is also IMO at the heart of the matter as to why baseball and softball are being bounced from the Games. If you can't send your professional athletes, which will bring your corporate sponsors and their mega-bucks to the coffers, than don't bother showing up.

To say that the real reason those sports are being bounced has to do with PED testing is absurd. How many women's softball players tested positive at any of the previous Games? How many sports with a much longer and richer history of higher levels of PED use in the Games (like track and field and weightlifting) continue to be Olympic sports. The answer is because if you shut down those sports, you shut down the Olympics in total. And then where will these money-grubbing whores look for work?

It's all about money and control. And who has it, and who wants it.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-us-olympic-revenue-share-jun05,0,1006451.story?page=1&track=rss

IOC official says 'sign of goodwill' could help Chicago's Olympic bid
By Philip Hersh | Tribune staff reporter
2:29 AM CDT, June 4, 2008
ATHENS

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said Wednesday a ``sign of goodwill'' from the U.S. Olympic Committee in an ongoing revenue dispute can help Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

``A clear indication the USOC is willing to find a solution and not refusing a solution could be very good for Chicago,'' Rogge told the Tribune. ``It would not have a negative impact [if there were no such sign], but this sign could have a positive impact.''

The dispute likely will have little effect on Chicago's expected selection as a finalist. The impact would be when the 110 IOC members vote Oct. 2, 2009, to choose the 2016 host.

Speaking after a Wednesday morning meeting between the IOC executive board and international Summer Olympic sports federation leaders who roundly criticized the USOC Tuesday, Rogge said the USOC has made a written proposal that could constitute that goodwill ``but it must be refined.''

Dividing the issue into three parts – a ``games cost'' contribution, a short-term solution, and a long-term solution – Rogge made unconditional the need for the USOC to begin paying its share of games cost, which covers things like doping control and expenses for judges and officials. Under terms of a longstanding contract with the IOC, the USOC is the only national Olympic committee (NOC) exempt from that payment.

``It is not morally acceptable the USOC does not take part in games costs like the other NOCs,'' Rogge added in the interview with the Tribune.

Rogge said the short-term solution would involve a contribution to the NOCs and the international sports federations. IOC member Denis Oswald, president of the Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF), said Wednesday the USOC proposal on that matter is ``totally unacceptable'' because it leaves the USOC to decide how the funds would be allocated.

IOC member Hein Verbruggen of the Netherlands, ASOIF vice-president, had heated up the war of words over the United States' portion of Olympic revenues Tuesday, and the escalation of rhetoric could burn Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games.

Verbruggen called the USOC's share an ``immoral amount of money compared to what other people get.''

Verbruggen denied that recent attempts by him and Oswald to push for renegotiating the long-standing deal were related to the Chicago bid.

Verbruggen blamed Ueberroth for having linked the financial issue to Chicago's Olympic bid and lambasted Ueberroth for threatening to take the matter to the IOC ethics committee.

``Who do they think they are?'' Verbruggen said, referring to the USOC.

It seems apparent, however, that Oswald and Verbruggen are using the Chicago bid as leverage to pressure for USOC concessions. After raising the issue at an April IOC meeting in Beijing, they took it to the IOC executive board Wednesday.

``The timing of the public statements is peculiar, in that it seems to be prior to every bid-related decision,'' Ctvrtlik said.

``It is reflecting very badly on the USOC,'' said ASOIF director Andrew Ryan. ``It would be depressing if Chicago turns out to be the best bid to see it damaged by this ongoing discussion.''

In an open-ended contract begun 20 years ago and renegotiated in 1996, the USOC receives 12.75 percent of U.S. broadcast rights and 20 percent of the IOC's global sponsorship revenues. In the current Olympic cycle (2005 through 2008), that amounts to about $300 million, or 50 percent of the operating budget for the USOC, which gets no government financing, unlike nearly all the world's other national Olympic committees.

When those terms were agreed upon, nearly all the IOC's revenue came from U.S. sources. Those U.S. sources still provide about 62 percent of the revenues, according to people familiar with the accounting.

``When almost two-thirds of the revenue comes from one territory, it would seem counterproductive to do anything that would jeopardize those revenues,'' Ctvrtlik said.

The USOC winds up with more money from TV and sponsorship revenue than the IOC allocation to the other 204 national Olympic committees combined.

``I don't understand how you can justify that the rest of the world has to pay for the training of American athletes, and the richest country in the world pays nothing,'' Verbruggen said. ``Are we out of our minds?''

``No one wants to take all the money from the Americans tomorrow,'' Verbruggen said. ``They need to find new sources of revenue.''
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Below is an interesting link called GamesBids.com that handicaps the odds of each potential sites eventually winning the coveted Olympic bid.

Very interesting. Currently, Chicago has a slight lead over Tokyo and Rio.

I have to say in all the analysis Chicago almost has to prevail for two reasons:

1) Madrid is hurt by London having the 2012 Games as Tokyo is by Beijing having the 2008 Games in the rotation argument. Rio carries the burden of being the first South American site that would host. They may be hurt by security and/or facilities issues.

2) If ever there were two organizations that were made for each other as far as history and tradition of corruption, sleazy politics, graft and back-room deal making it would seem to be the IOC and Chicago politicians.

GO CHICAGO!!!!

http://www.gamesbids.com/english/content/bidx2016.shtml

BidIndex SUMMER 2016
CITY INDEX
Chicago CHI 05/29 60.73
Madrid MAD 05/29 59.50
Rio de Janeiro RIO 05/29 59.90
Tokyo TKY 05/29 60.66

What is BidIndex?
BidIndex is a mathematical model developed by GamesBids.com that when applied to an Olympic Bid, produces a number that can be used to rate a bid relative to past successful bids - and possibly gauge its potential success. The model was developed by observing historical trends and results of previous bids. BidIndex numbers can be theoretically used to compare competing bids and the relative strength of bids held in different years (e.g. to compare Paris 2008 with Paris 2012). A higher BidIndex indicates a greater chance of being elected.

BidIndex was reviewed in the March 2004 edition of Significance Magazine, a publication by the Royal Statistical Society.

Why BidIndex?
It has been observed in the past the IOC members do not vote based on the quality of the bid alone and often results are unpredictable. GamesBids.com wanted to find a way to compare Olympic Bids and normalize the results. BidIndex takes bid quality into account, but also evaluates other important factors such as Geopolitics, IOC politics, public support and other things considered to have an effect on the IOC voters. These results will help our readers gain an understanding into the relative strengths of the bids.

Does BidIndex work?
While no one can guarantee the results of an election, BidIndex will tell you which bids have more of the qualities of successful bids from the past. A high BidIndex number does not necessarily indicate a high quality bid, but a bid similar to other successful bids. When the model is applied to the 2008 bid, these results were obtained based on information a day before the vote:

SNOW AND THE MISERY INDEX

According to Forbes, Chicago is the 6th most miserable city to live in.

Let's see:
Long Commutes (check)
Income Tax Rates (3% State Income Tax, check)
Superfund Sites (yikes)
Unemployment (not that I'm aware of)
Violent crimes (not yet)
Weather (oh yeah, check, check and triple check)

Of course, I post this after having to rise at 5AM to shovel another foot of snow off the driveway, so we can get out in the morning. That snow-blower at Lowes or Home Depot is looking mighty tempting at this point.

But what's with the hating on the Cubs? That strikes me as a bit of piling on. I don't get the impression that Cubs fans are too miserable at all. At least not those that attend Wrigley Field, how could you be? They obviously did not read my Wrigley Field post. Shoddy research Forbes.

Also, they fail to mention the seemingly mindless attachment to a predominantly Democratic (socialist) leadership in city government that has led to wastefully inept and blatantly corrupt political leadership. It's ingrained into the cultural fabric. And seemingly impossible to get out.

On the plus side, there is the so-called "Viagra Triangle" on the corner of State and Rush Streets, so named because of the high density of "eye candy" to be observed there. I have no personal knowledge of this phenomena, I heard about it from this guy, who knows someone, who used to work with this other guy, who told him about it. Really, I swear.

This does give folks like me a hook to hang our hat on, however. It is obviously not so much that we are inherently miserable people, it's the onerous environment we are forced to live in. Yeah, that's it. Thanks Forbes.
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No. 6
Chicago, Ill.
Rank

Commute times 144
Income tax rates 35
Superfund sites 107
Unemployment 108
Violent crimes 118
Weather 122

Misery Measure 634

Residents of the country's third-largest metro face
long commutes (31 minutes on average) and high violent
crime rates (619 crimes per 100,000 residents).
Another chief complaint: the bitter-cold winters. And
as for misery, nothing tops being a Cubs fan. The team
has not won a World Series since 1908, the longest
winless streak in baseball.

Ranks are based on the 150 largest metro areas.

Sources: Bert Sperling; Moody's Economy.com; U.S.
Census Bureau
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America's Most Miserable Cities
Kurt Badenhausen 01.30.08, 6:00 AM ET

In Pictures: America's Most Miserable Cities
By This Author
Kurt Badenhausen


The Motor City grabs the top spot on Forbes' inaugural
list of America's Most Miserable Cities.

America's Most Miserable Cities
Misery is defined as a state of great unhappiness and
emotional distress. The economic indicator most often
used to measure misery is the Misery Index. The index,
created by economist Arthur Okun, adds the
unemployment rate to the inflation rate. It has been
in the narrow 7-to-9 range for most of the past
decade, but was over 20 during the late 1970s.

There also exists a Misery Score, which is the sum of
corporate, personal, employer and sales taxes in
different countries. France took the top spot (or
perhaps bottom is more appropriate) with a score of
166.8, thanks to a top rate of 51% on personal incomes
and 45% for employer Social Security.

So we decided to expand on the Misery Index and the
Misery Score to create our very own Forbes Misery
Measure. We're sticking with unemployment and personal
tax rates, but we are adding four more factors that
can make people miserable:
commute times,
weather,
crime
and that toxic waste dump in your backyard.

We looked at only the 150 largest metropolitan areas,
which meant a minimum population of 371,000.
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YEAH, YOU HAVE A NICE ****ING DAY TOO PAL.

Way to go, Chicago 2016!!!!

Great News today, Chicago has been selected over Los Angeles to represent the United States as the Olympic host city in 2016.

We were in Tampa when they were putting together a bid to host the 2012 Games, losing out to New York City, which eventually lost out to London as the host city.

The Chicago bid may have been aided on the national level by the fact that LA-LA has hosted before. On the International level, they may benefit from the Olympics not having been in the US for many years, although I hear that we will be up against Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro among others.

It takes a certain amount of civic pride to put in a bid for something like this, in essence your city is acting as host to the world. Judging by what I've seen in the couple of years I've been in the area, there isn't a city around that would be a more capable and welcoming host than Chicago. The IOC makes it's decision in 2009, so good luck Chicago.

To the Victors...

A champion's celebration Chicago style. It's great to see how much an event like this, winning a World Series or any championship for that matter, means to it's fan's and the city itself.

The euphoria is overwhelming, all the years of pent-up frustration are finally released. The White Sox adopted song, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" conicidentally was the song I personally identified with when the NY Football Giants were slowly building towards they're Super Bowl in 1986. The classics never go out of style.

"Chicago, second city no more," said Paul Konerko, during the players introductions. Good to see Paulie is taking the time to read my blog (see a couple of posts down).

Konerko brought team owner Jerry Reinsdorf to tears when he presented him the ball he caught for the last out of the fourth game of the series to complete a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros." Getting this ball from Paul Konerko is the most emotional moment of my life," Reinsdorf told the crowd.

Reinsdorf also has gone on record locally as saying he would have given up the six Bulls championship rings for One World Series ring. Well, he's got one now, but this illustrates the enormous power baseball has once it gets in your blood.

Konerko talked about the team's lack of respect nationally throughout the year and added. Maybe we'll have to do this one more time next year." Reinsdorf should have put down the ball and pulled out a contract right then and there. Hopefully, the team will be able to defend the title with the major components in place.

Wait 'til next year has a whole new meaning for Sox fans now.

Chicago not Second City in this Series

It seems like the White Sox are the team of destiny in this Series after all. Everything's going right, although the umpires bad calls do seem to be balancing out, the Astros are just not cashing in on thier opportunities, unless the umps rule the ball over the fence in error. If it makes any sense, I would say this is the most evenly matched 3-0 series, I think I've ever seen. Think about it, this could be 2-1 Astros, 2-1 White Sox, maybe not 3-0 Astros but there really doesn't seem to be much separating these two teams. White Sox are getting more timely hitting and better bullpen help lately.

Some questions:

Is it just me or do we now need to look closely at American League domination in both the World Series and the now-meaningful All-Star game? I think the DH may have at least some role in this and now is the time for MLB to address the issue. Either both leagues play with the DH, or both leagues play without it. You know, level playing field and all.

But does the presence of the DH in the AL lead to the leagues better hitters being drawn to the AL over th NL? Does having to pitch to a more stout lineup throughout the year lead the AL pitchers to become more prepared to pitch later in the year? When was the last time a pitcher went from the NL to the AL and dominated?

And speaking of level playing fields, is it just me or does it seem as if the $85-90 million dollar and under payrolls all reside in the NL? While the $100 million dollar plus payrolls are all in the American League. Again, level the playing field.

The Mets, Philies, Dodgers, Braves and Giants who probably could spend some bucks, do not. The Diamondbacks reached thier credit card limit, so they're spent out. The Rockies don't seem willing to join the fray. In the AL, the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Orioles all spend like they have the keys to the printing press at the U.S. Treasury. Both factors are leading to a World Series where the NL is on the brink of being swept for the second year in a row. That can't be good for the ratings. And the All-Star games result is getting to be fairly predictable lately.

There just seems to be a de-facto salary cap in the National League lately. Or maybe my conspiratorial juices are flowing again. Next, I'll be speculating about the recent trend of Bud's cronies (Red Sox, Marlins, White Sox) winning the World Series the last coule of years and the link to MLB taking over control of the umpires from the two individual leagues. If the Brewers win next year, I'll know I'm on to something. But that's for another rant.