Open Illinois.org

The Chicago Tribune ran a story today, noting the call for greater openness in Olympic bid considerations made by City Halls’ Inspector General, David Hoffman.

Hoffman, concerned by the apparent privacy with which Mayor Daley and the Chicago 2016 Committee are operating, urged a new direction, one that opens the planning to the input of city aldermen, if not the people themselves.

So far Daley and his committee have been operating behind closed doors, lifting the curtain of secrecy only to reveal a jumbled message about Chicago’s eventual financial liabilities for the the games.  It is this exact ambiguity, which Hoffman warns, could damage both our reputations and pocketbooks down the road.

Hosting the Olympics draws an enormous amount of attention on the hosting city, as we saw with Beijing.  If Chicago is chosen to host the Olympic, all eyes fall on us.  Hoffman’s call, then, is of vital importance.