Blagica Stefanovski, NBC5 Street Team (Video)

Wait, what's that sound? Oh, it's David Burnham rolling over in his grave. Wait, listen closer. That's Mike Royko slapping his forehead in disbelief. Hold on, Florence Scala just arrived on the scene with the fellas and is shaking her head in shame saying, 'I told you so, fellas'.

So, Peter Ueberroth announced his thoughts yesterday, Chicago is lagging behind other countries in getting the Olympic bid. What in the world has happened to our business leaders of Chicago? Would you like a hint? Read on.


Much of the city is salivating at the economic gain of the potential 2016 Olympics. Speculators are picking up South Side property and homes quicker than you can say, 'SOLD!'. Developers and real estate agents in the South Loop (my neighborhood) are using the 'Olympics' as a sales tool in MLS listings and in face to face pitches.

On the flip side, our town is spending more time mulling over...

-A Museum in Grant Park
-A possible tax hike (if this passes, bye bye tourism)
-CTA underfunding
-Metra derailments
-Loss of the Wi-Fi project
-Low sales of homes
-High amount of cranes and new construction dust (you should SEE my vacuum)
-If Obama will be president


How in the WORLD are we going to banned together and bring a massive, colossal, immense, over-the-top event to Chicago?

I'm a regular gal in this fine city. I don't have the Big Bucks. I look to the CITY and the folks with the Big Bucks to point me in a direction. Give me a reason to believe. Show me the plan you have. Show me the ways to volunteer (for the record, I did receive something about volunteering from World Business Chicago). Show me some excitement, people!

• I want to see Patrick Ryan walking around town with some cheesy Olympics Chicago t-shirt.
• I want to see the issues I mentioned above to either be squashed or resolved soon. Yes, a city has its problems, but you see, we need attention and focus to bring the Olympics here and with so much going on, it ain't gonna happen.
  
• I want ONE board member from every single Chicagoland company to step up and get on a committee and post this list in every paper. I'd be happy to set up this team, since I collect every edition of Crain's Chicago Business from 2005. The Who's Who list is where I'd start.
• I want to see every single city worker walking around and dancing the Olympics dance. I want to walk by City Hall and see those 9-5ers walk in with their Starbucks and shout with glee, 'Support Chicago, Let's Bring the Olympics Home!'
• I want one of our Michigan Avenue hotels to GIVE up profits for ONE month and let the Olympic committee hole up in one of the spacious Lake Michigan conference rooms and think. Brainstorm, chat, get white boards, markers, whatever it takes.

David Burnham and his crew not only brought us the Columbian Exposition, but they built a FAKE CITY to do it. They realized that people around the world and in our very own U-S-of A thought Chicago was a scary place. As a result, Burnham created gorgeous 'city walls' and structures, topped with white paint (and invented spray paint, to boot!)

Hey Mr. Real Estate Developer, Consultant, Fund Manager or Broker? You got some time to spare from your golf game to help out here? Or do you just want to say Chicago is bringing you the Olympics and you not help with anything?

Oprah, you listening? Got some spare time, by chance? Are you willing to help? Has anyone even ASKED Oprah? I dunno, she made a school in South Africa and threw Obama a big party in California - she may be able to lend a hand...or two.

Geesh people, come on!