City Council should nix new special events

Chicago can't afford costly "feel good" events

We can be assured it is highly unlikely that Chicago will ever attain the party/good times reputation of a city like New Orleans. However, that doesn’t mean we have a shortage of special events from street fairs to the ones that consume Grant Park. Last week, the newest special event -NASCAR races was added to the city’s roster and finished with mixed reviews.

The Chicago City Council can put an end to events that cost more than they bring in

NASCAR did not enhance the city’s reputation, or make people suddenly aware of the Windy City’s existence. No matter how one views the abbreviated two days of racing, the event cost Chicago money it couldn’t afford to dole out. Sure, NASCR dropped $500,000 into the city coffers, and sweetened the pot with $2 per ticket. When the final tallies from race days come in there is no doubt that police overtime will have consumed the majority if not all of that half-million dollars.

Officers had their planned time off canceled so they were on the clock for time-and-one-half, and in some instances double time. That is not an issue of anyone padding overtime or doing something nefarious to increase their pay. The no-time off was a result of orders from on high; and those orders undoubtedly were based on information provided by NASCAR and its guesses of what the weekend would be like.

Of course NASCAR would want maximum police presence just in case something happened for as little cash expenditure as possible-after all, it is a business.

NASCAR had never been to Chicago before and Chicago had never had street races like these. Today, it is obvious city hall was too giddy about cars tooling through downtown at 100 mph-plus to do a deep dive into what it would cost the city, and then realize Chicago, which ,continues to operate with a budget deficit; can’t afford something that shuts down streets, limits access to many businesses, and doesn’t clean up after itself.

Chicago is already the home of the Chicago Marathon, Taste of Chicago, the Chicago Blues Festival, Air & Water Show, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Chriskindlemarket, The Chosen Few Picnic, Lalapalooza, the Auto Show, Chicago Pride Parade, and the Spring Awakening Music Festival. There are dozens of smaller nuanced events every year here.

The newly seated Chicago City Council should pass an ordinance stipulating the city will not alllow any new special events unless those can cover:

• CPD overtime costs

• Pre-construction

• Post-event clean up

• All marketing/promotional costs

• 50 percent reimbursement for businesses negatively impacted by the event

• Provide at least 200 jobs paying $2 per hour over minimum wage

  The ordinance also should spell out that the current two years on the NASCAR contract with Chicago be re-negotiated. The contract calls for the city to receive $500,000 next year, and $650,000 the following year.

And those are just the financial demands. The estimate by the city is that some of the barriers put up for the races won’t be removed until the middle of July. That has to be a major inconvenience for those coming downtown to work, dine or just visit.

The council should consider that in cases like this, the people who live here need to be the priority over the promises of promoters. And if those promises should come up short, the ones made them should be on the hook to pay for the consequences.

This has to be a city council action, as we all saw what happens when something of this nature is left in the hands of the mayor’s office. Chicago can’t afford a redux. Besides it is a lot tougher to sweet talk the majority of council members than one mayor.