The story of the No
Games Chicago Campaign As told by Tom Tresser, No Games co-organizer, web master, spokesperson.

In Chicago, in 2008, it
was the 2016 bid all the time. Everywhere.

Pat Ryan Chairman of the
2016 Bid Committee, retired CEO of AON Insurance.

Mayor Richard M. Daley, who,
in 2008 had been office for 18 years and had never lost a vote or a fight.

Lori Healy, President of the
2016 Committee, former Daley Chief of Staff

Governor Rod Blagojevich, elected to
second term of office in 2006 in a landslide victory.

No Games Chicago • Diverse
group social justice activists • North side, south side, west side • All volunteers • Not funded by anyone or any group • First event public forum @ UIC Jan 31 attended by 250

Why we opposed the games
• They would’ve bankrupted the city • They would’ve destroyed public parks • They would’ve displaced poor and working class families from neighborhoods next to venue sites • They would’ve provided tens of millions of dollar to the Machine’s political coffers. Result: destruction of independent politics.

THE GAMES ALWAYS MAKE MONEY…FOR
THE IOC, FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES, FOR CONSULTANTS, FOR CORPORATE SPONSORS…

“Financing is the biggest obstacle,”
said Jerry Karlik, a principal at Kargil Development, which has done projects in the South Loop and responded to a bid committee request for expressions of interest in the Olympic Village earlier this year. “There’s going to have to be some sort of assistance: guarantees, tax credits or something. Mr. Karlik, who attended the luncheon, said he figures lenders today won’t finance more than 60% to 70% of a project, compared with 80% to 90% before the recession. “Someone’s going to have to come to the table to fill the void,” he said.” May 13, 2009

THIS WAS GIVEN TO ALDERMEN
IN SECRET BRIEFINGS BUT… WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTING FOR: • $86 MILLION TO BUY HOSPITAL SITE? • TENS OF MILLIONS TO CLEAN UP HOSPITAL SITE? • $100 MILLION T.I.F. FOR VILLAGE • $35 MILLION FROM PARK DISTRICT FOR 2 VENUES? • LOST REVENUES FROM LOSS OF 1,600 BOAT SLIPS FOR 3 YEARS+? • LOST REVENUES SUCKED UP BY 2 DEDICATED T.I.F.s? • REPLACING SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE DEMOLISHED? • BILLIONS FOR SECURITY?

Don’t believe their numbers… •
Vancouver athlete’s village cost up to almost $1 billion NOW for 1,100 units • BUT 2016’s village for 7,000+ units that won’t even break ground until YEARS from now is ALSO budgeted at $1 billion

VANCOUVER’S BOND RATING LOWERED, CITY
FACING BANKRUPCY.

MAYOR CALLS OLYMPIC VILLAGE A
“$1 BILLION BOONDOOGLE THAT VANCOUVER TAXPAYERS ARE STUCK WITH!” Watch the video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlzsyNh6pk

Watch Francesca tell the truth…

WHEN YOU COOK THE BOOKS,
HIDE EXPENSES AND INVENT PROFIT, THAT’S CALLED ENRON ACCOUNTING.

January 31, 2009 – University
of Illinois, Chicago

Dr. Chris Shaw, leader of
Vancouver Olympic Opposition, author of “Five Ring Circus”

SUMMER 2009 THE MAYOR DEMANDS
THE 2016 COMMITTEE GO INTO THE COMMUNITY… “50 WARDS IN 50 DAYS”

Sept 29 Anti-Bid Rally at
City Hall

Watch brief news clip from
ABC News Chicago.

NO PRINT COVERAGE OF NO
GAMES IN CHICAGO DAILY NEWSPAPERS!

YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHO
MARTIN RAN INTO LAUSANNE IN OUR HOTEL LOBBY! “I’m from the South Side…”

USED IN EVENING NEWS THAT
NIGHT SEVERAL TIMES!

POST CARD MAILED TO ALL
MEMBERS OF THE IOC IN SEPTEMBER AND HAND DELIVERED IN COPENHAGEN.

The challenge – to deliver
our materials to the IOC directly. The obstacle – tight security everywhere, including the Danish army, Copenhagen police, the Secret Service and the 2016 Committee’s own private security detail from Chicago!

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/ LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OPPOSES BID – OP ED PUBLISHED SEPT.20

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

D e live re d
to ioc 9/ 09 30/

OH, AND MARTIN MET HIS
IDOL, PELE!

PLAY THE SOUND CLIP!

CHICAGO 2016 RAISED ABOUT $90
MILLION. CHICAGO RECEIVED 18 VOTES.

THAT’S ABOUT $5 MILLION PER
VOTE. EXPENSIVE, EVEN FOR CHICAGO’S MACHINE.

IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD’VE DONE
WITH $90 MILLION IN THOSE HARD TIMES!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-558211/London-2012-cost-20billion--TEN-times-original-budget-ex-Olympics-chief-pr

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
• Smart strategy = target the decision makers, the IOC • It was an election we had to win • Ignore Chicago City Council

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
• Tight message = “Games wrong project for wrong place, wrong time.” • Recruited, trained diverse crew of spokespeople • Message discipline

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
• Excellent research to back up message = Book of Evidence • Bold tactics to deliver message – Go to Switzerland & Denmark

FEBRUARY TRIBUNE POLL SHOWED 67%
FOR OLYMPICS. EIGHT MONTHS LATER – ONLY 47% SUPORT. NO GAMES WAS THE ONLY SOURCE OF OPPOSITION. THE MORE PEOPLE FOUND OUT, THE LESS THEY SUPPORTED THE BID.

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
• Mixed tactics = Street protests + community meetings + Internet & social media • Kept up the heat, exposed lies, gained credibility

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
• Lack of support from traditional nonprofits, elected leaders, academic centers • Hard to raise $ • Personal sacrifice

LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS
YOU CAN FIGHT CITY HALL AND WIN.

Lessons Un-learned • Grassroots vision
of local prosperity • Privatization • Corruption and insider deals • Death of democracy/civic discourse in Chicago • Who is watching out for us? • Build winning coalition for 2014…

Tom Tresser 312-804-3230 tom@tresser.com @tomsee
www.tresser.com Materials for community organizing online @ http://tinyurl.com/OrganizingResources