This is the story of No Games Chicago, prepared for the 2012 Occupy Midwest convening. http://www.nogameschicago.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. 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

17. 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.

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

21. “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

22. 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?

23. 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

24. VANCOUVER’S BOND RATING LOWERED,
CITY FACING BANKRUPCY.

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

26. Watch Francesca tell the truth…

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

29. January 31, 2009 – University of Illinois, Chicago

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

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

39. Sept 29 Anti-Bid Rally at City Hall

51. Watch brief news clip from ABC News Chicago.

54. NO PRINT COVERAGE OF NO GAMES IN
CHICAGO DAILY NEWSPAPERS!

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

60. USED IN EVENING NEWS THAT NIGHT SEVERAL TIMES!

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

67. 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

76. OH, AND MARTIN MET HIS IDOL, PELE!

85. PLAY THE SOUND CLIP!

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

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

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

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

104. LESSONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AGENTS

105. 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

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

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

108. 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.

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

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

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

112. 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…

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