Now that the question of could the city once again be selected to host the Olympics has been answered, the question of should> it be needs to be addressed.
Let me save you the trouble: No.
The argument that the Olympics always leaves its host city in debt for years is old and was repeated numerous times leading up to the 2016 vote. But it certainly is worth repeating in all caps, bolded, and italicized: THE OLYMPICS ALWAYS LEAVES ITS HOST CITY IN MASSIVE DEBT FOR YEARS. Daley and the City Council tried to sell out taxpayers in case this happened to Chicago. Which it would have. The pro-Olympics folks point to civic pride and the boost the Olympics would bring to Chicago’s image, to the city’s morale, and to its infrastructure. Unless the Olympics can bring in a kabillion dollars to fix the city’s (and state’s) enormously fucked up pension fund, then there’s nothing the Olympics could do other than INCREASE THE MASSIVE DEBT. Meanwhile, the city’s schools are struggling, the CTA is crumbling, and the city’s poor remain poor.
” —I can’t believe we’re going to have to go through this again. Real talk from Marcus Gilmer at AV Club: Chicago can’t afford the Olympics.
