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Things that make you go ‘Hmm’

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Illinois

* Hmm…

Other projects (# construction workers):
Sears Tower (early '70s): 2,000
Golden Gate Bridge (mid '30s): 2,000
Hoover Dam (early '30s): 21,000 (avg ~4,300 daily in 1934)
US Bank Stadium (~2015): allegedly 8,000 w/ up to 1,500 workers on-site at one time
Bears stadium: 43,000 https://t.co/HkaNevnm1d

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) April 26, 2024

* Hmm…

So @stacydavisgates and @jacksonpCTU were at the Bears announcement today in support of the stadium plan.

Let’s take a look back at their previous statements… 🤔

Now that their guy is in office it looks like they’ve suddenly become supporters of publicly-funded stadiums.… pic.twitter.com/6XPd5i27cp

— A.J. Manaseer (@AJManaseer) April 24, 2024

* Hmm…

When he was running for mayor, Johnson was adamant and clear that keeping the Bears shouldn’t come with a multibillion dollar bill for taxpayers.

This week Johnson says his support is “not at all” inconsistent with his progressive platform or roots: https://t.co/heffbh6grO pic.twitter.com/gj4W5ql6A7

— Tessa Weinberg (@Tessa_Weinberg) April 26, 2024

* Sounds like Bears CEO Kevin Warren is already starting to downplay his deal with the city…

“We can start to dispute whether the amount was too much or the infrastructure costs are too much or what is the appropriate amount of the bonds,” he said. “The goal yesterday was to be able to make sure that we put everything out in a transparent manner, which we did. There’s a lot of work, there are a lot of miles to go before we have any final resolution with this, but we’re going to continue to work.”

Hmm.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 12:52 pm

Comments

This is an amazing sellout by so called progressives for something that almost assuredly isn’t going to happen. At the end of the day what tangible benefit will have been achieved when this plan is shot down by the ILGA and/or Governor?

Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:07 pm
Warren is correct they do have a lot more f miles to go. About 29 miles northwest to Arlington Heights

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:10 pm
Maybe the Bears meant 43,000 hours of work ??

Comment by NotRich Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:10 pm
Jackson Potter is a tremendous phony

Comment by Model T Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:13 pm
Maybe BJ knows it has no chance in Springfield and will then make another enemy he can bash at a later date?

Comment by low level Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:15 pm
Kevin Warren was brought to the Bears to shepherd a stadium deal. Who screwed this up? Him, the McCaskey’s?

It’s whiplash from a surprise deal to by 300+ acres in AH to telling everyone you are abandoning that site to focus on the lakefront. The focus is then put into a plan without the backing from most the important people you need to pull it off. And needs to win a court battle.

The Bears’ blew up any leverage, walked from AH over just a few million in taxes each year, “lost” the press conference on the new stadium, and have had to listen to the three of the four most important elected officials in the state tell them, no thanks.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:19 pm
Oh ye of little faith.

Don’t you remember the Mayor telling us that the renderings of the new stadium were miraculous? Well this Project is just full of miracles and 43,000 workers is actually a conservative estimate.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:22 pm
Seems like Kevin Warren’s magic ferry dust has failed to put anyone in a trance outside of the Fifth Floor of City Hall and CTU’s headquarters. Which come to think of it, is kinda the same place.

Comment by Richard C. Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:22 pm
==we put everything out in a transparent manner==

That’s one way of describing pulling numbers out of thin air.

Comment by Jocko Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:26 pm
@ low level

I thought about that too, but how does that win MBJ any points with the general public?

If anything, people will side with JB on this. He had a chance to also be against it but instead, for whatever reason, is all behind this now.

Comment by Wowie Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:26 pm
Seems to me the tell is in how the total cost balloons assuming all three phases are completed. Conveniently for the Bears, phase 1 is the construction of its new stadium. Phases 2 and 3 involve enhancing the former Soldier Field site and the transportation improvements. All Kevin Warren is accountable is phase 1.

If I am remembering correctly, getting the new place built and its doors open is expected to cost the public substantially less than the full amount. Then it’s up to the state and city to decide whether the other phases should proceed, but in reality, the Bears don’t care about those. They only care about phase 1.

For Kevin Warren, now that the draft is over and he’s said his piece, don’t expect more from him on this any time soon. This was all for show and to offer a shiny new toy for other NFL owners to admire.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:29 pm
@DuPage Saint is on to something. The Arlington Heights PILOT seems like an easier lift after Wednesday’s debacle.

Comment by Tom S Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:34 pm
One audio snippet of the press conference had me LOLing… “we like to do the difficult things” (6:42).

Then there was follow-up statements including Mr. Warren’s coming after people criticizing his only putting up $2 billion, by saying he could have said zero. Whew…

Today it seems Mr. Warren is re-reading the temperature and adjusting the rhetoric.

Comment by From DaZoo Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:38 pm
===PILOT seems like an easier lift===

Sure, Jan.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:39 pm
Just a few weeks ago the Mayor/CTU said we needed a new tax increase to pay for $100 million to fund homeless programs. Now they claim they’ve found a way to magically fund $1 billion for the Bears?

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:54 pm
CTU’s most online militants and Chicago Bears management. What a brain trust. That’s definitely who you put faith in to execute a complex plan.

Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:58 pm
The Bears played the mayor. Brandon needs to wake up. He is in way over his head. And the advisor closest to him has no experience to help him navigate challenges like this. 3 more years until this nightmare is over.

Comment by One Time Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:09 pm
47th Ward hits it on the nose. Fran has a good story in the Sun-Times that points out how at the end of the day you could end up with two stadiums and no extra parking if Phase 1 — the thing the Bears really need — is the only thing that happens.

Comment by Friday Addams Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:12 pm
Only one of his progressive champion aldermen have spoken up on this issue, Vazquez.
All the other DSA folks are being incredibly silent on this about-face, by the Mayor and SDG..
Where is Sighco-Lopez, Ramirez-Rosa, Hadden, Fuentes, Rodriguez Sanchez, LaSpata, Martin etc. even Kennedy Bartley from UWF is super quiet.

Not sure this has the legs the Bears or the Mayor hope it has.

Comment by Frida's boss Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:14 pm
===Maybe the Bears meant 43,000 hours of work===

Maybe 43k part-time migrants to “solve” that crisis while avoiding paying benefits. They just need a small favor in the form of an exemption on prevailing wages. /s

Comment by thechampaignlife Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:26 pm
MBJ and CTU can only fight, they can’t do.

Comment by Oklahoma Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:28 pm
Snaps to Oklahoma at 2:28 p.m.

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:29 pm
Where are his allied aldermen and UWF? Rather silent except about Israel and Gaza.

Comment by Frida's boss Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 3:01 pm
Can’t wait for the next election when we get to hear how MBJ isn’t a true progressive, was never a true progressive, and is basically a MAGA Republican in sheep’s clothing. Just like Lori started out as the most progressive ever, then was gradually not a progressive, until she was basically a lieutenant at the police academy and a card carrying member of the FOP.

Comment by ChrisB Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 3:26 pm
Want to bet how many votes Vallas would beat Johnson by if the election were held again?

Comment by Sue Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 4:28 pm
==I thought about that too, but how does that win MBJ any points with the general public?==

I dont think he or the Core 4 or whatever his closest advisors have an end game except to have another entity they can blame for their failures.

Comment by low level Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 4:41 pm

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Things that make you go ‘Hmm’

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