The Chicago Bears have a $4.6 billion plan for a new enclosed stadium and lakefront area, half of which would come from taxpayers, sources said, but the team will have to overcome serious skepticism. All levels of government are facing financial cliffs in multiple areas — pensions, transit and Chicago Public Schools —with the end of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 pandemic money.
At $1.5 million per job, the new incentive package from the state is at least 15 times the norm. For this much money, the state could have just handed out a million bucks to 827 people, instead of creating 550 jobs.
Ted joined Jeff Daly to discuss the university student protests erupting across the nation on the Israel/Palestine conflict, why it’s so dangerous for society if the media abandons facts in favor of narratives, why that allows government to spin away the problems like crime and financial crises, why it causes the voting public to become apathetic, and more.
When you hear the complaints from Illinois politicians, remember the hypocrisy: 40,000 bused to Chicago, but 161,562 allowed to fly directly to Florida.
Nearly one year ago, Chicagoans cheered Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s removal from office. In her place was Brandon Johnson, who promised a more inclusive approach to building a “better, stronger, safer Chicago.” It hasn’t turned out that way. Today, there’s little disagreement that Mayor Johnson has disappointed on most key issues. On crime. On policing. On migrants. On education. On governance. Even on foreign affairs.
Ted joined Dan and Amy to talk about the problems and costs of the Chicago Bears’ proposed new stadium, why its unlikely to happen in its current form, why the ongoing wave of violent crimes makes residents scared of the city, and why the funeral of slain police officer Luis Huesca matters to Mayor Johnson’s reputation.
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Come on elected officials, please do this correctly – This just needs to be Private finding. If the stupid Bears want a new stadium (tax payers still owe $600M on the existing one), raise the funds from your billionaire pals and get it done. Billions in Public money spent by a broke state government does not work. It doesn’t work for illegal immigrants, wasted on 852 public school districts, 7000 unique taxing bodies in Illinois (#1 in the nation) or for this stupidity. The remodel of Soldiers Field back in 2002 the tax payers borrowed $390M. 22 years later, the… Read more »
Yes, who is going to pay for this latest pie-on-the-sky is a big concern.
What’s being overlooked is the loss of green space and lakefront.
Obama took part of Jackson Park and now this stadium deal will further diminish green space for Chicago citizens and visitors.
Will the pillaging of Chicagoan’s lakefront ever end?
Let’s let the people who pay the bills, our taxes, vote on this sh… . The current taxes on hotels in Chicago is not covering the debt.
The so called Illinois sports authority comes to the state, us to cover the debt.
This sh.. has to stop. If the bears want to leave go, please. How about them White Sox
Leave please.
With the pensions and schools draining our
Wallets we don’t need this. Any politician who votes for this should be voted out of office immediately, enough of them lose office they will learn.
More chgo BS…..rob the taxpayer
Why would any clear thinking person give $2 billion to an organization with that track record? Also, the point made about the looming end of Covid dollars, and the corresponding fiscal cliff, are spot on. Why does the economy keep chugging along? Because the awful Biden administration wasn’t going to have the great recession hit during an election year. So Joe and the gang sent out trillions, and had the gall to name some of it the “Inflation Reduction Act”! Joe Biden will hold the title of worst president in American history very soon. Simply atrocious.
There are several egregious errors in the story about the Bears stadium:
Well it seems that the Illinoisian’s and their elected officials are exploring another new avenue to spend tax dollars once again. Interestingly enough though the commentors that are against the pension issue seem to be reticent on this spending issue. Oh well it seems that some spending must be better than others even though the State is broke but what the heck…we can always hike property taxes.
Wirtz & Reinsdorf built United Center with private funds and paid it off in around 7 years. No reason Bears can’t develop private funding. They could sell the property in Arlington Hts to help pay for new stadium. But they seek property tax cuts for that property, which they will likely find….private funding….to develop. Let them pay for the infrastructure needed too.
Wrong, private sector has plenty of money. Owners are billionaires.
It is a terrible thing to do. Probably will happen because government almost always makes the worst choice for the taxpayers.
Waste of money