2016 Olympics Discussion

[Y2HH]

lol. Exactly. Commuting is a b****.

 

Actually, this is something interesting I've observed that only Americans seem to do and think is normal. In every other country (in my experience), the rich/middle class live in the city and the poor live in the sub-urban areas. I guess Americans never stopped and wondered why...oh, that's right, maybe because it's much easier on the work/life balance to LIVE NEAR YOUR f***ING JOB than it is to drive all day and be stuck in traffic which undoubtedly increases your stress level.

 

And why do we do it? More house for the money! Yes, enjoy that more house for the money you're never at because you're in a traffic jam driving home.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Actually, this is something interesting I've observed that only Americans seem to do and think is normal. In every other country (in my experience), the rich/middle class live in the city and the poor live in the sub-urban areas. I guess Americans never stopped and wondered why...oh, that's right, maybe because it's much easier on the work/life balance to LIVE NEAR YOUR f***ING JOB than it is to drive all day and be stuck in traffic which undoubtedly increases your stress level.

 

And why do we do it? More house for the money! Yes, enjoy that more house for the money you're never at because you're in a traffic jam driving home.

:notworthy

[lostfan]

Actually, this is something interesting I've observed that only Americans seem to do and think is normal. In every other country (in my experience), the rich/middle class live in the city and the poor live in the sub-urban areas. I guess Americans never stopped and wondered why...oh, that's right, maybe because it's much easier on the work/life balance to LIVE NEAR YOUR f***ING JOB than it is to drive all day and be stuck in traffic which undoubtedly increases your stress level.

 

And why do we do it? More house for the money! Yes, enjoy that more house for the money you're never at because you're in a traffic jam driving home.

Urban sprawl is definitely an American thing. In Europe, the reason their social system works so much better is because their cities and towns are built around a center where people live, work, and shop together. So it's easier for them to get around, and mass transportation is much more logical. Here, once the industrial era hit, we just started building out farther and farther and sort of haphazardly.

[Y2HH]

Urban sprawl is definitely an American thing. In Europe, the reason their social system works so much better is because their cities and towns are built around a center where people live, work, and shop together. So it's easier for them to get around, and mass transportation is much more logical. Here, once the industrial era hit, we just started building out farther and farther and sort of haphazardly.

 

Their mass transit also has a lot less ground to cover -- our sheer land mass is insane when it comes to us being one interconnected country, where as most European countries are as big as a single state. If all we had to do was develop transit for IL, we'd probably have a much better system...but as it stands, we have a megaload of space they've never had to worry about. And I like it this way. But yes, we did spread out haphazardly.

[Balta1701]

Their mass transit also has a lot less ground to cover -- our sheer land mass is insane when it comes to us being one interconnected country, where as most European countries are as big as a single state. If all we had to do was develop transit for IL, we'd probably have a much better system...but as it stands, we have a megaload of space they've never had to worry about. And I like it this way. But yes, we did spread out haphazardly.

That is actually an argument for mass transit, not against it. Mass transit is an ideal way to move people and especially freight across large distances between moderately isolated population centers.

[danman31]

Driving 2 hours each way, spending time/gas money and having the new found necessity of owning a working car 365 days a year didn't add up to anything but less time with your family/loved ones and more expenses for a bigger home which you were never at.

What suburb is 2 hours from the city?

 

Anyway, this whole suburban discussion is talking about all the wrong things. The real reason people move to the suburbs is because city schools more or less suck and suburban schools are much better. Families move out to the suburbs.

[Balta1701]

What suburb is 2 hours from the city?

On a bad day?

[nitetrain8601]

Actually, this is something interesting I've observed that only Americans seem to do and think is normal. In every other country (in my experience), the rich/middle class live in the city and the poor live in the sub-urban areas. I guess Americans never stopped and wondered why...oh, that's right, maybe because it's much easier on the work/life balance to LIVE NEAR YOUR f***ING JOB than it is to drive all day and be stuck in traffic which undoubtedly increases your stress level.

 

And why do we do it? More house for the money! Yes, enjoy that more house for the money you're never at because you're in a traffic jam driving home.

 

I don't agree with your thoughts on potential Olympics, but you took the words out of my mouth. I would never move to the burbs unless I had to.

[JoeBatterz]

 

Unless you have lots of clout with Godfather Daley, I can't imagine anybody supporting this. I like the idea in theory, I just know how Chicago operates.

[SoxFan1]

FWIW, this isn't looking too good for Chicago.

[nitetrain8601]

Why isn't it looking too well? Not doubting you, but I haven't heard any news.

[whitesoxfan101]

Why isn't it looking too well? Not doubting you, but I haven't heard any news.

 

Chicago is apparently in 3rd right now, based on what I have heard.

[SoxFan562004]

Chicago is apparently in 3rd right now, based on what I have heard.

I think they'll use Obama as a last minute push

[SoxFan1]

Why isn't it looking too well? Not doubting you, but I haven't heard any news.

I've got some connections to people working on it. Private funding seems to be a pretty big issue, while Rio and Tokyo are looking good right now.

[DukeNukeEm]

I've got some connections to people working on it.

No offense, but that's hardly credible.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I've got some connections to people working on it. Private funding seems to be a pretty big issue, while Rio and Tokyo are looking good right now.

 

 

They havent even visited Rio yet and are only on day 2 of their visit to Tokyo

[lostfan]

It's still way too early to tell.

[NorthSideSox72]

They havent even visited Rio yet and are only on day 2 of their visit to Tokyo

Seriously. And Rio is a lightweight bid with crime problems that make Chicago's look like nothing. Tokyo bids every damn cycle, Japan had the winter olympics just a few years ago and the summer olympics were just completed in that region. Everything I have seen and heard tells me that Chicago is the far and away leader in this thing, right now.

 

Chicago does have the special problem of needing to obtain a lot more private financing, because we are the only country that doesn't directly fund the bids - but I think those will continue flowing in enough to make it work.

 

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Seriously. And Rio is a lightweight bid with crime problems that make Chicago's look like nothing. Tokyo bids every damn cycle, Japan had the winter olympics just a few years ago and the summer olympics were just completed in that region. Everything I have seen and heard tells me that Chicago is the far and away leader in this thing, right now.

 

Chicago does have the special problem of needing to obtain a lot more private financing, because we are the only country that doesn't directly fund the bids - but I think those will continue flowing in enough to make it work.

 

 

Until I hear from an official source that Chicago is not at least a co-favorite with Rio, no one will be able to convince me otherwise. Everything points to Chicago at least being a co-favorite with Rio IMO

[Jimbo's Drinker]

i have better connections, and chicago is by far the top dog at this point.

[SoxFan1]

No offense, but that's hardly credible.

I could really care less if you believe me or not, but they are direct connections to the actual project and someone who attends every committee meeting, so you don't have to believe me, but ya.

[ozzfest]

'16 Baby!!!

[Flash Tizzle]

Seriously. And Rio is a lightweight bid with crime problems that make Chicago's look like nothing. Tokyo bids every damn cycle, Japan had the winter olympics just a few years ago and the summer olympics were just completed in that region. Everything I have seen and heard tells me that Chicago is the far and away leader in this thing, right now.

 

Chicago does have the special problem of needing to obtain a lot more private financing, because we are the only country that doesn't directly fund the bids - but I think those will continue flowing in enough to make it work.

Rio de Janeiro (2006) -- 37.7 murders per 100,000

Chicago (2006) -- ~15 murders per 100,000

 

Look at some of this other information:

 

2006 -- 1,060 criminals were killed in Rio by the police. In a city roughly double the size of Chicago

2006 -- 347 criminals were killed by the police in the entire USA.

 

I'm sure the disparity would only extend further if other crime rates are taken into consideration. I'm also going to guess, even without proof, that their corruption issues make ours look tame.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Flash Tizzle

[Disco72]

Rio de Janeiro (2006) -- 37.7 murders per 100,000

Chicago (2006) -- ~15 murders per 100,000

 

Look at some of this other information:

 

2006 -- 1,060 criminals were killed in Rio by the police. In a city roughly double the size of Chicago

2006 -- 347 criminals were killed by the police in the entire USA.

 

I'm sure the disparity would only extend further if other crime rates are taken into consideration. I'm also going to guess, even without proof, that their corruption issues make ours look tame.

 

I don't know stats by city, but comparing countries, Brazil scores a 3.5 on corruption compared to 7.3 for the US (lower numbers = more corrupt). Source: Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. In other words, Brazil is perceived as being MUCH more corrupt than the US.

[NorthSideSox72]

Rio de Janeiro (2006) -- 37.7 murders per 100,000

Chicago (2006) -- ~15 murders per 100,000

 

Look at some of this other information:

 

2006 -- 1,060 criminals were killed in Rio by the police. In a city roughly double the size of Chicago

2006 -- 347 criminals were killed by the police in the entire USA.

 

I'm sure the disparity would only extend further if other crime rates are taken into consideration. I'm also going to guess, even without proof, that their corruption issues make ours look tame.

And its gotten a lot worse in Rio the last year or two, so those numbers will jump further. Security/crime issues are what will likely kill off Rio's chances.