Chicago Is....

[izeveryboyin]

currently undergoing construction. In reading my daily Sun-Times I discovered an article about the reconstruction of downtown Chicago's Millenium park, and famed attraction recently opened about 3 years ago. New Frank Gehry concession stands and pathways will be constructed. The etimated porject... minus the costs of the new concession stand... will cost a projected 4 million dollars. Donations and funraisers are being called in as we speak so that construction can begin this spring.
Here are the reasons why this make no fucking sense:
-The city's budget has been reduced
-CTA service will be cut down harshly because of their deficit
-CPS No Child Left Behind Act has had it's federal funding removed b.c of low test scores, therefore Public schools can no longer use government money to pay for tutoring
-We don't need any new fucking pathways, nor do we need more concessions stands, just like we didn't need the goddamn giant bean in the middle of the park.

--K

P.S A very late Happy New Year guys... I've missed you all!

[shamatha1]

I don't know, I like The Bean. And in the summertime, seeing all the kids from the suburbs and Chinatown and the South Side and Little Vietnam, etc, playing in the fountain when the water shoots out is kind of heartwarming and shit. I don't have a problem with public parks that bring people together, something American cities sorely lack.

What Chicago didn't need was to spend half-a-billion dollars to re-build an ugly stadium for a bunch of testosterone cases to chase a ball around.

[singlemalt]

Have you seen the park recently? I mean before we got a foot of snow? It kicks major rectum!

Kinda sucks about the CTA though. Lucky me, I get to take the Metra.

And the new Soldier Field, by all acounts is great on the inside. I don't think there was any thought on how the outside was going to look. Having said that, Go Bears!! 5-11!!

[izeveryboyin]

it's not really the park that I have a problem with. It's the improper distrubution of funds during a time of need that I'm bitching about. what I'm saying is why is it that we can raise 4million dollars by the spring to pay to redecorate an already nicely put togeyther park but can't raise money for the important things, like to get out of the deficit, to pay to tutor those kids you like to see playing in the fountains, to pay to keep service active to take you to the park in the first place!!! The bean, while fascinating in it's size and sheer pointlessness, is fine with me, it's the price paid to have it put there that pisses me ff. When our budget is stable, when CTA buses are no longer an endagered spieces, and when kids poor kids in uban schools don't have to worry about paying for their own tutoring, then I'll be more proud of the park, rave about and make posts on studioeight that say "Hey Chicago's parks are great b/c...". Until then, this posts stands. LOL. Thanks for reading and commenting. I was beginning to fear I was the only damned Chicagoan here.

[shamatha1]

You know what's a real waste of money? Chuck Palahniuk books. Imagine if we took all the money people throw away buying that garbage and put it toward public transportation and schools, we'd have El tracks made of solid gold and kids tutored by Nobel Prize winners.

And the new Soldier Field, by all acounts is great on the inside

I was in there in 2003 and it is very, very nice inside.

it's not really the park that I have a problem with. It's the improper distrubution of funds during a time of need that I'm bitching about.

But see the park isn't really the cause of those income distribution problems. Sure, maybe we shouldn't spend millions of dollars on art when there are other pressing needs, but how far are you willing to carry that argument? Do we not fund art projects until every person has a home and every kid a full belly and new textbooks. Maybe, considering art is essentially and indulgence of people who don't have to struggle to survive.

The problem with the cta is that they cut routes in poor neighborhoods, where people really need the service, while leaving or even adding services in the wealtheir neighborhoods. I mean, I haven't lived on the North Side for a few years, but when I lived at Sheridan and Marine, I could've caught the 151, 145, 146 or 135 to get me downtown. And the 136 and 147 only stopped a few blocks away. I think a couple of those rte. numbers have changed, but those routes basically duplicated each other for a large part of their respective runs, with the main difference being express v. local or one stopped or started a little sooner or later than another. Meanwhile, on the south side, you gotta walk 4 blocks to get to a bus that will take you to where you will transfer to another bus, and then a train, to get where you are going.

And as far as the schools . . . my Mom's taught in the CPS for almost 40 years, so I know there's problems. And it's because school funding is tied to property taxes. Thats why New Trier has a sprawling modern campus (with a shutte bus between buildings!) and why my Mom used to take handfuls of ketchup and mustard packets from McDonalds because her school couldn't afford condiments for the lunchroom. And it's not just inner city schools that get screwed, it's rural schools to. Anyplace where property values are low.

The Art vs. Utility debate is a serious one, and I'm not sure where to draw the line. But I think Millennium Park is the the good side of it, at least.

[singlemalt]

So why do you have to hit below the belt with Chucky P? Brother's just trying to make a dime. And he happens to be a hell of a writer.

[perezoso]

You know what's a real waste of money? Chuck Palahniuk books

Es verdad. He's a Mickey Spillane macho hack, or not quite that. Fight Club was not much better than a decent episode of Mike Hammer. Polockaniek's also a Bush supporter, and in his interviews comes off as quite the redneck thug. Some violence in writing is decent: as in Hemingway's writings about war...

We should question the value of arts and entertainment as a whole, regularly. Consumers are fed a constant stream of product --movies, tunes, texts---but what does this product really do in terms of real political and social change? And the "liberal" social realist stuff-- Norma Rae, Inc.-- is nearly as bad as more pop Bruce Willis sorts of thrillers and blockbusters.

Entertainment, as well as religion, are the opiates of the massses.......

American journalism could use some HL Menckens and Twains ....some writers with some spine and some wit willing to take on conservative and liberal morons; willing to take on WallStreet, finance, and the judiciary, as well as the absurdities of corporate america

F-n Dan Rather and 60 minutes--and Michael Moore, though he makes mistakes-- are to be preferred to most cafe poetry and lit....

[izeveryboyin]

I have no problem with art! but in all technicality, a national park IS NOT art. There is "art" inside it (referring to that STUPID bean) but that's already paid for. What about concession stands and pathways? Is concrete art? Is a watering hose made by Versace art? Is Frank Gehry art?! I sure as hell hope not, because if so, then art is REALLY losing it's spark. It's insane to think I'd want to take money away from parks, but I mean, seriously, one of my main arguments against the park was CPS's no child left behind act. I'm all about educating the students! I'm all about art! Just not if it means I have to say a fucking park is art. LOL. Thanks fro your comments though.. you make impressive argument.
---K

[Marksman45]

There's a giant bean in the park? That sounds wonderful. Where can I find a picture?

[singlemalt]

It's actually called Cloud Gate. You can find a few pics here:

http://www.rachelleb.com/001944.html

The bottom picture is damn cool.

When it's finished, in a few months, the visible "lines" on it will disappear.

[Marksman45]

oh.

I was hoping for a big sculpture of a <i>bean</i> bean

Still kinda neat though

[izeveryboyin]

well... i don't know what have been more stupid... a real bean... or the one we have now. The real bean I suppose, b/c then the stupid pigeons would come attacking it all day, and no one could "enjoy" it's uhhh... statuesqe...ness. Or something.
--K

[perezoso]

Let them eat Bean!

For all the humans struggling, starving, freezing, the City of Chicago decides to offer them a large drop of faux- mercury. The new stadium is ludicrous as well, but I suspect windy city creeps voted it in. Chicago is a great town only if yr in the mafia or the grain biz.

Art projects like this--and they do this in LA too (The Getty Monument)--should be put to a vote. I don't have a problem with some public art (the Rodins at LACMA are great) but should something like the Bean be funded by the public? And this thing could be a danger for drivers if the glare caught their eye.....

[mousey1]

Hi Izy,
Real bean?.....be careful what you wish for!

Ya, I'm pretty sure the crows er pigeons would be all over the real bean!!!


Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, seriously, I rather like this "bean art". There's waste and then there's waste, since it's a done deal, eh, whatcha gonna do. Heck, we've got a giant papermache peach in the center of our town, gaaauuuuudddddyyyyyy, and probably cost a bundle. Count your blessings.

But I do know what you mean!

PZ: Let them eat bean indeed!

[izeveryboyin]

I'm enormously against the bean.. whether real or not. Anyway, pere... I agree wit you... this so called art is pointless, and should be voted on. Unfortnately, for some reason we chicagoans would proabably have voted on it anyway.
--K