While I share the sentiments of my colleagues regarding the rejection of Chicago, on the first round no less, for the 2016 Olympics I have another reason to rejoice. While some see the choice of Rio de Janeiro as a slap against President Barack Obama (D) it is also a big no!--and deservedly so--to Chicago's inherited royal ruler cum mayor, Richard J. Daley who rounded up major business, government, media and cultural leaders to whip up enthusiasm for the bid. It didn't work; easily half of the city, and more in the surrounding suburbs, were against the bid.

Despite city, county and state taxes going up, up and out of sight the governments are pleading no money and are deeply in debt. New taxes, disguised as fees, have the citizens up in arms. For a short term gain of over a billion dollars (and yes in Chicago, that money is short term), Daley sold the parking soul of Chicago by privatizing parking meter collection for 75 years; the company keeps the chump change, Chicago collects on parking tickets from expired meters. And that's quite a sum because for all parties concerned to make money many of the meters run 24/7/365.

"For your health," Daley explained unconvincingly; citizens will walk more thus reducing pollution from stinky autos. Sure. Chicagoans are destroying the meters when, after circling for blocks for an alternative space, they are compelled to pay.

And no matter how Daley protested that the Olympic Games wouldn't cost Chicagoans one cent in extra taxes to construct the required venues, cynical citizens just didn't believe him. And with good reason. Major projects have a not so mysterious habit of coming in late, way over initial budget and accompanied by tales of bribes, favoritism, indictments--the usual.

Former governor Rod Blagojevich's (D) public woes of allegedly selling the senate seat vacated by Obama are typical of the city's and state's modus operandi. Poor Blagojevich--he probably didn't even realize there is a different way of doing business.

Sure, sure Rio is probably as corrupt as, if not more so, than Chicago and apparently it also has a crime problem worse than Chicago's but that's nothing to be proud of.

No, Rio didn't win the bid by default; the opportunity to have a major South American city host for the first time probably greatly influenced the IOC also.

No matter. Just knowing Daley and his cronies won't be making millions at my expense makes me so-o-o delighted.

Go Rio!