[ardecila]

Cities are free to screw themselves over; I don't expect the Federal gov't to step in. The problem is that so many cities have made this same stupid mistake and more continue to do so. It's gotten so bad that if one city balks at the cost, its suburbs and even other cities are waiting in the wings to screw themselves financially for very little gain.

I applaud Emanuel for reaching a deal with the Cubs that does not by and large rely on taxpayer money. Taxpayers will be contributing portions of city right-of-way and other infrastructural upgrades but the bulk of the stadium renovation will be financed by the Cubs through increased ad revenue. That's not really a typical case, though, since Wrigley is so iconic (and it's part of the team's business success, frankly) the Cubs could not credibly threaten to leave.