Poll: Chicagoans split over Olympic plans

CHICAGO, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The results of a recent poll in Chicago indicate city residents are divided over plans to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to the Windy City.

The Chicago Tribune said Thursday that 47 percent of the 380 Chicago registered voters who took part in the Tribune/WGN poll support the Olympics plan, while 45 percent oppose the proposal.

The telephone poll, which has a margin of error of 5 percent, was conducted by Market Shares Corp. between last Thursday and Monday.

A similar Tribune poll in February indicated twice as many Chicago residents supported the Olympics than opposed the plan.

Sports finance expert Dennis Howard said the findings of the recent poll could pose a problem for Mayor Richard Daley's plan to host the 2016 Olympic Games in Illinois.

"When less than half of the folks polled indicate they'd be willing to support the Olympics, that's certainly not an enthusiastic mandate for bringing the Games to Chicago," the University of Oregon official said of the choice facing the International Olympic Committee next month. "I can't speak for the IOC members who will be making the decision, but I'd be fairly certain this would not help the cause for Chicago."