Chicago Welcomes the NATO Traveling Road Show

People in and around Chicago...brace yourselves.  NATO is coming to town!


If there is one thing you can count on, it would be Chicago finding a way to welcome chaos.  We may have dodged a bullet when the G8 Conference was moved to Camp David, but we're not going to be so lucky next weekend when NATO arrives for a quick get together.  I don't know if the dollar figures will be public, but my guess is that the city will be writing big fat checks for security and services that the normal everyday Chicago resident could only dream about.  Then there is the inconvenience factor to consider.  Not only will it be difficult to get into or out of the city, but the simple task of maneuvering within the downtown area itself will be tricky at best with road closures and rerouting of public transportation.


It would be a good idea for anyone with plans in or around Chicago from the 18th through the 21st of May to do their homework.  Check for updates information at http://www.chicagonato.org/ and be ready to change your plans altogether.


Since this is the first time that NATO has met in the United States outside of Washington DC, it will undoubtedly be a big deal, and worldwide coverage is a certainty.  Chicago will have its "best face" on, and no expense will be spared in making this meeting a success.  It's really too bad that - in some cases - it will be done at the expense of the average citizen of the city, who may find all of the hoopla a little taxing.  Fortunately, it should be a little like removing a band-aid.  The quicker you pull it off, the less it will hurt.