Daley Looks to Privatize the Taste of Chicago

(Picture from the Huffington Post)

 The Taste of Chicago has been a part of downtown festivities since 1980, but Mayor Daley hopes to privatize the event in order to decrease the cost to the city. He hopes that this will help to balance the city's budget by avoiding additional costs. Daley has said the the Taste is too large of a burden to the city and that it is no longer profitable.

The question is, just how much does the long-standing event cost the city of Chicago?

Last year, $2 million was spent on policing the lakefront during festivals. $1.5 million of that was spent during the Taste.

The major risk here for the people is that private vendors could impose an entrance fee on attendees. Cultural Affairs Commissioner Lois Weisberg fears that this could drive down attendance, eventually ending the Chicago tradition. If Mayor Daley's plan succeeds, vendors could charge much more than the $10 for a strip of tickets that people paid at this year's Taste.