NATO - Chicago Journalist Media Tour Chicago

"Chicago Tax Dollars Go To Corporate Caviar."
reads the headline from the Huffington Post, noting how millions are spent needlessly on things that matter less than the lives of those in the community in which it serves.

In a nutshell, $36.5 million dollars spent on bring NATO to Chicago, with $14 million spent on parties!  Wow! What a waste of taxpayers dollars.

Local and International Journalist convened together to go to communities to report how this money could have better served it's constituents.  Bringing NATO to Chicago did not help local residents, only Corporate Business.

It's HLN business to bring this information to you in a timely matter.


This is what I love most about Higher Learning Network's behind-the-scenes training for youth.
It's the conversations that you don't hear about what happened.  We met at the Hyatt Hotel for our morning briefing, then off to Englewood and Brighton Park.  These 2 locations are a few of the most underserved communities, both affected by the lack of participation in the current administration.

Chicago Communicator, The London Times, Citizen's News, WGN and the Higher Learning Network News  Journalists were all on one accord to record and bring to you the truth of what's happening in underserved communities of color.

All the professional journalists enjoyed this media tour, with the exception of the threat from one of the young men in the Brighton Park area, who wanted to know why we were in his neighborhood in the first place.

 Organizers of the Media Tour for Journalists are Amisha Patel, Executive Director (wearing glasses in background) and Media Contact Eric Telez (white shirt) of    www.thegrassrootscollaborative.org as we gather prior to departing to South Side of Chicago to Englewood and Brighton Park.  These are just a few of the neighborhoods hardest hit during tough economic times, that NATO funding could have been used to uplift the community instead of using funding for parties, etc. to entertain world leaders.
                                       

                                          

                                             

It's the bus ride, comraderrie among journalists, that make it all worthwhile.

                                          

                                     Eric Telez, media contact for the Journalists covering this event.

                               Amisha Patel, Grassroots Collaborative Executive Director on the job!
                                         This is why she's the boss, always making sure everything is in place,
                                                      and the job gets done!
                                                              Well done!