Despite high murder rate, onerous taxes, and declining population, Chicago activist claims "soul of city" at stake with Obama library

Abandoned home on
the South Side

Chicago has much deeper problems than the handing out of any goodies in regards to the Barack Obama Presidential Library construction project on the South Side. As I've mentioned many times before, Chicago suffers more murders than New York and Los Angeles--combined. Taxes keep climbing, for instance, Chicagoans pay the nation's highest sales tax rate. Not surprisingly, Chicago is the only major American city losing population.

But what about the library?

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

About 300 residents packed a South Side auditorium Wednesday night to demand that the promise of jobs, economic development and other benefits of the Obama presidential library center be put in writing.

The activists and residents want a community benefits agreement, something many say will protect the neighborhoods and people the center may displace.

"The soul of our city is at stake," said Jay Travis, of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization. “Will Chicago be home to all people regardless of race and income or will we sit back and watch city government systematically remove us?"

As I noted above, people are removing themselves already.