Washington

Fair fight: Chicago v. Miami

CHICAGO AND Miami, using political heavies and lobbyists, are engaged in an all-out, no holds-barred tussle here to win the right to host a world's fair in 1992 marking the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America. Chicago hosted the last such fair, the popular Columbia Exposition of 1893.

Miami's supporters accuse Chicago of being somewhat of a sneak in trying to win the fair, and of angering Spain by planning to have the king and queen of England open the fair. Chicago's supporters deny those allegations, and accuse Miami of violating the law by trying to win the fair without U.S. approval.

In a letter to President Reagan, the Illinois congressional delegation this August urged the president to officially declare Chicago as the sole U.S. entry for the fair. Noting that the Reagan administration had endorsed Chicago's application for the fair, the Illinois delegation said:

"It has come to our attention, however, that another U.S. city may seek a reversal of your administration's earlier commitment. Further, we understand that this community, without the concurrence of the United States, has engaged in national and international activities to gain official recognition of is own fair. This interference is a breach of international protocol and contrary to U.S. law."

Sen. Charles Percy warned that Miami is "continuing to marshall political clout and Washington lobbyists to unseat Chicago." Illinois' Republican senator said the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) — a group of representatives of 35 to 40 nations who authorize world fairs — gave Chicago a tentative reserve date for the fair, and "it would be embarrassing at the very least for U.S. delegates to go back to the BIE and request that Miami be designated as the U.S. entry." He also said such a switch could delay planning for the fair for a year and result in neither Miami nor Chicago getting the fair. Seville, Spain, has also applied for the fair.

Mark Grayson of the Washington public relations firm of Hill & Knowlton, which is working on Miami's behalf, said there is plenty of time for planning, and that Chicago actually filed for the fair in 1980 even though the earliest previous filing for a world's fair was 10 years before the fair date.

"Chicago has tried to get out and wrap it up before anyone even knew anything about it," Grayson said. One of his colleagues, Pat Williams, concurred with that assessment and explained Miami's argument for hosting the fair. "Miami is contending it is really a gateway to the Caribbean community," she said. "Their site there would be a point between both the Americas, where Columbus did sail. Also, the Miami area has a very large Hispanic population, in keeping with the theme of the discovery of the New World." As for Spain's fair application, she said, "I heard that Seville will defer to Miami if they get it."

She declined to elaborate, but a Miami lobbyist who asked not to be identified said Chicago angered Spain by stating in its application it would have the king and queen of England open the fair. "It set the Spanish off like crazy," he said. "Seville went in there to make sure Chicago is not going to get it."

Not true, said Dan Petkus, a spokesman for the Chicago World's Fair-1992 Corporation. "There is no indication the Spanish are miffed at Chicago." He said a copywriter, influenced at the time by the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, wrote into Chicago's application that the British royal family might be attracted to the fair. "There were no invitations," Petkus said. "These people [Miami lobbyists] are engaged in what I feel is a smear campaign."

Chicago, with its large Hispanic population from all areas of the globe, is "much more the melting pot of the Spanish culture than Miami," Petkus said. "They can't come up with something that is clearly superior to us, so they put it into the political arena. We don't have a PR firm, we don't have a lobbyist."

But, Chicago's vocal supporters in this case include such influential people as Secretary of State George Shultz, Percy, House Republican leader Bob Michel of Peoria, and Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski of Chicago. "I don't think Miami has the same strength," Petkus conceded.

The Reagan administration endorsed Chicago's application in 1981, the only city at that time to file an application. However, cities had until September 1, 1982, to file, and Miami filed on that date. Reagan must now ask the BIE for a firm date reservation for Chicago or seek approval for Miami.

"If by chance Chicago is forsaken by the federal government, Miami would be back at exactly the same place we were at this time last year," Petkus said. "We are already two-thirds of the way through the process. When politicians say, 'What's best for this country,' it would not be Miami at this point. . .it's Chicago." Besides, Petkus argued, Chicagoans have already spent $2.5 million planning the fair. "Chicago's not going to lie down and lose this," he declared.

November 1982 | Illinois Issues | 37