Hope smokes eternal when it's Chia-grown

Mayor Richard Daley got a 49-0 vote from his pet aldermen, and now our politicians have put taxpayers on the hook for any cost overruns.

But don't worry. Take a puff.

History teaches that when it comes to fantastically expensive public works programs, those cost overruns are the result of corruption, graft and greed. Yet the other day, Chicago aldermen promised to do what they do best: watch over everything and protect the taxpayers from insider deals and graft.

Unfortunately, some critics are still at large, complaining that the mayor's cronies will cash in on Olympic gold. But the mayor, in his wisdom, says such critics are paralyzed with fear. He might be right.

Maybe the naysayers can't see the rosy economic future, once Chicago hosts the No-Graft Games of 2016.

"There's uncertainty about any change," Daley said. "You have to have vision about the future. ... You have to have confidence that the future can be bright."

It's so bright my eyes hurt. Our federal government will cut wasteful spending to pay for health care. And Chicago politicians will ride herd over Olympic corruption.

Sweet.

What worries me is what happens to my perma-grin if I run out of Hopium. My Obama Chia heads must have sensed my apprehension, and they began singing in the voice of Grace Slick, imploring me to plant more crops. Their soothing voices still ring in my deficit-free brain:

Just remember what the dormouse said.

Feed your heads. Feed your heads.

jskass@tribune.com