There are two buildings in Chicago that show the stark differences between Communism and Capitalism today.
This is a tale of these two buildings. The Obama Library and the Trump Tower both located in Chicago, Illinois.
Recently Benney Johnson took a look at these two building.
WATCH: I Investigated Obama’s New Presidential Library in Chicago vs. Trump’s Skyscraper | This is INSANE…
Michael Dorgan from Fox News reported in an article titled “Obama library, begun with lofty DEI goals, now plagued by $40M racially charged suit, ballooning costs”:
The Black-owned firm claims it was accused of underperforming in the project because of race
Construction of former President Barack Obama’s long-awaited library and museum in Chicago began with ambitious plans for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) but is now plagued by huge cost overruns, delays and a $40.75-million, racially charged lawsuit filed by a minority contractor.
From the outset, the endeavor touted DEI as a key part of enshrining Obama’s legacy at the 19.3-acre site, where costs have ballooned from an initial $350 million to $830 million in 2021 based on its previous annual reports, with no publicly available figures available for updated projected costs. The project set out “ambitious goals” for certain construction diversity quotas, with its contracts to be allocated to “diverse suppliers,” 35% of which were required to be minority-based enterprises (MBEs).
“With these aggressive goals, the foundation is hoping to set a new precedent for diversity and inclusion in major construction projects in Chicago and beyond,” the Obama Foundation wrote in a 2017 press release.
The importance of DEI was cited on several occasions in an explosive lawsuit filed last month by Robert McGee, the Black co-owner of II in One Construction. The firm is a minority-owned business subcontractor that provided concrete and rebar services for the center.
It is not clear what role DEI quotas played in the hiring of II In One as a subcontractor. II In One was one of three firms that made up a joint venture called Concrete Collective. The other firms included another minority firm called Trice Construction Company along with W.E. O’Neil. Together they formed a 51% minority-led joint-venture team.
The Bottom Line
If you want to build a beautiful building anywhere, then hire people who have the skills to do the best job in constructing it.
If you use DEI as your criteria then expect your project to fail, repeatedly.
Chicago has now learned its lesson. Quality over politics is the best solution.
©2025 Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.). All rights reserved.
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Author: Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)
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