For years, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has been trying to build a museum. After environmentalist wackos gave him trouble at a Northern California location, Lucas decided on Chicago.

The filmmaker came with deep pockets: a commitment to spend $743 million of his own money. The proposed “Lucas Museum of Narrative Art” (not to be confused with The Living Stage) would be built in a tourist-friendly, safe environment, which is saying something for Chicago these days. The location: a park with beautiful waterfront views on Lake Shore Drive.

Then “Friends of the Parks” stepped in. With a lawsuit. The group, a bunch of unelected, liberal busybodies, didn’t want the museum on park grounds. At first they said it was because a 1970s ordinance banned private development. But after holding up the project for years, they changed their argument. They really wanted money.

“Friends of the Parks” demanded that five percent of all revenues generated by the Lucas Museum be funneled to other neighborhood parks. I guess you could call it a tax. Or a kickback. But reallt its extortion.

Lucas made a decision. He pulled out of the project. And with him goes the opportunity for jobs, revenue, and tourism that Chicago desperately needs. Lucas is going back to deal with the environmentalist wackos in California.

Better the Land of Fruits and Nuts, than the liberal Evil Empire in Chicago. How this guy remains a liberal democrat is beyond me, but he is.