A Chicago Blog

Conventionally wisdom has it that it doesn’t really matter who the Democrat candidate is, they will wlk away with the election in November. I can’t help being a contrarian here. Yes, Republicans are about as unpopular as disco, but I don’t think the public is stupid. I think they are far less partisan that most [...]

So I went down to see the immigration protests yesterday. I went packing my video camera thinking I would get lots of interesting footage. But sadly, my battery died just as I was making my way to Federal Plaza (piece of crap). So I was left with only the functions available on my Blackberry. Over [...]

I had the opportunity to meet them this morning. Thanks for having me on guys!

You know these are desperate times when your choices are a tax increase or a bigger tax increase. The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago released a report last Wednesday imploring us to own up to the “hard choices” (code for tax increases) we have to make to get the state out of [...]

The Sun-Times Breaks Down the Mayor’s Patronage Army
Huntley on the Civic Committee Plan
Latino Group to Boycott Carpentersville
Who Will Be Obama’s Replacement?

Yeah … that’s a bold vision. The Civic Committee is rolling over on the tax swap idea (HB750) I suppose, issuing a report this morning urging the state to do something about $106 billion in debt. The Civic Committee’s answer: raise taxes now because it will cost more to raise taxes later … and in [...]

The GAO has released its follow-up report on FEMA’s management of Katrina and Rita relief funds. Of the $290 million dollars FEMA acknowledged as overpayments after GAO’s initial report, only $7 million has been collected. Apparently, once a government agency spends money, it’s gone. Go figure.
Also still missing, 42 laptops, 18 printers, 23 GPS units, [...]

From John kass:
Just picture Mayor Vince pulling up to City Hall in a beater Cutlass, announcing he’ll hold the next City Council meeting at the White Castle at 94th and Jeffery at 4 a.m.
He’d force those sniveling food Nazi aldermen to eat double jalapeno sliders, saying: “Please don’t take a turn to negative town.”
Read [...]

Not to belabor the point on Grossman. But the idea that by keeping him in we’re somehow protecting him is absurd. Everybody has seen that the kid has talent, everyone knows that he’s probably going to be our QB for years to come. But the fact is he’s not ready RIGHT NOW and that’s what [...]

Jeff Trigg has a post about Cook County’s write-in votes over at Illinoize. I second his suggestion that you check out the list for yourself. The only thing I have to add is two small observations:
1) Lovie Smith got more write-in votes than Mike Ditka! (wow!)
2) Despite the fact that Topinka, Blagojevich, and Whitney were [...]