The [Thursday] Papers

"When you're on a roll, you're on a roll. Or so it seems for Denver, which in its latest jobs coup has landed United Airlines' global pilot training operations - beating out Chicago and Houston in the process," the Denver Post editorial board writes.

"Given the catastrophic public pension and budgetary bind that afflicts the Land of Lincoln, it may not be surprising that a company is reluctant to expand operations in Chicago."

Um, okay. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other; United is headquartered here and has a huge presence and, well, I suppose they could be worried about higher taxes on, um, a relatively small training operations center, but whatever.

"But the United decision is gratifying nonetheless as a marker of Denver's and Colorado's attractiveness to job creators."

My understanding is that jobs are being shifted, not created. Plus, United is cutting jobs on the whole, not creating them. But again, whatever.

"To be sure, the city and state together had to pony up $13.2 million in incentives in return for the infusion of investment and 265 well-paying jobs. And these sorts of subsidies are never ideal."

Aha! So the city and state are the job creators! And maybe Illinois' fiscal condition meant it wasn't a good time to hand out a taxpayer subsidy to a giant corporation making record profits.

"But United is hardly some fragile start-up with no track record of staying power."

No, it's hardly a fragile start-up; subsidizing that might have made sense. United, though, reported a $2 billion profit last year. Outside of being a bunch of communists, why do they need taxpayer money?

"So at least the subsidies are likely to result in significant long-term benefits, just as city officials claim."

Just as city officials claim!

Wow. Editorial boards are nonsense all over.

*

Here's how the Tribune (briefly) reported the news (and yes, I get that I'm "comparing" an editorial to an article):

"United Airlines has decided to consolidate its two pilot-training centers at an existing site in Denver, instead of building a new one in Chicago, the carrier said Wednesday.

"Chicago and Houston were two other locations the airline considered as it decided to consolidated pilot training in a cost-saving move."

But look out for those significant long-term economic benefits!

*

Now it's true that Denver is expected to gain a couple hundred (taxpayer-subsidized) jobs. But Denver's gain appears to be Houston's loss. America, too, loses then. And I'm not about to sit here and listen to United Airlines badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!

-

Politico Is Just The Worst
"Sarah Palin Is The REO Speedwagon Of Politics."

How so - did she make the greatest live record in the history of rock 'n' roll?

-

Fantasy Fix: Shopping The DL
Jorge Soler for sale.

-

BeachBook
* Executives Get Millions In Kraft Deal.

You'll get cheaped-out cheese! What mergers and acquisitions are truly all about.

* Wabash Lights Kickstarter Raising Funds For Beta Test.

With approval from the alpha dog?

* Jackie Robinson West Prolongs The Farce.

Evan F. Moore gets it right.

* Woman Who Cannot Accurately Describe Things To 'Report" For NYT.

Infamous corrections machine gets promoted in what must be a secret high-stakes B.F. Skinner experiment.

* Teuvo: Blackhawks Fans Horny.

Must be the uniform.

-

TweetWood
A sampling.

.@tanehisicoates MT @loumoore12: 1926, Chicago Defender says Confederate Flag "must come down" in Chicago. Here's why pic.twitter.com/ipJcbl2wC7

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 25, 2015

*

Truck with Confederate flag drives through Chicago 'hood: https://t.co/aYtrLS5hrt

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 25, 2015

*

This Week In Black History: (1967) Friendship Baptist Church was the only Chicago church that allowed MLK to speak on civil rights.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 25, 2015

*

BREAKING: Pizza boy saves customer's life, delivers immortal quote: http://t.co/9ODOlLMv5L pic.twitter.com/gWwTON3fye

— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) June 24, 2015

*

Boy Says He Lived Past Life As #Chicago Woman Killed In Hotel Fire: http://t.co/R8pIXvyz3g

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 25, 2015

The Beachwood Tip Line: Past lives welcome.

© 2006 - 2017, The Beachwood Media Company