The [Tuesday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

And in cabbie assault news not involving Patrick Kane . . .

"Chicago's estimated 12,000 taxi drivers are calling for a day of prayer and meditation Tuesday to highlight hardships they face every day," the Tribune reports.

"That includes Karl Clermont, 33, a driver who said he still doesn't know which Chicago police officer refused to pay his $8 cab fare and pulled a gun on Clermont on April 23 at Armitage and Damen Avenues."

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And now, back to Patrick Kane, who just last week was lauded in his hometown for being a model citizen.

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Then again, the Buffalo News is reporting that the cabbie alleging he was assaulted by Kane isn't exactly a real winner.

Five-Ring Circus
"In other words," Tribune business columnist David Greising writes, "the City Council should insist - and Chicago 2016 should agree - that the organizing committee become subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act."

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Can we also insist that Gov. Pat Quinn become subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?

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Also:

* Olympic Vultures Circling. Hey Tulsa, back off!

Today in Duh
"Are we in the news media cheapening the lives - and deaths - of people of color by paying more attention to lesser crimes in white neighborhoods, or are we reflecting the attitudes of the communities in which they take place?" Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown wonders.

1. It's 2009 and this is still subject to debate? My God, for how many decades are we going to pose this as a question? You might as well wonder if smoking is dangerous to your health.

2. Is it even remotely questionable that the media cares more about white people; particularly affluent white people whom they want - unlike poor black folk - as customers? Every last one of us who has been in a newsroom knows it's even more callous than this. If only the public knew . . .

3. Reflecting the attitudes of the communities in which crimes took place? What does this mean - that blacks are more accepting of crime? Or does media coverage reflect the attitudes of . . . the media?

Coming tomorrow: I prefer real friends to Facebook friends!

And the day after that: Political corruption: Just bad apples?

Nixonland
"Elkhart, Ind. has become a symbol of the devastation wrought by the nation's economic downturn," Chicago Reporter publisher Alden Loury writes. "But the South and West sides of Chicago have endured even harder times economically - and for a much longer period of time."

Yes, but Elkhart is filled with poor white swing voters. Why should Obama discover Chicago's ghettos now?

Boyz in the Hood
"Neighborhood poverty explains between 1/4th and 1/3rd of the downward mobility gap between blacks and whites," John Thompson writes at This Week in Education.

Take that with your school reform and shove it.

Driving Bill Banks
In Chicago, a resume builder.

Un-American
"Our reporters battled some bureaucrats for months when we tried to learn about red-light cameras for our recent 'Seeing Red' investigative series," the Daily Herald writes (via The Race Is On!). "One village clerk said we didn't need the documents because others had reported on the cameras. Another village official called the request a waste of time.

"In all, it took more than two months to obtain documents about a government program operating all over the region. It should take seven days under the existing loophole-ridden law."

Maybe if we start prosecuting public officials who withhold public information with, oh, let's say treason, things might change.

Signs of the Times
Top Ten Recession Related Scams (via Consumer World).

Tales From The Front . . .
. . . is now a blog.

Clunker Skunker
How the Cash for Clunkers program was hijacked by the auto dealers lobby.

Song of the Moment
"If children go to school with birthday sex on their mind, they can't learn anything."

Not entirely true . . .

The Shuttered Shangri La
A hoary hard-on replete with billboards and price-points.

The Secret History . . .
. . . of Jewish punk, having cancer, and time traveling.

Modern Times

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