By Steve Rhodes
“The controversial Chicago Children’s Museum plan for a new building in Grant Park probably will be pulled off the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting of a City Council committee, the panel’s chairman said Monday,” the Tribune reports.
Why?
“[Zoning Committee Chairman Bill] Banks said aides to Richard Daley, a supporter of the museum’s plan, told him that several members of the committee cannot attend the meeting on Tuesday. Three of the 14 aldermen on the committee are at a real estate convention in Las Vegas.”
You guys are making my job too easy.
The Trib doesn’t name the convention, but my guess is it’s this one, though it’s not hard to imagine where else our aldermen might be.
Why are mayoral aides telling the committee chairman this? It’s a city council committee, not a city department.
Oops, I almost forgot which city I was in.
Let’s get to the politics behind this, then. It’s not as if this the convention is a surprise.
“The sense I get is that [mayoral aides] wanted more bodies,” Banks said.
In other words, when the mayor’s people counted votes, they decided they might need those three missing aldermen.
Of course, the City Hall denies this.
“Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said taking the issue off the committee’s Tuesday agenda was ‘not a request on our part.'”
So . . . are you calling Banks a liar?
“Banks ‘reached out’ to [Daley aides] and expressed concern about not being able to confirm a quorum,” Heard said.
Um, last time I checked 11 of 14 equals a quorom.
Besides, as we’re reporting this week in a delicious bit of timing, that’s never stopped the council before. As Ald. Toni Preckwinkle explained, if you don’t ask for a quorum you magically have one.
“Banks said the committee still plans to meet Tuesday to consider other zoning change requests that he described as routine matters.”
So there will be a quorum?
(Apparently aldermen reserve the right to decide what matters are worthy of the quorum requirement in the law and what matters are not.)
Meanwhile, opponents of the museum’s move who took the day off work to attend the meeting get screwed. Well played, Mayor Daley.
The Three Amigos
The Trib didn’t name the three aldermen conventioning in Las Vegas. Banks is obviously in town, so it’s three of these folks: Vi Daley, Ed Burke, Latasha Thomas, Ed Smith, Ike Carothers, Carrie Austin, Rey Colon, Tom Allen, Margaret Laurino, Gene Schulter, Berny Stone, Frank Olivo, Ray Suarez.
I hope someone FOIA’s their receipts when they get home.
That’s Todd!
Todd Stroger’s office sent out this lame statement Monday afternoon:
“Cook County Board President Todd Stroger met with Cook County Public Defender Ed Burnett today and discussed issues surrounding Mr. Burnett’s employment with the County.
“Mr. Burnett has agreed to comply with policy and legislative mandates set forth by the President’s Office and the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
“As a result, President Stroger has agreed to drop current efforts to have Mr. Burnett terminated.”
The Tribune editorial page sensibly advocates today that the Cook County Public Defender be appointed by the chief judge of the circuit court instead of the Cook County president. Maybe the chief judge should appoint the president too.
Cop Shop
“A Chicago police officer who is alleged to have beaten up a couple at a Niles bar this weekend has a history of threatening violence and abusing alcohol, court and police records show,” the Tribune reports.
In one incident, “Callahan arrested a bartender who refused to serve him more drinks.”
I’ve tried to do that too, but I didn’t have a badge with me at the time.
“The bartender sued and settled with the city for $15,000.”
And yet, the police board rebuffed efforts by former police chief Phil Cline to fire Callahan.
Yes, folks, that’s not a firing offense when you’re a Chicago police officer.
The news reports I’ve seen don’t mention the names of the police board members who thought Callahan deserved to keep his job, but you can see who the current members are here. Drop them a line, won’t you?
Fuzzy Math
Trib: “Oregonians Thrilled To Cast Primary Votes That Matter: State could well put Obama over the top.”
Um, no. Winning “the majority of pledged delegates” is still not enough to win the nomination. The majority of pledged delegates is only a metric as useful as any of the metrics the Clinton campaign is using in its attempts to sway the superdelegates who will ultimately decide this race.
Just another example of how the Obama campaign has controlled the delegate narrative – and a useful way for it to use its expected win in Oregon tonight to smother the bad news out of Kentucky.
The Obama Rules
“Obama To GOP: Lay Off My Wife.”
Suddenly, spouses are off-limits.
Gov. Baloneyvich
“Gov. Blagojevich says it’s ‘stupid’ to ask if he’s concerned that he could be the next target of a political corruption investigation by federal authorities,” AP reports.
And he’s right: Of course he’s concerned!
Maybe the question should have been: Have you been meeting with lawyers to plan a defense?
In a Pickle
I learned at my NBC5 appearance this morning that it’s International Pickle Week.
1. Power to the pickle.
2. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, pickles are both vegetable and a fruit.
3. Giant pickle.
4. Prize-winning pickle.
5. Pickle Bandito.
6. Give out leadership pickles!
7. Kool-Aid pickle.
8. Evil pickle.
9. U.S. distribution of people whose last name is Pickle.
10. Pickle Stickle.
The Beachwood Tip Line: Mmm, pickles . . .
Posted on May 20, 2008