By Steve Rhodes
“Your job as a congressman is to represent the people, not simply to be accountable to Mayor Daley and take what he says as gospel.”
My Lord, who dared to say such a thing in public?
State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), at a forum on Sunday for candidates to replace Rahm Emanuel (D-Daley) in Congress.
Here’s more from the Fighting Fifth!
That’s Roland!
In a story in which the junior senator from Illinois protests that reports of his arrogance are a media creation, Roland Burris informs us that “I have had one of the most interesting lives of anyone who has ever lived.”
I’ve got news for you, Roland: You haven’t had had one of the most interesting lives of any Illinoisan who has lived. Not even close.
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Burris also defends his massive mausoleum by saying that “It’s best to have your crypts or your mausoleum already set aside. It takes a major burden off of your family.”
Good thinking! I’ll get started on my mausoleum right away. Hmmm, is TRAIL BLAZER taken?
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“The cemetery in Oak Woods insisted when I went out to plan my estate that my resume be put on it,” Burris says. “That wasn’t me. That was the manager of the funeral home. They insisted that my resume be put up and they came up with that design and did all that.”
And that new funeral home legislation he’s proposing? That’s not him either. The funeral home is the one insisting on it.
Blago Beat
Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to appear on David Letterman’s show this Tuesday. Here are a couple stabs at the name of the Top Ten List Blago will read:
* Top Ten Reasons Why I’m Actually Still The Governor
* Top Ten Reasons Why Ed Genson Quit As My Attorney
* Top Ten Reasons Why The Senate Didn’t Let Me Call Witnesses
* Top Ten Reasons Why Everything I Did Was To Help People
* Top Ten Reasons Why I’m Such A Putz
Reaching Obama
How local pols will do it.
Quinn’s First Week
A to-do list.
Worst People In Illinois
These people are hogs.
Fare’s Fair
“Most top managers at the CTA have gotten double-digit salary increases in the last three years,” the Sun-Times reports.
So that’s where that extra fare money is going.
“You need to take into account that those bosses had to pay more in taxes, and also had to start paying 6 percent into pension and health accounts, Huberman said.”
It’s that kind of reasoning that will make Huberman a great schools chief. After all, we really have to take into account that by increasing the taxpayer-funded salaries of CTA managers, those managers could actually see their income taxes rise as well!
“Huberman defends the 2008 raises as deserved and necessary to hold on to talent.”
A) I know! Cleveland has totally opened their wallet this off-season.
B) God knows without the raises we’d lose our irreplaceable CTA medical review officer and our crack assisant secretary to the board.
C) As opposed to keeping fares reasonable to hold on to riders.
Beachwood Super Bowl Bracket!
Congratulations to our very own Scott Buckner, winner of the First Annual Beachwood Super Bowl Halftime Bracket.
More Beachwood Super Bowl coverage:
* Julia Gray’s Beachwood ad review
* Jim Coffman’s Super Bowl edition of SportsMonday
Blago Ginsu
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Sells Cutlery to Pay for His Legal Defense.
Evil Ways Crew/Chicago
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Still more feedin’.
Posted on February 2, 2009