Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Thursday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

I’m working on a post about President Obama’s declaration of support for gay marriage, so be patient on that one.
Meanwhile . . .
“NATO summit protesters will get a chance to debate officials representing the military alliance in the week leading up to the May 20-21 gathering of world leaders in Chicago,” the Tribune reports.
“Protest organizer Andy Thayer says he and anti-NATO blogger Rick Rozoff will debate the merits of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on May 17 with a NATO spokesman, James Appathurai, and Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO.”
Good.


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First Rahm came for the teachers . . . then Rahm came for the nurses . . . then Rahm came for Tom Morello!
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Afghanistan Will Dominate NATO Summit.
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Kerry Lays Out Three Challenges In Afghanistan Ahead Of NATO Summit.
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Merkel Warns Allies To Stick To Euro Crisis, Afghan Deals.
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And you’re worried about traffic tie-ups? Please.
What’s Cullerton’s Catch?
“Publicly traded corporations whose profits are subject to Illinois income taxes would be required to divulge specific figures from their annual tax bills under legislation advanced by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton on Wednesday,” the Tribune reports.
That sounds like such a good idea I can’t believe Cullerton is serious about it.
“The proposal, approved 9-5 by the Senate executive committee, drew strong opposition from business quarters. And Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, of Lemont, questioned whether Cullerton was serious or just firing a shot over the bow in the long-standing partisan battle over the temporary corporate and personal income tax hikes that took effect in 2011 and stay in place for four years.”
Unfortunately, from my reading of the story, Cullerton doesn’t actually intend to see his proposal through.
“For a healthy debate on how to reform the corporate tax structure, this could be a good first step,” he said.
No, for a healthy debate you should really mean it.
City Lies Again
“A Chicago bishop said his words were taken out of context in a Department of Public Health press release claiming his support of the city’s mental health services plan,” according to Medill Reports.
“Bishop Tavis L. Grant, national field director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said he supported the city’s attempt at dialogue with the community, not the city’s mental health agenda. The closing of six of the city’s 12 mental health clinics has inspired fierce opposition from mental health advocates, community members and patients.
“The April 29 press release stated, ‘Members of Chicago’s faith-based community joined Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair in support of the City’s efforts to expand mental health services across the city.'”
Beyond that, the city isn’t expanding services but cutting them. So the city misquoted Reality too.
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Irony Alert Callback


See also: Rahm Appreciates Teachers!
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Graphic Journalism
Thank you, Chicago Tribune.
Higher Education
“The underfunded College Illinois savings program was plagued by weak financial controls and conflicts of interest between top administrators and companies hired to invest millions from the pre-paid tuition fund, according to a report issued Wednesday from the state Auditor General’s Office,” the Tribune reports.
“The Auditor General’s report singled out former ISAC executive director Andrew Davis and portfolio manager George Egan for failing to disclose possible conflicts of interest or awarded contracts in violation of state procurement policies.”
Davis said that was just “silly,” and added:

“The state of Illinois has enough rules that if someone goes looking, they will find something wrong,” Davis said. “On substantive issues, you will find the investments were not only sound, but in some cases brilliant.”

Brilliant?
“Despite losing all of a nearly $13 million investment in now-defunct ShoreBank in 2010, the former administrators of the College Illinois prepaid tuition plan just a few months later decided to plow $14 million into a startup luxury hybrid automaker that recently suffered a blistering review from Consumer Reports,” Crain’s reports.
Programming Note
Stop the news, I need to catch up. Doing my best. You know the topics I haven’t gotten to yet. Trying. Send money, a maid, a personal assistant and food.
Kerry Wood Is Far Too Relevant, Dude
Mascot meme catches on.
Shark Tank Casting Call In Chicago
But they don’t validate parking.
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If you click through, you’ll also see a brief summary of Chicagoans who have already appeared on the show.
Get Your Train On
National Train Day events in Chicago this Saturday.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: There goes Tokyo.

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Posted on May 10, 2012