By Steve Rhodes
“On Tuesday, a state commission set up to investigate claims of police torture will refer its first cases to Cook County’s chief judge, beginning to fulfill its mandate to plumb one of Chicago’s most stubborn scandals by making recommendations for legal relief,” the Tribune reports.
“Then it will go out of business.”
Wha?
“Its budget last year: $150,000. Its proposed budget for the coming year, which called for adding a staff attorney: $235,000.
“The state House and Senate, however, voted last week to strip the commission of its funding.”
Name those legislators!
Seriously, name every legislator who voted to strip this funding.
And if it was tucked into some larger bill, find out who did the tucking. Because somebody did.
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“Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, a sponsor of the bill that created the commission, said he was unaware funding had been cut.”
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Somebody did it, and I hope the Tribune – and/or others – find out who. After all, the budget for the commission is about a tenth of what Michael Madigan has in his campaign fund.
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“Madigan also informed lawmakers that if they’re called back this summer to deal with pension reform, they should hope Quinn makes the call instead of the legislative leaders,” the Tribune reports.
“‘If the governor calls the special session, why the members will get their per diem allowance’ of more than $100 a day, Madigan said.”
Which would be more than enough to fund the torture commission.
Marching Orders
“Chicago will end up paying $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by about 900 participants a 2003 anti-war march when attorneys’ fees and a deal in a related lawsuit are added in,” AP reports.
Good job, CPD!
“Some 10,000 demonstrators flooded the plaza near the city’s federal courthouse in March 2003, shortly after the Iraq war began. The protesters marched to Lake Shore Drive, blocking traffic.
“More than 500 people were detained, and about 300 were charged with crimes. All the charges were later dropped.”
The city says CPD has learned its lesson but that’s easy to say when you spend millions of dollars to, say, police an anti-NATO march of about 2,000 people.
The City That Subsidizes
“A City Council Committee on Monday approved a $5.2 million tax-increment financing subsidy to pave the way for construction of a 131-room Hyatt Hotel near the University of Chicago,” the Sun-Times reports.
Here’s a question: Why? Hyatt can’t afford to build hotels on their own?
Meat Puppets
“Sara Lee Corp. said today that Hillshire Brands Co. will be the name of its North American meat company when the company splits later this month,” Crain’s reports.
Yada yada yada.
Here’s the real Sara Lee news, from Footnoted:
“Sara Lee is also giving [new CEO Sean] Connolly a one-time hiring payment of $1.65 million cash, $2.0 million shares of restricted common stock, and a bonus of $250,000. (Connolly’s Offer Letter, filed with the most recent 10-Q, explains that all these payments are to compensate him for what he lost by leaving the Campbell Soup Company.)
“On top of that, though, in the years to come, Connolly will get several million dollars more in long-term incentive awards, which the company set out as follows:
“Fiscal 2012-2014 – $1.8 million grant value, with 50% awarded in performance stock units and 50% awarded in stock options
Fiscal 2013-2015 – $3.0 million grant value; form of grant to be determined.”
“Meanwhile, Maria Henry will become Sara Lee’s new CFO. She’s getting a salary of $575,000 with a target bonus of another $460,000. Sara Lee is also giving Henry a one-time hiring payment of ‘75,000 cash (net) and $500,000 shares of restricted common stock,’ and it set her long-term annual incentive award target at $1.25 million, with 50% to be awarded in performance stock units and 50% to be awarded in stock options.”
That’s a lot of dough. But they’ve got some money to play with. From us.
“Part of Sara Lee’s corporate headquarters is coming ‘home’ to Chicago – along with up to 650 jobs – thanks to a $6.5 million city subsidy that’s a first for Mayor Rahm Emanuel,” the Sun-Times reported last December.
Off With The Fire Department’s Heads
Demeaning and denigrating the public workplace.
The Ghosts of Birmingham
The White Sox’s Double-A affiliate collides with history.
Electric Mud
Remembering Un(der)Sung Chicago Guitar Hero Pete Cosey.
Marketing Chicago’s Bus Stops
The Vitamin Water Wrap.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Share our umbrella.
Posted on June 5, 2012