By Steve Rhodes
1. State Wedding Industry To Get $74 Million Boost From Gay Marriage.
State divorce industry, too.
2. Rahm Defends Ventra Rollout.
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday defended the switch to the CTA’s new Ventra fare card system despite major problems with the program’s rollout.
“Difficulties have abounded, from riders having trouble obtaining Ventra cards to getting overcharged for rides on trains and buses. The card readers also in some cases have failed to recognize the cards, forcing CTA employees to let riders board buses and trains for free.
“The mayor disputed the notion that the Ventra switch has been a debacle.
“I don’t – you can use whatever word you want,” Emanuel said. “First of all, 55 percent of people are using it.”
“The comments came the day after CTA President Forrest Claypool and an executive from California-based Cubic Transportation Systems Inc. told business leaders they couldn’t say when Ventra cards will begin functioning properly. Emanuel said Cubic won’t get paid until the system works smoothly.”
Cubic responded by demanding 55 percent of their fee.
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For the record.
3. Cullerton Neglected To Vote On Gay Marriage Bill.
“Illinois Senate President John Cullerton was ‘so focused’ on the goal of passing gay marriage legislation this week that he inadvertently neglected to cast his own vote on the bill,” AP reports.
So focused on what? The bill passed his chamber 32-21. Josh McCown could have done his job.
4. Son Too Fat To Fly Home.
“A French family who came to the United States for medical treatment for their son is now stranded in Chicago because the airline that took them there now say their son is too fat to fly back.”
Can’t they just seat him in grill class?
5. Western Suburbs Eye Trading Gambling Support For Water Rate Drop.
“The West Central Municipal Conference, which represents 45 municipalities and six community colleges, has proposed that if the General Assembly grants Chicago a license for a casino, then Chicago should lower water rates for the suburbs.”
That makes about as much sense as letting Kevin Costner make a sequel to Waterworld as long as he agrees to make a sequel to Casino.
6. Rick Renteria Becomes Cubs Manager.
Dibs on Rick Rentamanager.
7. Bears Fans: More Concerned When Josh McCown Was Named Starter Last Week Or When Josh McCown Was Named Backup This Week?
8. Chicago Infrastructure Trust Inches Toward First Financing.
“The Chicago Infrastructure Trust settled on a model for its inaugural financing but may miss its goal of closing on $27 million deal by the end of the year.”
Not a debacle, Rahm insists.
9. Keith Moreland Leaves Cubs Radio Booth.
Team hopes to lure Joe Girardi as replacement.
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Not all readers may know that Girardi has spent time as a broadcaster, which is what makes that joke work, even if weakly.
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Matt Abbatacola of The Score, by the way, reported this morning that Theo Epstein knew from the start that Girardi wasn’t leaving New York. I don’t doubt that; I’ve doubted all the “sources” all along whispering into reporters’ ears that Girardi was “torn” about coming “home” to Chicago. There is absolutely no indication of that whatsoever, unless Girardi is an unusually good liar. The real question, then, is why Epstein let the story fester. One guess is that it was another Tom Ricketts special. In any case, Abbatacola also reports that Rick Renteria was the Cubs’ first choice all along, which isn’t hard to believe. What is hard to believe, though, is his further reporting that the Cubs conducted interviews with five other candidates simply as a “courtesy” to them. Would they really waste their time doing so? Perhaps there was insight to gain from what other potential managers had to say about the team, and perhaps there was something to be gained from interviewing potential future managers, but conducting courtesy interviews sounds like a pretty ridiculous thing to do, particularly in turning the process into a circus that positions Renteria as a weak fallback candidate in the minds of fans – and maybe even players.
10. Testicle-Eating Fish Found in Illinois Lake: “Huge Monster’ Washes Up on Shore Near Chicago.
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WGN-TV vs. Penn Jillette
Mainstream media’s war against atheism continues.
Loyal Obama Supporters, Canceled By Obamacare
New policy: double the cost, half the benefits.
Exclusive: Bears Template For Success
In The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report.
Local Book Notes: Angry Parents, Wise Kids
Orland Park Porn; Nebraska vs. Naperville.
Dhoom 3: Chicago
Bollywood by the lake.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: For not-God’s sake.
Posted on November 7, 2013