Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
“More than a year after Chicago Public Schools closed nearly 50 schools for under-enrollment, there has been little progress on finding new uses for most of the now-empty buildings,” the Tribune reports.
“Just three of the buildings have been opened for bidding to potential developers and buyers.”
You’d think there would’ve been a plan for these buildings. But that would have taken time to develop, and Rahm is, you know, always in a hurry.
Posted on August 18, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
1. Weekend podcasts are almost in production!
2. I haven’t had time this morning to dive into the Tribune’s latest polling, but check out these numbers.
3. Phil Kadner in the SouthtownStar:
“Quinn’s problem is that he can’t blame Madigan for Illinois’ problems because Madigan is also the leader of the state Democratic Party, the guy who raises the most money for political candidates and a fellow who has more loyal followers in the House than the governor.
“And the public likely wouldn’t believe that Quinn and Madigan are political enemies or that Madigan might prefer a Republican governor.”
Posted on August 15, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
“Chicago voters have grown sharply dissatisfied with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s job performance and have signaled a willingness to support his most prominent potential challenger, a new Chicago Tribune poll has found,” the paper reports.
“Facing concerns over crime, education and the economy, Emanuel now holds a 35 percent job approval rating – down from 50 percent a little more than a year ago. In addition, more than half of city voters now disapprove of how Emanuel has handled his first term, up from 40 percent.
“During the past year, the mayor’s approval rating has dropped across all major racial, income, age and gender lines. Perhaps most troubling to Emanuel’s re-election: crumbling support among white voters and an accelerating decline of support among African-American ones.
“The discontent has provided an opening to Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis should she decide to challenge Emanuel next year.
“In a head-to-head matchup, the survey found Lewis with 43 percent backing to 39 percent for Emanuel, with 14 percent undecided. Lewis’ advantage is just outside the 3.5 percentage point error margin for the poll, consisting of cellphone and landline interviews with 800 registered city voters from Aug. 6 to Tuesday.”
That’s pretty extraordinary. Just think what that poll would look like if Toni Preckwinkle was in the race. Why, Toni? Why? You still haven’t told us.
Posted on August 14, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
“Some of Chicago’s yellow lights are too short, according to an administrative law judge who said he’s thrown out ’60 to 70 percent’ of red light camera tickets he’s come across recently because of the discrepancy,” the Expired Meter reports.
“The city uses the state and federal standard of having yellow lights display for a minimum of three seconds at intersections. But an administrative law judge, who hears appeals from motorists ticketed by red light cameras, said during a hearing this week that he has seen evidence that yellow times are slightly beneath that at some Chicago intersections with red light cameras.”
To the vault!
“Red light camera vendor uses a spreadsheet to calculate profit based on engineering deficiencies such as short yellow time.”
Posted on August 13, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
1. Robin Williams.
Waiting for statement from Rahm Emanuel regarding Robin Williams – while explaining why he closed half the city’s mental health clinics.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 12, 2014
Last tweet inspired by this MT @davidaxelrod: Such sad news abt Robin Williams. Let us recognize depression as a life-threatening illness…
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 12, 2014
Posted on August 12, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
“David Vitale, the president of the Chicago Board of Education, runs a bank that stands to benefit from a proposal for a new charter school that’s set to come before the school board for approval later this month,” the Sun-Times reported Friday.
Well, okay, but who’s to say Vitale has anything to do with it?
“Vitale would not comment. Reached on his cellphone, he said he would call back but didn’t. He didn’t reply to subsequent messages. Nor did he respond to questions e-mailed to him about how the charter school group found a building that his bank has foreclosed on and the propriety of CPS approving a deal that would benefit the bank.”
Benefit of the doubt revoked.
Posted on August 11, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
“Forty years after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency and 20 years after he died, history still has not caught up to the real man, believes Richard Duchossois, chairman of Arlington International racetrack,” the Daily Herald reports.
“I just plain liked him,” Duchossois said. “And I thought he was brilliant.”
I wonder which of these infamous Nixon assessments Duchossois finds the brilliantest:
“Most Jews are disloyal . . . The Irish can’t drink . . . The Italians, of course, just don’t have their heads screwed on tight . . . “[Mexican Americans] steal; they’re dishonest . . . [but] they do have a concept of family life. They don’t live like a bunch of dogs, which the Negroes do live like.”
Posted on August 9, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
1. Weekend Beachwood Radio product is in production!
2. “Harold’s Chicken Goes After ‘Bogus’ Store Owners.”
Maybe because the bogus chicken is better!
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Let’s just say I’ve always found the Harold’s in Wicker Park to be wanting; I haven’t had Harold’s anywhere else in years.
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The story:
Posted on August 8, 2014
By Steve Rhodes
“State Troopers Deployed By Emanuel, Quinn Campaigns.”
Okay, so I fiddled with the headline a bit.
And maybe I’m being overly cynical.
But I have a few questions.
Posted on August 7, 2014