Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Friday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

“In coming to a constitutionally valid plan to appoint a new state comptroller to replace Judy Baar Topinka, who died Tuesday, what matters most is to respect the likely preferences of the state’s voters – back in November and in a future election,” the Sun-Times editorializes.
Do voters care who the comptroller is? Should they?


Better: Do voters know what the comptroller does? Should they?
I’m not even sure most reporters inside the Sun-Times newsroom know. Let’s start acting like humans and talk straight. The position of state comptroller is an administrative job that is only filled by election to give political parties a prize – and a test of electoral viability. Let’s hire a head-hunting firm to find the best comptroller in the state – private sector or public – and give the job to that person and be done with it. Can we vote on that?
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“As state officials contemplate replacing late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, the clock is running down for those dependent on the checks the office issues,” AP reports.
“There are a limited number of checks she approved before her death, raising the specter of a possible funding gap for schools and social service agencies should a successor not be chosen quickly.”
And those checks all have 2014 on it, so we better hurry.
Sweet Home
“A Chicago police officer has been disciplined after he admitted playing a song some consider racially offensive during a protest against police violence last weekend, the department announced in a statement Thursday,” the Tribune reports.
“The action was taken after a video surfaced apparently showing a Chicago police car blasting the song ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd during the Saturday protest.”
There’s no “apparently” about it – the Trib provides the video!
Also, it’s a racially offensive song. Why hedge?
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“In the statement, the officer said he was playing the music as a ‘fan of the University of Alabama,’ which was playing the University of Missouri for the SEC championship and a shot at the NCAA playoffs.”
We ran that one by our chief correspondent:

See also:
* Sweet Home Alabama vs. Sweet Home Chicago.
* Existential Rock No. 15.
* Southern Crock & Top Of The Pops.
* Item: Drive-By Trucker.
Bonus:
I’ve been to Alabama, people, ain’t a whole lot to see;
Skynyrd says it’s a real sweet home, but it ain’t nothing to me.

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That cop knew exactly what he was doing – and so did Skynyrd.
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Beachwood Photo Booth: Holiday Art Sale!
Buy your favorites this weekend at the Holstein Park fieldhouse.
The White Sox Report: South Side Hope
Had the White Sox bullpen performed at David Robertson’s statistical level last year, they would have finished 87-75 instead of a disappointing 73-89. Our very own Roger Wallenstein takes a look.
Fear Of Occupy Wall Street Undermined The Red Cross’s Sandy Relief Effort
Too bad; Occupy did a much better job than the Red Cross.
The Week In Chicago Rock
Featuring Cat Stevens.
Oh, and Hang Union, Rich Robinson, Bob Seger, Snot, Skinny Puppy, Sandra Antongiorgi, and Atilla.
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BeachBook
* Joliet Residents Seething Over Plan To Replace Classic Theater’s Marquee.
* Behold The Glamorous Shitboxes Of The 1987 Chicago Auto Show.
* U Of C Poaches Two Top Brain Scientists From Oregon.
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TweetWood


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The Beachwood Tip Line: Thanks for playing.

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Posted on December 12, 2014