By Steve Rhodes
“Mayor Richard Daley portrays himself as the most transparent big-city mayor in the country, yet he presides over an administration that routinely denies requests for records that show how Daley really runs Chicago,” the Tribune reports.
“With a nod from the mayor, Chicago’s police chief defied federal judges who demanded a list of officers repeatedly accused of misconduct.
“Daley’s schools superintendent, now the nation’s top education official, refused parents’ requests for the documents behind a controversial decision to relocate their children’s gifted program.
“And the mayor scoffed at reporters and aldermen who demanded records detailing how he wanted to spend hundreds of millions of dollars he was seeking as part of the national economic stimulus plan. He was alone among big-city mayors in not revealing his wish list.”
Hey, here’s an idea: Stimulus funds for the prosecution of officials who do not abide by public records laws!
Or how ’bout this: Access earmarks!
Duncan’s Donut
“Five months after Krell formally sought the documents,” the Tribune reports in one case, “he received a letter from Daley’s then-schools boss, Arne Duncan, telling him staff recommendations and reports justifying the gifted program’s move were secret.”
That’s the same Arne Duncan who just gave a speech to the Education Writers Association titled “Partners in Truth-Telling.”
Air Daley
“Daley has also refused to release records detailing his official travel expenses,” the Tribune reports.
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The Sun-Times went at it a different way today, reporting that the city’s Sister Cities program spent 40 percent of its travel budget on the Daleys over the last three years.
Secret Government
“Asked for copies of his official appointment calender – released by many other public officials – Daley press secretary Jacquelyn Heard said the chances ‘are very slim’,” the Trib reports.
“‘Some of the people who he meets with don’t want it known that he has met with them,’ Heard said.”
A) Hey, stop trying to protect Jerry Springer!
B) Hey, stop trying to protect Billy Corgan!
C) Hey, stop trying to protect the president!
Olympic Lesson I
“The president of the Chicago Public Schools board, who is also a member of the Chicago 2016 Olympic committee, has asked all of the city’s school principals to get on board with the push to bring the Summer Games to Chicago,” the Tribune reported over the weekend.
Not only that, but each school will be graded on their participation and awarded a gold, silver or bronze star. No kidding.
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Dissenting principals will be paddled at noon every Friday in Daley Plaza.
Olympic Lesson II
“International Olympics officials finished up their tour of Rio de Janeiro as a potential host of the 2016 Summer Games on Saturday and offered the same sort of high praise they previously heaped on competitors Chicago and Tokyo,” the Tribune reports.
“The 13-member International Olympic Committee evaluation commission wrapped up its tightly choreographed tour at a news conference where its chairwoman said the group was ‘highly impressed’ with Rio, its presentations and its government support.”
I hate to say “I Told You So” because it’s so damn depressing watching this play out, but here’s what I wrote after the city’s media hyperventilated a month ago when a member of the IOC characterized Chicago’s Olympic bid as “strong:”
“I’m willing to make a guarantee I have far more confidence in than the city’s pledge that they won’t have to tap their taxpayer reserve to cover the financial losses of hosting the Games: IOC members will issue just as cheery assessments in Tokyo, Rio and Madrid.”
Sigh.
Alexi’s New Car
Paid for it out of state college savings fund.
Plan Not Transforming
Rockwell Gardens is the latest failure.
Durbin’s Discovery
Banks are bad.
Hawk Tawk
Our very own Jim Coffman’s got it, in SportsMonday.
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Plus, Jim praises Carlos Zambrano’s competitive fire, which frankly I find instead to be mega self-absorption which gets in the way of him finally having a great season without injury or suspension.
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And our very own Marty Gangler finds the Cubs have something in common with Hot Pockets, and I couldn’t agree more.
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The White Sox Report will return next week.
The Root of Political Evil
Speaking of reform, today we have Chapter 2 of our multi-part series culled from the pages of the Illinois Reform Commission’s final report.
Rocky Mountain High?
I love that song, but how can it be ranked so high among the most played songs on my iTunes? Maybe it has something to do with the shuffle feature.
Chicago Pen Show 2009
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Inkstained.
Posted on May 4, 2009