By Steve Rhodes
“In 2006, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he would give poor teens eight-week summer jobs on community service and highway beautification projects,” AP reports. “Thousands of youths, he said, got the state-subsidized posts over the next three years.
“But ever since, state officials have refused to say who those young people were, so there’s no way to verify the government claims. State officials can’t account for all of the participants. And they say they have no documents for the program before 2008.
“Now federal prosecutors also are asking questions about Blagojevich’s ‘Summer Youth Works’ initiative.”
Unintended Consolidation Consequences
“Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to merge Illinois school districts would trigger a sudden increase in teacher salaries that could reduce or even erase any administrative savings, according to labor and education experts,” AP reports.
“That’s because when two districts consolidate in Illinois, teachers in the lower-paying district are allowed to switch to the higher pay offered by the other.”
Secret Judiciary
“Performance evaluations have become mandatory for Illinois judges, by order of the state Supreme Court,” the Springfield State Journal-Register reports.
“The evaluations are designed to help judges become aware of potential performance problems and remedy them. The results won’t be made public.”
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As long as judges are elected officials, voters are entitled to see their official performance reviews.
Secret Police
“Unanswered Questions In Homicide Case Involving Daley Nephew.”
Burge and Bernie
“Former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge is expected to report to prison this week and when he does, he’ll be serving his time at a prison complex that houses one of the most notorious white-collar offenders in history – Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff,” the Sun-Times reports.
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There’s a punchline there somewhere, but I haven’t yet located it.
Stop Freaking Me Out, Man
“In an after-school Pi event at Walter Payton High School, students will throw hot dogs on a floor marked with evenly spaced parallel lines,” the Tribune reports. “Why? Because the proportion of hot dogs that cross the lines when they fall works out to be approximately 1 over Pi, said Payton mathematics chair Paul Karafiol.”
Starting To Change My Mind About Using Violence As A Means Of Expression And A Tool To Bring About Social Change
“More than four out of ten American millionaires say they do not feel rich,” Reuters reports. “Indeed many would need to have at least $7.5 million in order to feel they were truly rich, according to a Fidelity Investments survey.”
RedEye Is Onto Us
Best quote/observation goes to our pal Tom Lashinski.
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Which is my cue to remind everyone that I’ll be back behind the bar again tonight at the venerable Beachwood Inn. Bring your mustache.
Replacing Charlie Sheen
Chicago-style.
What They Gave Up For Lent
Chicago-style.
The Weekend In Rock
Chicago-style.
Head Cases
Chicago-style.
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Chicago Bike Polo
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The Beachwood Tip Line: It’s on.
Posted on March 14, 2011