By Steve Rhodes
Working on a bunch of stuff this morning, not sure if there will be a column. A few quick notes, though:
* My Lasko fan, which is sort of like this one if not this one, has been a trooper. Had it for years. Part of a three-fan system I use in case of emergencies, but I’ve rarely even had to go to two fans because I get such a good cross-breeze in my place. Plus, a ceiling fan.
* I’ve fallen out of love with Chicago the last few years and this is really the last straw. Oh, who am I kidding, I’m way beyond the last straw.
I don’t even attend Taste of Chicago – I mean, c’mon – but I have a couple times in the past because that sort of thing tends to inevitably happen to all of us, sort of like finding yourself on Rush Street and asking, How did I get here?, and I had the turkey legs and I remember and cherish the turkey legs as one of God’s great gifts to his children.
* Does this make the Panera in Lakeview the Radiohead of the bakery-cafe category?
More on the concept from Time and USA Today.
Back to the Trib: “Panera turns the stores over to the Panera Bread Foundation, a tax-exempt organization that runs day-to-day operations. This frees the publicly traded restaurant company of its obligation to run a profitable business.”
* Jesse Jackson Jr. avoiding John Kass’s calls.
Related: The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform looks at the top recipients of Raghuveer Nayak’s campaign cash.
* “There was much fanfare back in early 2010, when Chicago signed a nearly $2 million deal to install 280 electric vehicle chargers around the city and surrounding areas,” the Expired Meter reports.
“Chicago and the State of Illinois kicked in $1.9 million (much of it federal stimulus money) for a project with 350Green,one of the nation’s most aggressive developer of EV charging station networks, to install a total of 280 charging stations. The total cost was pegged at $8.8 million, with 350Green finding private funds for the nearly $7 million to fully fund the project.
“According to the 55-page city contract, all 280 charging stations were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. But now, six months after the original deadline, the project is only 60% complete, contractors have not been paid for work already completed and it seems the City of Chicago has stopped their payments to 350Green.”
Maybe Obama and Romney should form a coalition government whereby Obama handles the assassinations and Romney handles the venture capital.
* The Goose Island Effect.
* The Last Boy Of Summer by our very own Bob Chambers.
* Republicans Back Down On Effort To Defund Transparency Rule.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Accidents happen.
Posted on June 20, 2012