By Steve Rhodes
“An estimated 1.9 million people in [Illinois] were living below the federal poverty rate last year, almost 150,000 more than in 2010, according to the new American Community Survey,” the Tribune reports.
“Chicago saw another 15,000 enter poverty last year, bringing the city’s total to 261,400, the ACS survey showed.”
Let those numbers sink in.
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“Last year the median household income in Chicago was $43,628 – $4,000 less than in 2009 and part of a steady decline over the past three years, the census figures show.”
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“The number of workers in 2011 who earned $25,000 to $35,000 grew by nearly 9,300 compared with 2010, according to survey estimates. Meanwhile, the number of people with annual salaries of $75,000 to $100,000 dropped by almost 4,000 during the same period.”
Mayor Rahmney
City Hall floats trial balloons on raising cigarette taxes. Better to take from the poor than invest in their health.
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We won’t tell you how we make decisions but we’ll leak what we’re talking about when it suits our purposes! And you’ll play along!
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Remember Rahm’s fake luxury tax proposal? He sketched it out on a napkin one day during the mayoral campaign to blunt the impact of Gery Chico winning the Fraternal Order of Police endorsement.
He did repeal the head tax, though. And raised property taxes, hiked your water bill and successfully lobbied for tax breaks to traders.
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This is where Chicago politics is so much more efficient than national politics; we combine Republicans and Democrats into one party instead of pretending they are two.
Teachers Strike Notebook
I still have a lot of leftover and follow-up material but I’m taking the day off from producing a strike notebook.
If you need to get your fix, though, see Curtis Black’s Strike Notes.
Mrs. Christ
Vatican just relieved it didn’t say “My husband . . . ”
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Does it work better to say “My partner . . . “?
Honing for the late show.
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There is no more fourth wall. We’re way past that.
Junior’s Story
More evasion and obfuscation.
Read of the Day
Everything you need to know about Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s visit this week.
Pilot Program
American Airlines Pilots Plan Picket.
Don’t want to be evaluated on on-time performance because they can’t control the weather.
Exporting The Chicago Way
“The state Ethics Commission Wednesday cleared Springfield’s casino consultant of a possible conflict of interest,” the Republican in Massachusetts reports.
“The chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which regulates gaming, has questioned the city’s judgment in hiring the Chicago law firm of Shefsky & Froelich. The chairman has said he is concerned that the firm is a registered lobbyist in Illinois for Penn National Gaming and MGM Resorts, two of the companies seeking a casino license in the city, raising doubts about the firm’s objectivity in advising Springfield.
“The law firm released the ethics opinion after receiving it Wednesday. The firm said the Ethics Commission has concluded that its representation of Springfield is not a conflict under state law.”
Yeah, that’s more of a Shelbyville idea.
Walter’s Weird Perspective
Now a book!
The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report
Head for the Mountains.
The Beer Thinker
Mothership Goose.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Loosey goosey.
Posted on September 20, 2012