Just another typical corrupt day at the office (Chicago's City Hall).

Here's the STORY.

[ January 11, 2006, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: MIB ]

That's the only way they'll get him out of office. Somebody really ought to address the dictatorial manner in which this cretin rules the nation's third largest city, and bullies its suburbs. He even dominates the state government, which I find outrageous. But now his hubris may bring him down, so we'll see. A moderate Republican would be preferable to this man, though I still hope (and strongly believe) that the Democrats will win Illinois in the presidential and Senate races. They just have to stay as far away from Emperor Daley as is humanly possible.

I'll be contrarian here. I've been in love with Chicago for 20 years, since I first laid eyes on the place. I've spent a considerable amount of time there. I lived there for over 5 years, in two stints, one pre-Daley, one during Daley.

Whatever you can say about Daley's hubris, arrogance, dictatorial style, and corruption, you can't deny this: Chicago in 2004 is one of the true pearls of urban life in the world today, perhaps even in the history of the world. (Pipe down you New Yawkers; your town's overrated).

How much credit does Daley get for this? I think a lot. In 1987, when I first lived there, Chicago was great, but it wasn't as great as it is today.

Reasonable minds may differ, of course, but there's my $0.02

Edited to add the following: The article mentions Kevin White, former mayor here, and NYC's Ed Koch, as previous mayors who were hounded by allegations of corruption. Kevin White saved Boston, which in 1968 was a provincial backwater with a decayed urban core. When he left office in 1983, it was still provincial (and still is today), but it was no backwater.

It would also be hard to argue that Ed Koch didn't do a remarkable job for NYC as its mayor.

I don't want to condone corruption, but it seems that corruption in city politics and progress in city life are not necessarily mutually exclusive. So the corruption of all these guys, while not good, is mitigated, if not overwhelmed by all the good they have done and/or are doing for their cities.

Eventually, they reach the limit of their usefulness. The Soldier Field monstrosity (and the way in which the process was handled) are one sign that Daley may have reached that point.

[ February 05, 2004, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

MIB:

The Chicago Sun-Times is almost like a tabloid newspaper today. It is not very reliable as a news source, and it has sensational headlines on the first page to sell papers. I would not believe the Sun-Times till the other paper The Chicago Tribune carries the same story.

Many times the Tribune will carry the same story, but without the sensationalism - such as the term "former gang member Torres" used in the Sun-Times article.

I would suggest using the Chicago Tribune as the more reliable source of City Hall news. More people read the Tribune, and the Sun-Times paper has been in financial problems for many years with shrinking readership.

Mikestead

MIB:

The Chicago Sun-Times is almost like a tabloid newspaper today. It is not very reliable as a news source, and it has sensational headlines on the first page to sell papers. I would not believe the Sun-Times till the other paper The Chicago Tribune carries the same story.

Many times the Tribune will carry the same story, but without the sensationalism - such as the term "former gang member Torres" used in the Sun-Times article.

I would suggest using the Chicago Tribune as the more reliable source of City Hall news. More people read the Tribune, and the Sun-Times paper has been in financial problems for many years with shrinking readership.

Mikestead

I read both but the Tribune is a joke. The Sun-Times to which you refer existed years ago, soon after Murdoch bought it (and eventually sold it). Furthermore, the Sun-Times' political columnists are much better. I don't like Neal one bit--he's an extreme leftist--but he often writes columns that are right on, as is this one.

BTW, the Tribune hasn't been as interested in investigating City Hall shenanigans as has the Sun-Times, and this latest trucking firm/Mob scandal is an example of this. Dismissing this entire corruption probe because it was revealed by the Sun-Times is no different from killing the messenger.

[ February 05, 2004, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

I don't know, ft. With Daley and the Democrats so firmly in control of the city's political apparatus, I can see NO way Daley leaves office unless he either retires/resigns or dies, and I'd bet money on that (assuming he isn't convicted, which automatically removes him from an elected office).

The Republicans have just never amounted any opposition to Daley or other mayoral Democrats. A big reason there is because the Cook County Republican Party, long run by a liberal Republican and George Ryan crony named Manny Hoffman, was completely inept and lazy. He was essentially no different from a typical Democrat here.

Skiguy, you may love this city, but I have to live here part of the year, and having lived in Boston and Cambridge (for 9 years) and New York and northeastern New Jersey (for 9), I have to say, Chicago SUCKS! It is horribly cold, its public transportation system is falling down, it is ruled by an monomaniacal dictator, it is racially divided and segregated, it has excessive layers of government which are RIDDLED with corruption, its public school system is horrific, and the people leave a lot to be desired. I withheld saying this before in the earlier thread on Chicago, but I can no longer hold back. I think it would be a much better city if they could improve even one of these areas, but since they are treating those of us who have to take the El as suckers by charging more for service that has gotten worse, I know it won't be a CTA improvement that makes this city more liveable. MIB is right that Daley isn't going anywhere--but seriously, while he has done a lot to help the city, he also is like a Frankenstein monster--and he's got a rival now in the governor, who is going to be better known for his stunts than for his governance. But according to the polls, the people really like him. I like his hair, at least.

BTW, Ed Koch was a terrible joke. Crime reached its worst levels during his mayorship. It began to improve under Dinkins, then fell precipitously under Giuliani, and has lowered still under Bloomberg.

FT, Chicago isn't that bad now.

"Horribly cold"? The last several winters bear out that the northeast has had much worse winters than we've had. And I DO find the people here quite friendly. I've gone to many other major cities and have been disappointed by the rudeness of the natives.

Personally, I believe the single worst thing about Chicago is, without a doubt...drum roll please...

ITS SPORTS TEAM OWNERSHIP!

Every team is owned by someone who doesn't care one bit about the fans or bringing a winner home. Period. They can claim they do, but they have absolutely NO interest in really spending money to bring home a valid winner.

They should be shot. All of them.

MIB, in January and February here in Chicago, it's been below 0F with the windchill factor repeatedly. This hasn't been the case in New York, Boston, Philly, etc. It was -7 just a few nights ago! Horribly. Cold. But it is nice today.

AND MAYOR DALEY HAS SAID HE'S FOR GAY MARRIAGES!!! Just when I thought the next thing out of the dictator's mouth would make me puke, he comes up with a gem! This one announcement alone has taken (some of) the edge off my dislike of this man.

Now, how can we get him to force Blago to go along with the program?

The catch being that, unlike SF, where the city and county are one and the same, Cook County (which issues licenses) and the city are separate fiefdoms. Not only are the county oligarchs basically a Republican version of the city Democrats, but their response to basically anything in the city is "They have home rule, so it's not our problem. Why do you think we moved away?" (And don't get me started on DuPage.)

Where do you get the idea that Cook County is a Republican version of Chicago? What have YOU been smokin'??? Cook County is solidly corrupt...uh, I mean Democratic. Chicago=Cook County=Chicago.

BTW, fantomas, our winter here has been like summer when compared to the northeast's winter. Sure, we had subzero days at the end of January and early February, but hey! It's winter in Chicago. The northeast has had a LOT more snow and bitter cold than we've had.

Governor Blagojevich today: "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Illinois law is clear on this. We will not permit this law to be flaunted or manipulated."

WRONG, fanman...I can assure that here in Boston, both windchill and actual air temps have been below zero F for several long snaps this winter. It's been f**king brutal.

And I can tell you that having spent at least several winters each in Chicago, Boston, New York, and eastern Michigan, there's no appreciable difference in the severity of their winters, or in their weather generally. If you're enough of a weather nerd, you can go to the Weather Channel website and verify that statistically.

Larger point: Bitching about who's got the coldent winter or the most humid summer is one of the silliest dick-measuring contests out there.

Riddle me this, MIB:

More Cities Supportive of Gay Marriage says:

Why was this council member appointed instead of elected?

omg, did he really say that? what an idiot! the word is flouted, not flaunted! the man is saying stupid things stupidly, so i suppose, at least, he's consistent.

[ February 20, 2004, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: thersis ]

Because when a vacancy occurs in a conucil seat mid-term, the Mayor appoints a fill-in until the next election.

The appointee, who represents the 44th Ward (Boystown) has since stood for election and won.

He owns the Chicago breakfast institution Ann Sathers.

Ski, here's a fact of which I'm sure Chicagoans are mighty proud: In the last 20 years or so, at least half of Chicago's 50 aldermen have been convicted and removed from office (subsequent resignation, automatic forfeiture, etc.) for one corruption crime or another, leaving Daley to appoint half the present-day city council.

BTW, why does Chicago, which has a population less than Los Angeles or New York City have to have so many more council members? Can't Chicago get buy with a lot fewer than 50 aldermen? If L.A., bigger in both population and area, can get by with a LOT fewer, why can't Chicago?

Don't answer that. I already know the answer. frown

MIB, I'll grant you that corruption is endemic to Chicago politics.

That said, a larger number of members in the legislative body -- the branch of government most directly responsible to the people -- ain't necessarily a bad thing.

Consider that the British House of Commons has a membership north of 600 for a population of 56 million, or roughly 1 member for every 90 thousand people. Pretty hard for any individual constituent to get the gal's ear.

But even worse for us -- a third fewer reps for 5 times as many people.

I'm not saying I'd take the British system, but I do like the idea of a larger body.

[ February 20, 2004, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

Oh, you think Britain is bad, just look at France's ridiculously bloated assembly!

Seriously, I have lived in Boston, New York/New Jersey, and Chicago, and Chicago is by far the coldest--it is colder, the wind is more brutal, and there is less sunlight. I'm not making this up. About two weeks ago, the ONLY major cities in North America that were colder than Chicago were Fargo, Winnepeg and Saskatoon. Boston is cold and often snowy, and New York got more snow last winter, but seriously, Chicago's winters are hellish. ALSO, outside of the Green Line and the Red line trains into Mattapan, MOST of Boston's subway is underground, like New York's. Yet Chicago's horrible, dilapidated El line is mostly ABOVE GROUND, and they have these stupid little heat lamps--it's such a joke!--that barely warm anything. I can assure you, waiting for the red and purple line trains at Davis and Dempster in Evanston, and at Jarvis, Morse, Loyola, and Belmont in Chicago, that when that scythe-like wind comes off the lake and hits you full force, and you're on that narrow, rickety wooden platform....

Anyways, of course Blago would have mixed up "flouted" and "flaunted." He's not that bright. But he does have great hair!

More indictiments looming? What a shock!

How funny that Lasky's predecessor was forced out of office because he was found to be corrupt, then Lasky comes along promising to clean things up. Uh huh. The more things change, the more they stay the same it seems.

The story.

It also looks like Fitz is finally going to snare W's and the GOP's master puppeteer, Karl Rove.

Grand Jury still looking closely at Rove

Has anyone else noticed how well hid Rove has been the past several months now??. I mean, you just don't see him period. He must be in the same bunker that Cheney is hiding under. wink

After Rove's and Bush's humongous debacle called the Medicare prescription drug bill, I'm not surprised Rove is "MIA."