* Chicago’s police hiring isn’t keeping pace with natural attrition, crime rates are up, police morale is down partly due to a lack of a union contract, and now this…
As police Supt. Jody Weis returns to the hot seat during a City Council budget hearing today, Chicago is outpacing New York and Los Angeles in 2008 murders.
Chicago, whose population is dwarfed by those cities, posted 426 killings through Tuesday, compared with 417 in New York and 302 in L.A.
* Cops are being taken off the streets to fill out more paperwork as well…
At today’s hearing, Weis may highlight what police view as a different problem: Officers have spent nearly 5,000 hours filling out inventory forms in the first nine months of 2008. “We’d rather they be on the street,” said Beatrice Cuello, deputy superintendent of patrol.
Oy.
* Yet, there is plenty of money for the mayor’s favorite “park”…
Arguing that Millenium Park has “transformed the image” of Chicago, Mayor Daley on Thursday defended his decision to spend $8.1 million in annual hotel tax revenues to secure and maintain the park.
Daley turned to the hotel tax after plans to create a conservancy funded by private donors fell through. The plan came under fire this week from a South Side alderman, who demanded to know why the hotel tax was being tapped when upkeep of the park beset by construction overruns “wasn’t supposed to cost taxpayers a dime” and neighborhood parks are a shambles.
On Thursday, Daley fired back.
“Millenium Park has transformed the image of the city. If it wasn’t for that, this city would be living in the past, and it’s really a city of the future. … This is a tourist atttraction — not only for citizens [of Chicago], but for the world. That’s re-defined Chicago,” the mayor said.
Um, mayor? Being known as the murder capital of America may also “transform” the city’s image, and not in a good way.
* Somewhat related…
* Stroger aide says no tax increase in new budget
* Some glitches in free rides initiative
- Speaking At Will - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:15 am:
I admit that Mayor Daley is right in the fact that Mill Park is a great tourist attraction.
However, the mayor is responsible to the citizens of his city first, and with murder rates high, and the economy struggling in chicago more than other parts of the nation now is not the time to be fretting over Mill Park.
I wonder if the police vs. Mill Park priority would be re aligned if Mayor Daley lived on the South Side. This is really the worst of the worst in governing.
Mayor Daley knows better, so why doesnt he change course and lead that city to a better tommorrow?
- Ken - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:19 am:
Don’t you just love a Democrat running a great city in the ground. Of course, the citizens in Chicago will go to the polls this fall
and vote overwhelmingly democratic. The definition of insanity. Do the same thing over and over again expecting differenct results.
And we should trust this mayor and council to host an olympics. Please.
- Ken in Aurora - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:23 am:
Next Daley will start bleating that more gun control is needed… sigh.
- Steve - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:24 am:
I guess gun control isn’t keep the murder rate down.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:34 am:
The comparison with LA is a little off, because much of the gang activity in the metro takes place in LA County outside the city proper.
But the comparison with New York is even worse. The murder rate in Chicago is nearly three times that of New York. Rudy took the gloves off years ago, and Bloomberg has kept them off. For better and worse.
Millennium Park is a tourist attraction — but it does not make Chicago a tourist destination. The Chicago Office of Tourism has study after study showing what draws tourists — it’s primarily big-city shopping and dining, with museums, Navy Pier and cultural attractions trailing behind.
The money for the park takes dollars away from advertising and marketing to draw leisure tourists and trade shows at McCormick Place — “heads in beds.” The hotels, restaurants and shops must be furious.
- Greg - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:38 am:
Daley’s right: say “Chicago,” and you’ll undoubtedly hear:
“Chicago, that’s the Millenium Park town, right? The future city with the futurey-park? I remember that park. Yeah, I remember, I was visiting that park, and then I stopped by Chicago…”
- Just asking - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 10:57 am:
Isn’t this the same park that was originally supposed to cost about $150 million, wound up costing over $600 million, was supposed to cost taxpayers nothing, you get the idea.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 11:06 am:
Just remember Daley is saying the Olympics won’t cost taxpayers anything either. Hold on to your wallets.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 11:21 am:
Apparently, the Pritzker’s have moved on to funding a children’s museum and abandoned their park. After they get their museum, what can they put their name on next that costs us all money?
- The Doc - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 11:27 am:
Daley’s already reneged on his “no taxpyer dollars” for the Olympics - that prospective outlay is $500 million and likely quite a bit more. Gee whiz Richie, we sure could use those funds now, for say, more law enforcement hiring?
TIF abuse, the funding of his PR machine, a bloated city payroll, sweeheart contracts, pension liabilities, corruption-related settlements, former aides serving time, prohibitive sales, real estate, & entertainment taxes, and hastily selling off any asset within arm’s reach for pennies on the dollar. Perhaps many more.
Keep the Olympics away, for goodness sake.
- Script Excerpt from "Daleyville" - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 12:16 pm:
“World Class City!”
“World Class City!”
“Uuhhhnnnnnn . . .”
- Script Excerpt from "Daleyville" - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 12:17 pm:
“World Class City!”
“World Class City!”
BANG!
“Uuhhhnnnnnn . . .”
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 12:31 pm:
Daley should have received his wake up call at last year’s shootings while people were walking to train and subway stations during the Taste of Chicago.
Those headlines were really ugly. Someone gets shot on the way to his showcase park and . . .
- Excessively rabid - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 1:05 pm:
Millenium Park is a great asset to the city. But as far as realizing what the city is known for, this is the guy who closed the airport that was on the opening screen for Flight Simulator - seemingly just to spite Edgar.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Oct 24, 08 @ 6:22 pm:
ER, AA is still miffed about closing Meigs Field, in part because it took away one of the greatest Flight Simulator airports ever.
It was a great challenge to do a “real world” takeoff or landing there with some nasty weather or a crosswind dialed in, and great fun to be goofy and try to land Air Force One there without going for a swim.