Morning shorts
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Purchase tickets here for the December 16th performance of “No-El, Or How the Blagojegrinch Stole Christmas” - Our Capitol Fax holiday party
* Editorial: Casear’s wife
No doubt Mrs. Blagojevich performed work in exchange for her real estate commissions. Personal friendships also may have helped her land business from people with state connections. She grew up in politics, so she obviously has connections of her own.
Still, it’s hard to avoid the suspicion that the governor’s family is making money from people who might expect more than just their thanks. The Blagojeviches don’t have to go as far as Julius Caesar did — he divorced his wife, Pompeia, when she was involved in scandal. But they should remember what he said: “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”
* Illinois horse-slaughtering plant plans appeal of state law
A series of lower-court decisions upheld a law signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in May that effectively shut down the plant by banning the import, export, possession and slaughter of horses for human consumption in Illinois. Cavel, which is based in Belgium, challenged the ban on constitutional grounds, claiming the law violated interstate and foreign commerce rules because the meat is shipped overseas. The plant had been in operation for about 20 years and had 60 employees.
* Don’t like sales tax hike? How about tax on booze?
* Tribune Editorial: Maria Pappas’ surprise
As Cook County Board members gather Wednesday to mull tax increases, county Treasurer Maria Pappas has a sweet surprise for them: millions of dollars in bonus revenue that she already has collected thanks to sheer imagination — the kind of imagination Cook County has to exhibit before it asks taxpayers for one more penny.
Pappas is the pariah that other county executives love to loathe. She relentlessly modernizes and downsizes. Since she took office in 1998, she has reduced her employee head count from 258 to 131. Her total budget, including a terrific automation group that did not exist back then, is lower than it was when she arrived.
Pappas will tell the board that the fees she is now generating will cover a good 60 percent of what it costs to run her office. Pending a ruling from the state’s attorney that it is legal for her to allocate the money, she will slash the amount she requests from the County Board — from taxpayers, really — by a corresponding $7 million.
* Cook Co. stops paying for non-residents prescriptions
Health services bureau spokesman Sean Howard estimated those prescriptions cost Cook County $5 million last year. The burden had become too great to continue serving those who don’t live in the county, he said.
Koehler and officials in other counties said Tuesday they are optimistic residents turned away by Cook County could participate in programs that provide federal money to assist with drug costs.
* Chicago State copier buys were inside deal
State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), whose district includes Chicago State, was critical of the copier purchase and the lax oversight by the university’s board of trustees.
“If somebody was working there and started a business, it is wrong and it is unethical to simply give him a contract and not put it out for bid,” she said. “It is more than wrong. It is a disgrace.
* One of the ‘hardest jobs on the planet,’ Chicago Housing Authority chief; more here and here
The CHA is also broadening its work-or-study mandate. Under a policy to be decided next week, 5,000 able-bodied adults who live in traditional public housing would be required to work or attend school at least 15 hours a week immediately and 20 hours a week by 2010. Those who didn’t make a good-faith effort would be evicted, beginning in July.
* Chicago may ban chicken as pets
The Chicago City Council is expected to vote today on a proposal to ban chickens, a former barnyard denizen that is pecking its way into cities across the country as part of a growing organic food trend among young professionals and other urban dwellers.
Chicken lovers say the birds make great pets, don’t take up much backyard space and provide tasty, nutritious eggs.
* West Chicago says ex-official secretly installed spy software on city computer
* More speeders on new I-355 extension
They see the wide, open lanes. They feel the fresh, virgin pavement. They experience the light, sometimes non-existent, traffic.
It’s a perfect recipe for speeding.
“A lot of them thank me for stopping them,” Janecek said. “Because it is such a smooth road, you can get lost in your drive.”
The bucolic forests and farms up and down the road also are creating admirers.
Unfortunately, they are behind the wheel.
* Chicago Reader: A little TLC for the Reader
The new leaner, meaner, more melancholy Reader has come in for a little sympathy from New York Times media writer David Carr. A former editor of the Reader’s sister paper in Washington, D.C., the Washington City Paper, Carr’s Monday column tells the story of the Reader’s devastating layoffs last week (City Paper took the same kind of beating) by focusing on John Conroy, one of the four writers dismissed here. Last week, after the city of Chicago reached settlement agreements with four men who had accused its police officers of torturing them, Conroy received a note that may have given him some consolation.
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:15 am:
Maria Pappas for Governor!!
Where’s the website? My credit card is ready.
Or could she be enticed to head over to Stroger Hospital. If those out-of-county residents were eligible for federal help for their meds last year, they were eligible 10 years ago, most likely. No doubt hundreds of millions each year are lost because of the non-work of Stroger’s squads of hapless if well-compensated patronage employees. Looks like Maria, or someone like her, could actually fix that.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:23 am:
its nice to see Chicago dive into critical problems facing the city and stop the proliferation of chickens. I think they missed the boat on this one, CTA/RTA could be replaced by having commuters strap themselves to chickens for transport. Of course this would only work to help them cross the road, but still they are tossing out a perfect solution.
- The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:27 am:
If higher taxes weren’t enough to leave the city, now we have this. Chicken owners fly the coup.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:27 am:
I wonder what Emil Jones thinks of the shenanigans at Chicago State University.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:29 am:
John Conroy’s firing is a travesty. He is an outstanding writer and a prince of a man.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:33 am:
Pappas’s performance as treasurer is impressive, but also relatively easy. The place she inherited from Rosewell was overstaffed and featherbedded. The one big task - collecting taxes - was crying out to be outsourced and relatively easy to accomplish. Investing County funds is also relatively easy.
Pappas would be totally over her head running the County’s health system or any more complex office. Basically, she’s a split personality - basically competent, but totally looney.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:49 am:
So no one is going to cry fowl over the great Chicago chicken scandal of 07?
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:50 am:
To my mind, she’s the right kind of looney. Looney is vastly preferable to Totally Incompetent, a la the Democrats’ Todd Stroger.
Besides, who could be loonier than our esteemed guv.
It’s not possible.
- Patriot - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 9:59 am:
Another name for the Capitol Fax Blog Award is Best Loved Illinois Public Servants (BLIPS).
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:00 am:
Won’t most of the city council have a conflict of interest?
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:03 am:
From the story on the new 355 extension:
“The road is brand new. It’s so smooth. It’s an easy drive,” Janecek said. “It’s almost too easy. It is almost like a rural route. And it’s a pretty piece of road.”
Yes, this is exactly why the 55 speed limit on that kind of road is wayyy too low. Comparable roads around Detroit have a speed limit of 70. First time I was there I was amazed at the sanity of it all. No such luck in Chicago. Oh well.
- Snidely Whiplash - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:29 am:
Will Maria also cut her “pandering to every conceivable ethnic voter with taxpayer dollars budget”, or will we continue to pay for printing everything in Sumerian cuniform and purchasing the flag of every country that ever existed? SNARK!
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:39 am:
The editorial on Mrs.B. I keep reading that Patti was a successful realtor before she married. It would be interesting to see just how much revenue her real estate career generated before marriage. I am talking about the real estate only. Not her total income which could come from her fathers business. And has she ever dealt with a client that was not a political referral ?
- Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:41 am:
What’s with the new Cook County gun control stuff put forth by Commissioner Beavers? I haven’t seen it mentioned here.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:59 am:
On a news short note, Obama is now breaking in NH where, depending on the poll, he is tied with Hillary or a few points ahead. She had him by 20 points in NH just a couple of months ago.
- Snidely Whiplash - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 11:00 am:
Ken, do you have a link? I haven’t seen that. If the County keeps this stuff up, there won’t be much need for suburban municipal governments anymore.
- Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 11:30 am:
It’s on the ISRA site, which appears to be down at the moment.
- Snidely Whiplash - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 11:32 am:
I found an alleged quote from the proposal on the net. If this is correct, ALL handguns will be banned in Cook County if this is passed:
“No registration certificate shall be issued for any of the following types of firearms:
(b) Firearms other than handguns, owned or possessed by any person in the County prior to the effective date of this Ordinance which are not validly registered prior to the effective date of this Ordinance;
(c) Handguns, except:
(1) Those validly registered to a current owner in the County prior to the effective date of this Ordinance”
Talk about Draconian, Daley-style gun bans. I wonder: will the ban extend to those out of state guns owned by Cook County politicians who vote for gun bans, and which are kept in their summer homes, in easy reach of their children?
- No Ethics - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 1:18 pm:
Caesar’s wife - Patti Blagojevich, being First Lady of Illinois has its perks is an understatement. The Blagojevich’s greed knows no bounds.
Remember, what is happening in Illinois is global.
- Bill - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 3:53 pm:
Once again, Commissioner Beavers comes through for the people of Cook County. We don’t want any guns around here.
- Ken in Aurora - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 4:22 pm:
… despite what the US and State Constitutions may say. You go, Bill!
- If She Wears the Pants - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 4:35 pm:
When’s the media gonna to grow some and interview Patti Blagojevich?
- Snidely Whiplash - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 4:37 pm:
Bill Beavers is a former Chicago police officer. Every Chicago police retiree I’ve ever known would rather die than give up his service revolver. I’m sure that the ordinance will not apply to Beavers’ handguns, which means that’s TWO draconian handgun bans (He was an alderthing when the Chicago ban passed, wasn’t he?) he’s voted for while keeping guns for himself.
Or, has Comm. Beavers put his money where his mouth is and turned in HIS guns? If he has, I applaud him, but somehow, I doubt it.
- so embarrassed to live in IL - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 4:59 pm:
So, did anyone happen to see this little nugget in the clips a few days ago???
In all fairness, the hannah montana concert DID take place on a saturday (a non-work day), but shouldn’t our governor be concerned about the looming CTA doomsday?
On the bright side, now we know what he’s doing all day (besides jogging & blackhawks & sleeping in).
Hannah Montana concert makes parents, kids and even the Illinois governor squeal
4 hours ago
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Zeal for superstar Hannah Montana drew scores of admirers - including Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his family - many of whom shelled out hundreds of dollars for tickets to a Rosemont concert.
“We’re big fans,” Blagojevich, who was accompanied by his wife and two daughters, said before Saturday’s concert. “I’ve seen every ‘Hannah Montana’ episode.”
- Levois - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 5:30 pm:
What’s it to anyone that someone has a chicken for a pet?
- shermans ghost - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 7:18 pm:
In answer to Levois : if you have your own chicken, then you may get tax free eggs, which is highly unpopular with all politicians.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 8:58 pm:
What kind of Governor has time to lay around and watch every Hannah Montana episode ? And be proud of it ?
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Dec 12, 07 @ 10:03 pm:
Hey 8:58. don’t go dissin’ us Hannah fans. If you have kids in that age bracket (like Rod and AA do) there ain’t much you can watch on TV together.
Note to Bill: AA said something not snarky about your guy.