Odds and ends
Friday, Apr 11, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lawmakers are considering a bill to ban trans fats in schools…
Illinois could join eight other states in restricting or banning trans fats in schools if lawmakers act on a bill pending in the state Senate. California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon and Texas have laws on the books, according to the School Nutrition Association, an advocacy group.
“One of the first places children are exposed to trans fats is in our schools,” said Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who introduced the Illinois bill. “We think that is the first environment where children should learn good eating habits and the benefits of it.”
Produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, trans fats increase the shelf life and improve the flavor of foods. But they also can raise a person’s level of so-called “bad cholesterol” and have been linked to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Nearly 16 percent of Illinois youngsters ages 10-17 are overweight, the 14th highest percentage in the country, according to Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.
* A goofy idea has been shelved for now…
A bill sponsored by state Rep. Kenneth Dunkin (D-Chicago) aims to reduce accidents where distracted walkers — yammering on about dinner possibilities, perhaps — mindlessly step into traffic.
The bill has been put on hold for now, as a panel led by Secretary of State Jesse White that is investigating distracted driving finishes its work. As for walkers being run down mid-sentence, a White spokesman says the office has no numbers documenting the alleged problem.
If only every problem — and we’re not convinced there is one here — could be solved with a roll call vote and a scratch of the governor’s pen. Jaywalking is already illegal (but that doesn’t stop it from happening, oh, about a million times a day in the Loop) and as for intersections, so is crossing against the light (again, a common occurrence).
* This doesn’t bother me much, but some might be offended…
An Illinois state legislator says his former Catholic high school invited him to join the school’s “Hall of Honor” in recognition of his political career — then yanked back that invitation after deciding his voting record wasn’t in line with the church’s positions on abortion.
“The school called me (this week) and informed me … that they had serious concerns about my voting record,” said state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Carlyle, describing the conversation in which, he said, he was effectively un-inducted from the school’s Hall of Honor, shortly after being invited into it.
“I said, ‘Why is that?’” Granberg said. “They said they were very concerned I wasn’t ‘pro-life enough.’”
Illinois Citizens for Life claimed Granberg “will not support most pro-life issues” in 2006.
* A movie about the first Mayor Daley, entitled “Boss Daley” may be filmed in Chicago. A John Dillinger film is currently in production and a movie about the 1968 Democratic National Convention may be in the offing. Bill Zwecker reports, however, that the mayor is hoping for a feel-good movie…
I’m hearing some big Chicago honchos — including Mayor Daley — are intrigued by the “I Love New York” film project currently shooting in the Big Apple. The reason? There’s some buzz a similar movie could be made here.
The bottom line: If an “I Love Chicago” film were shot in the near future — given the large number of actors and directors with strong local connections — it could be a nice “commercial” for the Windy City, especially if we snare the Summer Olympics for 2016.
* Meanwhile Mayor Daley talked about changing Chicago’s motto yesterday…
“We’re the city of flowers. We’re the city of trees and gardens and all that. I’d like to maybe change that motto to, ‘City of Children.’ I really believe that.”
No comment.
- South Side Mike - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 10:37 am:
“We’re the city of flowers. We’re the city of trees and gardens and all that. I’d like to maybe change that motto to, ‘City of Children.’ I really believe that.”
I think Daley is thinking too narrowly on this. How about the “State of Children” instead?
Now only if we could order Blag/Jones/Mad to their rooms until they learn how to play nicely and share…
- North of I-80 - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:09 am:
Maybe for 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention movie being filmed, they can plant some old Chicago PD squads downtown Denver when the riots and tear gas starts ups again…
- Levois - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:14 am:
I like Mayor Richard J. Daley’s record but I also realize that he is flawed. Chicago is still cleaning up some of his flaws. I’d say daddy Daley’s flaws are a good reason why I would watch any movie about him or about the 1968 convention.
- He makes Ryan Look like a Saint - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:16 am:
New Chicago Motto: “City of HIGH taxes”
- Madison County Voter - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:24 am:
“This” does bother me as a Catholic and former politician. It took some work on JFK’s part to try and calm others fears about the Pope dictating to US politicians. Now the Church is doing extactly that. They’re going to make it difficult for Catholics to participate freely in elected positions. Is that what they really want?
- Steve - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:27 am:
The new motto should be “Chicago the city of government workers”.Since Chicago has 41,000 less kids in the public school system since 2000,talking about children isn’t really what Chicago is about.High taxes,corruption,and government workers is Chicago.
- One of the 35 - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:40 am:
The trans fat ban should not be limited to schools. It should be state wide and include restaurants and grocery stores. The artery clogging effects of this substance are proven. McDonalds still fries their french fries in hydroginated oil in the U.S. but not in 2 foreign countries where it is illegal. Because food producers refuse to voluntarily remove the trans fats, such legislation is appropriate.
- Anon - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:48 am:
Royko said it best. “Urbs in horto” should be changed to “Ubi est meum?”
- cermak_rd - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 11:50 am:
A lot of food producers have removed the transfats though, so now I think it becomes a question of the market–if you actually care, you’ll go KFC instead of McDs for instance.
As for school lunches, yeah, I would think if the school district is a food merchant, then the food they vend should not be harmful as transfats are.
- South Side Mike - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 12:18 pm:
Madison County,
The Catholic Church is not telling any politician how they must vote regarding taxes, education, budget, infrastructure, etc. What it is saying is that there are some minimum requirements for being honored by a Catholic organization, or for that matter, being in good standing with the Catholic Church- ie, you cannot take actions that support the destruction of human life in abortion.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 12:20 pm:
South Side Mike has it right.
- Sang-anon - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 12:45 pm:
Granberg’s record on that issue is way out of touch with his district too.
- Bud Man - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 12:55 pm:
What needs to be made is a HBO “The Wire” type show about the filth that is Chicago politics, government, CPD, and the Chicago news media. John Kass joked that he was writing one. That would be great and I’m sure Da’ Hypocryte Mayor would be violently against it.
- Bud Man - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 12:59 pm:
– The trans fat ban should not be limited to schools. It should be state wide and include restaurants and grocery stores. –
When does liberal big-brother intervention stop. We can’t have people walking, talking on cell phones, and chewing gum at the same time. We can;t decide if we want to clog our own arties. Next it will be red meat because everyone knows that horrible for you.
How about we put a ban on going outside when its sunny? Or lets ban tanning beds and coal mining as well.
When you are born, you start dying. Nothing will fix that. Let people decide for themselves how they want to spend their time on this earth.
“DON’T TREAD ON ME”
- Madison County Voter - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 1:01 pm:
“Granberg is a 1971 graduate of the high school and has represented the Breese area in the Legislature since 1987. He calls himself pro-life and is generally aligned with anti-abortion forces on legislative issues. However, he has supported stem-cell research, which some consider to be at odds with the anti-abortion movement.” From the P-D article, I guess he wasn’t pro-life enough. If they take this stand then divorced people are also taboo, because they don’t aren’t pro-marriage enough.
- Anonymous - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 1:02 pm:
Yes, South Side Mike is right about that. However, I’d like to know whether the questions raised about Granberg were prompted by a few isolated votes in an otherwise pro-life record, or by a consistent pattern of support for morally objectionable stem cell research or other practices.
- wordslinger - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 1:04 pm:
School lunches should promote healthy eating.
But my hypocrisy is showing. I yearn for the hot lunches of my school days:
– The simple ham paddy, a gristly, molded and processed mystery meat that lacked any nutritional value, but overcompensated in salty goodness;
– the BBQ beans that were not only delicious, but could be launched by plastic spoon with smart-bomb accuracy to strike and stick to targets of authority anywhere in the commons;
– and the classic Friday staple, the Tuna Boat. Tuna salad on a French Roll wrapped in foil and heated to a temperature just below nuclear meltdown. Whenever this mushy, messy gutbomb was on the menu, the head custodian’s special sawdust mix was never far behind.
- park - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 1:28 pm:
Shouldn’t that slogan be “City of Children’s Museum?”
- VivaLFuego - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 1:34 pm:
Amen, South Side Mike 12:18pm. Actually, the situation would probably only start to get “offensive” if the rep. in question promptly changed his voting pattern to conform with what was expected of him given his religious affiliation.
- Loop Lady - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 2:12 pm:
wordslinger- while we’re at it let’s reinstitute recess @ CPS (instead of having the shortest school day in the country)…and require phys ed 2x a week as well…gee, I wonder why our young people have obesity issues?
- taxmandan - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 2:22 pm:
I agree with South Side Mike, but it’s rude to extend the invitation then take it back.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 2:24 pm:
So instead of discussing solutions to real problems we face in Illinois - we are debating this crap.
What? - Can’t legislators focus on real work?
- Bill - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 4:59 pm:
Apparently not.
- Will - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 5:24 pm:
I wonder if the Catholic school takes the same attitude toward politicians who support the war in Iraq. The Pope’s position on that is clear.
- against food bans - Friday, Apr 11, 08 @ 8:05 pm:
I want my trans fat. What kids eat should be determined by their parents, not the government. What I eat is my decision. Heck, because McDonalds and so many other restaurants have changed to non-trans fat oils, I can’t even get good french fries anymore. Food in the school cafeteria was bad enough when I was in school in the late 70s and early 80s. I’m sure glad that I’m not in school now and that I don’t have kids in school because the government dictating what the food can contain is extremely offensive. And no, I don’t believe that the government has any responsibility to me or anyone else to provide health care or access to health care … if I don’t lead a healthy lifestyle, that is my choice and my responsibility. The nanny state has to stop.
- NoGiftsPlease - Saturday, Apr 12, 08 @ 3:59 pm:
From my observation, when trans fats are removed from foods, they seem to be replaced by fats with a high saturated fats contents. Any idea which is worse?