Morning Shorts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* High court clears path for O’Hare expansion
Ending years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Chicago to acquire and relocate a cemetery needed for the continued expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
* Lawmaker wants state to cancel lease with firm linked to Rezko
“It looks like we should terminate the lease and ask for the $3.4 million since it was fraudulently represented,” said Schoenberg.
* Rezko defense rips Levine as ‘Pinocchio’
* Rezko replay
* Corrupt mastermind or victim of frame-up?
* Prosecution: Rezko consumed with enriching himself, friends
* Rezko Closing Arguments
* Grant Park idea panned
The Metropolitan Planning Council announced Monday that it could not support the proposed move of the Chicago Children’s Museum to Grant Park, citing unanswered questions and a lack of “thoughtful” public discussion about the controversial project.
* Children’s Museum collects another opponent: MPC
An MPC spokeswoman said the organization’s position represents the stance of the entire board, not just President MarySue Barrett, formerly a member of Mr. Daley’s administration. Mr. Daley appointed Ms. Barrett in 1993 to head his policy office.
* Latest renderings shine light on proposed Children’s Museum
* Not just ‘filthy rich’ who object to lawmakers’ pay hike
* Throw it into reverse
“There is no comprehensive improvement plan. There is a series of projects and lists,” Msall said. “You owe it to the public — and the General Assembly should demand — that they know what priorities are before they approve the extraordinary borrowing against the future revenue stream, which is what the lottery is.”
* Lawmakers return with long list of unfinished business
* RTA chief chastises state leaders for failure to fund transit and roads
“As a citizen and as someone who has been involved in some of the largest public works projects in recent history in this area, I am really disturbed about the timid nature of the current debate about capital,” Reilly said. “We say we’re a world-class city, yet we in transit will be very lucky if we get enough money just to maintain what is basically a late 19th Century and early 20th Century system.”
* Good idea on transportation funding
* IDOT low on gas
* Why all the potholes? City blames the state
* City Council panel OKs $50M fire settlement
A City Council committee on Monday signed off on a $50 million settlement — the largest in Chicago history — for survivors of a 2003 Loop high-rise fire and relatives of six victims trapped in smoke-filled stairwells that locked behind them.
* County GOP honors LaHood at Lincoln Day event
“I believe in bipartisanship, and that has gotten me in trouble,” LaHood told about 400 people at the $75-per-plate event at Northfield Inn Suites & Conference Center. “And I know this is a Republican gathering.”
* Andy McKenna: Time for change in Illinois
- Pat collins - Tuesday, May 13, 08 @ 9:34 am:
“I believe in bipartisanship,
Nothing wrong with that, as long as it’s a two way street. Problem is, LaHood’s type is the same as Obama’s
“You move 99 feet and 11 inches to me, I move 1/2 inch to you”.
- Pat collins - Tuesday, May 13, 08 @ 9:35 am:
hit enter too soon. And of course, Ray was always moving the 99 feet. NEVER getting the other guy to do it.
- Squideshi - Tuesday, May 13, 08 @ 9:40 am:
Allegedly believing in bipartisanship may, or may not, have gotten LaHood into trouble; but if so, for the wrong reason. As I have said many times before, BIpartisanship is a dirty word–it’s both uncompetitive and anti-democratic. It would be better to believe in MULTIpartisanship, or NONpartisanship.
- Chanson - Tuesday, May 13, 08 @ 11:16 am:
If IDOT cannot afford gasoline, then how does it plan to pay for the paint, brushes or paint sprayers? What a joke. More of the governor’s playing around for his own polital purposes. Since the federal government finances most, if not all, of the Division of Traffic Safety, have they been asked for a real accounting of the costs of a move instead of the pretend, not down on paper, guesstimation?