The way things are done
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The original version of this story posted yesterday at the Tribune’s site included a quote that isn’t in the piece today…
Chicago police were investigating an attempted arson that took place Sunday night at Cook County Commissioner William Beavers’ South Side office, police said.
A neighbor saw someone on the roof of the office, 2552 E. 79th St., about 10 p.m., police said Monday afternoon, citing preliminary reports. The neighbor notified police, and Chicago firefighters responded to pour water on gasoline found on the roof to dissipate it, said Officer Dan O’Brien, a police spokesman.
No fire was actually set.
“I understand [investigators were] out there today. Last night somebody poured gasoline on the roof and the building next door,” Beavers said. “It was an attempted arson.”
The original version quoted Beavers as saying, “It wasn’t me.” Not sure why the Trib took it out.
I showed the original story to somebody yesterday who asked, “Do you think he did it?”
No way, I said. He doesn’t have any sort of real election coming up. You only torch your own office so you can blame it on an opponent. Not that Beavers would ever do such a thing. I’m not saying, I’m just saying. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
I remember a Downstate legislative candidate years ago whose campaign van caught on fire right before election day [actually, now that I think about it, I believe the van was firebombed]. The local media openly speculated about whether his opponent set the blaze, but I always figured his people did it. Particularly one guy, but I won’t go into names. He was in town that day and, well, let’s just say he was somewhat of an over the top type trained in the dark arts of espionage.
* Anyhoo, speaking of the way things are done…
A clout-heavy company with two generations of ties to the Daley family has been chosen to fill in a “missing link” in Chicago’s riverwalk at a cost of $8.1 million, double the city’s original estimate.
The contract awarded last month calls for Walsh Construction to build a walkway on landfill beneath the Michigan Avenue bridge so pedestrians can stroll along the Chicago River without running upstairs, crossing the street and going back downstairs.
The walkway was supposed to cost $4 million and be financed through the Central Loop tax increment financing district. Instead, Walsh will be paid $8.1 million. Walsh was the “lowest qualified bidder” after a seemingly lower bid was ultimately deemed to be higher.
And so it goes.
- Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 9:19 am:
And this questionable bid story will be investigated to make sure it is legit, right? LOL
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 9:27 am:
The brick or bullet through the campaign window a couple of night’s before the election was a standard aldermanic underdog tactic for years.
Inevitably, there would a picture in the paper the next day of a grim looking candidate in front of the shattered window, with a quote that would go something like this:
“My opponent is getting desperate because he knows the people are with us. But we will not be intimidated. We will continue working hard to bring the people of this ward….”
Invariably, the candidate would get clobbered on election day.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 9:35 am:
“Central Loop tax increment financing”. In otherwords Chicago wants build a walkway with a Clif to jump off its support.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 9:42 am:
What if you had records and documents that were incriminating and you needed them destroyed without making it look like you purposefully destroyed them?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 10:10 am:
As long we give elected officials power and money, there will be crime and corruption involved with elected officials. The best recourse for this is to trim government down so that it empowers citizens, not politicians.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 10:35 am:
VM, the problem with mob rule is that the average citizen does not have time to follow the minutia of government operations to make decisions taking into the entire operation into account. This would be like running a company by having no management, just let the employees make all the operational decisions while also covering their jobs.
citizens are empowered, they can run for office, and vote for office holders. But the idea that responsible decision making of a complex operation which functions 24/7 comes from individuals focused on sound bite issues in between caring for their own lives and families is not a wise course of action.
Point me to a single large successful buisnes or government that has replaced its leaders in favor of conveneying the citizenry on an ongoing basis to cover the day to day operations of govt.
- Snidely Whiplash - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 10:41 am:
It’s not always the “victim” who commits the vandalism. I know of quite a few incidents that were legit. But, I really doubt that the opponent or his top people were responsible. It’s usually some lowlife on the low end of the ladder who gets liquored-up and thinks he’s helping his candidate by committing the silly act.
- Levois - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 11:19 am:
The burn your HQ and blame your opponents act is out of the hardcore politics manual isn’t it?
- paddyrollingstone - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 11:55 am:
Chuang Tzu. Chapter 17.: ‘Thus, as has been said, those who would have right without its correlative, wrong; or good government without its correlative, misrule, they do not apprehend the great principles of the universe nor the conditions to which all creation is subject. One might as well talk of the existence of heaven without that of earth, or of the negative principle without the positive, which is clearly absurd. Such people, if they do not yield to argument, must be either fools or knaves.
- Rob_N - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 1:48 pm:
I can’t speak to Walsh Constr. or the bid specs, etc. but construction prices have been skyrocketing lately… Not that the guys doing the actual labor are getting paid more, but material and transportation costs are jumping by leaps and bounds.
Twice the original estimate seems quite high but numbers 1/3 to 1/2 again over original estimates seem to have been typical lately (unfortunately).
- Moderate Repub - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 2:10 pm:
“He was in town that day and, well, let’s just say he was somewhat of an over the top type trained in the dark arts of espionage”.
- Moderate Repub - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 2:13 pm:
“He was in town that day and, well, let’s just say he was somewhat of an over the top type trained in the dark arts of espionage”.
Wow, that guy sounds like the character in the Tom Clancey books. I think his name was “Clark” in the books.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 2:14 pm:
Let’s not go there. We all want to live to see tomorrow, right?
- Link - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 6:44 pm:
A little off kilter but in light of yesterday’s (late) revelation of last weeks Beer Distributor Recognition by ____, I see this story:
MillerCoors selects Chicago for headquarters
1 hour ago
MILWAUKEE (AP) — MillerCoors officials say the headquarters for their new joint venture will be located in downtown Chicago.
The company chose not to settle in Milwaukee, where SABMiller PLC’s Miller Brewing Co. is based, or in Golden, Colo., the home of Molson Coors Brewing Co.
MillerCoors President Tom Long said Tuesday that the company chose Chicago for its employee talent, transportation and business resources.
MillerCoors began operation as a combined entity July 1, a day after the companies announced the closing transaction to combine their U.S. and Puerto Rico operations.
The deal was aimed at helping them compete against Anheuser-Busch Cos., which has about half the U.S. market. Anheuser-Busch agreed this week to be acquired by Belgian-based InBev SA for $52 billion.
- Rhino - Tuesday, Jul 15, 08 @ 6:58 pm:
In Chicago we have a saying: if a brick goes through your campaign office window, you had better make sure that the glass falls in, not out.