Morning shorts
Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* Chicagoans in for Property Tax Shocker
Houlihan says less affluent communities will be hit the hardest. He says half of all homeowners in the Garfield Park neighborhood will see an increase of about 20 percent or more on their tax bill.
* Chicago’s toxic air
People living in Chicago and nearby suburbs face some of the highest risks in the nation for cancer, lung disease and other health problems linked to toxic chemicals pouring from industry smokestacks, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data.
* Sun-Times: Alvarez is our pick for state’s attorney
It is an office of enormous power. Simply by starting an investigation, a prosecutor can savage a person’s life. We raise this issue because Peraica, for all his strengths, has revealed a habit of attacking first and mastering the details later, a troubling trait for someone who wants to be the county’s top criminal prosecutor.
In one instance, for example, Peraica turned a fair shot into a cheap shot. He appropriately questioned whether Alvarez was wise to pick Robert Clifford, a powerhouse personal injury lawyer who has sued the county in the past, to be her campaign finance chairman. Alvarez’s response is that if a conflict of interest were to arise, she would deal with it openly.
But Peraica went on to suggest that Alvarez somehow violated legal ethics and the law by turning over to Clifford various criminal court files in the case of Girl X, the 9-year-old girl who was raped and beaten in 1997. Clifford was representing Girl X in a civil suit. In truth, Alvarez did not personally turn over any files to Clifford. Rather, he obtained the files through the routine, legal and entirely appropriate discovery process.
Peraica is a smart lawyer. He knows better.
* EDITORIAL: Legislation could help curb credit card abuses in college
* Bernard Schoenburg: Candidates push their messages with e-mail — lots of it
* Ethics loophole needs to be closed
* SJ-R Opinion: Take a simple approach to ethics reform
* Vote no on state con-con question
* Arlington Heights Legislator Wants to Add Bite to Rail Safety Rules
- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 9:51 am:
So what happens to the people who signed up on this “Expansion”? If they did see a Doctor, who pays for their bills?
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 10:20 am:
The federal government doesn’t pay property taxes, right?
The bailout of financial institutions calls for the federal government to buy $700 billion of properties.
What happens to the property tax revenue for schools and local government?
See Proviso Probe.
- Plutocrat03 - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 12:19 pm:
The air in the Chicago metro area is now cleaner than it has ever been. I am sure that there is room for improvement, but it does not seem to be a reason to sound the alarm for panic.
- Captain America - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 1:46 pm:
Only surprise abou the Sun-Times editorial endorsement of Anita Alvarez is that it came out so early.
Early endorsement is concrete evidnece that early voting should significantly change the political dynamic/election timetables for voter contact and persuasion.
Viva, Anita Alvarez!!!
- Upstate - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 4:40 pm:
Not on the morning shorts but how about the newly designed Chicago Tribune? Could anything be worse? The dumbing down of a great newspaper.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 29, 08 @ 5:28 pm:
===Could anything be worse?===
Yes. But the game’s not over yet.
- Bookworm - Tuesday, Sep 30, 08 @ 6:19 am:
I just realized that “Girl X”, if she was 9 years old in 1997, is now 20 years old. Does anyone know how she’s doing? I remember reading an update story about her some years ago but can’t find it online. I believe that she lost her sight and has other permanent disabilities as a result of the assault. Doesn’t look like anyone is scrambling to write a book about her case or make a movie about it though.