* Parking lease deal weakens city, study says
* City gave up control of streets in meter privatization: study
“In order to maximize profits, the city not only gave up control of future revenues, but just as importantly [if not more] gave up all control of the public right of way on any streets with parking meters,” said the study by the Active Transportation Alliance.
Although the city is free to remove meters or change rates and hours of operations, Chicago Parking Meters LLC must be compensated for the loss of revenue at a rate that assumes “a car were parked in the space for 24-hours-a-day in the Central Business District,” the study said.
“This means that every potential project on a street with meters — including bus rapid transit, bicycle lanes, sidewalk expansion, streetscaping, pedestrian bulb-outs, loading zones, rush-hour parking control, mid-block crossing and temporary open spaces — are dictated, controlled and limited by parking meters,” the study said.
“These restrictions severely limit innovative planning for bicyclists, pedestrian and transit users. The loss of the potential for bus rapid transit on most streets over the next 75 years is one of the most disappointing losses.”
* Arlington Hts. shows its support for Olympics in Chicago
Mayors and parks across the U.S. jumped on the bandwagon for Chicago’s Olympic bid Tuesday.
The plan for Olympic Day was to honor the Games, then send photos and information to the International Olympic Committee to demonstrate the whole country is behind the 2016 bid. Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder brought the news back from the recent summer meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Providence.
The Arlington Heights Park District pitched Tuesday in with events that included races at the local swimming pools, with Mulder there cheering the kids, and the effort, on.
* CTA may cut service by 17.5 percent
The CTA may have to cut service by 17.5 percent in order to deal with a new $35 million shortfall in sales tax revenue.
Metra would suffer a $19 million hit, while Pace would lose $7 million, Palmer said.
* Police Dept. civilian workers protest cuts
Crossing guards, detention aides and traffic control aides descended on a City Council committee Tuesday to unleash their anger about impending layoffs.
Their frustrations were directed at both the city and their union, Service Employees Local 73.
The city was blamed for targeting 296 civilian police employees for a chunk of the 1,504 layoffs scheduled to take effect July 15, forcing uniformed police officers to do jobs that have nothing to do with fighting crime.
The union was blamed for failing to sign off on the 16 unpaid furlough days and other concessions that would avert the need for layoffs.
* Weis aims to use federal grants to hire more cops
Chicago Police officials are hoping to hire up to 150 officers this year with federal grant money, Supt. Jody Weis said Tuesday.
In the meantime, Weis is putting about 300 additional officers on the street this summer by shifting them from desk jobs or paying overtime with federal grants.
* Chicago police showing the colors for summer
Weis is ordering all plainclothes officers — about 800, by his estimate — to wear full uniform when on duty. The officers, who include members of the gun, gang enforcement and tactical teams, will also be asked to perform street and vehicle stops along with their regular duties.
* Police gear up for DUI crackdown over 4th of July
* 17 vehicles torched on West, Northwest Sides
Police, fire officials investigating; Supt. Jody Weis says damage may be gang-related
* Chicago cop Anthony Abbate sentenced to 2 years probation in videotaped bar beating
* Feds charge 37 people, four businesses with mortgage fraud
The U.S. attorney’s office today charged 37 people and four businesses with fraudulently obtaining $48 million in mortgages on homes in Chicago and the suburbs.
* Home sales and median prices drop in Chicago
In the city of Chicago, sales of existing homes plunged 27.5 percent in May year-over-year to 1,537. Sales rose 11.5 percent from April. Prices sank 29.5 percent to $225,000, but rose 2.3 percent from April.
In the Chicago metropolitan area, sales dropped 18.7 percent from May 2008 to 5,634, but were up 18.7 percent from April. Prices dropped 20.3 percent from May 2008 to $200,000. They were up 4.2 percent from April.
Statewide, sales were down 21 percent to 8,945, compared to a year earlier.
* State launches more mortgage relief help
* Empress set to reopen Thursday
* A new Empress in town
* University of Chicago hires Boeing CIO as its new investment chief
* Caterpillar unveils hybrid bulldozer
* Peoria Ag Lab to get $40 million in funding
* Will County adopts tobacco ordinance initiated by students
* Kane County sees potential cuts in health programs
* Railroad paying evacuees from train derailment
* Hospital puts autism resources online and on call
Parents can find services for counties all across Chicago area
* Streamwood behavioral health-care facility adds wing for children
The $10 million addition for 4- to 12-year-olds quickly filled up its 42 extra beds after it opened last month. The center scheduled a formal grand opening for the 30,000-square-foot addition this week with a ribbon-cutting and an open house.
* Bronzeville Advocates Outline Housing Plan
The group Housing Bronzeville wants to buy 500 city-owned vacant lots for a dollar each.
In turn, the nonprofit says it will find a developer to build homes for families earning no more than $60,000 a year.
Housing Bronzeville’s Jeffery Campbell says the possible Olympic Games coming to Chicago has residents in the historic neighborhood worried about gentrification.
* 11 affordable green homes to be built in Illinois
* Public Housing Museum plans to share the residents’ whole story
Old building from Jane Addams Homes to be part of museum set to open in 2012
* Southland reps key swing votes on energy bill
A national science-based environmental group sees two Southland congresswomen as swing votes for a controversial energy bill making its way through Congress.
But these U.S. Representatives - Debbie Halvorson (D-11th) and Judy Biggert (R-13th) - still are weighing how the bill would impact their districts before commenting on how they will cast their votes.
* Stephen R. Kustra, 1971-2009: ‘Free spirit’ drawn to San Francisco
The son of former Illinois Lt. Gov. Robert Kustra, Mr. Kustra, 37, died of complications from cancer on Friday, June 19, at a San Francisco hospital, said his sister, Jennifer Quinn.
* A sidekick for TV, McMahon was real-life hero
One of TV’s most famous sidekicks passed away Tuesday at 86. It was a rough last few years for McMahon, who faced myriad health and financial problems.
- Caught on Tape - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:02 am:
2 years probation for an 200 lb assailant caught on tape beating and kicking a 5′ 2″, 110 lb woman is an outrage.
When that assailant is a Chicago Police Officer, its a public disgrace.
- Kat - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:16 am:
Looks like almost all north of I-80 news. Should change the headline.
- Mike Murray - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:25 am:
===Looks like almost all north of I-80 news. Should change the headline.===
First, I don’t make the news - I just find what is out there.
Second, almost 70% of the state lives North of I-80. So is it surprising that most news stories deal with that part of the state?
Third, the title ‘morning shorts’ has no relation to state geography of news, just its relative importance or if it is an interesting story.
If you want more news reported about where you live, I guess you should move to where the people are.
No offense meant to down-staters
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:31 am:
Hey, maybe Arlington Heights can sell Chicago extra insurance to cover the gap in Daley’s pledge, since they’re so gun ho about the Olympics — according to Pat Ryan, their risk is extremely low so they should make some $$$ off the deal, right? Win-win for everyone!
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:32 am:
Judge Fleming won’t be up for a retention vote until 2014.
A very, very, curious ruling.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:35 am:
I don’t read anything in the title, “Morning Shorts”, that hints to an upstate bias at all. Should we switch the letters around, somehow, to come up with that bias?
2 years probation for a brutal, unprovoked attack by an boozer cop is outrageous. The judge claimed he couldn’t justify a stiffer sentence. If it were any other jamoke I could see it but a Chicago police officer assaulting someone half his size requires some jail time to act as a deterrent. Let’s hope he loses his job.
- sal-says - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:41 am:
“Arlington Hts. shows its support for Olympics in Chicago.”
Maybe they should co-sign the funding-deficit-plan with a monetary commitment of their own.
- sal-says - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:47 am:
“Chicago cop Anthony Abbate sentenced to 2 years probation.”
And people wonder why there’s little respect for Law Enforcement and the Judiciary?
After what the video shows, this is ludicrous.
- Lakefront Liberal - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:48 am:
“move to where the people are”
Tee hee.
And yes, I think all of those cities that are so exicted about the Olympics should sign on to the monetary guarantee. I think their excitment would end pretty quickly if it was not a free show for them.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:52 am:
Of all the ridiculous side effects that will occur due to Daley’s parking meter debacle, the loss of control of the streets will be the most disastrous. Imagine 20 years from now when we are making great strides to go green and replacing cars with a public transportation system which requires the removal of parking meters. The city will have to pay a company as if the meters were still there for another 55 years.
It took a lot of effort to draw up a contract that shafts the city so completely. Did Daley hire a consultant group named Chicago Haters Anonymous to draft this thing?
- fed up - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:57 am:
I completly agree Abbatte should be fired and in jail. What is interesting is that his sentence is stiffer than what could be expected for the charge. If he werent a Chicago Police Officer he probably would of been charged with simple Battery, in cook Co her lack of injuries would not justify an Agg Battery charge. She didnt go to the hospital and stayed at work and finished her shift. Abbatte was charged harsher because he was a cop deservedly so but a normal beating like that in Cook Co is a misdemeanor.
- fed up - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:00 am:
the loss of control of the streets is one of the reasons those fighting this deal might have a shot in court. Ive heard that this deal may stand up to a court challenge. Especially if filed by a succeding administration.
- Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:04 am:
carpe diem…of course the CTA was going to come with its doomsday scenario after weeks of seeing the social services hysterical masses become political pawns (via the media)try to put pressure on legislators. I wonder what took the CTA so long?
- fed up - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:09 am:
How many years in a row can the CTA yell “the sky is falling, the sky is falling” Soon everyone is going to ignore them and their chronic mismanagment.
- Leroy - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:58 am:
Phineas - on the opposite side of the coin, Daley is going to look like a genius when the price of oil is $300 a barrel in a few years, and everyone has no choice *but* to take public transportation….
- Rob_N - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 12:05 pm:
Stop the Arlington Heights bashing… If you don’t want the Olympics in Chicago then just say so without having to drag AH through the mud.
But, if Chicago does get the Olympics we and many other suburbs stand to do fairly well filling hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. along the train lines and expressway routes. And that boost to the local economy will help the state economy and so on and so forth.
That 3-paragraph Herald story was a bit light on details, but the Park District has a fantastic swim program for all ages and given the weather yesterday was a great day to feature the pool-going kids at Frontier Park.
[/self-promotion]
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As far as “north of I-80″ goes, when news happens outside the metro area that isn’t necessarily related to Rich and Mike’s work covering the state capital then Mike tends to post it… where’ve you been?
Mike defended himself pretty well but it’s nice to see the effort to include a mix of Chicago city, suburbs, exurbs, Quad Cities, central, downstate and everywhere else.
- Wumpus - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 1:42 pm:
Were there CPD officers in the jurists parkling lot with boots? What is going on there?
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 2:41 pm:
Rob_N: I see, you want Chicago taxpayers to help Arlington Heights businesses. Leechers.
- Rob_N - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 3:57 pm:
Lake County Dem,
…Erm, ok. And while we’re at it we should make sure no hotels or other businesses in Lake County benefit at all from anything related to the Olympics.
Suburban Cook, McHenry, Kane, Will or DuPage? Even Lake County, Indiana or Wisconsin? …All good.
But apparently Lake County, Illinois denizens don’t want to look like “leeches”…
It’s not like people who pay property taxes in Lake County ever work in the city of Chicago or anything. Maybe Chicago should demand to keep those property taxes since the work done to earn the money to pay those taxes is being done in Chicago.
Wouldn’t want Lake County to leech off work done in Chicago, now would we?
(That’s about as convoluted an argument as the one you’re making LCD…)