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Unclear on the concept
Friday, Dec 3, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * Mayor Daley blasted the police and firefighter pension reform bill which passed the Senate yesterday…
Right now, the city puts two dollars in the pension system for every dollar contributed by employees. That’s the entire formula. There is no actuarial basis, which is a big reason why the fund is so out of whack. The new bill simply puts the system on a solid actuarial footing. But there’s absolutely nothing in the bill whatsoever which “mandates” a tax hike. * Umm…
Actually, according to an August Tribune poll, Sen. Meeks’ opposition to civil unions was not in the majority…
And I seriously doubt that everyone who opposes civil unions will be voting for Rev. Sen. Meeks. There are plenty of other issues in Chicago, and there are other prejudices involved here. * This is not really a gigantic deal…
Contractor contributions are capped at $1500. Small beans in a mayor’s race of this magnitude. * I will never forget the press conference Gov. Rod Blagojevich held in Chicago early in his first term with several noted reformers, including Cindi Canary of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and Dawn Clark Netsch. They all praised Blagojevich’s ethics plan. And they all lived to regret being used. I couldn’t help but think of that event yesterday when David Hoffman held a press conference with Rahm Emanuel to praise Emanuel’s ethics reform package, which Hoffman helped draft… Now, I don’t believe that Emanuel is a criminal, but Hoffman could live to regret that little dog and pony show. Also, Mayor Daley pushed through more ethics reforms than any mayor since William Dever, but Hoffman’s praises for hizzoner were few and far between. * From the Tribune…
Dear Dan Walker, Who cares what you think? I don’t know Walker, but some people I trust, including Charlie Wheeler, who covered Walker for the Sun-Times, refer to him as a pathological liar. That’s good enough for me. Go away, man. * Roundup…
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- Fan of Cap Fax - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:28 pm:
I really liked David Hoffman, until this. Sad for Chicago. Rahm looks like the cat who caught the canary standing there behind him.
- Quinn T. Sential - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:32 pm:
{Now, I don’t believe that Emanuel is a criminal, but Hoffman could live to regret that little dog and pony show.}
Please see Donald Tomczak for further reference.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:35 pm:
Daley has known for years that his pension funds were a ticking time bomb. He did not have the guts to fund them properly, so if there needs to be a tax increase to cover these payments, if there is any justice in the world, let these be called the Daley Legacy Tax Hikes.
His ponzi scheme will leave office with him. Woe is us who will pay the bill for his negligence.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:41 pm:
Really Cindi Canary and Rod is comparable to David and Rahm? Rahm is a strong arm kind of guy, but the comparison is way off. They are both North Side Democrats, who on policy issues, have some similar goals. Whether people like it or not, no matter what happens, an “Emanuel administration” will be different than the current one. Who knows, Rahm may surprise us all.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:45 pm:
The city could probably come up with about $550 million and then some WITHOUT a tax hike if they next Mayor and City Council enact Alderman Reilly’s reforms instead of ignoring them.
Case in point #1: Multi-million-dollar non profits could start paying their own water bills and other city fees.
Case in point #2: The city has 1 manager for every 8 front line employees. Reilly recommends cutting those middle-managers in half: 1 manager for every 15 front line employees.
- wordslinger - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:49 pm:
What does Hoffman get out of this? Or is he still the White Knight transferring his virtue to Emanuel?
Whenever you hear the words “reform” or “ethics” in politics, it’s best to operate on the axiom of the old City News Bureau:
“If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.”
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:51 pm:
@Rahm’s Parking Meter:
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
Rahm Emanuel raised a record-setting $7 million for Daley in 1989. Do you see the problem?
And when it comes to patronage workers, Rahm used Daley’s excuse: he had absolutely no idea that all of those government employees were working on his campaign illegally.
This from the guy who touts his own expertise on getting things done. Gimme a break.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:02 pm:
The argument that Meeks benefits politically in the Mayor’s race is absurd.
First, black evangelicals are divided: some will support Braun, many will support Davis, some will support the other candidates, and in the end very few will support Meeks.
Secondly, a strong majority of Catholics support civil unions, and I’ll eat my hat the day I hear that Catholic ministers are urging their white, Southside Irish Catholic parishioners to support Meeks for Mayor: the guy who lead marches on Mayor Daley’s office.
Third, Republicans aren’t going to vote for a Democrat.
Fourth, there aren’t enough social conservatives in Chicago to put together a winning campaign, and even if there were, they won’t vote for a black man. To wit: almost half the Chicagoans who voted for Bush in 2004 did not vote for Alan Keyes.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:05 pm:
Fifth, and most importantly:
The percentage of folks voting for Mayor based on civil unions will be statistically insignificant.
Unless Meeks TRIES to make it the #1 issue, which will only encourage supporters of civil unions to rally around the candidate who most loudly condemns Meeks for being divisive.
- irisheyesrsmilin' - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:06 pm:
Hoffman is an expert at ethics. He says he feels assured that the Emanuel platform is in “synch” with what Hoffman believes the city’s ethical needs are. The risk he takes by saying this is that we have yet to see what an Emanuel administration will do, if elected. What outweighs this risk for Hoffman I believe is that he is keeping his own name and face “out there” politically.
Probably there would be a different reaction to this clip if it showed only Hoffman at the podium. Emanuel nodding and smirking behind him is unsettling.
- Oh, please! - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:09 pm:
Cadillac pension benefits = Cadillac payments. At least many (all?) city employees are required to be residents so they’ll be seeing their negotiation skills appearing on their property tax bills. Unfortunately, others will feel the pinch equally . . . and that may change the negotiation table dynamics moving forward.
- John Bambenek - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:32 pm:
Imagine Lord-Mayor Daley doing a Kanye West impersanation. “This will be the greatest property tax increase of all time!”
- Responsa - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:33 pm:
==Third, Republicans aren’t going to vote for a Democrat.==
YDD, I’m kinda curious who you think the Republicans who live in Chicago (and yes, there are some) ARE going to vote for as mayor if not some Democrat.
- shore - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 3:39 pm:
hoffman selling out to rahm for help in running against dold or walsh in 2012. file this post away for day after new congressional lines are redrawn.
you next dan seals?
- Jim - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 4:01 pm:
Typical Daley boogey-man nonsense. Let’s approach this sensibly and start with increasing contributions from the employees and that amount will automatically decrease the total due. I agree with 47th Ward, Daley didn’t have the guts to address it, just like this budget year he didn’t have the guts to raise taxes, cut spending and have layoffs and instead raided all the leased asset funds.
- Monstrum - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 4:21 pm:
That Dan Walker letter ….
“Pat, as you sit in that walnut-paneled library in the executive mansion where I once played poker, please look hard at that bronze bust of Honest Abe. Reflect deeply on the human cost of unrestrained gambling.”
Huh??? So it’s okay for him to gamble with poker but not for other kinds of gambling? Or does this mean he looked up from his poker hand and seeing the visage of “Honest Abe” turned him away from the evils of gambling?
I am NOT in favor of increased gambling in any form, but that line in his letter seemed to void anything of value put forth in the rest of the letter.
- Oh, please.... - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 4:37 pm:
Dear “Oh, please!”:
That’s my nickname! I’ve been using it on this blog for years!!! Just posted with it yesterday…
Thank you for your consideration,
Oh, please…
- Oh, please! - Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 4:39 pm:
@ the other Oh, please!
Ahh, I’ve used it a few times, too, but not for years. I’ll defer and begin using somethin’ else.