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Chicago Mag’s top 100
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller * Chicago Magazine has published a list of what it claims to be the city’s most powerful 100 people. Here’s the top five…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was listed as 13th and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf was 14th. Bill Daley was 99th and 100th was Marc Weissbluth, the founder of the Sleep Medicine Center at Children’s Memorial Hospital. Go have a look. Reasoning behind the rankings is here. Who did they leave off? Where do you disagree?
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- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 5:29 am:
The “EdgarBears” must be devastated.
- Easy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 5:29 am:
Weissbluth should be higher than 100. Anyone with proven techniques to get babies to sleep holds nearly unlimited power.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 5:35 am:
Hmmmm….I suppose one might believe so.
- Skeeter - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 6:42 am:
Easy, I thought Weissbluth should be off the list. His methods are overrated to say the least. Writing a book that sells is nice, but does that make him powerful or important? I don’t think so. I know Marc and I like him personally, but he’s better at marketing than results.
Moreover, if we are going to add somebody for medical research, we should add somebody like Sharon Dooley from Northwestern’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Group, who is doing great work treating mothers with diabetes. She also runs a group that gets outstanding results handling extremely difficult pregnancies. Dooley and her group keep people alive. That deserves recognition. She’s really one of the great heroes in Chicago that nobody has heard about.
- bored now - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:02 am:
one and two are obvious. after that, for the purpose, pick ‘em…
- Gov. Pat Quinn - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:31 am:
What about me?
- downstate commissioner - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:48 am:
@Gov. Pat Quinn: WHO?
- No More AJ Wilhelmi - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:59 am:
Groupon guys? That company took a beating last quarter. Anita Alvarez at #36? Um, ok.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:01 am:
This is a pretty silly list, with Quinn being the most glaring omission.
Put it this way, the allegedly most powerful man in Chicago can’t get his casino or anything else on his Springfield agenda unless he gets the okay from a guy not even on the list.
Also, I’ll believe Emanuel is more powerful than Fitzgerald when Emanuel can sic the FBI and IRS to snoop around Fitzgerald.
Too many restaurant guys, the Groupon guys (still trading below IPO), and seriously, Vince Vaughn more powerful in Chicago than Bill Daley?
Other glaring omissions include any mention of Los Zetas or Sinaloa cartels that supply most of the illegal drugs in the city, or the gang chiefs who handle distribution.
- Frank - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:04 am:
Alvarez has subpoena power….you could argue she should be higher.
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:10 am:
@Frank - but she doesn’t use it
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:16 am:
So much for the all powerful liberal or otherwise media. A beloved film critic comes in at 25, a couple of execs from Johnson Publishing in the 70’s and oh yeah, the editorial page editor of the Tribune comes in meekly at #95. Oh how the mighty (media) have apparently fallen.
- Kerfuffle - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:22 am:
Where’s Ty Fahner?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:22 am:
Zagel is a big omission, too. He’s a prosecutor’s judge who throws that book like Nolan Ryan, as Outfit guys, Blago, Rezcko and soon Cellini know well.
- LakeviewJ - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:31 am:
I’d say retired or not, Henry Bienen is a big omission.
- Oz - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:38 am:
How do you define power? Money? Pfft.
Occupy Chicago should be #1. I’d say the leaders of that group but there are no leaders.
Through the efforts of Occupy they have motivated over 5.6 million people to transfer their money out of banks and into credit unions over the last 90 days — as part of their grass roots Bank Transfer Day movement….and we’re still counting!
Republicans didn’t do it. Democrats did not do it. Even the Tea Party while they complained about the bank bailouts they folded and did nothing. Occupy Wall Street did it and without the help of the main stream media and that my friends is power!
First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win!
- JakeCP - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:38 am:
Gov. Quinn isn’t on the list…hahaha. How does Melody have more power than Bill Daley? How does Otis Moss III have so much power? Maybe I should read the reasoning section…
- OneMan - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:38 am:
Seems Big Jim is rated low at 83.
Missing Pat Quinn, Jessie Jackson, the leaders of the CBOE or CME, Rev. James Meeks, Driehaus
- Old Milwaukee - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:41 am:
Rahm, Speaker Madigan, Preckwinkle, Lisa and Durbin on the list. 2 City of Chicago staffers on the list. 6 Chefs/Restaurateurs on the list.
This can’t be a good morning in Senate President Cullerton’s office.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:43 am:
–Occupy Chicago should be #1.–
You mean those two guys who spend a couple hours holding signs every day at the corner of LaSalle and Jackson?
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:46 am:
I’m not looking at the list.
Get a couple hundred thousands citizens united in a common purpose to hold their ground and see who has power.
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:49 am:
It looks like a rehash of last year, the year before and the year before. After winning one year, the “winners” shouldn’t be able to be on the list for a number of years. I’d say there wasn’t a lot of time put into research for this article.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:51 am:
How about listing the Occupy Chicago e-mail list so those folks will feel included since it appears CapFax got a mention today..
- Boone Logan Square - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:53 am:
Andrew Mason will appreciate being at #11 as a Spinal Tap reference.
Does Dick Durbin qualify as a Chicagoan? If he does, shouldn’t he be much higher?
No Tom Skilling or Tom Dart?
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:57 am:
How can you rate such an eclectic mix?
I agree Judge Zagel should be in the top five along with Fitzgerald.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:01 am:
Who wasn’t on the list but would have been on a year ago?
– MrJM
- Davey Boy Smithe - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:04 am:
I used to caddie for Mr. Skinner ten years ago at the St. Charles Country Club. That guy rocks.
- Knome Sane - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:04 am:
Utter and complete rubbish! I read the “reasoning” behind the rankings and still don’t understand what the criteria is to define “power”. This looks like a list the author compiled of “people who I wish were my friends”.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:08 am:
If you have Tom Ricketts … you need Ronnie Woo-Woo.
Did I miss Tom Cross? (crickets)
Top List?
Is a certain female Supreme Court Justice feeling a bit “judged” since she didn’t make Chicago Mags 100 top Chicagoans?
To wit: Justice Anne Burke, part of the most important Chicago couple, according to this column, did not make the list.
Downshot: She spends a great deal of time in springfield, downstate, on the bench.
Upshot: Justice Burke is easily in the top 175!
“Buck”shot: Ald. Ed Burke, a jewel, a gem, and one of this column’s great guys did make the list.
Earshot: Quoth Justice Burke, “We are both just happy to BE Chicagoans, the list is just that, a list.”
Me Thinks the “Mag” made a big mistake forgetting our Anne.
Congrats to Jay Doherty for having lunch with Ald. Burke and Justice Anne Burke on a weekday during the month of February. Kudos to you all!
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:09 am:
Rick Bayless? Really? Great guy, but one of most powerfull? Seriously?
- Curious - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:10 am:
How is Cullerton not on the list?
- Jacketpotato - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:14 am:
These list are kind of bogus. I do like the “whose call would you return first” as a nice way to tell who’s who.
What about the media? No one from Sun-Times?
You’re telling me that Fran Spielman doesn’t help drive the City Hall story every day?
Marin, our friend Rich, and the S-T investigative team are at least as worthy as many on this list.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:23 am:
101. Scott Lee Cohen. “Entrepeneur, Elector of Governor Pat Quinn, Restraining Order Receiver”
- reformer - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:24 am:
I don’t think there’s a single current Republican elected official on the list. Not even Cross or Radogno. I guess that’s pretty accurate.
- the217 - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:25 am:
Where is my quarterback?
- OneMan - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:28 am:
Oswego Willy — I actually think Sneed should be on the list…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:29 am:
Pongee made the “1st cut” of the 100, but Pongee is regestered in Pontiac …
- Juice - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:30 am:
@BooneLogan Square, they argue that they left the President off the list because his primary residence is no longer Chicago. I don’t think Durbin’s primary residence has ever been Chicago, so it’s pretty baffling.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:30 am:
Sneedless to say, Chicago Magazine didn’t.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:31 am:
Didn’t notice City of Chicago lobbyist and Senate President John Cullerton. Also, I didn’t notice many african americans or latinos.
- southwest - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:33 am:
Is it a good thing to named the most powerful in the country’s most corrupt city?
- J - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:34 am:
I didn’t see too many elected Republicans (Mark Kirk???) or any Congressmen.
I think you could bump a chef off the list for Jan Schakowsky or Mike Quigley.
- Vince - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:38 am:
They might not be as influential and powerful as previous Guvs and Senate Presidents, but not having Quinn or Cullerton on the list is comical. Same goes for Durbin…who is arguably the most powerful Illinois senator since Dirksen (pretty sure he keeps an apartment in Chicago and often works out of an office there.)
Too many restaurant folks…the editors kissing up to their advertisers no doubt.
However, I agree with Tommydanger above and the magazine editors on their decision to overlook old fashioned news media figures. Times have changed….not sure if they did this list 20 years ago, but if they did the likes of Royko, Walter Jacobson, Steve Neal and the Trib Edit Brd would have to be near the top of the charts.
- Skeeter - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:41 am:
A note on the chefs — the first two make a lot of sense. Some people say Achatz is the best chef in the world. He absolutely deserves his ranking.
Bayless has had a major impact in treating Mexican food as serious food. He’s had a great impact nationally. He also takes the lead on some of the local food matters. Bayless deserves the list.
Kahan? He’s got a few restaurants that serve very good food. That’s nice, but he’s not doing anything all that innovative.
Melman? He’s been doing similar stuff for thirty years. He’s very good at what he does, and his business served as a model for other restaurant groups. He’s not doing anything particularly ground breaking right now though. He might be on the Lifetime Achievement list, but I’m not sure that currently he’s list worthy.
The other chefs? As a person who spends way too much time and effort thinking of where and what I will eat, those names didn’t ring a bell.
Moreover, when people who make a real difference on the lives of Chicago residents every day — people like Quinn, Mell, and Brendan Reilly — don’t make the list, how do we put people on the list who own a nice restaurant or two?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:43 am:
Royko and Neal are no lonfer with us, and have yet to be “replaced”, nor can they in many ways …
Jacobson is now iconic, not powerful, big difference …
And Bruce Dold … think he is an “Editor”, think he is a Trib Editor … and I think he, at least, made the list.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:51 am:
I can’t put Cross on a Milk Carton, so I thought if he was on the list, I would know where he was and what, if anything, he was doing.
I was mocking Cross, more than the omission.
- Knome Sane - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:53 am:
Rich, I am not sure you’re correct. Bruce Dold lives in the western suburbs. Miles White, I believe lives in the North Shore. There are others, that don’t live in Chicago.
- Knome Sane - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:55 am:
Durbin is on the list.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:56 am:
Perhaps the requirement is you live and/or work in Chicago.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:57 am:
Rich, Durbin is on the list. There are a lot of folks on this list who don’t live in Chicago, including many of the corporate and sports bigfoots.
So the Trib’s Page Two columnist can’t point to residency for not having the juice to make the list, lol.
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 9:58 am:
First thought was…. does this make Steve Brown the 4th craftiest PR dude in IL?
Gotta love these high quality journalism projects
Gotta think the Tribbie editors did not see this before it went out…McCormick…..McCormick!
- Steve Bartin - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 10:01 am:
This is a funny list. How is Alderman Burke at number 19???? Can Rocky Wirtz cut your taxes? Can Jim Skinner at McDonalds make you a judge? Chicago Magazine sure is funny.
- Lakeview - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 10:22 am:
Weissbluth doesn’t train babies, he trains parents. As in: a friend got into hot water with her family because she skipped a series of first communions, graduation parties, and even a wedding that interfered with her daughter’s nap schedule. So, yeah, they slept through the night like champions, but at what cost?
I’d put Karen Lewis on the list because I fully expect CTU to screw up the next round of contract negotiations in such a colossal fashion. Her power is the power to destroy goodwill for Chicago’s teachers and schools.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 10:23 am:
From the story:
–Our only requirement was that the listees’ primary residence be in the Chicago area and that they spend a significant amount of time here.–
- Objective Dem - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 10:38 am:
I think a case can be made to include Lisa Madigan and/or Toni Preckwinkle in the top five. Would be nice to include a woman in this select company, don’t you think?
- Dooley Dudright - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 11:12 am:
Missing: investment banker Byron Trott. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney.
- dave - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 11:21 am:
Devin Hester is on that list? Really?
Seems like a list of a bunch of powerful people, and then they had to throw in a bunch of celebrities that have zero power.
- Jimbo - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 11:27 am:
i know one thing, some people from Chicago magazine are going to eat for free for a long time……
- Frank - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 11:42 am:
Terry Duffy is definately missing from that list.
- Shore - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 12:04 pm:
Boeing seems like a big omission…only 2 journalists and none under the age of 50-actually seems about right, none of the print people or nightly news folks have any force anymore…Durbin seems incredibly low. How you can be #2 in the senate majority, a mentor to the president and below a chef?….Reinsdorf doesn’t run the Bulls anymore, his son is now in charge, that’s way too high…5 of the top 35 are women, so much for change…none of the 7 congresscritters who represent the city made it not a surprise…Mark Kirk does not live in the city..eric whitaker seems to get more face time with obama than 90 percent of his cabinet, that seems an omission.
this looks like it was written by crains or winnetka talk
- Cheswick - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
I can never again read anything about David Axelrod without remembering the famed escapades of Quaxelrod. Those were the days. Sigh….
Also, is it odd to anyone else but me that there are no authors, writers, columnists, reporters on the list?
- Anon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:02 pm:
He wouldn’t want to be on your list but Donald Wilson Jr belongs there. Influential in Investing, Real Estate, Sailing. Donates more than you know to politics & charities
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:03 pm:
For the record, Quinn, Cross and Radogno aren’t Chicagoans.
- Jaded - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:09 pm:
For the record, neither is Durbin.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:09 pm:
YDD, Quinn lives in Chicago.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:21 pm:
I think you can automatically remove anyone described as an artistic director or chef. Melman is a different story because his influence extends far beyond the food he’s putting on the table.
Also not sure whether or not they meet the residency requirement, but it seems some notable leaders are missing from the Art Institute, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and DePaul.
Some folks are clearly over-rated (Derrick Rose) and underrated (Jorge Ramirez).
Cullerton’s absence is inexplicable.
And Claypool could probably bump atleast a quarter of the people off this list. He may not be making news, but the park district budget is huge.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:25 pm:
Juan Rangel of UNO is not on this list. I am not a fan of his at all, but lets be serious he has some serious clout here.
- Orland (D) - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:46 pm:
Berrios has serious clout also.
- thomas paine - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:52 pm:
John P Daley as well
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
@Rich -
Really? Which ward?!?
For some reason, I thought he was out in Western Springs.
In that case, he got shafted.
So did Jesse White for that matter. He’s the most popular elected official in the state and the most sought-after endorsement in the city.
Obama and Lisa’s poll numbers pale by comparison.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 4:11 pm:
===Really? Which ward?!?===
Not sure. He’s at Cortland and Nashville.
- They were robbed! - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:14 pm:
Obvious missing includes, in no particular order, Mike Quigley, Jerry Roper, John Rowe, Dan Lipinski Jr (and Sr?), Anne Pramaggiore, Oprah. Others you could justify include Will Burns, Heather Steans, Lori Healy.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:26 pm:
Kwame Raoul anyone?
Gets the death penalty abolished in Il, oversees workers comp reforms, the Trib had a frontpage story calling him the General Assembly’s new “it” guy. Maybe I read it wrong and he’s the new “IT” guy and he can fix my laptop.
Anyway, pretty funny list.
As far as the criteria, they might as well have included Albert Pujols. He spent a lot of time in Chicago showing off his power.
- Mighty M. Mouse - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 7:28 pm:
It’s the 36th ward, or at least it was before the remap. Until recently Bill Banks was the alderman.
- amalia - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:29 pm:
how many men are on the list from Winston and Strawn? seems silly. Skeeter is correct, there are any number of amazing doctors, some top 5 in the country, who could be on the list. can’t recall, but the host of Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me counts in my book.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:44 pm:
60% serious list, 40% fluff thrown in, not surprising coming from an entertainment mag
- 1776 - Wednesday, Feb 15, 12 @ 8:51 pm:
Anne Prammagiore - ComEd
John Rowe - Exelon
Ron Gidwitz - Former CEO & Political insider
Tom Dart - Sheriff
John Cullerton - Senate President
Pat Quinn - Governor
Brendan Reilly - alderman
Theo Epstein - higher
Matt Hynes - no