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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Sep 15, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
* WGLT | McLean County Board chair remains in Republican hands: Catherine Metsker, a Republican from a rural district, was ultimately elected chair, ousting Democrat and board vice chair Elizabeth Johnston from the position she’d been holding since McIntyre’s resignation on Sept. 5. * Sun-Times | Cook County sewage-treatment official found pandemic’s upside: a chance to double-dip: For two and a half months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief information officer for Cook County’s sewage-treatment agency supplemented his $270,000-a-year government job with a second full-time gig, working for a not-for-profit that certifies doctors. * The Telegraph | DCFS looks to hire more bilingual staff: According to the DCFS Personnel Overview, the agency’s Hispanic American employees made up 9.2% of their workforce for the fiscal year of 2023. This represents a 0.3% increase from the last fiscal year. * Crain’s | Measure to eliminate Chicago’s tipped wage takes a step forward: The proposal would bring up the minimum wage for tipped workers to the city’s standard minimum wage, $15.80 an hour for employers with 21 or more workers and $15 for those with fewer than that. The current minimum wage for tipped workers is $9 for small employers and $9.48 for tipped workers at companies with 21 or more employees. * Crain’s | Chicago’s ’summer of strikes’ promises to stretch on into fall: To drive home that point, the United Auto Workers union began a historic strike against all three Detroit automakers at midnight Friday after contract negotiations stalled. Never in the UAW’s 88-year history has it attempted a simultaneous strike against Ford, GM and Chrysler, now part of Stellantis. * Capitol News Illinois | Former Illinois trooper again seeks drivers license after 2007 fatal Metro East crash: For years, former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White blocked attempts by an ex-state trooper to regain his driving privileges after a high-speed crash that caused the deaths of teenage sisters on a busy St. Clair County interstate in 2007. […] Mitchell has not applied for reinstatement of his driver’s license since 2014, when White rejected his hearing officer’s recommendation that Mitchell’s license be reinstated. White didn’t believe Mitchell made a convincing case, a spokesperson said, adding that as an elected official, it was White’s responsibility to make the decision. * Daily Journal | ALIVE literacy program receives Illinois State Library grant: The $68,108 grant comes from Illinois State Library Grant program and is earmarked to “enhance community literacy, improve library services and upgrade current technology” according to a news release. * Crain’s | Billionaire Ken Griffin lays out vision for philanthropy via Catalyst brand: Griffin said one of the goals of the site is to inform and motivate others who are just getting into philanthropy. “There is no class in high school on giving away your money. The best example you’re likely to have of how to help others is that set by your parents and grandparents,” he said in an interview. “Most of us want to help battle poverty and improve education, and know that the organizations we’re giving resources to are working to make this happen.” * WGN | Will County Animal Control: Beware of missing wallaby: Will County Animal Control officials on Thursday asked Monee residents to be on the lookout for a missing wallaby. On the organization’s Facebook page, officials warned of a missing wallaby named Rupert, who stands 2 feet tall and weighs 45 pounds. * Crain’s | Journeyman Distillery opening $40M facility in Valparaiso: The new digs will include a distillery, craft brewery, multiple restaurants and event spaces. It is set to start a phased opening in October. The move will get Journeyman closer to one of its core markets — Chicago — and help grow its standing among Midwestern distillers. * SJ-R | Spooktacular: Handyman puts his stamp on decorating North End home for Halloween: Stark’s front yard in the 700 block of Eastman Avenue near the railroad tracks at Eighth Street, with its collection of 12-foot skeletons, tombstones, and aluminum columns topped with vultures and spider webs, is hard to miss.
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- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 2:44 pm:
===Billionaire Ken Griffin lays out vision for philanthropy via Catalyst brand: Griffin said one of the goals of the site is to inform and motivate others who are just getting into philanthropy. “There is no class in high school on giving away your money. The best example you’re likely to have of how to help others is that set by your parents and grandparents,” he said in an interview.===
Keeping in mind Rauner’s turnaround agenda and the film “Dumb Money” finding eyeballs, Griffin is no philanthropist, Griffin looks for ROI to philanthropy and to keep his brand (brand, brand, I remember another worried about their brand…) at least a neutral brand to the awful Griffin wants in governing and society.
It’s about putting his name on buildings in cities he left to live in Florida and be that “Nightmare Neighbor” and ruinous to the property and historic structures he owns.
Honesty of character begins with real altruism, not narcissism disguised as altruism … as he continues to be the bane of a better society.
- Rabid - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 2:51 pm:
“Most of us want to help battle poverty” winning
- clec dcn - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 2:55 pm:
The Mclean County Board situation was a surprise in that things happened very quickly. Resignation of chairman and then thinking it would be a battle they now have taken care of the situation. I really don’t expect anyone to believe that the Dems would not have done the same thing.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:00 pm:
===would not have done===
Victimhoid to disguise a mere political play.
Tiring.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:15 pm:
I dunno, OW. We’ll see. As long as they all show up, the Dems will have a majority on the board next month because they blocked a Republican appointment this month.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:26 pm:
===As long as they all show up, the Dems will have a majority on the board next month because they blocked a Republican appointment this month.===
Can they revisit this?
For me, the theatre to it then is truly snarked misplaced, or way too early.
All bad on this I own.
:)
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:27 pm:
===Can they revisit this?===
Doubtful because they don’t control the gavel. But we’ll see what happens. Could be interesting.
- Amalia - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:28 pm:
the double dipper PR guy detailed in the ST piece, just shameless. shocking.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 3:37 pm:
===But we’ll see what happens. Could be interesting.===
Now I’m more intrigued but not less “wrong”. Too much Vitamin D this afternoon.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 4:18 pm:
“Dems would not have done the same thing.”
Let me introduce you the Will County Dems, who had one of their members leave the quorum right in the middle of the first day of voting to elect a chair, and despite a Democratic majority including the County Exec, the board instead ended up with a Republican co-chair serving a half term.
What makes it even worse, is the dem who left in the middle of voting did so to go accept an award for being on the county board.
Some county dems are amazingly dysfunctional. Unfortunately, I live in one of those counties.