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The NATO summit is shaping up as one unproductive, business-killing ego-trip for Emanuel.

Two loop biggies, AON and Blue Cross, are basically shutting down on Friday and Monday. The big museums are shutting down for the weekend.

And you basically won’t be able to carry anything on Metra or the CTA.

It will be interesting to see the followup stories next week on the impact on downtown businesses.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-nato-chicago-business-0514-20120514,0,4863370,full.story

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 14, 12 @ 9:53 am
Good job, Owen on one of your first opening shots.

Comment by Shore Monday, May 14, 12 @ 9:59 am
Thanks!

Comment by Owen Irwin Monday, May 14, 12 @ 10:15 am
Any one besides me find the U of I search firm story more than a little disturbing? Our tax dollars at work, paying (many) out of state search firms.

Comment by Just the Facts Monday, May 14, 12 @ 11:10 am
= Our tax dollars at work, paying (many) out of state search firms. =

Most of those are normally paid for by tuition and fees. If anything, this gives the universities yet another student fee.

Comment by Dirty Red Monday, May 14, 12 @ 3:02 pm
Glad to see that CPS is taking the possibility of a CTU strike seriously. They should.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, May 14, 12 @ 3:54 pm
Among the speakers at the Peoples Summit was a representative from National Nurses United.

When the Nurses Union assembles at Daley Center at noon on Friday, 5/18/12, they will be calling a Single Payer Universal Health Care program NOW and a 0.5% tax on financial trades — 50 cents on $100 — to fund social programs. It’s an idea that I’ve heard talked about for the past five years, and I’m sure it has been around longer than that.

Cut the military state.

See Occupy Chicago’s you tube channel.

Comment by Kasich Walker, Jr. Monday, May 14, 12 @ 5:32 pm
–Cut the military state.–

It’s not a state issue, but it certainly is a economics and taxpayer issue, and that certainly impacts everything else more than anything else.

Like many, including Pat Buchanan, have said, it’s a question of whether we want a republic or an empire. I choose republic.

It’s not a liberal/conservative, hawk/dove issue. For years, George Will has railed about maintaining troops and bases in Germany, Italy and Japan against the enemy…. who is…..?

And if that enemy is so dangerous, why don’t our “allies” pony up in blood and treasure for their defense?

Ask Ron Paul.

It’s not a question of whether we have enough for “defense.” From Eisenhower to, most recently Robert Gates, the wisest, most conservative national security experts agree that we are un-challengable in space, the air, and on the sea.

We spend more on the military than the next 17 countries combined, and most of them are our allies.

Have we all lost our minds?

Boots on the ground are more problematic, but where and who are we planning on fighting that way? Who would dare fight us that way and why would we care?

Do we really think we need $1.4 trillion a year to defend ourselves from Al-Quada and the Taliban?
$2 billion a week in Afghanistan through 2024?

Did we elect Pres. Obama for that?

Do you really want to give that kind of money to Romney, who keeps talking about increasing military spending to combat the “Soviet Union” and “Czechoslovkia?”

Like Ike said, the conversation on the influence of the military/industrial complex is long overdue. Dems and GOP. But better yet, by Americans.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 14, 12 @ 6:47 pm