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* States Atty. Devine to announce that he will not run for reelection

* Democratic Judge considers run to replace LaHood

* Phil Rosenthal: Sun-Times chief dismisses talk of merger

* Respected group to run search for next top cop

* Only 24 homeless live in downtown Chicago, says census

Ed Shurna, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, branded the city’s downtown count “ludicrous.”

“I could find 24 people walking from my office [at 1325 S. Wabash] to City Hall. The Pacific Garden Mission has 600 people every night. They’re downtown. They’re homeless. There’s got to be at least that many living on the street,” he said.

Shurna accused the city of trying to “sanitize” Chicago’s marquee shopping district to bolster Daley’s Olympic dream.

* Editorial: Illinois ethics vote long overdue

Comptroller Hynes long ago tired of waiting for the governor and lawmakers to do something; he directed his office to follow a self-imposed pay-to-play ban.

We understand that Senate President Jones has been busy with budget talks and electricity rate relief legislation. But this bill sounds like a shoo-in, with ample bipartisan support. And if Illinois ends up with a capital budget, construction firms will be jockeying for millions of dollars in new infrastructure contracts. Senators should be allowed to vote on House Bill 1.

* License plate covers will get you a ticket

* Lake Shore Drive bus lanes?

* Developer says city is trying to crush lawsuit with zoning threat; more here

* John Kass: You scratch our back, we’ll stab yours

* Joliet officials fault Silver Cross Hospital’s moving plan

* Friday Beer Blogging: Matt lynch edition

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 8:06 am

Comments

Wow, if Daley’s administration says it, it must be true. Only 24 homeless (got change?). Perhaps they can do what Atlanta did and ship the homelss to all points away..like Indy, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Iowa.

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 8:35 am
The dedicated bus lane idea is one who’s time as come. I’m not from the Chicago area, but I recently returned from a trip to Ireland and the UK, and everywhere we went, there were dedicated bus lanes. It made getting places so much quicker, and since they were dedicated, you didn’t have to worry about getting hit by cars while you are waiting for the bus. The bus system in Dublin, especially, was terrific!!!!

Comment by Miranda Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 8:48 am
House Bill 1, legislature to crack down on pay-to-play politics one of the first pieces of legislation to emerge from the 95th General Assembly, passed the House 116-0.
What’s the holdup?
Because it’s all about the BENJAMINS with ROD BLAGOJEVICH!

Comment by Fitz where are you? Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 8:55 am
A lucrative law firm job still can’t compete with the glamor/macho of being Cook County State’s Atty. Maybe Devine pushed Todd Stroger too publicly on those salary bumps for state’s attorney.

There is an opportunity for leadership here, but the Dems probably won’t take it. An opportunity to prosecute real crime more aggresively and intelligently while reducing the number of nonviolent drug offenders entering our very expensive state penal system and reducing the disproportionate number of minority, mainly African American, children being placed in the equally expensive state foster care system.
Even if this means the loss of lucrative county and state jobs.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:02 am
Silver Cross just built a totally new wing what, ten years ago? Earlier? Why do they need to move?

Comment by So Ill Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:05 am
Only 24 homeless live in downtown Chicago, says census
Ya right, what is Daley and is people smoking?
Wonder who they paid off to come up with number.

Comment by Right Richey Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:06 am
I couldn’t believe the mayors statement either. I went for a walk around my little part of the neighborhoos this morning and counted half that amount sleep in Loyola Park alone. Two were sleeping at the Morse Avenue EL.

Then he mentioned government only works 9-5. That explains a lot.

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:12 am
Couple of typo’s, sorry. That should be neighborhood. Not neighborhoos.

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:13 am
I do live in Chicago and I think a HOV lane on LSD is a GREAT idea. (HOV would be for all vehicles with higher occupancy.)

I know people who have started driving downtown because the “express” buses are not. The high parking fees are of no consequence to them; never has been. They would prefer to ride the bus but not when it takes so much longer than driving yourself.

Comment by RBD Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:15 am
“‘Why do we need two newspapers in Chicago?’ the guy from Merrill Lynch asked. ‘Shouldn’t these things just be mashed together?’”

I’m flabbergasted. Merrill Lynch just moved up significantly on my list of companies to hate.

“Comptroller Hynes long ago tired of waiting for the governor and lawmakers to do something; he directed his office to follow a self-imposed pay-to-play ban.”

Kudos to Hynes on this.

“We understand that Senate President Jones has been busy with budget talks and electricity rate relief legislation.”

I don’t think that the media should be so understanding with Jones on this issue. He needs to be called to task for holding up this bill.

“In 1998, the Chicago Department of Transportation studied dedicated bus lanes on Lake Shore Drive, only to drop the idea for two reasons: Logistics made it difficult and the volume of passengers using CTA express buses did not, at that time, justify the idea.”

Ummm… Did anyone ever at CDOT consider that ridership would INCREASE if the bus lanes made buses a quicker form of transportation? Also, why make these only bus lanes? Why not also implement car pool (HOV) lanes? It boggles the mind as to why we don’t already have car pool lanes on highways like I-55 and other parking lots.

“The Joliet City Council passed a resolution opposing a plan by Silver Cross Hospital to move to New Lenox from Joliet, citing concerns over its impact on the local economy, public safety and residents.”

The Joliet City council only has itself to blame. They have been promising Silver Cross that they would redevelop that neighborhood for more than 10 years without any real action. There’s now sewage running down the street next to the hospital. It was Silver Cross that bought the bar where drug deals were happening, tore it down, and donated it to the city–not the City of Joliet. In any case, Silver Cross need not consult with the City–they wanted to do all the research so that they would be able to answer all of the questions that would no doubt come up. In addition, the city can’t keep a secret, and what business would allow their strategic or operating plans to leak out?

In any case, Silver Cross will continue to serve the same indigent population that they did before–they will still be the closest hospital; but now, they will be able to do away with a 100+ year old building that prevents them from delivering state-of-the-art care. The current site presents significant workflow problems, and I know of at least one case where they couldn’t even get the equipment into a room to properly diagnose a patient–this is literally a life and death issue!

Comment by Squideshi Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:16 am
1. Sue Myerscough would make a good candidate. Rita Garman was a great candidate in 2002, so it’s not like she lost to someone unqualified. But giving up a job that pays $178K a year with no certainty of even winning a primary should be a serious deterrent.

2. Good for Dan Hynes. And good for the PJ Star. The GA should not go home until an ethics reform package is passed and signed by Blago. This should be tantamount.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:20 am
And I don’t believe Hizzoner’s report. 24 homeless people in Chicago? The only way that is even remotely believe is if every shelter, church and rehab facility is bursting at the seams. We have more than that in Springfield - or we’re at least close. That too is a shame.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 9:23 am
cassandra, just what is it you think the
State’s Attorney’s Office does? Police arrest,
and the State’s Attorney’s Office prosecutes,
or decides on a felony or gets an over-ride referral if they say no and the police want a felony(in the case of murder) or
in the case of Juveniles, cases are referred.
The State’s Attorney does not make a magic
decision to create drug cases. Once again,
I implore you, look at the arrests. they are
real. Look at victims. They are real. Victims
deserve justice.

The State’s Attorney’s Office needs someone who
understands how to prosecute. A former
assistant prosecutor would be nice. Is there
one among the pols who understands that the Office
is not some socially balancing experiment but a
professional office that goes after justice?

Comment by amy Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 10:36 am
Good point, Amy. State law needs to be change to address the problems with drug crimes. The States’ Atty has little impact in that regard.

Interesting that you mentioned the need for the next S.A. to have a prosecutorial background. I could be wrong, but isn’t Tom Dart the only name on the list of potential Dem candidates who has served as a prosecutor? I’m pretty sure Sufferdin, Quigley, Allen, and Brookins were all public defenders. Talk about an embarrassment of riches for a good opposition research guy! It’s not hard to imagine Peraica’s “Willy Horton” campaign ads if he runs against any of the four, is it? (….”He defended a rapist, now he wants to be your States’ Attorney. Which side of the law are you on Mr. ______________?”)

Comment by R.A. Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 11:31 am
Maybe Devine pushed Stroger too hard? That proves Cassandra has absolutely no clue. Tom Dart, Bob Milan or Anita Alvarez would all be good choices. They are the only prosecutors who have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Comment by Mad as Hell Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 11:42 am
Brookins was an ASA, but he seems not to remember
his roots. Dart was an ASA for at least a short time. Perhaps Devine should step
down, put Dart in the slot and give the Sheriff’s
Office to an African American in Law Enforcement.
Or coax one of the many African American former
Assistant State’s Attorneys who are now judges
to become the State’s Attorney.

Comment by amy Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 12:01 pm
Squid, RBD,

Hazy memory here. Maybe someone else wants to dig through the clippings.

When IDOT was putting together its plans for I-55/Stevenson reconstruction in the late 1990’s, they DID propose a HOV lane. It was at least in part a response to the Chicago area’s being a Clean Air Act ambient air quality ozone standard “non-attainment” area and a provision of the Act that would suspend access to federal highway dollars until the state took corrective action.

Well, public reaction to a Stevenson HOV lane was less than universally enthusiastic. Way, way less. “Car pooling today; Stalinism tomorrow” sort of rhetoric. Not getting political cover, U.S. EPA caved on the cutting off of highway money thing.

Last time I drove the Stevenson (by myself), did not notice any HOV lane.

Comment by Ivory-billed Woodpecker Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 12:33 pm
You are right Amy, Brookins was an ASA. He spent one undistinguished year in the office.

Comment by Mad as Hell Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 1:16 pm
The State’s Attorney reps at Juvenile Court play a huge role on whether to file to remove children who are believed to be maltreated on cases brought by citizens, police, DCFS, etc. And they turn down lots of them. Hundreds. They have discretion and they use it. That’s not bad. That’s good, although they could use it more.

Ditto the drug cases. The intake prosecutor decides whether to file, whether to divert,
what charges to file.

Our society traditionally has given state attorneys huge prosecutorial discretion. They can’t hide behind “state law.”

To us normal citizens, it looks a lot like Devine isn’t a pal of Todd Stroger, whatever reason he is giving for his departure.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 1:41 pm
According to his website, Brookins was both a p.d. and an a.s.a.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 10, 07 @ 2:01 pm