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* Among City Hall insiders, O’Hare Airport is often referred to as “The Mayor’s Airport.” But Hizzoner’s airport has a problem…

A WGN-TV investigation that aired Monday night uncovered an infestation of mice and rats throughout O’Hare’s Terminal One — even among food service and preparation areas.

Vleugel says she saw “dozens and dozens and dozens” of mice during her hours at O’Hare in March.

Karen Pride is a spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation. In a written statement, she says the agency maintains “an aggressive pest control program” at the airport and works with airlines and vendors to mitigate pests.

* You can watch the WGN report by clicking here. The intro…

They’re on the floor and in your food. One of Chicago’s busiest locations is dealing with a rat infestation, and it’s likely you’ve eaten here before.

Yuck.

Seriously.

Yuck.

* But, of course, Daley himself is far more concerned with the absolutely inane “problem” of the hatred of children by Chicagoans who live near Grant Park…

Mayor Daley today accused opponents of his plan to build a new, $100 million Children’s Museum in Grant Park of engaging in political intimidation — a charge more frequently leveled against him.

It happened after the mayor was told that residents of high-rises surrounding Daley Bicentennial Plaza near Millennium Park were launching a petition drive to try and block the Grant Park plan.

“They’ll go start petition drives. They’re threatening everybody — your political life. They’re gonna defeat all aldermen. They’re gonna beat everybody in the world. But, one thing. Those children grow up and remember them,” the mayor said.

The opposition responds…

“It’s unbelievably ironic that the mayor is accusing us of intimidation. We’re just average citizens. Just because we disagree with him we’re the bad guys?” [said Peggy Figiel, co-founder of Save Grant Park.]

* Yep, rats and mice infesting O’Hare, potholes are so thick on Lake Shore Drive that it looks like the surface of the moon, a gang war that has claimed numerous lives, a crumbling CTA, taxes rising through the roof, and the thing that revs Daley’s motor more than anything is his goofy proposal to violate state law by putting a glorified McDonald’s Playland in Grant Park.

* Hey, mayor, if you want to save a museum, here’s one that’s about to go away. Maybe you could check into that.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 8:50 am

Comments

Perhaps this puts a dent in the mantra that Daley is a micromanager. He misses a few details apparently.

Comment by Levois Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 8:55 am
Those aren’t rats. They are patronage positions.

Comment by Bruno Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 8:55 am
Noone ever accused Daley of being the brightest bulb in the chandelier but lately he has really gone off the deep end. Pritzker and the girls must really be pressuring ol’ Little Dick and he is not taking it well.
Relax, Little Dick. Observe the alderman’s prerogative just like you would for one of your rubber stamps. Cindy and GG will get over it.
You look like your gonna have a stroke.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:01 am
I have heard that these mice are double-exempt because ‘dey was sent by someone’…..

Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:02 am
The link regarding Bruce Dumont’s Broadcast Museum is truly sad. I don’t think taxpayers should be funding ANY museum (or “non-profit”), but Dumont’s project is of more societal value than the Pritzker’s vanity “Day Care Center”.

Comment by Bruno Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:04 am
Double “secrete” exempt.

Comment by Dirt Guy Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:05 am
“Those children grow up and remember.”

Daley’s right on that. My twins are going to remember that Alderman Reilly and his friends fought to save their park, and Daley tried to destroy it.

I’ve seen reports that Reilly has over 35 votes. Daley needs to find a tactical retreat, or he is going to end up looking very weak. This is no longer a 42nd Ward issue. Now for the rest of the alderman, it has to be “we need to stop Daley here, or I will lose any control of my ward also.” Given that Daley put on a strong last minute push for Natarus last year and the public told him to pound sand, Daley doesn’t carry much weight in 42 anymore. If he does decide to run for reelection, it is pretty much a given that 42 will go for his opponent.

There are a lot of people with money [Streeterville types] who are busy scanning the field for the opposition next time. The more Daley pushes on this one, the larger the checks will be written.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:07 am
Is there anything in Chicago that actually works anymore?

What an overrated cesspool, led my overrated, greedy clowns.

Comment by tom73 Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:13 am
tom73,
Nice to see that you won’t be here. That’s good. I’m tired of these idiots coming into town who walk too slowly and drive the wrong way down one way streets. Stay home. It is best for all of us.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:16 am
For a political reporter, Bruce really was taken in by Blago. He should have known better to count on the governor or Oprah for anything. If the Harvey’s are tapped, maybe he should ask Limbaugh — he’s a champion of the 1st Amendment and the private sector, right? Put your money where your piehole is, Rush.

The project at State and Kinzie is really an eyesore. They had a nice thing going at the Cultural Center. Looks like a bridge too far now.

Daley alleging political intimidation is one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a long time. Fight the Power, Rich!

Credit to Reilly for hanging tough, but I suspect he’s being lied to by many aldermen. There are only a few wards in the city where Daley would want to break the aldermanic prerogative and Reilly’s is one. The rest he won’t bother.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:21 am
[…] Rich Miller has a great post exposing the Mayor for what he is - another big city hack failing his constituents (my words, not Rich Miller’s, BTW). Then again, if one understands who Mayor Daley’s constituents REALLY ARE, (Pritzkers, Allstates, Boeings), then he’s doing a bang up job. […]

Pingback by Given Daley’s behavior, “Children’s Museum” should move to City Hall | Extreme Wisdom Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:24 am
Don’t worry Skeet, with the 12% sales tax driving conventioners away, you will not have to worry as much about those tourists. Now people in the hotel and restaurant business may think otherwise.

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:31 am
Skeeter: So, love it or leave it, I guess? Yeah, that’s a path to global greatness for Chicago. Please note: In general, assumptions usually are wrong.

Comment by tom73 Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:37 am
Wumpus and Tom,
I sure haven’t seen any impact from that tax. Hotel rates sure don’t seem to be falling. Despite Tom’s “cesspool” categorization [odd that he would rip me for “general assumptions” after referring to Chicago as a cesspool, but perhaps that distinction makes sense to Tom], the streets in my area are packed. The biggest problem that I have (other than the fact that Daley wants to put a building is my park), is that with the huge amount of construction, a lot of sidewalks are closed. All those workers putting up high rises seem pretty happy.
How are things in your area? How many 50+ story buildings going up around you?

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 9:49 am
Yes.
We have a rat problem.
But they keep getting elected.
I guess voters like rats.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:06 am
Skeet, the trend is that conventions are already going other places due to the costs of doing business in Chicago could not be helped by an tax increase. I don’t want 50 story buidings going up around me, i live in a residential suburban area.

The big cesspool in Chicago is in City Hall and the COok county building.

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:27 am
Thanks for ruining my next O’Hare experience. I used to look forward to a Chicago-style hotdog for lunch and a Cinnabon to take on the plane.

I guess this is just a new twist on Chicago-style. I’ll be looking very closely at the poppy seeds on the bun.

As far as the mayor goes, what do we expect? The voters keeping indicating they want style over substance. Thus we get a Governor and a Mayor interested in putting forth flashy new projects while everything else falls into disrepair.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:28 am
Let’s be honest Wumpus: Conventions, to the degree that they are leaving, are going other places because those places have:

1. Warm weather; and
2. Gambling.

Further, there are some costs due to union regulations at McCormack place that are turning some conventions away.

We can’t do much about the first, the religious right is doing a good job of stopping the second, and the word on the street is that the unions are becoming more reasonable on the third.

The 12% tax you mentioned has nothing to do with it.

Wumpus, whether or not you like 50 story building, they bring a ton of jobs and they are a good sign of the economic health of the city. You don’t start a building like that unless you have confidence that you can sell the residences and/or rent the commercial spaces and in the 42nd ward, all you see are construction cranes.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:37 am
“Those children grow up and remember.”

Scene, lakefront nursing home, 2040 A.D. (or BCE for the PC):

Receptionist: Can I help you?

40 Yr Old Man: Yes, I am looking for Peggy Figiel.

Receptionist: Well, she doesn’t get many visitors. Her head is in room 9742, 97th floor. She waiting for her cloned body replacement, but with USNationalHealthCare, she’ll be waiting a while.

40 YOM: That’s OK, I definitely want to see her now.

(Scene change, Room 9742):

Figiel: Yes, who’s there?

40 YOM: SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW! You didn’t know me when I was a child, and you wouldn’t know me now!

Figiel (distressed): What’s going on? What are you doing her?

40 YOM: After 25 years of therapy, my group has figured it out. We live desparate and hollow lives, alienated, depressed, and withdrawn. I’ve never married and have never held a job for more than two years. Finally, we achieved a theraupuetic breakthrough, and we learned what the cause of our damaged lives!

Figiel: What? What is it?

40 YOM: WE WERE ROBBED OF OUR CHILDREN’S MUSEUM!! Instead of the opportunity to visit, once a year, a wondrous subterranean environment of play and learning stimulation, my friends and I were forced to engage in conventional recreation and learn by books and computer. Oh, how full our lives would have been had we only had our museum!

Figiel (weeping): How could we know? We were driven crazy by the traffic and only wanted it to stop. Alderman Reilly said everything would be OK!

40 YOM: Your weeping won’t save you now, you craven activist! We will get you all…

TO BE CONTINUED….

Comment by Conservative Republican Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:46 am
Skeet, I never spoke ill of the 50 story building, I just don’t want them in my neighborhood as it is a neighborhood and a towering building would look a little out of place.

You are silly and naive if you think only the religious right (like they are anything more than noise in the city anyway) are the only ones who oppose gambling.
It is too early to see what the further increase in taxes have to do with tourism, but I bet that it will not draw addtl people to the city.

Not all the people can afford to live in the 42nd, so they don’t get to live in the wonderful area that you do.

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:58 am
Compared to other airports, O’Hare is a miserable experience. Billions and billions spent in remodeling it will still leave O’Hare as a miserable experience.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 12:17 pm
It’s not miserable as long as the Cinnabons and hotdogs can be certified rodent dropping free! It seems like such a small thing to ask.

But, why deal with real issues when there is a museum to fuss about. Maybe Daley will put up the museum the way he took down Meigs. The opposition better be ready for the midnight dozer crew.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 12:30 pm
Now if only there was a way to combine Ed Burke’s feral cat ordinance with the airport problem…

As for CCM, it’s almost as if Daley knows something is wrong under the streets at lower Randolph and Columbus. This is pure speculation, but maybe something to do with a park that was hastily constucted nearby? Or a city built parking garage and its bonded-out revenues?

His over the top reaction makes me wonder what this is really about.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 12:55 pm
The kicker for me lately was hearing Da Mare talk about the Wrigley deal and appearing more concerned about Wrigley’s shareholders than anything else. Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but the real Chicago–people like me, who were born in the “inner city” and lived our whole lives here–can’t afford $500K condos and is leaving the city, bit by bit, and will never return.

Comment by Third generation Chicagoan Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 12:56 pm
Regarding conventions, hotels, etc.

Tourism is doing quite well. Occupancy and Average Daily Hotel rates are as good as they’ve been prior to 9/11. Michigan Avenue is crawling with Brits and Germans flexing their Sterling and Euros.

Conventions are not as robust as they used to be for a number of reasons, some in the city’s control, some not. The biggest reason is simply more competition. There’s a glut of convention space on the market.

Chicago’s two biggest competitors, Las Vegas and Orlando, have advantages in weather and labor costs. I’ve never seen a survey that showed anyone chose a convention or meeting site for gambling. Shows are for-profit; they want their people on the floor, not in the casinos.

Chicago’s biggest advantages are central location, air access, and a true cosmopolitan experience (musuems, restaurants, shopping, etc.) in a concentrated downtown area. A big drawback for many shows is the distance from McCormick Place to downtown.

And as far as Chicago being a cesspool — I’m at Michigan and Wacker, the sun’s out, the flowers are in bloom, the boats are on the river and the girls in their summer dresses are passing by. I’ll take it.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 1:48 pm
I like the Mayor’s plan for the children’s museum, even if freshmen alderman do not. When do they get to dictate city policy? pay dues first.

Comment by Will Clark Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 3:20 pm
Yes, I saw all those middle-aged Moms and their intimidating children on the news. We can’t allow them to threaten and intimidate our elected officials by politely exercising their rights to free speech and to petition their government for grievances. Wherever might that lead? Anarchy! Thank God for Mayor Daley’s benevolent and far-sighted leadership. No need to hear from the public on this one!

Comment by Chicago Guy Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 3:30 pm
Someday Daley will win a victory in his lifelong, underdog battle against The Man. No longer will pesky petitioners and the media and citizens who ask him questions keep him down.

Comment by Independent Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 5:03 pm
WHO OWNS THE UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE AT MONROE STREET? COULD IT BE THAT PROJECTED REVENUES GIVEN TO THE INVESTOR GROUP HAVE FALLEN WAY BELOW EXPECTATIONS? I THINK 47th IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
KOHL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IN GLENVIEW HAS DONE IT RIGHT. I THINK THE STATE HELPED UNDER SCHOENBERG’S PUSH.

Comment by Loyal Alumn-Uof I 65 Tuesday, May 6, 08 @ 10:28 pm