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* NEW: Roadblock sought in plan to shift IDOT jobs - Attorney looks to halt governor’s plan of moving 150 jobs to Harrisburg

* Vrdolyak to be fined for surprise plea?

The federal judge who handled the corruption case of Edward R. Vrdolyak is considering fining the former 10th Ward alderman because of his decision to plead guilty Monday — after potential jurors had arrived at the courthouse.

U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur said fees for potential jurors added up to nearly $6,000. He said Thursday he might make Vrdolyak pay it.

* Officials find additional evidence of insects

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has expanded its emerald ash borer quarantine area to include all or part of three central Illinois counties.

Woodford and McLean counties and part of Marshall County was added by the agriculture department to the quarantine area because the invasive insect was detected in those areas.

A total of 21 counties now are fully or partly quarantined

* Chrysler offering buyouts at northern Illinois plant

* Tollway plan for carpooling, interchanges gets test drive

Green lanes got a green light during a Thursday hearing sponsored by the state tollway into a plan to introduce carpooling and improve interchanges.

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority unveiled a $1.8 billion construction program in October that includes creating “green lanes” on highly used tollway segments, which vehicles with two or more occupants could use at no extra cost starting in 2010. Officials promise it will reduce congestion and air pollution and create jobs, but some have argued that after the agency spent years and billions on widening I-355, the Jane Addams, I-88 and the Tri-State tollways, it’s unfair to take away a lane for carpoolers

* Daley commission releases recommendations on improving City Hall

Download daleycityhallreport.pdf

* Foie gras ban comes back to bite elephant protection push

The ordinance originally called for an outright ban on using a bullhook on an elephant. But that clause was deleted after proponents failed to garner enough support for it, said Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th), who introduced the measure two years ago.

Smith said some aldermen withheld their votes because they feared they would be scorned for spending time on this issue, as they were after passing—and then rescinding—a ban on serving foie gras in Chicago restaurants.

* Elephant cruelty ordinance OKd

* Reilly taking up some of Natarus’ old crusades

At this week’s City Council meeting, Reilly proposed crackdowns that target two of Natarus’ pet peeves: billboards put up without permits and construction noise that keeps residents awake.

The billboard ordinance would dramatically increase fines for putting up a sign without a permit — from $6,000 to $10,000.

* Metra trains under severe delays

* Cook forest preserve budget approved; no tax hikes included

* Shaping up the hulk

The long renovation of Chicago’s “incredible hulk,” the old Chicago post office that spans the Eisenhower Expy., should start later next year, with office tenants probably the first new users in the space a couple of years after that, a developer of the project said Thursday.

* Lollapalooza may get Grant Park thru 2018

* How Sangamon voting machines were programmed to influence local races

* Friday Beer Blogging: Audacity of Hops Edition

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:03 am

Comments

Shadur’s possible fine of Fast Eddie is bizarre. Has that ever happened before?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:24 am
Rich, when I’m on my blackberry and I try to enter the password it never gets accepted. I’ve tried all sorts of different ways of doing it. Anyone else have this problem? (And yes, I’m doing all caps.)

Comment by HELP! I need somebody. HELP! Not just anybody. Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:26 am
undervoting

Some people need to accept that a lot of people WON’T vote for all races. Some, like me, wont’ vote for a certain candidate no matter what.

Many, choose NOT to vote in contests where they dont’ know the candidates, or dont care about the office.

So, annoying the MANY to get the few who are too lazy to check their ballot seems a very odd and very BAD idea to me.

Comment by Pat Collins Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:29 am
PC I agree. Who actually wants to vote for all those silly judge races? I voted no on 90% of them, but it is an annoying and futile process to say the least

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:48 am
I occasionally undervote, when I don’t see the benefit of one candidate over the other. In some judicial races, if I don’t know the judges, I’ll purposely skip that, too. I think any intelligent voter should. I don’t need to the computer to tell me how I just voted, thank you.

The headline of that article is ridiculous. The article even states that it had no impact on any races. I think it’s just a local voter disappointed that Sangamon County Republicans are strong enough to sustain even the Obama wave. I find the legitimacy of the charge questionable at best.

Comment by Amuzing Myself Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 9:53 am
Can someone answer the question: Where is John Kass’ scathing article about the felon Ed Vydolyak? He rants about every other convicted felon, but on Vrdolyak, he is silent.

Comment by Kass My Iss Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:02 am
>>>

Shadur is bizarre. Fast Eddie was smart to plead guilty. He would not have received a fair trial from Shadur.

Comment by Mad as Hell Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:10 am
Since when is it necessary to plead guilty before a jury is selected, or face the possibility of a fine?

Such a punishment is plain stupid if enacted!!!!!!!!

Comment by MOON Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:11 am
Also, for obvious reasons, a lot of voters in Sangamon County don’t want ANYONE, not even the election judges, knowing anything about how they voted (or didn’t vote).

Comment by Secret Square Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:12 am
I heard Ald. Reilly let loose on some folks at Tuesday’s meeting. Apparently they were whining about the budget but had no ideas as to what cuts they wanted. It is easy to yell CUT THE BUDGET but more difficult to say “cut this and this.”

I haven’t seen the story reported anywhere though.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:13 am
Kass is busy chronicling the Daley takeover of the world.

According to today’s column and an appearance this morning on Fox News, apparently Obama is just a stooge and Daley will be calling all the shots from the 5th Floor.

The dude is like Ahab.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:27 am
Assuming that Obama is “just like” Blago or Daley because they are all Chicago Democrats is somewhat like assuming that Ron Paul is exactly like George Bush because they are both Texas Republicans.

Comment by Secret Square Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:35 am
I trust that the latest expansion of the Tollway Empire won’t delay that great promised day when the tollways will be converted to freeways.

Comment by Jim Rockford Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 10:42 am
==Ron Paul is exactly like George Bush because they are both Texas Republicans.==
What? That’s not right?

Comment by Bill Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 11:07 am
Rockford-

It won’t.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 11:50 am
As I wrote in the blog post about, there are reasonable arguments for the decision to not alert people to undervotes. People here are making some good points. That’s the kind of discussion that should have happened publicly before the election when people could weigh in. At the very least, people should have been told about the change.

Making a significant change that effects undervoting in a year where high Democratic turnout is expected without informing voters or even election judges is inexcusable.

Comment by Will Friday, Nov 7, 08 @ 12:46 pm