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* Opening a window on Daley’s piggy bank

So to keep your attention, we’re going to call them what they really are:

Mayor Daley’s private piggy bank.

Ald. Patrick Levar’s brother, who once oversaw construction contracts at O’Hare Airport for Mayor Daley, is a focus of a massive investigation of city aviation deals — a probe that’s also looking into possible women- and minority-owned business fraud, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

The airport investigation — first disclosed by the Sun-Times on Feb. 12 — is also looking into campaign contributions Ald. Levar (45th) got from airport contractors, sources said.

* Who’s making money at O’Hare?

Mayor Daley’s O’Hare Modernization Program could end up costing as much as $15 billion. So far, $751 million has been paid, under 18 construction contracts, to 227 contractors.

Most of the top contractors, listed below, have been involved in multiple construction contracts awarded by City Hall. The list shows which companies have been certified by the city as businesses owned and operated by minorities (MBE) or owned and operated by women (WBE). Also shown: political contributions by the businesses, their owners and affiliated companies since the mid-1990s.

* Chicago promising greenest Olympics in 2016 bid

* Report warns of flooding risk from lock failures in Illinois: One lockmaster says ‘People in Joliet probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if they knew how devastating the flooding would be because of a breach’

* ArcelorMittal Announces Layoffs

Starting tomorrow, 450 workers for ArcelorMittal Steel Company in East Chicago will begin a temporary layoff of two to three weeks. The layoffs are a result of worldwide weak demand for steel products, primarily in the auto industry.

* Credit crunch hits college kids

Financial aid is getting harder to find amid the economic downturn

* Economy jeopardizes public health building

* Meeting planned to discuss new wind farm in DeWitt County

* County renews push to control airport plans

* Impact of corn-based ethanol production studied

* Warring Unions Make Up

Two competing unions are calling a truce over representing Cook County health care workers. They say they’ll work together to fight looming budget cuts.

* Chicago Board of Education President Resigns

* Crowded buses to continue, CTA tells riders

* 2nd top DUI cop accused of false arrests

* Aldermanic race takes center stage of GOP infighting

A battle is raging for the soul of the Republican Party in Winnebago County. The front line is the aldermanic race in Rockford’s 14th Ward. The generals are:

* Kane Democrats: Illinois’ color is blue

* Democratic party leaders upbeat at Kane County event

* Economy, loss of casino fuel race

Mayor cites growth, but one foe hits Cellini ties, 2nd says city ‘falling apart’

Times are tough in north suburban Waukegan, and so is the Democratic primary race for mayor.

* South Chicago violence has residents living in fear

* Activists seek end to street violence

posted by Mike Murray
Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 8:32 am

Comments

In reality, the only green that those stogy IOC members care about is the cash they can make from an Olympics here.

Comment by fedup dem Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 8:42 am
===‘People in Joliet probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if they knew how devastating the flooding would be because of a breach’===

Yikes!!! Looks like I should relocate to higher ground in Joliet.

Comment by HoBoSkillet Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 9:06 am
The TIFs are a very nice piggy bank, indeed. But O’Hare is the goldmine. That’s why Pate and Lee Danies were so hot for it over the years.

I bet O’Hare always was the big prize for the feds, too ( what did Willie Sutton, say? “that’s where the money is”), but Blago just kept them too busy. Now they can get to the core of the story.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 9:33 am
Yup Wordslinger, the other shoe is dropping and it is landing on O’Hare. If those guys start talking-look out.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 9:53 am
Chicago activists are always trying to end street violence. They have my greatest support and sympathy but sometimes waving placards and screaming doesn’t cut it. They have to start thinking. And that’s hard.

Comment by Cassandra Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 9:55 am
More light on the Chicago way is the best antiseptic.

Looking at the gross numbers makes the mind boggle at the inefficiency and padding that goes on those contracts.

Seems like I heard a story claiming that the new runway that just opened cost more than the entire airport did in the beginning.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 9:58 am
Guys like Jeremiah Joyce and Tim Degnan were smart, they got their millions early on in the Daley Adminstration, construction, road contracts, supplies, concessions at O’Hare, cable tv, Navy Pier concessions, EAR towing they got the property for a dollar also ripped off City for $500.000 until a good reporter uncovered it, said it was a clerical error,etc. I Heard that Jeremiah Joyce has gotten over 50 million in the 17 or so years that Mayor Daley has been in power.

Comment by Bob Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 10:23 am
Wordslinger has taken the words right out of my mouth…if I am not mistaken, John Harris who was arrested the same day by da Feds as was his boss Blago, also worked for Daley in the recent past…I’ll bet nothing happena @ ORD involving highly lucrative contract awardance without Da Mares approval…how many buffers can a guy have? Some are already doin time for Hizzoner…

Comment by Anonymous45 Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 12:04 pm
lots of stuff happening here-John Harris’s brother Nanda was also a boss of Construction at O’Hare before being sent over to McPier to help “run things”

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Monday, Feb 23, 09 @ 12:37 pm
This year, I heard many people demand stricter gun laws because of the shootings of Chicago teenagers. Gun laws aren’t the answer. In Chicago, no one, except police officers and aldermen are allowed to own handguns. Chicago has a higher murder rate (number of murders per 100,000 people) than New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, and Miami. New York has more than twice as many people as Chicago, but, during four of the last six years, Chicago had more murders. Chicago criminals go to other towns, buy guns, and bring them to Chicago, knowing that the law-abiding people can’t defend themselves.

According to the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, by William Bennett, in 1960, about 10% of American babies were born out of wedlock. In 1991, the percentages were 65%, for Blacks; 30%, for Hispanics; and 25%, for Whites. When only one parent raises a child, it’s harder to teach the kid good morals, especially since many single mothers work two or three jobs, to make ends meet. When parents aren’t with their kids, many of their teenagers become criminals. Government can’t do much to change this. Each American should be more responsible and not conceive children until they’re married. Single fathers should show that care more about their kids by paying child support and spending more time with their kids.

Comment by ConservativeVeteran Tuesday, Feb 24, 09 @ 10:23 am