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* Tony Peraica was target of Riverside shots fired at home

* Sheriff Dart Troubled by Talk of more Budget Cuts

* Will County residents fear resurgent Peotone airport plan

Surveyors from the Illinois Department of Transportation have asked sheriff’s deputies to stand watch as they inspect the properties of homeowners hostile to the airport plan. Meanwhile, officials in rural Will Township and a local roads commissioner have drafted stern letters to lawmakers in Springfield, calling the proposal a disastrous waste of taxpayer money that would forever change Peotone’s rural character.

On a recent Friday, more than a dozen airport opponents staged a rally at Governors State University where Gov. Pat Quinn was scheduled to appear. A confrontation was avoided when the governor failed to show, but the residents didn’t leave without making their stance known.

“It’s nothing short of a total betrayal by Gov. Quinn, who is supposed to be the people’s advocate,” said Peotone area resident George Ochsenfeld, president of STAND (Shut This Airport Nightmare Down).

* Todd Stroger’s decision

* County Commissioner Laughs off Sales Tax Repeal

Commissioner Earlene Collins missed Tuesday’s surprise vote. At a committee meeting today on a different topic, she made a point to bring it up.

COLLINS: If we talking about saving money, getting rid - and especially now. Everybody want to lay off everybody. I don’t know how you going to violate these union contracts you already signed on to next year when you find out you don’t have any revenue coming in.

After her speech, when asked what she thought of the sales tax repeal, Collins laughed and walked away. Collins has been a key Stroger ally on the board.

* Alderman: 311 paperwork, bogus calls slowing pothole fixes

“There’s no corroboration — no reliability or verification of any of these complaints. Yet, we’re chasing ‘em and making pie charts and graphs and all kinds of gibberish to prove their productivity,” Allen said.

“These are asphalt guys. They’re not scientists. They’re not clerks. When they get done on a street, they’ve got to count how many potholes they fixed. They should just fix ‘em. I’m not saying shut down 311. “

* Chicago budget: City Hall to cut more costs

“When you talk about a glimmer of hope, I don’t know what that meant,” Daley said. “I don’t know where you see it. Maybe you see it in Washington, D.C., but I don’t think you’re seeing it across the country.”

* Mayor Daley says he can’t guarantee city won’t layoff some workers

Mayor Daley said today he cannot agree to a no-layoff guarantee — even if organized labor joins 3,600 non-union employees in taking two weeks off without pay by Dec. 31 and comp time instead of cash for overtime.

Last month, Daley threatened to lay off 1,600 city employees — none sworn police officers and firefighters — unless organized labor agrees to another round of givebacks to erase a $300 million shortfall.

* Elevator inspection: After Tribune report, Mayor Richard Daley promises to hire outside specialists to inspect elevators

* Northern Illinois company ready to purchase Wildwood Industries

* Chicago Moves Nearer to Goal of Creating 100 New Schools

Chicago is taking another step toward Mayor Richard Daley’s goal of opening 100 new schools by 2010. The district is calling on community groups, teachers, and school operators to submit proposals for its next round of schools.

* Crestwood water: At Village Board meeting, mayor refuses to answer questions about tainted well

* Crestwood to residents: No comment

* Pace buses may get traffic light priority

* Loves Park gets state grants to develop parks

The state will pump nearly a million dollars into developing two parks in suburban Loves Park.

City and Rockford Park District officials announced two grants of $400,000 each, obtained through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program, at a news conference this morning.

* The state of Illinois bicycling: It’s on a roll

* Is there a lesson here for Orland Park?

posted by Mike Murray
Friday, May 8, 09 @ 9:36 am

Comments

I feel bad for Tony and his family. I sure hope they find they people or person that is after him.

Comment by Boscobud Friday, May 8, 09 @ 9:56 am
Collins is a serious problem and it is well past time for her to retire. The Democrats need to find a competent candidate for that seat.

Collins is very frequently absent from county board meetings and so when she is there she doesn’t always seem to understand the issues I’ve written many letters to her about various county issues and never received even an acknowledgement. She is a classic tax and spend Democrat who followed Stroger Sr. and now Stroger junior because it is
easier than actually researching the issues and developing positions on her own. She really needs to go.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, May 8, 09 @ 10:14 am
FYI that Wildwood link doesn’t go anywhere.

Comment by yinn Friday, May 8, 09 @ 10:51 am
I hope Comm. Peraica’s troubles aren’t related to his politics. It doesn’t seem like it would. He’s had limitted success beyond the Commissioner level, and frankly, far too few people actually pay attention to County politics anyway. Heck I couldn’t pick out more than 1 or 2 of them in a crowd and I try to pay attention to it!

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, May 8, 09 @ 10:55 am
Let’s reserve judgement on the Riverside shoot-em-up.

First of all, it wasn’t his house that was hit.

Secondly, in the history of Chicago politics, it’s not unheard for such “intimidation” — bricks through windows, shootings, fires, etc. — to be directed at ambitious politicians who could use a little free publicity. Surprisingly, no one ever gets hurt.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, May 8, 09 @ 11:09 am
Slow down Wordslinger, throwing a brick through your own window when nobody’s in the office is one thing, but this is serious. You shouldn’t insinuate that a politician would put his neighbors lives in danger just to get his name in the papers. I’m no fan of the guy, but nobody is that low.

Comment by SweetLou Friday, May 8, 09 @ 12:58 pm