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* Please keep it Illinois-centric and be nice to each other.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:33 am

Comments

Anybody finding many morels?

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:35 am
I’m stuck in Portland Or. Missing the morel season. Have the spouse checking the yard where a few pop up every other year. Nothing yet. Good luck to everyone looking for them.

Comment by FormerParatrooper Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:37 am
Souldn’t Speaker Madigan be holding the football in the “*Yoink*” ad?

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:43 am
Isn’t Madigan Charlie Brown in that?

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:43 am
Our baseball teams are 7-9. I haven’t been following, but didn’t they have a rough stretch in there, losing games in a row? Yoan Moncada had a multi-dinger night last night for the Sox. Tim Anderson is on fire.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:52 am
Any updates on the afscme negotiations

Comment by Beth Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:52 am
My grandmother used to go morel hunting every year. She would bring in baskets full of them.

She refused to tell anyone where she found them, and the secret died with her. Sigh.

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:53 am
Worthwhile read on the Emanuel years in Chicago Mag. The tronc edit board might want to have someone read it to them for just the facts on changing city demographics alone.

–In the mid-2000s, Tom Tunney, the alderman of one of those wealthy lakefront wards, which Emanuel would carry with 74 percent of the vote in 2011, told me, “In 25 years, the entire city is going to look like this. It’s going to be Manhattanized. There’s nothing anyone can do about it. There’s too much demand for land in the city.”

“Then where will the poor people live?” I asked him.

“In the suburbs.”–

Or Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston…

Somewhere, Chris Kennedy is thinking, “when I pointed out what was obviously happening, people got really mad at me…”

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2019/What-Rahm-Emanuel-Leaves-Behind/

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:58 am
The obnoxious brush honeysuckle that has invaded southern Illinois is ruining prime morel habitat.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 9:59 am
Speaking from the sidelines, I think Gov. Pritzker is losing an opportunity here. If he had started out preaching budget austerity first with a few needed changes/additions, it would make his case for additional revenues more compelling. For example, start with cutting agencies’ budgets 5% and have them make the case for anything beyond. I’ve seen this done effectively before (e.g. Edgar his first year as Governor). In my experience, this gives the agencies an excuse/opportunity/incentive to improve from within. Right now, I believe the expectation is that the money will be there so avoid the pain. Just a thought.

Comment by Res Melius Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:09 am
Day 93 of the JB admin and most agencies still have roughly 80-85% Rauner appointments in office. I understand agency heads have been replaced but the day to day issues are still being handled by Rauner appointments.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:14 am
@ Blue Dog Dem
Had a plate full of morels last night! Found in Macoupin County. Why are they SO good???

Comment by Previously Known As ? Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:14 am
~Those who mocked him as a last minute replacement haven’t been paying attention. We’re going to hear more from this kid, and I dont mean a postcard.~ wordslinger

8/17/18, about Mayor Pete Buttigieg replacing an ill Joe Biden as a speaker.

Comment by NC guy Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:16 am
=Somewhere, Chris Kennedy is thinking, “when I pointed out what was obviously happening, people got really mad at me…”=

Kennedy seemed to be his own worst enemy, at least that is my take from a distance, and therefor he was not taken seriously. I lived in Lincoln Park in the early 90’s and saw the gentrification happening then- Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park were both under going major changes then, Cabrini just started coming down.

The process isn’t new and it isn’t great for Chicago.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:20 am
== most agencies still have roughly 80-85% Rauner appointments in office. I understand agency heads have been replaced but the day to day issues are still being handled by Rauner appointments. ==

If you are referring to the 4 year term appointments like SPSA’s, JB can’t fire them until their 4 year appointment is up. Then all JB has to do is fail to reappoint them. PSA’s are a different kettle of fish. You can’t really do anything with the ones in the union … and it seems the majority of PSA’s are now in the union.

If you are referring to Vinson appointments like Deputy Directors and Bureau Chiefs, most serve at will and can be replaced at any time.

Like it or not, it is designed that way to endure some continuity and consistency. If JB wants his own people in middle management, then he needs to create new (out of line management) positions to shuffle the Rauner holdovers in to, and put his own people in the line management positions, then eliminate the created positions as those people reach the end of their terms.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:29 am
RNUG, what is a Vinson appointment?

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:34 am
I get sick to my stomach when I see these silly cartoons from the Illinois Policy Institute in which all they do is criticize, condemn, and deride any attempt to solve the state’s fiscal problems. What have they offered in response? A big fat nothing burger.

If you ain’t a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.

Sit down, and shut the heck up.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:37 am
== In 25 years, the entire city is going to look like this. It’s going to be Manhattanized. ==

I don’t know how I feel about this. The reality is that there is a lot of good housing in some of the “bad” areas of the City like Garfield Park or Austin. There are some very beautiful grey and brown stones there. Will it become viable for people to rehab these houses one day? I think yes. Manhattan is an island. There is limited land, so you have to build up, and there will naturally be pressure to raise rents/property values. Chicago has room to expand.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:41 am
Why are they so good? Don’t know but maybe cause they’re so darn elusive.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:43 am
Thanks for the link, Word. A good read.

Tunney might be on to something. And it’s not just Manhattan…older cities like London and especially Paris have evolved similarly: a large wealthy urban core, surround by an inner ring of poor suburbs, surrounded by an outer ring of middle class and affluent suburbs. Plenty of signs of that forming in Chicago.

Comment by Roman Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:45 am
===a large wealthy urban core, surround by an inner ring of poor suburbs===

Mayor Richard M. Daley noticed that during his European tours. No coincidence that the Robert Taylor Homes were torn down and Section 8 limits tightened up at the same time, forcing residents to the south suburbs and beyond.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:54 am
Heck, my 6th grade teacher described the “dumbbell economy” of Chicago. Rich in the Loop and the outer suburbs, poor in much of the outlying city and inner burbs.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 11:00 am
== RNUG, what is a Vinson appointment? ==

Short version is someone with, non-civil service position that creates and implements policy. There is more nuance to it, but that gives you the general idea.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 11:13 am
I know that this is not exactly a new issue—but I find the recent blow up around Effingham wanting to separate Cook County from the rest of Illinois really depressing. A few years ago, I would have probably found the idea laughable. But given the state of the country, I feel like this idea deserves a more serious response—not because I think it would happen, but because I think it points to significant problem in our body politic. I know this sounds—and maybe it is—naive and sentimental—but we’re the Land of Lincoln. We should find ways to honor that legacy. I’m not sure what this would mean in practice—maybe some kind of bipartisan response from state gov that seeks to strengthen a sense of unity. Am I the only one that feels this way?

Comment by Interested Observer Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 11:21 am
Blue Dog Dem- I hear you about the Japanese Honeysuckle. We bought a weed wrench to take them out on our property.
Folks in Northern Madison are reporting and showing on FB a bumper crop of Morells. God I love them. Seriously

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 11:38 am
==Mayor Richard M. Daley noticed that during his European tours. No coincidence that the Robert Taylor Homes were torn down and Section 8 limits tightened up at the same time, forcing residents to the south suburbs and beyond.–

Same with the Henry Horner homes on the Near West Side. It’s been the obvious, if officially unacknowledged, game plan for decades. All it takes is eyes and a functioning cerebrum to see it.

–While the African American population is expected to drop to 665,000 by 2030 — half what it was in 1980 — whites are the fastest-growing ethnic group. The Loop and its adjacent neighborhoods are gaining population, while the South and West Sides are declining. For the first time, Lake View has surpassed Austin as the city’s most populous community area.–

With all the corporate hqs moving into the Fulton Market neighborhood, keep your eyes on East Garfield Park as a not-so-future gentrification market.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 11:43 am
I totally agree with comment by Interested Observer.

Comment by cc Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:01 pm
I declare the morel as the State Fungi.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem. Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:12 pm
Thanks, cc. So at least there are two of us. Rich, I don’t know if you’re still looking at the Open Thread, but is this something you’d be interested in facilitating—some kind of Illinois unity discussion? I don’t think there’s anything else like Capitol Fax in the state that brings so many parts and perspectives from the state together. Like I said, I know this sound naive and sentimental—but we have to find ways to better than the differences that would otherwise divide us.

Comment by Interested Observer Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:15 pm
I have seen a number of discussions on the fact that Lakeview and the north Lakefront have gentrified, which is obviously true. They may be smaller on a percentage basis but we should remember that there are still large numbers of poor people living in these neighborhoods.

Comment by City Guy Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:21 pm
–They may be smaller on a percentage basis but we should remember that there are still large numbers of poor people living in these neighborhoods.–

Gentrification is a gradual process, as is deterioration. But the trends are clear, when viewed over time.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:27 pm
–few dem county chairs have resigned over disappointment with Pritzker admin. Not sure if true but alarming if it is–

What would be “alarming” about it?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:32 pm
With some new Agency Directors not even operating with their own handpicked Chief of Staff and/or Deputy Directors, it seems their is some sort of holdup in hiring.

Comment by nadia Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 12:36 pm
oops, “there” rather than “their”

Comment by nadia Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 2:19 pm
Interested Observer, I’m with you. I hate it that these attitudes are being whipped up by our politicians down here. An exchange program, perhaps?

Comment by Still Waiting Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 3:09 pm
== keep your eyes on East Garfield Park as a not-so-future gentrification market.===

Not too long ago i lived in E. Garfield Park and drove through it the other night and was shocked at much it has already changed in such a short time. The Hatchery at Kedzie and Lake is already a sort of sore thumb of new development.

Comment by Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 3:30 pm
Still Waiting, Cc,

I don’t know what the answer is—but I know there has to be more Illinoisans like us who want to bring people together around a shared sense of civic duty. Rich, if this sounds intriguing at all—I’d do whatever I could to help—and I bet others would too

Comment by Interested Observer Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 3:48 pm
A large part of why I started reading Rich’s blog, and why I stick around, is because there’s a great big not-Chicago part of the state and I should be paying attention to you guys as well.

Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 5:09 pm
Will the link is about Puerto Rico, historically hasn’t McKinsey been at the pinstripe patronage trough here in Illinois?
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/mckinsey-in-puerto-rico.html?fbclid=IwAR2evvl0oYO6cLSbjdZFji-jC21u4xDaryvrFdd8HF-Xd0_s0B7sZKMvv5c

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 5:15 pm
Apparently someone in the Governor’s Office reads this blog …
https://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20190417/bernard-schoenburg-ward-5-ald-proctor-loses-state-job

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Apr 17, 19 @ 10:50 pm

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