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* Deal near on partial rollback of Cook sales tax hike

Under a proposed compromise that has been the subject of a series of closed meetings in recent days, the board would repeal half of the one-cent-on-the-dollar hike that was adopted at the request of County Board President Todd Stroger.

The move would reduce the county’s sales tax levy from 1.75% today to 1.25%, effective Jan. 1.

Aides to Mr. Stroger failed to return phone calls seeking comment. But the president, who twice has vetoed bills to repeal the entire one-percentage-point increase but has said he could live with a one-quarter-cent reduction, is said to be willing to back the half-cent cut.

“My understanding is that the president would sign it,” said Commissioner John Daley, who heads the board’s Finance Committee. He said he is inclined to support the measure.

* Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods

Chicago is home to four of the top 25 most dangerous “neighborhoods” in the country, including a sliver of Washington Park that ranked No. 2, a recently released study of FBI crime statistics shows.

Folks who lived near 55th and State — less than two miles from President Obama’s house and the possible site of a future Olympic stadium — had a 1-in-4 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime each year between 2005 and 2007, according to NeighborhoodScout.com.

* Cop arrested for beating Waukegan chief

A North Chicago police officer is facing battery and assault charges after he allegedly pistol-whipped Waukegan Police Chief Artis Yancey.

The Lake County State Attorney’s office has charged police officer Carl Sain, 45, with beating Yancey, after Sain found Yancey in his estranged wife’s home.

* ‘Top cop’ accused of beating up chief

North Chicago’s “Officer of the Year” allegedly pummeled and seriously injured Waukegan’s police chief after finding him in his estranged wife’s home.

* Jurors award $21 million to man framed for murder allegedly by former Chicago cop

* Record verdict: Former gang member awarded $21 million for wrongful conviction

* High court ruling has unfairness in its DNA

And yet the U.S. Supreme Court last week, in a 5-4 decision that obsessed over procedural matters at the expense of actual justice, ruled that prisoners have no constitutional right to DNA testing that might prove their innocence.

* Olympic Team Knew City Could be on the Hook for Games

The head of Chicago’s Olympic bid committee says he knew “weeks ago” the city would have to accept full fiscal responsibility for the 20-16 Games.

He says revealing that information earlier could have resulted in negative publicity for Chicago.

* Ryan defends Daley’s Olympics switch, promises disclosure

* Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan to go before City Council, lay out insurance policies to protect taxpayers

* Chicago 2016 head says taxpayer risk ‘improbable’

* Train derails: Railway warned of washout by county

* Train derails: Other cargo could have made it worse

* Trail derails: ‘Significant’ fish kill may be tied to wreck

* CN critics: Accident raises safety issues

* U.S. cars catching up with imports

Ford and Chevrolet ranked virtually even with Toyota and Mercedes-Benz in the J.D. Power & Associates initial quality survey for 2009 vehicles.

The widely followed report issued Monday showed the Detroit automakers narrowing — and in some cases eliminating — a quality gap compared with overseas manufacturers. But the report also demonstrated that the competition remains tough, with Lexus, Japan-based Toyota’s luxury brand, producing the most trouble-free lineup.

* JP Morgan sues FBOP over $246M loan

Federal banking regulators hit Oak Park-based bank holding company FBOP Corp.’s largest bank with an order requiring it to raise capital even as JPMorgan Chase & Co. sued FBOP demanding repayment of a $246-million loan.

* 6,000 pounds of local ground beef recalled

* Levi, Ray & Shoup lays off 23 workers in pension unit

* Hartmarx mulls offers from 5 bidders

* Costly 911 center remodeling called a ‘waste’

The Daley administration spent $480,000 to modify 911 center consoles to accommodate 17-inch monitors instead of the current 15-inch models, even though the consoles themselves were about to be replaced, a source said.

Jim Argiropoulos, deputy executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, gave AT&T the go-ahead to modify the 107 dispatcher and call taker consoles. At about the same time, OEMC was issuing a request for proposals to furniture vendors interested in ripping them out.

* Tribune Co. could end up with bigger stake in Cubs

* Rockford seeks $2M in concessions from fire, police unions

* Even with cuts, Kane budget is still troubled

* Niles board member out because of his teen record

Today’s Niles village board meeting will be missing trustee George Alpogianis.

He resigned Monday over his teen criminal record for aggravated battery.

* Obama picks Evanston man for post of Great Lakes ‘czar’

* More uproar after DePaul picks interim law dean

posted by Mike Murray
Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 9:41 am

Comments

Chicago home to four of the most dangerous areas in the country, wow mayor Daley is doing a great job, the last thing that city needs is the olympics.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 9:45 am
If its so “improbable” that taxpayers will be left on the hook, why don’t Patrick Ryan, Mayor Daley, and the other members of Chicago 2016 put some of their own personal money on the table, as part of the guarantee?

Comment by Skin In the Game Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 9:47 am
Information relating to the ousted DePaul Law Dean Weissenberger, as well as a link to a student-sponsored petition for him to be reinstated at the University, can be found here:

http://www.unitedforweissenberger.com/

This decision to remove him is going to affect the students and the school to a great extent.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 9:54 am
Interesting to note that 11th and Cook St. in Springfield placed 13th on the list, ahead of any neighborhood in St. Louis, Detroit or Philly and the only place on the list from a small metro area.

Comment by ExPress Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 10:07 am
Nice to see Springfield get some recognition too…#13 on the most dangerous neighborhood list…
11th and Cook Street area… just a scant few blocks from the Linconmania sites.

Way to go Springfield…#13 but trying harder

Comment by one day at a time Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 10:12 am
WBBM Radio reports that the heat already has the emergency rooms overflowing with gunshot wound cases, and they’re getting “younger and younger.”

If you live in those neighborhoods, the threat of terrorism is very real, not some abstract, foreign notion.

If and when we ever wind down in Iraq, maybe we can devote the same resources to those battleground neighborhoods here.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 10:30 am
Maybe the new Dean can do something about all of those recent Law graduates that can’t pass the bar. Some things never change.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 10:33 am
I don’t know Cameron Davis personally, but I think Obama hit a home run with his appoitment of Cameron Davis as Great Lakes Czar. The Great Lakes are a tremendous economic asset. I predict that the fresh water will be a huge economic/ political issue in decades to come.

Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 11:06 am
Trustee-elect Alpogianis got a raw deal - there can be no argument that he has been completely rehabilitated vis-a-vis his teenage convictions. If there is any justice, Quinn will eventually pardon him.

My disabled clients and I eat breakfast in one of his restaurants regularly (Kappy’s) and I have been following this story in a suburban newspaper, The Bugle.

Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 11:16 am
The Springfield location is more dangerous than 2 out of 3 of the Chicago ones and anywhere in NYC (even Harlem and the Bronx).

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 11:49 am
Wow, four of the worst neighborhoods in the country and the West side isn’t even mentioned. Chicago’s got problems and that’s a fact. These areas need police saturation-not lip service.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 1:57 pm
Never let it be said that Mayor Davlin’s Springfield doesn’t work very hard to be top-ranked in all major surveys.

11th & Cook is also within earshot of..the police station, City Hall, and the County Jail.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Jun 23, 09 @ 2:26 pm
Obviously the area around 11th and Cook in Springfield is less than desirable… but c’mon, more dangerous than NYC, L.A. or Detroit? Even the people who live there don’t think it’s THAT bad. I’ve actually gotten off a bus there after dark and lived to tell about it! Something ain’t right about those stats.

Comment by Bookworm Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 6:14 am