Inconveivable

Blago to speak before heading to club fed.

His announcement that he will make a statement said it would start precisely at 5:02, enabling prime time news to lead with his remarks.

Attorneys for the disgraced governor have said he wants to depart in a dignified way, without a media frenzy.

He was sentenced to 14 years and is going to a prison in Colorado. It is unlikely he will do 14 but he'll be gone a good long while. I haven't sung the praises of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is a while. He has been on a crusade to clean up Illinois politics. And while crusades have a deservedly bad name I fully support Fitz on his.

Sign It Already!

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has a bill on his desk that would repeal the death penalty in Illinois.  We know that the death penalty is misapplied.  Twenty people in Illinois have had their death sentences over turned or commuted because of problems in their prosecutions.  Yes, reforms have been implemented but any human system will have errors.

It is time we realize that this state - or any state for that matter - cannot effectively and accurately perform capital punishment.  It is time to once and for end the possibility of a the state putting an innocent person to death

Sign the law, Governor.

Illinois Tax Hike

It's crazy. We, the people of Illinois, are a demanding lot.

We want functioning schools. We want a small teacher to student ratio. We want teachers that can teach advanced placement classes and teach learning disabled students. We want colleges that will prepare our young adults for careers, to lead us in advanced technology and scientific research.

We want good roads. Roads that are not full of pot holes and are plowed of snow. We want buses and trains to run on time or some proximity of it. We want the drivers on our roads to be properly tested to make sure they are safe. We want safe cars and trucks and semis on the road. We want those cars, trucks, and semis to run relatively clean so that our air isn't full of smog.

We want policemen to patrol the highways and prisons to lock up criminals. We want courts and judges to try those accused of crimes. We want those guilty locked up and a system that doesn't lock up the innocent. We want courts to adjudicate our civil disputes so they are not being solved with baseball bats and guns.

We want hospitals. We want to know the doctors, dentists, and nurses we see are qualified and won't be killing and maiming us through incompetence. We want safe retirement homes to be open and available for our old and frail.

We want our state to attract businesses where we can make a living. And we want businesses in our state to be honest and fair. We want insurance companies that offer policies that actually protect our lives and property and pay when we have actual claims. We want safe food in our stores and restaurants. When the pump at the Shell station says we just purchased 17.3 gallons we want that number to be accurate so we're not being ripped off. We want utility companies that provide safe and reliable services. We want business to honor the warranties they offer us.

We want buildings inspected so they don't collapse. We want our homes made of materials that will not poison us or our children.  We want state parks.

We want all these things and so much more.  Now, now we will begin to pay for what we want.

Ryan Release

My opinion is torn.

Former Illinois Governor George Ryan has asked for a temporary (at least) release from prison to visit his dying wife of 50 years.  My humanitarian side wants to see him allowed to be at her side.  This is especially true when I consider that some of the charges Ryan was convicted on have been subsequently ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.  Ryan is probably serving time he should not be at this point.

On the other hand if Ryan is allowed to visit his wife it will have the feel of a special privilege for a politically connected, white collar man.  Do convicted burglars get the same option?  I honestly don't know the answer but if they do not then neither should Ryan.  I'm also sure that when Ryan was in office he would have opposed said burglar getting a temporary release to visit a dying spouse or parent.  For those reasons I also have moments when I want to tell Ryan, you did the crime now do the time.  Not being there with your family in a time of need is part and parcel to being imprisoned.

Another One Bites The Dust

Luis Gutierrez, Jesse Jackson Jr., Mike Quigley, and now Tom Dart. How many more people will receive their dead fish?

Rahmbo

I shook Ramh's hand outside the Addison Stop this morning. He was surprisingly short in my opinion. Also, happy he didn't pass me a dead fish.

1989

Richard M. Daley assumed the office of Mayor of Chicago in 1989 after defeating Eugene Sawyer in the primary and Edward "Slick Eddie" Vrdolyak in the general election. That was 21 years ago. Let's take a look at what else happened that year.

• LP Cards Fan graduated from Downers Grove North High School
  
• The Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Earlier in the same year Exxon Houston ran aground in Hawaii and spilled 117,000 gallons of oil.
  
• Word Perfect 5.1 and the first version of HTML were released.
  
• In Politics
  
  • George H. W. Bush assumes the Presidency of the U.S.
    
  • Bush would sign legislation banning smoking on most domestic flights.
    
  • Bush would propose the 1st constitutional amendment banning flag burning. It went down to defeat in the Senate
    
  • Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Panama
    
  • Mikhail Gorbachev is named the Soviet President
    
  • The Soviet Union's army pulled out of Afghanistan.
    
  • The Tiananmen Square massacre took place.
    
  • The Berlin Wall fell.
    
  • The B-2 stealth bomber took its first test flight. "Too bad" the Cold War ended.
    
  
  
• In Sports
  
  
  
  • Game 3 of the World Series between the SF Giants and Oakland A's was interrupted by an 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The A's, lead by Tony LaRussa went on to sweep the series.
    
  • Michael Jordan scored his 10,000th NBA. He had yet to win a Championship ring.
    
  • The Dallas Cowboys selected Troy Aikman as the #1 pick in the NFL draft.
    
  • Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers struck out his 5,000th batter, Rickey Henderson
    
  • Pete Rose was banned for life from baseball
    
  • Billy Martin died in a truck crash.
    
  
  
• In Entertainment
  
  
  
  • The Game Boy was released
    
  • Back To the Future II, Batman, The Little Mermaid, Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure, and When Harry Met Sally hit the theaters.
    
  • Rain Man won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
    
  • Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Mel Blanc, Irving Berlin, and Bette Davis died.
    
  • Disney's MGM Studio theme park opened in Orlando, FL
    
  • Madonna's "Like a Prayer" premiered on worldwide Pepsi commercial.
    
  
  

Let The Games Begin

All holy hell is about to break loose in the city of Chicago. Daley has done a fantastic job of keeping competing groups in line by distributing the money and appointing the right people. That power, the power of the purse, will remain in the hands of the future mayor.

So who's going to run? Every group in Daley's coalition is going to want to control that power. None of the alderman openly wield any power. They've all been sycophants for the Mayor. The Cook County board has torn itself apart after the death of Stroger The Elder. I suppose John Daley is fairly strong but will he really be able to take over after his brother? I doubt it though. Cook County Assessor James Houlihan may be the closest you can get to an assumed candidate. I think you will see some local U.S. Representatives get in the race. Look for Jesse Jr. and Luis Gutierrez to look into a run.

Of course there is the Wild Rahm Card. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, has expressed a desire to be mayor but did not want to run against Daley. He's also said he doesn't want to be in the Admin for the long haul.

I think we might be in for another period of city strife that will resemble the Council Wars. I know how racially tinged those were but I hope the battles fought are not grounded along those lines.

I'm rubbing my hands together in anticipation of all the fun!


UPDATE: D'Oh! I forgot about the Madigans. They may or may not run but they are some serious power brokers from the south side.

"If I put this up your butt"

The final evidence is in, Mayor Daley is frothing-at-the-mouth lunatic.

NOTE: Not that we needed more evidence.

Extracting His Last Dime

Philip A. Pagano, executive chief of Metra since 1990, has been on administrative leave all month as he was being investigated for financial irregularities. There were actually 3 investigations going on. One, by Metra's own investigator, into whether or not Pagano was inappropriately cashing in future vacation time. One by Cook County states attorney into financial irregularities. And one by federal prosecutors into misuse of federal transportation funds.

Pagano, apparently feeling the heat, decided he'd had enough. This morning he decided to step out by stepping in front of a Metra train. One might say it was a vaguely poetic end.

One should also realize his apparent last act was to cause a major delay to the system he once ran. An act that will cost Metra and the local authorities money to clean up and investigate.

What Part of "No" Do You Not Understand?

Illinois has implemented a new cell phone and driving ban in school zones.

Since the law took effect Jan. 1, officials have scrambled to inform parents who dial away while performing the daily rite of dropping off or picking up their children amid a thicket of cars, buses and darting pedestrians. Many find the law confusing, and even some police officials complain that it will be difficult to enforce.

Let me put this simply. When you approach that sign that says "SCHOOL ZONE" hang the f*** up. Of course, really all the "confusion" is just subterfuge for "it's all about me."

"Personally, I think the police have better things to do than sit in the parking lot of schools and watch for people talking on the phone," said Sue Anderson, a parent at Rose Elementary School in South Barrington. "Am I guilty of it? Yes."

That is, of course, they have something better to do until lil' Susie is run over by Bobby's dad who was juggling calls between his broker and his mistress.

Today's Stat II

$32,000,000
$25,000,000
< $25,000,000



Respectively:
2006 Chicago city revenue from cigarette taxes,
2008 Chicago city revenue from cigarette taxes,
2009 Chicago city revenue from cigarette taxes

And they are surprised!?!

"In most places, tax increases lead to increased revenues," said David Merriman, a University of Illinois at Chicago economist who has studied cigarette-tax avoidance worldwide for 15 years. "Chicago would be the only place I know of where it's gone the other way."

Did these guys ever play Sim City? When you raise taxes too much people avoid them. They go some place else or they stop using the item being taxed. It's really Econ 101.

I predicted this back when the smoking ban and the big cigarette tax hike hit at more or less the same time. And I disagree with the sentiment that this is the first time it has ever happened. I remember a news magazine show from many years ago - I was probably still in college - about the California cigarette tax hike. The revenue was directed at anti-smoking campaigns and as the rate of smoking fell the revenue fell so low that it stopped covering the cost of the anti-smoking campaigns.

Decision Day

A little over 2.5 hours from now the IOC will announce the city that will host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Chicago, by some measures, is the favorite and our big competition is Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

I'm of mixed emotions. It would be terribly disruptive to the Chicago and with our politicians we'll be hit by even higher corruption taxes. On the other hand it will be exciting and a true opportunity for some money making. My brother in the construction industry could very well benefit and there will be thousands of people looking for places to stay during those two weeks.

I really don't know what city I'm rooting for.

UPDATE:
Hmmmm. It's Rio. I don't want to say I told you so...

UPDATE 2:
I haven't gone trolling for the reasons but I haven't heard or read anything that lays out the reasons Chicago lost the Olympics bid. Two things should be remembered. First, the IOC was not enamored with the temporary facility that Chicago had planned to build. Second, Chicago was very reluctant to sign an agreement guaranteeing full funding and even after the signing there was plenty of political maneuvering to limit the city's exposure.

Parking Meter Law Suit

A civic group has filed a law suit claiming Chicago's deal to privatize the city parking meters in unconstitutional. I don't expect it to go anywhere but I hope it does. Turning over public assets to private companies is bad policy on its face.

Why You Choose a Bench Trial

If you're on the inside, you get probation instead of jail time.

Judge John Fleming said he decided against jail time, explaining he did not believe the crime was serious enough and that throwing Abbate in prison would not be a deterrent to others.

Got that?

Men with badges don't deserve punishment. You only sentence them when it would serve as an example to others. Men, especially poor men, without badges are sentenced to exact punishment.

But ultimately this is the case crying out for an example. Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois in general have a well deserved reputation of corruption. The Chicago Police have a reputation for being excessively violent. Hear is another example confirming both of those reputations. Punishment is deserved in this case. But an example to others in power that they have to answer to the same laws as the rest of us is also gravely needed.

Power: Cook County Politics

It takes 4/5 of the Cook County Board members to override the veto of the County Board's President. That's an awfully high percentage and gives the president unbelievable power. Although the president is not a voting member of the board (unless, like John Stroger he holds the presidency and a board seat) the president is able to stop all legislation in its tracks.

We learn this little tidbit when 12 members of the board voted to repeal the 1% sales tax increase passed last year. President Todd "Toddler" Stroger has vowed to veto it. To override the veto the board will need 14 of the total 17 members to get on board. The outrage of the tax is pretty strong. Toddler seems in trouble (John Daley, brother of da mayor, told him he, "needs to listen for once.") but I think he can keep 3 of the board members on his side. Then again if
Richard is openly against it that could change the equation when board members start looking for campaign contributions.

Eric Zorn provides some back ground on this rule.

Back in 1870 when the requirement was written into the Illinois Constitution, Cook County had just 15 commissioners -- 10 elected at large in the city and 5 elected at large in the suburbs. By requiring a four-fifths majority to override, lawmakers intended to assure that city commissioners alone would not have veto power; that at least one suburban commissioners had to agree with any veto action.

The high threshhold became unnecessary in 1973 when a 6th suburban commissioner was added (two-thirds would have served the original purpose) and utterly pointless in 1994 when the board expanded to 17 single-member districts -- with some districts, such as Suffredin’s district, including both city and suburban communities.

Naturally, Mike Quigley has proposed changing the 4/5 rule but it went no where.

Another Embarrassment

What is this? Kansas? Throw the bums out! Every last one of them.

Burris To Stay

That has to be the most bland statement I could make right now. Of course he's going to stay. His own ego (see son, Roland, and daughter, Rolanda) would not allow him to quit. And, like it or not, he was legally appointed by then Governor Gonad and seated as Illinois' junior senator. So Gov. Quinn backing off calls for special election to remove Burris was just a matter of time. I'm no lawyer and don't play one on TV, but I just don't see how it would be legal to hold an election to remove a sitting Senator off cycle.

He's Gone!

Vote To Impeach: 59 - yes, 0 - no
Vote to Disqualify From Ever Holding Elective Office: 58 - yes, 1 - Absolutely, 0 - no.

St. Senator Meeks cast the "absolutely" vote. Earlier in the day he said, "We have this thing called impeachment and it's bleepin' golden."

Senator Oprah

I don't know if Oprah would make a good Senator or not. Either way, I don't believe this Blago tidbit in the least. Maybe a Fitzgerald recording will come out in the future of Blago discussing the idea but until then I will assume this is just another in a long list of lies and hyperbole to escape the soon-to-be-ex-governor's lips.