Thursday, April 2, 2009
News / Clout City The Editorial Boards Speak
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 04.02.09 at 12:51 PM
The editorial boards for the Tribune and Sun-Times both endorsed the 2016 Olympics this morning.
Can't say I'm surprised. Signing on to big civic projects (i.e., boondoggles) is just the sort of position editorial writers for the downtown dailies are supposed to take, along with urging everyone to vote.
Still, I'd wondered how they would finesse it. Writing fluff can't come easy to trained journalists.
The Tribune noted that our days of Al Capone are behind us (though maybe they should tell John Kass) and cracked a joke about our city's penchant for electing Bosses (Chicago is the only city with a "democratically elected king"). Then, in another editorial, they moved on to the truly pressing issue of the day--taking another shot at county board president Todd Stroger, their favorite straw man. Because, you know, Stroger's the real reason why taxes are so high in these parts.
Over at the Sun-Times the editorial writers conceded that "hosting the Games is not without risk." Wow, way to take the tough stand, guys.... But they went on to assure us that "the risks are manageable, particularly with a bid team and mayor that are taking them seriously."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry after reading that one.
Meanwhile, on page eight, Fran Spielman and Tim Novak--a couple of the reporters who do the real heavy lifting at the Bright One--wrote an article headlined "Firm with HDO ties gets $17 mil. contract." Read it and weep. It talks about how trucking magnate Fred Barbara, whose "grandfather was one of Chicago's earliest organized-crime bosses and an associate of Al Capone's" (oops, don't tell the Trib), scored yet another big contract from the city.
On the same page, Spielman reminded readers of a 911 center cost overrun I'd almost forgotten. "The original price tag of $95 million was twice revised upward," she wrote. It wound up costing $217 million. As Spielman pointed out, "Chicago property owners will be paying for the new system until 2023 because general obligation bonds are backed by real estate taxes."
It's a good thing for Mayor Daley that the Sun-Times editorial board doesn't read the Sun-Times.
Comments (56)
Showing 1-50 of 56
Ben, you may have overlooked this nugget from ST: "If we believed that were true (money siphoned from city services to pay for the games), we would never back the Games." For whatever reason, they're ignoring Daley's announcement to TIF out the Village site. ... just sayin'
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When these same papers are wringing their hands over the investigative function of journalism, remember this as an example of how little they actually do it. The key is at the bottom of the Sun-Times endorsement, where they point out the corrosive effect of being excessively extreme. It needn't be an either-or, with-us-or-against-us scenario. Needn't be, but the papers are wholeheartedly pro-Games without really explaining why. What these papers both missed was the opportunity to say how it could be done better and how it could be done worse. Better might be to have real budgets and transparency in the process. Worse might be concealing the real costs. I guess those are my prejudices, but the papers are free to have theirs. I would be curious to know what these papers could dig up and present as arguments and evidence. As it stands, both the papers are acting as corporate cheerleaders for a pseudo-plan that is clear only insofar as it will cost a huge amount of money. I guess they're free to take that position, but the takeaway is just that both of our papers are lapdogs to the Daley Administration. That's not news, so once again we really didn't need them around. Maybe if both these corporate papers die, we can have some real journalism instead.
Now that the inflation-loving rag (the Sun-Times) raised its newsstand price by 50%, I have become like the Sun-times editorial board, since I won't read the paper either!
Both papers live on adds. As long as they do not have a policy on who buys those adds, they (Newspapers) become political tools, just like our Elected officials of this City, State and County. Money buys influence!
The real deal on the Olympics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQxp0lqimxU&feature=related
Ben, stick to the TIF dead horse. This type of writing is beyond your pay-grade.
Oh yeah, saw the pigs parading around the Hall today. Took some nice pictures of them. Say guys, don't be surprised to be assigned to an alley counting every red car that comes past (old schoolers will immediately know this inside joke).
I'm a pig living off the Daley troff. *oink oink oink oink squeal squeal squeal*
I'm not really anti-Daley as shown below: I supported Democrats for years until they worked for republican McAulliffe in 2000, against me in my race for State rep. Gore , Lieberman, McAulliffe that was Daley/Burkes palm card.
no nuttin cocopussy proves hiz a real dumb dumb again. George Ryan is a orangeman. He is a protestant. We real irish hate the north irish as much as the pizza benders. cocopussy is a idiot. keep postin you stupid jerk.
Could you imagine. CoCoRat takes orders from a Mexican. What a joke but this is true. CoCoRat does the dirtywork for babyavila. This is true. babyavila is a troublemaker but CoCoRat falls into his trap. How stupid is CoCoRat? Then again CoCoRat often disgraces his master in private conversation. The work of two jerkoff friends or are they enemies. Who knows but we do know they are snakes in the grass.
Of course the Trib and Times were gonna support the two-week party, suprise! Speaking of the 2016 Olympics; will the Trib and Times be around to report on the two-week party? Maybe our Mayor can hand over some of those TIF funds and give our papers a bailout.
Since when does “journalism”, real or otherwise, have anything to do with the Trib editorial page?
Esquire Frank Avila Jr should be installed on the Editorial Board of both newspapers. With him on board, we would get fresh honest news. Esquire Avila Jr is the brightest new face in Chicago. Keep up the great work Esquire Avila!
OK, I'll come clean. I took pictures of those cops for my personal use. I LOVE men in uniform.
More illuminations from the comments section of: http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/ "The unjustified punishment of officers has done more damage to the CPD than any other issue. This is why nobody will go beyond the minimum now. Stripping, suspending and firing innocent officers on trumped up charges demoralizes every officer on the job. If you unjustly hang one of our brothers or sisters, you hang all of us. We all feel the pain and we all know that it could have been us. Bill Cozzi and Larry Guy are just two of numerous others who have been unjustly punished or fired. I can't believe J-Fed is so ignorant and blind; he must GO NOW!!! Free Cozzi!!! We NEVER FORGET INJUSTICES!!! 4/04/2009 03:33:00 AM" & "It's funny how the F.B.I. and the U.S.A. pick and choose what and who they investigate. If a thorough Federal inquiry into the past disciplinary practices of the CPD ever takes place, watch out. Disparity of punishment, violation of civil rights, influence peddling, $$$'s (bribes), political clout? How long will it take? 4/04/2009 03:43:00 AM" & "Corrupt Daley is a bum. He can't look at the rank and file because he is so inept! Leadership starts at the top! Yes, the top! He hires third rate heads of departments and when the wheels fall off the cart, he and his surrogates blame the rank and file for their own short comings! Daley, please retire with some dignity, what little you have left! 4/04/2009 04:17:00 AM" & "Then stop the bid for the olympics! If you can't afford your day to day operations, then stop spending like idiots. We're allegedly in an economic crisis and this fool is gonna keep spending. f-him 4/04/2009 04:18:00 AM" & "Reasonable? Is he spouting that reasonable shit again? Doesn't Weis know that Officer Cozzi pled guilty in court to the state charge, was given probation and then served that probation along with a two year suspension. HE ALREADY TOOK HIS PUNISHMENT!! The charge was MISDEMEANOR battery/simple. If that is the worst case of brutality Weis has ever seen then he is a clueless moron who has no business coming within 500 feet of a police station. But we know that already. Let's get back to reasonableness, since the Superintendent places so much importance on reasonableness. Double jeopardy, Officer Cozzi was already convicted on a state charge of a misdemeanor. This happened two years BEFORE Weis ever blew into town. The punishments were all served. Then Jody Weis, quite UN-reasonably, referred the case to his pal, the FBI SAIC in Chicago to look at for possible Federal civil rights violations. That is akin to a police commander sending a case to the States Attorney for prosecution, it will get done. We officers of the CPD feel that what you did was UNreasonable, therefore you now have a police department in virtual revolt and meltdown. We do not respect you, we do not consider you our leader and we do not give a tinker's damn about anything you say or do. We consider that reasonable. Now Mr. Weis, why don't you do the reasonable thing and resign and get out of town and allow someone with some police skills who knows the police department to try and rebuild what you have so far fucked up so totally and miserably. Do the reasonable thing Mr Weis and leave. The sooner the better. Now be reasonable. You won't get jack shit as far as police work out of me and perhaps one or two others until you do. If you doubt my words just look at the stats and call Sheriff Dart and ask him what the average daily population of Cook County Jail is now and what it was the months before you blew into town. You broke a police department and now the only way to begin fixing it is for you to go. I think that is reasonable. 4/04/2009 07:09:00 AM" & " http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1511018,040409weis.article One word, nauseating. You would not find this type of promotional hiring in ANY other workplace, except of course POLITICS. And he acts like he just discovered it happening. You have/get experience, you take and pass a test, you are eligible for promotion. This is a NOVEL idea Weis? How in the hell do you get qualified people promoting ANY OTHER WAY? Or keep morale up when qualified deserving officers know they are not going to be promoted unless they owe the rest of their career to some political hack? AND, didn't he realize that citizens probably ASSUMED that CPD promotes the most qualified and experienced? The only reason I knew it was otherwise was by reading this blog. The public should be fucking outraged that he is admitting that CPD is basically a social club. No wonder you have supervisors that hide out. They don't know what the hell they are doing! I love you all but you people are fucked with this Supt. and administration. It's enough to make someone cry. ---not a cop. 4/04/2009 07:30:00 AM" & "Spirit? What next, an 'urban translator' to understand what he means when he talks? LIARS AND THIEFS. That's what we have running our government. And for all the suckholes (reporters and staff) who run around after the politicians wading in the shit that they drop in their path, I hope your big paycheck and comfortable lifestyle comforts you when you have to look in the mirror. 4/04/2009 07:44:00 AM" & "On Thursday, 02 April, Chief Byrne, who is truly one of the good guys out here, came to the 003rd District, as per Jody's orders to the Command Staff to go out to the districts and try to feel out how morale can be bettered. It was a closed door meeting with the 0800 roll call. During the meeting with the officers and a sgt., he asked what the problems were in 003. Apparently during that session the sgt. made comments about the commander being the root of all evil in the district, (which is about as to the point as it can be...mmmm hmmmm). Apparently, one of The Burger Queen's little minions, a snitchy bitch, went to her and let her know what this certain sgt. said during the meeting. She later ordered the W/C to get a number on this sgt. When asked by the W/C what the allegation should be, she was unable to give a valid reason. She then ordered the 3rd watch W/C to call in all officers who were present at the roll call to submit reports detailing exactly what was said by this officer... another fine case of gold star hibbity jibbity. To the best of our knowledge, a call was made to FLOP and Bella was contacted. He in turn contacted Chief Byrne to get more info on the incident. Chiefs Byrne and Dugan, another one of the few good guys, later came to the district and had a meeting with all the officers who were present at the roll call meeting, apologizing for S F L's demands for reports, stating in effect, what goes on in these meetings stays in these meetings. While Chief Byrne was addressing the officers involved, Chief Dugan apparently went into the front office and chewed The Burger Queen a new one!!!!! Just wanted to make this known, since it's just another case of Gold Star hibbity jibbity... mmm hmmm... 4/04/2009 07:46:00 AM" & "He still doesn't get it does he? I find it hard to believe that after all of this, he still doesn't seem to grasp the fact that by doing what he did to Officer Bill Cozzi he set the tone for the remainder of his time here. Mr. Weis, the vast majority of the rank and file, including a substantial portion of the supervisors, do not and never will respect you. You took an outstanding Officer and a fine man, a man who served not only his city as a Police Officer, but a man who served his country twice in Iraq as a ranking Officer in the United States Air Force, and threw him under the bus simply for the purpose of raising your standing with the mayor and to establishing yourself as the guy who was going to cleanup the Chicago Police Department, a Department which BTW, did not require 'cleaning up'. You threw him under the bus AFTER he served his punishment, AFTER he reached an agreement with the CCSA's Office AND the victim in this matter and AFTER he had been suspended for almost two years. Did you ever bother to take a look at who testified at his Police Board hearing? In case you didn't, MOST of those who testified on his behalf wear or wore white shirts. There were Lt's, Sgt's and even a RETIRED Deputy Chief who came from a considerable distance to tell the Police Board about what an outstanding Officer Bill Cozzi was and how it would be a crime if he were not let back on the job. We out numbered the blue shirts in that hearing. The Police Board, after listening to all the testimony, decided that Officer Cozzi was worth restoring to the job, that he was a valuable asset and that he had 'served his time'. THAT, sir, should have told you something about OFFICER Bill Cozzi's character, the respect and admiration the vast majority of Police Officers and supervisors have for him. But apparently either you didn't bother to pay attention to that fact, it didn't impress you or you just didn't understand the ramifications of it. You must now pay the price for that inattention. Mr. Weis, we were looking for a leader after the mayor forced Superintendent Phil Cline to retire. We needed someone who we could look up to, someone to respect, someone that we could be proud of and call 'our guy', someone who would represent us well. You are none of the above. It is time for you to go. Take your money and go somewhere else. Do the honorable thing. Once again, in case you missed it: You will never be respected or liked here. Don't listen to your little 'think tank' who tell you that things are well. Don't listen to your command staff when they tell you things are fine. They aren't. They wouldn't know. Moral is at an all time low. It is at the lowest level I've ever seen and I've been here a long time. Officers are just going through the motions. They know that if they are forced to use any type of force you will not support them. Can you blame them? One need look no further than Bill Cozzi for confirmation and understanding of that feeling. Go. Please. 4/04/2009 07:56:00 AM" & "ever talk to a shithead who honestly believes he did nothing wrong, i mean he truly believes himself? this guy reminds me of that shithead! 4/04/2009 08:53:00 AM" & "Ok, JFED I am typing real slowly so you can understand. Reasonable is in the eye of the beholder. The objective facts are: Officer Cozzi admitted to giving a POS offender a couple of extra biffs. Officer Cozzi paid RETAIL for his transgression. You siced the Feds on him. Now you play semantic games in the media. He acted like a man, you dissemble like a putz 4/04/2009 09:01:00 AM" & "WEIS MUST B GOIN TO DALEYS COLLEGE OF BULL-SHIT. WEIS ADMITTED IN THE MAIN ROOM AT HEADQUARTER THAT HE HANDED THE FED THE FILE AND TOLD THEM TO HANDLE THEIR BIZ-NESS. I BELIEVE THAT 90 OR SO OFFICERS WITNESSED IT AND THEN IT WAS POSTED ON THIS SITE! IM GLAD WE ALL HAVE SOME COLLEGE TO GET ON THIS JOB, BUT DAMN, DO I LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT? SAVE UR BULL SHIT 4 CARUTHERS... NICE MERIT PICKS ALSO... WHAT W/ ALL THE HISPANIC MOVEMENT OF BOSSES IS DALEY TRYING TO LOCK IN HISPANIC VOTES AHEAD OF TIME! 4/04/2009 09:21:00 AM" & "apparently the police board thought he was punished enough because they voted 8-1 to reinstate him. a loud mouthed drunk who admittedly consumed a fifth of booze-- the hospital calling for police assistance because their security couldn't handle him-- the guy was not injured by the officers actions-- i would have no problem if officer cozzi came to work my watch-- he could even be my partner. jodi you just don't get it and never will because you were never a cop and you think like a lawyer. remember we make mistakes-- how do YOU define 'reasonableness' and apply it to this entire situation. we are about to see an officer get 8-12 years for committing a class a misdemeanor which he has already been convicted of at the state level and punished. how is that reasonable ?????? 4/04/2009 09:38:00 AM" & "The reason we have a police academy is because, unless you were in a suburban force prior to getting hired, we have no clue how to be the police. We have no clue what it's like to be the police. We have no clue what the police actually go through on a day-to-day basis. Sure we hear stories from veterans and newbies alike, but it's not the same as living it. The academy is there to train you how to act in situations that may arise, but even the academy instructors will tell you that what they teach can't really train you for what is out in the streets. That is only learned through actual experience. No one in the academy is going to actually raise a loaded pistol at you. No one at the academy is going to beat the hell out of you just to get away. No one at the academy is going to throw bottles out of windows on you or your car. In the streets, these things can happen at any time. What Jody doesn't understand about how Cozzi reacted is to be expected. The man has never gone through the academy for 6 months learning the basics of police work. The man has never worked the streets in a fast district on any watch, especially 1st or 3rd. The man has never worked midnights for a week straight, going straight to court after work, getting home tired, spending time with the kids and then getting a nap just to do it again. Jody doesn't understand Cozzi or any of us because he has never been one of us. He has never been called to a hospital to quell a violent and disruptive drunk who has no problem mf'ing you and spitting on you. A drunk who was so disruptive that the hospital called the police to handle it. He has never dealt with this, yet when the guy gets cracked, it becomes a federal issue? If Jody was sitting in his favorite restaurant drinking his rice water and a drunk started spitting on him, would he just walk away? Being belligerent to all those around? Would our super not make physical contact? Anyone who has ever worked on this job has done something stupid or something that we later regret. From this we learn. From these moments we serve whatever punishment our discipline board hands down. We are only human. We get tired. We get stressed. We deal with the biggest scum on the earth for 8 hours a day, 6 straight days a week. Sometimes we get pissed. It's human nature. Unfortunately our superintendent can't possibly understand any of this. You can't understand what you have never experienced. To jody, Cozzi is a criminal. To us, Cozzi made a mistake with a criminal. But to say he doesn't know how any officer can look at this as anything but pure brutality shows he doesn't understand anything. After all, how could he? He's never been one of us 4/04/2009 09:59:00 AM" & "Brutality? Weis you are a fucking half-wit. I got tuned-up worse than that when I forgot to turn a light off in the house as a kid. The nuns kicked my ass much worse if I left litter around my desk in grammar school. And each tuning-up had the desired effect of correcting, or stopping, the undesirable behavior. Leave now, you candyass. Westside Sergeant 4/04/2009 10:11:00 AM" daley and his crew of cretins shits on everyone. Their philosophy can be summed up as the 3 B's: Bribe Bully Banish First, they try bribery. If that doesn't get your cooperation, then they try bullying. If you can't be bullied, then they attempt to get rid of you via banishment. The massive demonstration, by 3,000+ CPD officers on Thursday, shows us that these loyal Chicago citizens can't be bribed, bullied or banished. In fact, it has become clear as crystal that the vast majority of those city citizens who are in the best position to know exactly how corrupt and dishonest the daley/madigan crew are, are now committed to ridding this city, county and state of this pestilent corrupt cabal. The crook county political machine has been, is and will continue to be the root cause of this state's corruptions in our governments. By their every action, they have contributed to the corruption of the other major political party, the republicans, and, thus, have infected both political parties with their entrenched incumbents. We citizens will have the opportunity in the next 2 years to compel the departures of many of these entrenched, corrupted incumbents. The fact that even the majority of the members of the CPD have had enough with these dishonest, incumbent political creatures, should inspire every honest citizen to reclaim their individual birthright, their right to vote, and utilize that right to rid ourselves of these parasites.
This was posted on the Chicago Sun Times comments: "We can only hope and pray that the International Olympic Committee does not select Chicago as the site for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Every city that has ever hosted the Summer Olympics has lost money, with the exception of Los Angeles. Chicago can ill afford to waste taxpayer money on a two week series of games. The infrastructure of Chicago is literally falling apart, pothole city, and can not safely host such a large event. The Chicago Police Department lays in ruin. The CPD is currently undermanned by 2,000+ sworn police officers and counting. This is a huge public safety issue and correlates directly to the epidemic explosion in skyrocketing crime. Orwellian 'Big Brother' cameras and Daley private security goons will not and can not stop the crime explosion. Don't be fooled by the deception of 'Big Brother' cameras and untrained private security hacks. The CPD and the CFD are approaching two years without a contract. Equipment is falling apart, roadways look like they have been carpet bombed, the Chicago Public Schools are a national joke, the CTA buses are falling apart and never on time and foreclosures are epidemic in Chicagoland. If Daley wants to complete some noteworthy projects, here is a list: finish the Chicago Spire, Waterview, Crosstown Expressway, Casino for the old Main Post Office, rebuild and make Meigs Field operational, highspeed rail connecting Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St Louis and Indianapolis. These are very worthwhile mega projects that would pump billions of dollars into not only Chicago, but the entire Midwest and leave permanent benefits, unlike the 2016 Olympics. Mr. Mayor has made Chicago the city with the highest sales tax in the USA to finance his Olympic Legacy Obsession. The Olympics are the finale, to place a capstone on the Daley Legacy; and the negative impact upon Chicago residents means nil to Daley. Daley only cares about himself and his pockets. Daley will fill his pockets and his cronies pockets full with the taxpayers money while we endure a Depression and literally starve. It is high time to Dump Daley before his lunatic obsessions and rampant corruption destroy the great city of Chicago." REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT DUMP DALEY IN 2011
After the IOC left cty hall, a convoy of turnip trucks showed up to take the poli... err... I mean protesters back to the border wards.
You ought to just go full circle and pimp yourself out to the Second City Chump. You allow them to hijack every post with their own drivel.
Don't be jealous, oreo. After all, you've been hijacking this blog with your pathetic drivel for years. And rarely do any seriously object to you being allowed to post, or take seriously the drivel you put up on a regular basis. Shit, if your garbage stays up most of the time, anything anyone else posts is a blessing in comparison.
Don't believe me, because I really don't know how Chicago Politics works. I really don't know the difference between democracy and republic. VOTE INCUMBENTS IN
I, like an ever increasing number of city, county and state residents, know all too well how chicago politics 'works', and who it works to benefit. And I, like an ever increasing number of city, county and state residents, also know how a democracy works. The candidate who receives the most votes wins. Here's a few things for those who reside within cook county to think about: As most Incumbents holding public office in this city and county are Democrats, the most efficient means to ousting said Incumbent Democrats is to: a) vote in the Democratic Party Primary Election and b) resolve to not vote for any Incumbent. Denying the Incumbents the nomination as their party's General Election candidate ensures that there will be no Incumbent reelected. Whether the voter chooses to vote for the Democratic candidate in the General Election, or the Republican candidate, or any other party's candidate, at least the Democratic candidate will NOT be an entrenched, jaded, corrupt and self serving Incumbent. That, in and of itself, will be a vast improvement and a huge step in the right direction. The vast majority of Incumbents, Democrats and Republicans alike, are all substantially, if not completely, corrupted by their long term Incumbencies. By corrupted I mean not only the dishonest thieveries many engage in, but, also, the fundamentally arrogant, dismissive and self serving attitudes that are the normal ones professional politicians all are infected with. To professional politicians, the 'political game' is their business and their business is always running a game on the electorate. Few, if any, of our present gaggle of political geese have anything remotely resembling the best or better interests of the electorate in their hearts. Most, if not all, have one thing, and one thing only in their hearts: gaining and retaining power, and the personal wealth that power brings to those who have power and choose the wield it for their own financial gain. Our ex governor is merely one of many who find that a political career is the most lucrative career that their limited personal talents can achieve. And one where an accomplished liar can excel. Like our own liar of a mayor said recently, government doesn't have customers, only citizens. I believe that the meaning of his words are that 'citizens', being the payers of taxes, are really customers living in a one vendor town, and are also customers who are compelled, by law, to purchase from that one vendor, whether they like it or not. We, the citizens, can change vendors, but only by: REGISTERING TO VOTE VOTING IN EVERY ELECTION HAVING NO DOUBTS & VOTING INCUMBENTS OUT
I concede that the gov was largely a disappointment, even to those of us in the democratic column. Our mayor, however, toils each and every day to improve this city and I expect that the election results in 2011 and 2015 will reflect favorably on his efforts.
Will Chicago Olympics be another Vancouver? The preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is plagued by cost overruns, environmental degradation, and displacement to the city’s poorest. Will this pattern repeat itself in Chicago if Chicago gets the 2016 Summer Olympics? To answer this question, Conrad Schmidt’s 90 minute documentary video about the preparation for the Vancouver Olympics, “Five Ring Circus†will be shown, with a panel discussion afterwards. This event is free and will occur on Tuesday evening, April 7 at 6:15PM in the 2nd Floor Congress Lounge at Roosevelt University’s main campus, 430 S. Michigan Avenue. It is hosted by Roosevelt University’s Department of Economics and Social Justice Program. The public is welcome. Steve Balkin, Professor of Economics, says, “The Chicago Olympics 2016 bid seems to have strong forces both for and against. The International Olympics Committee is in town and there will be two big public protests on Thursday, April 4. So, I thought a balanced and public examination of this seems warranted. My students are studying cost theory and this is a very good case. The issues surrounding the Olympics involve not only fiscal responsibility but also sustainable economics, democracy, compatibility with an appropriate vision for the future of Chicago, and social justice.†The panel afterwards will consist of four people: (1) Professor of Political Science Larry Bennett from DePaul University (2) Stephen Alexander, Senior Researcher at the DePaul University Egan Urban Center, (3) Edward Stuart, Professor of Economics at Northeastern Illinois University and (4) Pat Hill, Executive Director of the African-American Police League and Co-Convener of the Olympics Human Rights Project of Chicago. The panel will be moderated by Steve Balkin, Professor of Economics at Roosevelt University - 312-341-3696; sbalkin@roosevelt.edu.
Don't believe me, because I really don't know how Chicago Politics works. I really don't know the difference between democracy and republic. VOTE INCUMBENTS IN Daley rox! :P
I wish old man Daley's aim was a little crooked. His son would have been nothling more than a white stain on his mattress
Here's the thing: 1. Party Primaries are held to determine which candidates for elected office will be chosen to run in the ONLY election that really matters, the General Election. 2. Unless you care about which specific Republican, or other party, candidate will face off against the Democratic candidate, (in crook county and chicago, that is usually an Incumbent), there is NO reason for you to cast your Party Primary votes in the Republican Primary and EVERY reason for you to utilize your votes in the Democratic Primary, using your votes to DENY the nomination of the Democratic INCUMBENTS to be the Democratic Party's candidates in the General Election. BECAUSE: 3. The Incumbent Democrat is MOST vulnerable to being denied reelection by NOT winning their party's nomination in said party's PRIMARY elections. THAT'S how you get rid of these Democratic Incumbents, by knocking them off the General Election ballot, which is what happens when your votes succeed in denying them their party's Primary victory. Q: Now, how can the voters be assured that the votes they cast in the Democratic Party's Primary will ensure that the Incumbent Democrats will NOT win their primary contests? A: By casting your votes using the following voting strategy: 1. Compile a list of all Democratic Incumbents who you want to NOT make it onto the General Election ballot. Organize your list of Democratic Incumbents by the office(s) which they currently hold. 2. Bring this list with you when you go to vote. 3. Locate the Incumbent Democrat's name on the voting ballot. 4. If the Incumbent Democrat's name is listed FIRST, then cast your vote for whichever candidate's name is listed LAST OR If the Incumbent Democrat's name is NOT listed first, cast your vote for whichever candidate's name IS listed FIRST. Casting your votes in this manner will, if enough citizens apply this strategy, result in every voter NOT wanting the Incumbent Democrats to win their primary to cast their votes for a SINGLE challenger candidate in each contest for public office. In order to ensure that Incumbent Democrats fail to win their party's nominations in the General Election, the voters must, for this purpose, disregard who they are specifically voting for, and focus on who they are specifically voting against. This strategy, if applied by a sufficient number of voters, is the most certain to result in the Incumbent Democrats not being reelected, since, if the Incumbent Democrats fail to win their party's nomination to the General Election, said Incumbent Democrats, being no longer their party's primary victors, all that said Incumbents can do is attempt to run in the General Election as 'Independents'. The application of this voting strategy can be the first step in restoring authentic Democracy to this city, county and state. If Authentic Democracy is what you, the voter, want, the use of this voting strategy will effectively help you to begin the process of it's restoration. No other voting strategy is as mathematically effective.
Any panel that would include that looney bird Pat Hill, who is raping the taxpayers by still drawing a CPD salary while on alleged mental health disability, instantly loses credibility.
Ben, Check out the Sun-Times article they ran today. It seems our tax burden is comparatively lighter than that of most other cities. VOTE INCUMBENTS IN!
That article said _Illinois_ had a lighter tax burden than other states. It also stated that Chicago screws the poor with taxes, and isn't too easy on the middle class.
That 'lighter' tax 'burden' applies only to the wealthy. It's the result of the flat state income tax rate. Also, the definition of 'tax burden' implies that whatever actual amount of yearly income taken in taxations is a greater percentage of a citizen's total yearly income. That's where the 'burden' is felt. Finally, who in their right mind believes anything the scum times, or any other mass media whore, presents as 'factual'?
I extremely suspicious any any article by the Sun-Times,reporting stats favorable to Daley. Fran Spielman is in Daley's hip pocket.Most statistics from sources like the Sun-Times is going to be slanted towards,Daley. If Daley remains in office one more election cycle,most of us will be living in tent cities. Sun-TIMES = DALEY NEWS NETWORK.
SCC, and it's regular comment contributors, hit the nail on the head once more: "Damnit! Here we go again with 'MERIT'? Will the City of Chicago give a categorical and unequivocal written definition of their use of the word 'MERIT'? It's a fair and completely reasonable request. Any fool knows that it is anything but the definition of actual merit which appears in Merriam-Webster. Also explain the criteria and standards for so-called 'merit'. Is that asking too much? We think not. And to the Annie Sweeney's of the media: If the City refuses to comply, would you DEMAND a comprehensive definition of 'merit' from the city before you disseminate that bastardized word to your readers (radio listeners and TV viewers). Ms. Sweeney: You are giving uninformed, naive Sun-Times readers the obvious implication that CPD promotions are legit. CPD 'merit' is nothing more than arbitrary management discretion without regard to any standards of excellence. Many Chicagoans, and certainly the entire CPD, know that CPD 'merit' is merely a euphemism for CLOUT. For the love of Sweet Jesus Christ, STOP USING THAT WORD 'MERIT' UNLESS AND UNTIL IT'S DEFINED IN WRITING BY THE CITY OF CHICAGO! Are we asking too much, Tribune and Sun-Times editors? Do you really wonder why your industry is following the course of Pravda? Your inaction and deafening silence only confirms what we know: the local Fourth Estate rests in King Richard's hip pocket. Prove us wrong, Sweeney, Main, Spielman, Rozas, et al. (and your editors), not to mention the producers of local radio and TV news. SCC has been doing God's work in exposing what lies beneath Daley's flower planters and the wrought iron fences. I don't want to ever have to repeat this post again. P.S. to SSC: Quotation marks every time you use that fucking word 'merit'. PLEASE! 4/05/2009 08:11:00 AM" & "At 9:30 AM, I spoke to Mr. Dale McCulloch and "Netty", Chicago Sun-Times, alerting them to this "MERIT" thread. Both assured me that they will advise City Editor Paul Saltzman and reporters Annie Sweeney, Frank Main and Fran Speilman to read this thread in its entirety and respond. I also left my phone number and my eMail address cpdfop7@yahoo.com for the Sun-Times response. The Sun-Times should also send a copy of their reply to SCCmaillist@yahoo.com. The main phone number for the Sun-Times is (312)321-3000. I also phoned the Chicago Tribune and spoke with Mr. Andrew Wang, City Desk. He assured me that he will relay an identical message to editor Peter Kendall and reporter Angela Rozas for a response to the content of this thread. Tribune: (312)222-3232. As time permits, either YOU and/or I can notify respective news mgmt. at local TV and radio stations. Our message is clear: When the City of Chicago uses the word "MERIT", call it CLOUT or at the very least, encase the word "MERIT" in quotation marks. I will keep all SCC visitors informed of the media response. 4/06/2009 09:52:00 AM" & "Speaking of 'media driven creations' which manipulate public opinion, do check my two comments on the SCC thread entitled 'Merit Pool to Grow?' (scroll down 12 threads) This involves the the Sun-Times' and Tribune's cavalier use of the word 'merit' as used by the City of Chicago in describing their rigged promotion and assignment processes. I will promptly post the responses of editors Paul Saltzman (Sun-Times) and Peter Kendall (Tribune). As far as the local radio and TV news, in this context, City of Chicago 'merit' should be prefaced with 'so-called'. To do otherwise is nothing more than a flagrant, odious and deliberate attempt to mislead the public. Both of my comments are self-explanatory. I have yet to receive a response from either newspaper. Unless and until the City provides a categorical and unequivocal written definition of 'merit' (CLOUT) which is consistent with the actual dictionary definition of this word, ZERO 'meritorious promotions'. I submit that it is the sacred responsibility of a vigilant media to report the truth. Then and only then can we begin to bring desperately needed reforms to the CPD. Ultimately, the public will receive the police service which they deserve. Long overdue congratulations to the three exonerated police officers. 4/07/2009 01:00:00 AM" & "I just left second messages for the respective editors of the Sun-Times (Paul Saltzman) and the Tribune (Peter Kendall) regarding my earlier posts about the word 'merit', as used by the City of Chicago. I further specify that their responses be in writing for publication on SCC. Their detailed written responses should be forwarded via eMail ASAP to the two following addresses: sccmaillist@yahoo.com cpdfop7@yahoo.com Upon receipt, their verbatim responses will be posted on SCC for your scrutiny. Both should include their direct office phone numbers to authenticate their respective eMail replies. Next, the major local TV news. In this context, they should preface the word 'merit' with 'so called'. 4/07/2009 08:14:00 AM" The above comments are in reference to this article: "Merit Pool to Grow? Once again, the Sun Times gets an important fact incorrect, but it's the Sun Times. We expect them to be half assed: * Police Supt. Jody Weis said Friday he is working to expand the number of officers who can be considered for merit promotions and, ultimately, make it a system where 'you don't have to know someone.' One of the more far-reaching ideas -- and one still in the planning stages -- would open up merit selection applications to anyone who has passed a test for advancement. Um, newsflash? If you pass part one, you are already eligible for the 'merit' selection process. It says so in the test order. And some people are so confident of their ability to get 'merit' promoted, they don't even show up for part two of the test. Hey J-Fed? Did anyone ever tell you that part of the 'merit' process? Maybe for the next round of picks, you could see what their combined score and actual test rank is? Bet you'll be surprised. Here's an interesting thing we noticed. The Sun Times article is written by Anne Sweeney. If you go to the Southtown Star article, also written by Anne Sweeney, you get this incorrect tidbit: * Under current promotion practices, 20 percent of the positions are filled by those who are recommended based on merit. Most positions are filled based on a test score. It's only 20% for Detective spots. For Sergeant and above, the 'merit' selections are 30%. But it's amusing that two completely different errors can make it through into two different papers both owned by the STNG conglomerate and both errors convey to the reader that everything on the CPD is on the up-and-up when it isn't. Anne better have a couple of talks - one with her source and the other with her editors."
How about you sleuths consulting a dictionary? Allow me to assist: merit {n.} - 1.)the state, fact, or quality of deserving well, or sometimes ill; desert 2.) worth; value; excellence 3.) something deserving reward, praise, or gratitude 4.) a reward or honor given for superior qualities or conduct (i.e. not beating the shit out of a female bartender); mark, badge, etc. awarded for excellence 5.) {pl.} intrinsic rightness or wrongness apart from formalities, emotional considerations, etc. {vt} -to deserve; be worthy of- Merit system - a system of hiring and promoting people to civil service positions on the basis of merit. Example: Initially, the mayor believed the police union merited 16.5% over 5 years. This amount of merit is significantly more than was is often merited in the private sector. However, the police union thought it merited more than 16.5% and believed the proposal did not merit their approval. Eventually, the mayor changed his mind and thought the city's treasury would should merit the $$$ instead.
Its a freaking dictionary not an opinion. If you don't think its true take it up with Webster's. In fact, maybe you could jam their website with your mindless BS seeing as though its in obvious abundance and apparently can't be confined to your own goofy narrow-minded little blog.
To point out the obvious, (since you refuse to admit that 'merit', as defined by numerous dictionaries, is, in no way, shape or form, an accurate, factual and truthful description of the promotional practices of either the CPD, or any other city department), your asinine attempts to defend said promotional practices, by your feeble minded 2 posts, fall on deaf ears. You know what a sham and fraudulent farce 'merit' promotions are. You know that 'merit' is code for 'clout'. You know that few of those promoted via 'merit' actually merit being promoted. You know what we all know. The difference between 'you' and 'we' is that you are one of those folks whose success has been due solely to 'clout', while we are those whose lack of promotional opportunities have been due to the practicing of clout promoting, falsely labeled as 'merit'. You're a liar and a fraud, traits that have, so far, served you well, amongst a city administration of liars and fraudulent criminals. Anita Alvarez has proposed that the State Legislature pass legislation mirroring the Federal RICO statues, to give the state the same authority in law that the Feds have to pursue criminals engaged in criminal conspiracies. The Madigans are 'considering' her proposals. Would you, a self proclaimed 'Chicago Democrat' support the efforts of Anita Alvarez, also a Chicago Democrat and our county's State's Attorney?
First off sherlock, since you're responding, apparently my posts have not "fallen on deaf ears."
Hey hack boy you do a good job singing for your supper. Maybe one day you can share a jail cell with your leader,maggot Daley. In the real time you need to keep your hack postion. Like 11th Man,and Orion,you probabily have a nice job, cleaning bird shit off manhole covers.
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