Clout City
Friday, May 25, 2012
Behind Our Scenes Media Politics Clout City News Working for the Sun-Times—just like Mike Royko!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.25.12 at 06:54 AM
- Asher Klein
- The view from the new break room
Yes, yes—copyboy. The girls of that trade were called "copygirls." As you can see, the 70s were not a particularly politically correct time.
My job mainly consisted of hanging around the newsroom, waiting for an editor to bellow out: "Copy!"
At which point, I'd run over and do as instructed. Like: "Get me a corned beef on rye at Al's deli!" Or: "Shut the fuck up and stand here while I figure out what I want you to do!"
Ah, the glory days of journalism.
Sad to say, the job—as fun as it was—didn't last forever.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Politics Clout City Mayor Rahm's not so new idea: TIFs for the rich
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.18.12 at 07:24 AM
Not really. The sun did rise in the east, but the mayor didn't try to take credit for it. At least, not yet.
He did, however, take credit for the $29.5 million River Point TIF handout that for better or worse had actually been cooked up by his predecessor—the mayor who will not be named—and dutifully adopted by the Chicago City Council in the fall of 2008.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Politics Clout City News Spared the knife
Posted by Mick Dumke on 05.17.12 at 10:10 AM
- Tonika Johnson
- Under Mayor Emanuel, Chicago has fewer cops and other front-line workers
City officials are busy trying to reassure Chicago residents that their neighborhoods are still going to have police protection over the next week, even though hundreds of officers have been sent downtown for the NATO summit.
“You’ll have the same cops on the same beats in the same neighborhoods,” police superintendent Garry McCarthy told reporters.
It’s good to hear. Unfortunately, it isn’t what most of us would think of as true, since, as police tell me, all of the city’s tactical officers—the plainclothes guys who specialize in stuff like drug busts and robbery investigations in the neighborhoods—will be on NATO-related duty.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Politics Clout City Talk about strange marriages: Condoleezza Rice and Mitt Romney!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.16.12 at 10:27 AM
- Gage Skidmore
- Would you vote for this "marriage?"
According to a recent poll by the New York Times, "67 percent of those surveyed said they thought" the president endorsed gay marriage "mostly for political reasons," while "24 percent said it was 'mostly because he thinks it’s right.'"
The poll results "reinforce the concerns of White House aides and Democratic strategists who worried that the sequence of events leading up to the announcement last week made it look calculated rather than principled," the Times concluded.
Well, count me among the 67 percent.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Clout City News Chicago Bike Share contract info vanishes
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on 05.15.12 at 07:11 AM
- Shutterstock/Mr.Twister
But if you looked for that information today, you'd be out of luck. Shortly after our update, it mysteriously disappeared.
Off for a ride, perhaps?
So far, no response by the city to inquiries about what happened.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Politics Clout City Rahm on FOIA: Don't ask 'cause I won't tell
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.08.12 at 09:30 AM
She's the lawyer for the Better Government Association who valiantly fought to make sure that Mayor Emanuel had to publicize the internal documents of his Infrastructure Trust.
She lost that fight, but give her credit for trying. It’s good to know there’re still a few Chicagoans who don’t just roll over at the mayor’s command.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Crime Drugs Week Politics Clout City News Drug arrests on top of drug arrests
Posted by Mick Dumke on 05.04.12 at 12:25 PM
Chicago police officials held another press conference Wednesday afternoon to showcase how they’re getting tough with dealers and gangs since declaring a “ground war” in March—in this case, ten more guys, ranging in age from 18 to 69, were caught possessing or selling small amounts of heroin on the west side.
The police said it was the result of an investigation involving city, county, state, and federal authorities. “The joint efforts of law enforcement partners in this mission have afforded an opportunity for increased safety to thrive in our communities,” Al Wysinger, Chicago’s first deputy police superintendent, said in a written statement.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Education Politics Clout City Mayor Daley for mayor!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.03.12 at 07:11 AM
That's the proposal where the mayor makes students spend more time in school, but offers nothing in the way of ideas, money, or resources to do with the extra time.
Think of it as his sit-there-and-look-at-the-wall-strategy to public education.
Anyway, Mayor Daley came out against it.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Reefer Drugs Week Politics Clout City Everyone wants to legalize reefer—except for people with the power to do it!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 04.30.12 at 09:31 AM
- Wikimedia Commons
- Outgoing congressman Barney Frank
Well, I think the timing's a bit of a coincidence. Not even sure Congressman Frank knows it’s Drugs Week at the Reader. Though I bet he's a big fan of the Reader.
As opposed to Mayor Rahm. And Mayor Daley. And a few aldermen, who aren't worth mentioning at the moment.
But let's not go on a tangent.
Specifically, Frank criticized Obama for making a "'grave mistake' by cracking down on medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal in some states," according to an article in the Hill.
"I think it's bad politics and bad policy," Frank said. "I'm very disappointed."
Bravo, Congressman Frank. I wish you would stay around for a few more terms.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Politics Clout City Pendejo Mayor buttons: get 'em while you can!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 04.27.12 at 06:17 PM
It cheered me up, coming as it did just a day or two after the City Council's latest rollover—that would be the infrastructure fund vote.
Inside was an unsigned handwritten note that said: "See some of the activist stuff showing up on the streets this spring."
