Clout City
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Politics, Clout City, News Chicago Tourism: Second to None
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today that the city's tourism functions handled by the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, will be shifted to the private, nonprofit (but mostly tax-funded) Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, beginning immediately, with the change complete by this summer. CCTB president Don Welsh will head the combined group, which has a goal of raising the number of Chicago visitors by 25 percent (to 50 million annually). But don't hold your breath: the target date for reaching that goal is 2020.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Alderman Week, Politics, Clout City Oh, to have those fighting independents back
Posted by Steve Bogira on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM
- Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons
- Richard J. Daley
Take, for example, the city council meeting of April 6, 1973. "Squabbles disrupt Council," the front-page headline screamed in the Tribune the next day. "Daley, foes swap barbs."
That Daley, of course, was Richard J. Daley, Richard M.'s father. Like the son, old-man Daley always got his way—but unlike the son, or his son's successor, he often had to shout down a half-dozen independents. Or cut off their mikes.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Crime, Politics, Clout City Or, it could have just been the weather. . .
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 3:30 PM
And this just in:
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR EMANUEL ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ZERO GUN CRIMES LAST NIGHT
The Chicago Police Department has pursued an aggressive strategy to put more cops on the beat in our communities and to get gangs, guns, and drugs off the street. Last night, that strategy produced the most important number in crime prevention: zero.
Media, Clout City, News Illinois Lottery: Second to None
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 9:34 AM
For a look at another Downtown Partners project, check out this week's culture column.
But you could say the Lottery (now run by a private contractor, Northstar Lottery Group) is just moving chips around on the table: both the new shops are owned by advertising and marketing giant Omnicom, as is the agency they're replacing, Energy BBDO.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Politics, Clout City, News City Council concludes its approval of Emanuel's protest rules
Posted by Mick Dumke on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 1:30 PM
In this particular case, you can fill in the blank with "parade and protest." In addition to new regulations for such events, the measures give his administration the authority to deputize police officers from outside Chicago and to enter into contracts without the normal bidding process in advance of the NATO and G-8 summits this spring. (You can read them, along with 49th Ward alderman Joe Moore's explanation for supporting them, here.)
The new protest rules inspired vehement opposition from activists and citizens' groups, ranging from unions and death penalty foes to Crain's Chicago Business and the Pro-Life Action League. But they still passed overwhelmingly, by a 45-4 count. The ordinance giving Emanuel widespread contracting authority for the summits also skated through, 41-5.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Politics, Clout City, News Aldermen examine new protest rules before doing what they're told
Posted by Mick Dumke on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 7:46 PM
Aldermen didn’t get much time to study Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s newest proposals for tightening protest regulations before they came before two City Council committees Tuesday. In the latest episode of an ongoing story, most of the new rules were handed out to aldermen a few minutes after the start of the meeting called to approve them.
Nor could our council representatives have possibly gotten the message that their constituents are in favor of the plans to deputize police from outside Chicago, restrict access to public parks and beaches, raise fees for parades and marches, and require preapproval from the city for the use of large signs, banners, or sound equipment. Scores of opponents ripped the proposals in a demonstration before the committee hearings and in testimony to aldermen.
The Reefer, Politics, Clout City The jugglers and the clowns do their ward map thing!
Posted by Ben Joravsky on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 5:22 PM
The bad news is that Mayor Emanuel's not going to use any of these savings to add staff to the libraries and reopen them on Sundays and Mondays like libraries in such civilized societies as, oh, the mayor's hometown of Wilmette.
'Cause what fun is it being the mayor if you can't screw the little people of your city?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Music, Politics, Clout City CSO scraps public concerts during G8/NATO
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 4:30 PM
- Jim Steere
Might there be private concerts for the G8/NATO visitors? No comment from CSO on that.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Crime, The Reefer, Politics, Clout City Former police chief blasts pot busts
Posted by Mick Dumke on Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 2:00 PM
- Kate Gardiner / FLICKR
- Jody Weis
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Politics, Clout City, News City job cuts hit black and Hispanic neighborhoods hardest
Posted by Mick Dumke on Wed, Jan 4, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Over the last five years, the third-largest employer in the city of Chicago has cut more than 5,800 jobs, most of them held by residents of black and Hispanic neighborhoods already struggling with unemployment, foreclosures, disinvestment, and dwindling public services.
That employer, of course, is the city of Chicago. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and predecessor Richard M. Daley, the city downsized its payroll from about 39,600 in 2006 to 33,800 this past fall, and hundreds of additional job cuts are budgeted for this year. These figures don’t include thousands of other layoffs in the city schools, parks, CTA, or housing authority.
