The Blog

These guys in the city Council have it so easy to come up with all their bullshit ordinances to devert attention away from the deficit,corruption and our favorite Mayor Daley. If I am not mistaken don't he have federal agencies that deal such issues as child safety,and an EPA to deal with polluters. How extensive use to city ban on products be anyway.

I agree with Al. Alderman Manny Flore should use that energy to ask the Mayor WHY we are short $432 million dollars, for the 2009 Budget? Alderman Manny Flores should ask Mayor Daley, WHY are we short $322 million dollars for the O'hare expansion? Alderman Flores is a tool and will be a target in 2011. Manny Flores should move back to Berwyn. Thats the village he lived in when he ran for Alderman against Jesse Granato.

Cee, watch Fox news at 9:00 p.m. tonight. Tomczak was a better boss than the goofs running the department now. That flood and montrose flood proves it.

The booters are taking private property. It is a taking and against the constitution. If someone takes your property you have a right to defend yourself. You can get 3 tickets in the mail and not know about it because of the cameras, even if there is a defense, and they can try to take your car. This is crazy and onnerous. This hurts poor people the most and those mostly Blacks and Hispanics in areas with the flashing blue lights that give a lot of tickets for rolling stops or turn on red and stupid things like going through a yellow light. The parking tickets, building inspectors, cameras, tow trucks, shake down extortionist prencinct captains and city workers make this city toooo expensive and too onerous and that just includes regular taxes, fees and extra expenses. Tow truck drivers and booters are low scum. I realize they need a job and have families but they are hurting people for a living. Many times the cameras are wrong. The ticket writers are over agressive and not in time. There are many errors in this system. Most importantly it is too expensive to park downtown or in certain neighborhoods and there is not enough street parking, it is banned on certain days and certain times, and now a quarter will only buy you 10 to 15 minutes and you can only put in so many at a time. I have paid tickets and a year later I get the same ticket saying I did not pay and have to find the check and write a letter. This is worse than the mob, the Daley OC is trying to take blood from a rock. It is NOT right to shoot someone. Taking a human life is a crime and sin. However, I think you will see more and more booters getting shot because of the 3 ticket rule. You don't take a man's car. 3 tickets is too little and extortion. You cannot fight the tickets in the City Superior street kangaroo court. Maybe if some more booters got shot they would understand how hard the economy is and you can't be extortionists.

Tell Alderman Pretty Boy, That Alderman HDO wanted to tax us on those same toxic bottles.

THey are focusing on this garbage while the city is ready to collapse? What is wrong with flores? Did they read the papers? Chicago is falling apart!!!

Parents can replace plastic toys like children's dollhouses with wood ones from family companies like TagToys.com that make all their toys in the USA.

Hey Frankie I was told by a friend of urs that u b eyeing Jimmie's seat when he takes his vacation. That would be great man u fight for truth justice and the American way. Go get em dude.

It is unfortunate that lew does not understand that the system is meant to screw people up and trick people into tickets. I recently got tickets from the camera on blowing a red light even though the camera allows turn on red. It takes more time to fight it. The notices do not arrive that early (at least where I live although that could be the fault of my United Postal Service office) Even if it is your fault on the tickets to take someon'e vehicle (5 or 10 or 20 or more even 30 or 40 thousand) is extreme as it is private property even if it "against the law" to park "illegally" and driving is a "privilege" not a right. Daley made more places impossible to park (there used to be more parking spaces) and put more residential illegal parking which makes it harder for people to park and overbuilt on residential generally and high end residential even in poor neighborhoods which destoryed parking. I don't even know which days they clean and they don't clean on the days they do and the street signs are torn down or never even put up. It is very easy to get parking tickets. It is even easier to get the camera tickets. If someone comes to steal my property (and I have the right to drive because I paid for it and have a good drivers record)(and it is not equal to take my property because I parked in the wrong place it is NOT criminal it is not civil even it is administrative) I WILL PUT A CAP IN THEIR ASS!!!! It is stealing!!!!! As Richard J Daley said about looters (and the Daley organized crime family is looters) SHOOT TO KILL If more parking meter maids, and booters and tow truck drivers were shot and killed or better maimed or crippled it would send a positive message to the criminals and extortionists trying to illegally take money. The people breaking the law are the Daley administration and the ticket writers. I once saw a tow truck driving the wrong way on a one way street. Nobody is blaming someone else for their mistakes. I blame Daley and Stroger for higher taxes, fees and extortionist inspectors and a kafquesque police state like George Orwell. Yes, pay the ticekt but what if you don't have the money Lew??!!! Let Daley or his kids's cars be towed and booted and ticketed!!! but they have M plates and police bodyguards Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for his failed bar exams and Cecil Partee and Ed Vrdolyak fixing it. Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for the fixing of John Daleys insurance exam. Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for his corruption and the stealing of millions and higher taxes and out of control spending and corruption. I have seen tow trucks tow cars off of private property. I have seen the Denver boot people make many mistakes. I WILL SHOOT ANYONE TRYING TO TAKE OR DAMAGE MY PROPERTY. I HAVE A 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AND DEFEND MYSELF. I HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVATE PROPERTY. DALEY IS TURNING THIS INTO A TOTALITARIAN STATE. SHOOT THE BOOTERS VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT

It is unfortunate that lew does not understand that the system is meant to screw people up and trick people into tickets. I recently got tickets from the camera on blowing a red light even though the camera allows turn on red. It takes more time to fight it. The notices do not arrive that early (at least where I live although that could be the fault of my United Postal Service office) Even if it is your fault on the tickets to take someon'e vehicle (5 or 10 or 20 or more even 30 or 40 thousand) is extreme as it is private property even if it "against the law" to park "illegally" and driving is a "privilege" not a right. Daley made more places impossible to park (there used to be more parking spaces) and put more residential illegal parking which makes it harder for people to park and overbuilt on residential generally and high end residential even in poor neighborhoods which destoryed parking. I don't even know which days they clean and they don't clean on the days they do and the street signs are torn down or never even put up. It is very easy to get parking tickets. It is even easier to get the camera tickets. If someone comes to steal my property (and I have the right to drive because I paid for it and have a good drivers record)(and it is not equal to take my property because I parked in the wrong place it is NOT criminal it is not civil even it is administrative) I WILL PUT A CAP IN THEIR ASS!!!! It is stealing!!!!! As Richard J Daley said about looters (and the Daley organized crime family is looters) SHOOT TO KILL If more parking meter maids, and booters and tow truck drivers were shot and killed or better maimed or crippled it would send a positive message to the criminals and extortionists trying to illegally take money. The people breaking the law are the Daley administration and the ticket writers. I once saw a tow truck driving the wrong way on a one way street. Nobody is blaming someone else for their mistakes. I blame Daley and Stroger for higher taxes, fees and extortionist inspectors and a kafquesque police state like George Orwell. Yes, pay the ticekt but what if you don't have the money Lew??!!! Let Daley or his kids's cars be towed and booted and ticketed!!! but they have M plates and police bodyguards Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for his failed bar exams and Cecil Partee and Ed Vrdolyak fixing it. Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for the fixing of John Daleys insurance exam. Let Daley grow up and take responsibility for his corruption and the stealing of millions and higher taxes and out of control spending and corruption. I have seen tow trucks tow cars off of private property. I have seen the Denver boot people make many mistakes. I WILL SHOOT ANYONE TRYING TO TAKE OR DAMAGE MY PROPERTY. I HAVE A 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AND DEFEND MYSELF. I HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVATE PROPERTY. DALEY IS TURNING THIS INTO A TOTALITARIAN STATE. SHOOT THE BOOTERS VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT

Daley rox!!

Who is Anita Alvarez? A wannabee friend of targets of criminal, federal investigations? A friend of Daley, Madigan and Burke? She’s their girl? Revised significantly on Thursday at 2:50 pm **************************************************** Yet, Alvarez is saying, no matter what the U. S. Attorney is saying about you, you can contribute to Alvarez and have a willing new friend, personal or not, in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. On hearing that, Daley, Madigan and Burke must have breathed a collective sigh of relief and said, “That’s our girl.” ******************************************************** Did taking the Singer money create a conflict of interest for Alvarez? Another Reporter: Why did you accept a political donation, albeit small, from Bill Singer, who has been publicly identified in a federal trial as a target of a criminal, federal investigations? [See here]. Cook County State’s Attorney Candidate Anita Alvarez (D): Okay, I don’t know Mr. Singer, personally, and I’ve accepted a small donation. I don’t believe he’s convicted of anything. As far as I know, he’s not. And, I haven’t violated any ethics ordinance, by doing so. Jeff Berkowitz: So, if somebody is subject to an investigation by the U. S. attorney, but not convicted of anything, it’s appropriate for you to accept a donation from him? is that right? Cook County State’s Attorney Candidate Anita Alvarez (D); I am abiding by the County ordinances and I’m abiding, you know, by those rules and I don’t believe I’ve violated any of those. ****************************************************** Press Conference, September 16, 2008, following a debate sponsored by the Public Affairs office of the Union League Club of Chicago between Cook County State’s Attorney Democratic Nominee Anita Alvarez and Republican Nominee Tony Peraica. See here for an overview of the debate and pressers. Watch Alvarez interviewed here and Watch Peraica interviewed here. *********************************************** Conflicts of interest 101 This reporter used to practice law at a large, loop, law firm, where one of the partners spent considerable time making sure the firm took no new matters where, to do so, would present a conflict of interest for the firm with one of its prior clients. Making such a determination started with a mechanical computerized comparison of the potential new client, and that new client’s adverse and third parties—to existing clients, and adverse and third parties in their matters, and so on and so forth. Once a possible conflict of interest for the firm was spotted, then the partner assigned to deal with conflicts spent considerable time applying complex case law, ethical canons and his judgment and wisdom to the situation at hand. That conflicts partner would often state that he never met a partner, who stood to benefit directly from the new business, who could see a conflict with a potential new client. Of course, that was a bit of an exaggeration. But, the point was, new clients meant money in the pocket of the partner who brought in the client—and that meant that partner might not be the best person to make the decision about potential conflicts. Indeed, that’s why the firm had a conflict’s partner, who would be at least one step removed, so to speak, from the situation at hand, and therefore could make an objective judgment about whether the firm should accept the new client. Maybe Alvarez needs a conflicts adviser. Alvarez and targets of criminal investigations Anita Alvarez, who has never been in a law firm, is kind of like that partner with a new client. Only, for her, the new client is a new contributor, Bill Singer, who was said, for purposes of the question put to Alvarez, to be the target of a federal, criminal investigation. Alvarez raised no objection to the premise of the question put to her. Alvarez and the Food Chain Alvarez apparently does not want to turn away new contibutors. Partly, that is because the money enhances her chances of moving up the food chain in her, sort of, law firm, i.e., the Cook County State’s Attorney office. Alvarez has spent twently-two years climbing the ladder in the State’s Attorney office of nine hundred attorneys to No. 3, just behind First Assistant Bob Milan. She is on leave, now, for her run for State’s Attorney, but this is just a technicality. Alvarez’s climb to the top involves getting more votes on Nov. 4 than her opponent, Republican Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica. The State’s Attorney office and Torture Milan is the First Assistant to the twelve year-incumbent State’s Attorney, Dick Devine, who himself was First Assistant, in the early 80s, to then State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley, when certain members of the Chicago Police Department (“CPD”) found torture, a convenient, albeit illegal, tool, to help build their cases. For some reason, Daley and Devine never found the roots, breadth and depth of the torture in the CPD a very compelling topic—not then, not in the middle years and not recently—the topic was investigated to death, so to speak, by others—and finally the statute of limitations for prosecutions had run. Alvarez—quiet on torture. When asked about it now, Alvarez says she was just a junior attorney in the mid 80s and kind of the equivalent of a junior partner in the 90s, so never really in a position to ask or do much about the torture near her, or so she says or implies. In short, on torture, Alvarez must have appeared very, very good to Daley. When other Democratic candidates for State’s Attorney were raising concerns about Daley and torture, not a word from Alvarez. Daley, Madigan and Burke for Alvarez Putting aside the leave, Alvarez is still No. 3 in the State’s Attorney office. And, in a sense, she is No. 1. That is, the Mayor may not have officially supported Alvarez in the February, 2008, Democratic Primary. But, she won the 11th Ward, (Daley’s home ward), the 13th Ward (Speaker Mike Madigan’s home ward) and the 14th Ward (Ald. and Chicago City Council Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke’s home ward). So, it might appear that in the hearts of Daley, Madigan and Burke, Alvarez is the object of their affection. Alvarez claims not to be “one of the boys." But the “boys,” seem to like her, notwithstanding Devine’s official endorsement of Milan, who finished a distant fifth of six candidates. Alvarez: not a lot of intellectual curiosity The important thing for Daley, Madigan and Burke is to have a State’s Attorney who is not too intellectually curious when it comes to history, whether it be torture, patronage or public corruption. All of that public corruption stuff, like the activities of Sorich, Tomczak, Hired Truck, etc., that has kept U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald busy, has never had much appeal for Devine, or any of his underlings, like Alvarez. The amount of the contribution discussed above from Bill Singer is apparently small stuff ($500). Much more important is that Alvarez stated publicly that she sees nothing wrong with taking money from someone who is the target of a federal criminal investigation. Daley not doubt saw that and said, “That’s my girl.” Obama-Rezko, a conflict of interest? Think about it. Barack Obama said it was a “boneheaded move,” for him to involve himself in a housing transaction with a person, Tony Rezko, rumored at the time to be under investigation by the feds, when arguably Obama was receiving a favor from Rezko. As a U. S. Senator (not to mention as a President) Obama could have a substantial say in whether the U. S. Attorney was kept, or not—and who would replace him—something that might be of great interest to a person being investigated by that U. S. Attorney. A boneheaded move? I’ll say. At least, Obama regretted it. Alvarez-Singer, a conflict of Interest? Think about it. Anita Alvarez says there is no conflict of interest for her to knowingly accept money from a person “publicly identified in a federal trial as a target of a criminal, federal investigation.” Yes, what she said was she had not “violated any ethics ordinance, by doing so.” But, then this reporter asked if, “it’s appropriate for you to accept [such] a donation.” Yes, Alvarez answered in a narrow way: “I am abiding by the County ordinances and I’m abiding, you know, by those rules and I don’t believe I’ve violated any of those.” But, clearly, Alvarez implied that there was no conflict of interest. However, there is one. Yes, it is doubtful Anita Alvarez would engage in such a conflict for a small sum of money. Even the most money hungry law firm partner wouldn’t take a case with a conflict to increase his income by, say, five hundred dollars. So, why did Alvarez accept the money from Singer? Maybe, she is “one of the boys.” That is, she won’t abandon her friends until they are convicted. You know, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Why does it become an issue for people potentially involved as government investigatory authorities to associate with people "under investigation." Because the odds that they may be called upon to exercise judgment about that investigation go up significantly when that person, such as Bill Singer, is identified in a trial as under investigation. If Anita Alvarez returns to the State's Attorney office as the State's Attorney, she might be called upon to decide how to pursue or follow-up on evidence pointing toward Singer in the matter the U. S. Attorney is pursuing. The U. S. Attorney might ask her office for help in the matter. How she responds could present a conflict of interest, if she has an association with Singer. Yet, Alvarez is saying, no matter what the U. S. Attorney is saying about you, you can contribute to Alvarez and have a willing new friend, personal or not, in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. On hearing that, Daley, Madigan and Burke must have breathed a collective sigh of relief and said, “that’s our girl.”