Monday, December 1, 2008
News / Clout City The snowy-day budget
Posted by Mick Dumke on Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 4:28 PM
The city of Chicago may have enough salt for the winter, but that doesn't mean it will have enough money.
The recently passed 2009 budget allocates a little more than $17 million for snow and ice removal, a drop of about $1.5 million, or 8 percent, from 2008. It's the smallest winter cleanup budget since 2004.
Of course, that's not a complete picture, since the labor and administrative costs of dealing with snow and ice are buried in other parts of the budget, and not always the same ones year to year.
But it's fair to say the city is crossing its fingers for a milder winter than last. The divisions of the Department of Streets and Sanitation that provide workers to clear snow and ice will have about $6 million less to spend in 2009--which equates to lots of time on the job for employees who earn between $18 and $31 an hour.
One might dare to predict that the city would be eager to make up some of the difference by aggressively enforcing the no-parking tow zones along snow routes [PDF] and in other restricted areas ... but budget cuts and service slowdowns are even expected to hit this most unpopular but lucrative activity. The city estimates it'll end up towing about 137,250 vehicles in 2009, about the same as in 2008 but down from 145,551 in 2007 and 147,784 in 2006.
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I hope it snows a 1000 " and maybe, Mayor fat head and those lazy ass Alderman will have to get off there fat ass's and shovel the snow themselves! we had the greatest Union work force in the Country and this mayor has ripped it apart, so he can have a big silver bean in a park built on clout . When the snow hits maybe the workers at park grill will have to learn how to drive a snow plow!!!
Might the fates be conspiring to 'Byrne' daley in the same way Byrne burned Bilandic? Now, that would be an ironic and hilarious thing to witness. 'Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow......'
What would this board be without the daily dose of fake Orion posts ? I think the Reader should start paying me residuals. But then again, it is a free paper under new cost cutting ownership. So let the fake Orion worshippers continue.
I taught my son to steal the Reader from newspaper boxes when he was young.
I have dissociative identity disorder (DID), I see.
It is amazing how easy it is for me to hijack every thread that I so choose, reducing the drivel of Mick and Ben to just that, drivel. I can distract from any conversation and always turn the focus to me instead of the issue at hand. Thanks guys, I am sure Kate is proud of what her blog has turned into.
corruption is everywhere. jack drunk. dummy mayor. bully billy. bad elements. waukegan is better.
Todays Tribune finally questions the US Attorneys relationship with Mayor Daley. You knew Daley and Fitzgerald werer blowing each other when BJ in print(Mike Sneed) writes about Fitzgerald love life. Just goes to show you Daley was closer to Bush ,than Mccain was...
Daley's most loyal butt kissing defenders are down to one last rallying cry: "At least Chicago ain't Detroit"! Wow, Chicago is better off than Detroit, stop the presses. With another term or two of the incompetent buffoon Daley even that lame Detroit slogan will no longer apply. Chicago is still great in spite of Daley, not because of him. Never forget that.
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