Sox Shuffle Continues
Friday Afternoon Diversion
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
Around Town
I Fight Dragon$
You'll excuse Chicagoist if we can't muster up the give-a-fuck for Timothy and Everett Rand.
Seems the Brothers Rand, the millionaire owners of, among others, the Midway Airport Harry Carry's and Superdawg, are in quite the pickle.
They have until tomorrow to prove that their company can qualify as an "economically disadvantaged business" or risk losing a city contract and their 11 restaurants -- which, according to the Sun-Times, grossed more $17 million last year.
In what seems to be par for the course in this great city of ours, no one seems to know how in the hell two of the most successful businessmen in Chicago received a city contract when the Rands' company, known as Midway Airport Concessions One Inc., never officially had the economically disadvantaged status to begin with.
In order to qualify for the status, you have to be a racial minority or a woman to qualify as a disadvantaged business owner, but owners cannot have a personal net worth of more than $750,000. Personal homes are included in the total. While the Rands are African-American, Timothy Rand alone is worth $20 million.
Clearly someone downtown needs a brief lesson in economics. Now basic math has never been Chicagoist's forte, and some of us blame all of our shortcomings on getting straight C's in the subject, but even we know that $20 million equals A Lot Of Money. We just can't fathom how anyone could screw that up so enormously. Ahem.
Of course, this spells a scramble for the city as federal law requires that 30% of the airport concessions be owned by women or minorities who are financially disadvantaged. Chicagoist assumes that that snafu will be taken care of in some equally responsible fashion.
For now, if you're headed out to Midway, Chicagoist suggests you frequent any business that is not owned by these two. Or, better yet, make yourself a sandwich from home to eat on the plane.
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The Daley administration basically runs itself on a system of greed and crosses its fingers that the Sun-Times or Tribune (who is always second to the party) don't catch on. Without the media, nothing would be followed in this town.
With that said, Jesse Jackson Jr as mayor would be about ten times worse.
While trying to become a DBE, at the firm I used to work for, I recall not being able to have more than $15 million in income for your business to qualify - so I think it may be hard for them to continue to qualify on that basis alone.
And, another thought - do they just have to be a MBE (minority owned) or do they have to have the DBE status, as well? 2 different classifications.
What's the top priority here? Giving a contract to the best hard-luck story out there or getting the most beneficial contract that would serve both the passenegers at Midway and the city?
The top priority is to give it to your friends.