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Whether or not the folks down at Homeland Security are looking for a fight, it looks like they 
just got one. Pretty much all of the officials in Chicago allowed their panties to bunch up something awful when they read the report, which counted the city as one of the least prepared for disaster.
The report, which examined how major U.S. cities respond to potential dangers, basically said that Chicago and Cook County don't really know how to use the emergency systems, don't know how to cooperate and will probably melt into a senseless panic should anything actually happen. Though the department has yet to comment specifically on its findings, the Chicago info was apparently based on that one mock disaster exercise downtown. Homeland Security's report stated that communications were informal and fractured.
Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication came out right away with a statement admonishing the results, saying the "parameters were inconsistent and limited." That could be true, since the city is ranked lowest along with American Samoa ... but Columbus is right up top. Mayor Daley responded today saying that we do all we can — like putting cameras on top of public art — and that the city will continue to improve.
The secretary of Homeland Security was glad that Daley got the idea about "situational awareness" which ABC 7 said was a "fancy phrase for 'knowing what's going on.'" Dang, B, who said that? You mean we have to know what's going ON during an emergency? We just planned on looting.
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Judging from the efficient, much praised response to last year's El problems and accidents (how many were there again?), I find it hard to believe the City That Works (Under Daley) would have any problems with emergency response.
Those darn parameters ...
i love how the city is bitching now that the results are inaccurate, even though with all that prep work beforehand, we still couldn't get our shit together in a fake emergency. quit whining and get up to snuff.
One reason, it seems, is because few are willing to do the hard slog of getting the radios interoperable and otherwise forcing the various towns, cities and agencies to work together.
Nor, it seems, are people prepared to spend Homeland Security grants for real, bonafide, Homeland Security stuff. Instead, we often get pet projects or ill-concieved buying sprees--and loose oversight at the federal level about where the money is going. This is not just a problem in Chicago, of course, nor a problem just for the biggest cities.
But one of the problems with Chicago is this PR image of the City That Works, which holds some truth, but with is basically BS, and has been for a while. I don't mean to bitch about Daley, but the fact is, he's been in charge since '89, and this is a problem for which he bears great responsibility.
I DO mean to bitch about Daley. He's incompetent, corrupt, arrogant, a liar - and made of Teflon among most Chicagoans for some unknown reason.
His attempts at homeland security?
Illegally tear up Meigs Field so a six-seater doesn't hit the Aquarium.
Put bomb-sniffing dogs (that's what they are, aren't they?) at the Chicago and State stop of the Red Line and parade them on the platform for about a minute per train to convince tourists that the city's got its security act in place.
Let people pay their way through security lines at the airport (to hire more security? I think not.)
Let Todd Stroger ask for across-the-board budget cuts so that vital policing services are strained to the max instead of insisting on a thoughtful budget process.
City of Jerks. NOT City that Works.
If the city wanted to complain about the results, they might want to point out that most cities did not bother to do a mock exercise, or if they did it was at nowhere near the scale done here. It's relatively certain many other higher ranking cities would have scored lower had they bothered to do something that was easy to rank.
God forbid there is an emergency, I'd take the coordination here over a lot of other places.
Where is there documentation of the lack of mock drills in other cities, particularly those ranked in the top six? Was the Chicago mock drill successful? How was that success or failure measured?
It's pretty fun that Chicago is so arrogant as to bite the hand that feeds. I will say that DoHS is partially responsible. The low grade is the direct result of lack of oversight over the funds. Who gives millions of dollars to the most corrupt city government in the nation without oversight?
I DO mean to bitch about Daley. He's incompetent, corrupt, arrogant, a liar - and made of Teflon among most Chicagoans for some unknown reason.
--> THEN MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE YOU LIKE THE MAYOR.
His attempts at homeland security?
----> WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? WE ALL KNOW THIS SECURITY IS JUST TO CALM THE PEOPLE AND TERRIORISM WILL HAPPEN AND CAN'T BE STOPED. LOOK AT THE SHOOTING AT CITYCORP CENTER.
Illegally tear up Meigs Field so a six-seater doesn't hit the Aquarium.
----> MEIGS FIELD PROVIDED NOTHING TO THE CITY AND YES A 6 SEATER COULD HIT AND DO A LOT OF DAMANGE. LOOK AT THE BALL PLAYER IN NYC.
Put bomb-sniffing dogs (that's what they are, aren't they?) at the Chicago and State stop of the Red Line and parade them on the platform for about a minute per train to convince tourists that the city's got its security act in place.
-----> THEY ARE NOT BOMB SNIFFING DOGS. THE BOMB SNIFFING DOGS AREN'T MUZZLED. AGAIN THIS IS JUST TO MAKE ALL YOU SCARED PEOPLE FEEL GOOD.
Let people pay their way through security lines at the airport (to hire more security? I think not.)
Let Todd Stroger ask for across-the-board budget cuts so that vital policing services are strained to the max instead of insisting on a thoughtful budget process.
City of Jerks. NOT City that Works.
----> JERKS LIKE YOU.
I agree with Vise though
Ross -
You basically agree with one of my statements, said nothing about the illegality of King Daley's dead-of-night property destruction (can I come through your computer through a window because it does me no good?), and made no response to the airport security and Stroger statement. Love it or leave it is as old, obsolete, and meaningless a saying as Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too. Your eat-drink-and-be-merry attitude to security doesn't mean we can't and shouldn't do more. I bet you don't buy insurance, either, so when you hit me with your car, I'm going to have to pay for the damage.
Typical Daley supporter.
The reality is that Chicago does not have enough radio frequencies for a large scale disaster. Chicago just ordered new firefighters uniforms for the first time in over 10 years.
The sad (but true) thing is that we should have done worse. Believe it or not, Mr. Trotter is the best thing that happened to disaster services in this city. Dude actually got the equipment ordered.
How can anyone be offended by this, do you remember the County Building fire?
Consider this a constructive warning. We don't want anything similar to 9/11 happening here. So many first responders died because they couldn't talk to each other. Lets hope that Cortez can use this to do the right thing.
OK Daley is Teflon because even though it looks like nothing is happening somehow Chicago has gotten better, crime is less, the streets are cleaner, things like picking up the garbage and plowing the streets happen.
Also Daley ripped up Meigs because the downstate Republicans made a deal to keep Meigs open and relent on fighting the O'Hare expansion. Well guess who goes and pulls a good ole filibuster to block the ORD money from getting written into law? And guess what airport got ripped up the next day?
Honestly - that's why I like Daley! Rip Meigs up if we get double crossed. I'd rather watch a concert then let the private jets pollute the lake anyway.
If you want to see real ineptitude take a good hard look at where our federal funds are going. KBR, Halliburton, No bid contracts, the T fkn S fkn joke of an A?
I digress; this report seemed to focus on County cooperation with Chicago and neighboring cities. I'm not surprised Chicago scored low on a test like this since Cook County's Emergency Staff probably is like 3% of what the City has at its own disposal. Why should the City focus on bridging communication with a small force when it has bigger security/safety fish to fry? Oh right because the DHS said so?
Has anyone figured out what DHS is really doing yet? Is there something beyond the ORANGE ALERT , ducttapeyourhouse.gov and beafraid.gov that we should be aware of? Did I mention I hate Republicans and the constant security/politics mish mash?
Did I mention I hate the Democrats for being total pussies and letting this garbage happen to us citizens? Thats why I'm not a politician - I would have been tossing chairs across the aisle the last 6 years. Just had to get that off my chest, thanks for listening.
Thanks, KFunk, for reconfirming everything I believed about Daley supporters - the rule of law, fairness to all the citizens of Chicago, and clean government free of graft are not important. "Where's mine?" is. Daley is a great admirer of Dubya, and why not. They could be brothers. Everything Dubya does, Daley does, only on a smaller scale.
I just love how everything in this town is Daley's fault.
It's a better city than any other major American city.
Do you think any major city is prepared for terrorism?
It IS Daley's fault - and the people who vote for him. The city council and now the Cook County Board are in his back pocket and don't make a move without him. When he didn't like the big box ordinance, he vetoed it and got a few aldermen to back off so the council couldn't override it. Whether you agree or disagree with the ordinance, the episode shows the absolute power the mayor holds.
There are many great cities in America. Don't feel so threatened about some criticism. I hate privilege, corruption, and the graft tax we all have to pay. If we got rid of it, the city wouldn't go to hell in a handbasket. We don't need a boss, we need a mayor and city council that work. It's achievable. Don't be such a coward about it.
What other major cities have you lived in Marilyn? I don't like the Stroger episode but either but Parika (not spelled right) lost a lot of voters by his stance against GLBT community so he fixed himself. So I say now let's give Toddler a chance and see what he is like. He was elected fair and square. And the big box, fou grai trans fat are stupid issues for a city council to be worried about anyway. They should all be fired but you can't fire them all until the elections. I will vote against my current Alderlady in Feb. and I have been helping with the opponet. Volunterring. Quit bashing and do something if you don't like it is all I am saying.
You're welcome Marylin-
Law is good, fairness is good but sometimes (most of the time) politics is neither good nor fair. I'd rather have someone who can play the game to Chicago's benefit. If you don't like that last statement its probably because you are from the suburbs and you are mad that Chicago is way cooler than Naperville.
The reason we like Daley is because other mayors have not been able to get much done. Good ole graft was around long before Daley and happens much more than you think in EVERY form of government I have ever observed. I think thats more of a human failure than a specifically Chicago thing.
I believe Daley loves Chicago and has our best interests at heart even is he has to crack some heads to do it.
In case you haven't noticed crappy neighborhoods are not so crappy anymore- the revitalization that has occurred under Daley has been great for people who live here.
Wicker Park was a total den of drugs and dirt; the area around the UC was dangerous as hell; West Randolph Street was a shipping corridor; State street was deserted; the Southport corridor had gangs; Millennium Park was- well an open hole/Metra Station; The Museum Campus and South Loop was a giant homeless shelter; Meigs was a vital shipping center for CEOs and politicians, etc...
Anyways I'm not sure where you came up with the "Daley hearts Dubya" thing... Just because he was gracious when the president arrived doesn't mean he really likes him.
It is definitely a good thing to be on good terms with the president especially when he is from the opposite party. It's better for the city to have as many allies as possible.
Lots of Daley backlash here. He has his faults, but Chicago would not have gone from another decaying rust belt city to the best town in America without him. Some of you would have been shocked to drive around your precious Wicker Park in the Harold Washington days. Given 90% of city voters cannot begin to comprehend voting anything other than Democratic, he's the best possible choice.
Many of us have not always lived in Chicago but I for one used to travel here quit often and remember the hoods when they were nothing and also for that matter a lot of River North wasn't that nice 20 yrs ago.
So I have no problem with Daley and will vote for him as long as he runs.
I for one have lived in other cities with honest mayors that took over from a dishonest mayor and he couldn't get anything done.
So all the Chicago bashers in my opinion don't know how good they have it. I question if they really live here and why if they hate it so much they don't move.
I think only the neighborhoods you'd live in are "nice," KFunk. Get out in the city much? Lawndale still looks lousy to me. Pullman isn't doing too well. Of all the cool neighborhoods I've lived in - Edgewater, Lincoln Square, Rogers Park - only R.P. hasn't been yuppified and upmarketed beyond the ken of regular folks.
Best town in America is highly subjective. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I'm appalled at what a slide this place has taken. Trees and overpriced playgrounds for tourists don't impress me. Making the LaSalle Street financial district a TIF district is the most blatant money grab I've ever seen that looks like it's a good thing, stealing needed tax dollars from schools and other basic services.
Sorry you hate Chicago and are a lifelong Chicagoan. I see the problem folks she can't get a City Job under Daley! The TIF district for LaSalle St. makes all the sense in the world. All office tenants are moving to new building that can handle modern technology like the internet and fiber optics. So with the TIF they are hoping those buildings will remodel and gain/retain tenants. So it doesn't look like Lawndale. And if you want to make a difference move to Lawndale and buy a place and fix it up. Be part of the solution not the problem. Or are you waiting for someone to do it for you. So then you can complain what a bad job they are doing.
OK, so Daley is the superhero who saved Chicago from the despair of the 80s, and without him, big heaps of trash and snow would be piled on the streets, and so on and so on.
Fair enough.
Now, tell me how NYC bounced back from the urban dimness otherwise known as the '70s and '80s. And while you are at it, tell me how DC did it as well. And Miami. As far as I can tell, no Daley ever was mayor of any of these cities. As far I can tell, NYC, while wildly overpriced, is pretty healthy, and the last two mayors there haven't kissed the asses of convicted felons. (No, I'm not a fan of Rudy, I'm just pointing out a difference between Rudy, Bloomberg and our own head clown.)
Marilyn is right: Vast stretches of this city--where relatively affluent white folks fear to tread--are still slums, and the school still suck, and jobs are scarce, and mass transit often is poor. Don't believe me? Visit there, or live there for just a few weeks, or get to know some of the non white residents of this city.
Finally, here's something all you defenders of corruption can do: Convince me that Machine tactics are vital to this city. If you think that dishonest tactics are so important, SHOW me.
--For instance, show me how Machine tactics ensure that my garbage is picked up, the snow removed.
--For instance, show me a worthwhile zoning decision that came out good because--not in spite of--corruption.
--Show me a great development that could not have happened without good ole Chicago-style corruption. When you show me this, tell me why at least semi-honest government would have produced a different result.
TIFs were designed to help blighted areas develop, not prime real estate owners fill offices. Read a little about them, and you might learn something.
I am doing something about the problem. I'm trying to get Daley defeated so we can start cleaning up government from the inside.
Ross, I want the city job your clout got you. You're obviously not intelligent enough to work outside of city government.
Daley will win re-election as long as he is alive and even in Chicago he might even if he is dead or close to it. LOL
You people don't understand free enterprise or capitalism. Yes someone else could do the job as good or better but no one worth anything ever runs. It’s not because of Daley it because most qualified people don’t want the job and are in the private sector. Btw- I work in the private sector and not for the city.
You need to realize that with out the TIFF LaSalle Street would become a waste land they are being pro-active. Do you know how many financial firms have moved to newer buildings because it cheaper to lease new that has modern technology than old. And hey your buddy Shiller hasn't done so good with the TiF's she gotten either in Uptown.
I hear schools are being proactive, too. Their fundraisers will feature transfat-free baked goods! Too bad they can't move into new buildings, too...
Ross: You don't understand capitalism.
The hiring abuses practiced by the Machine--and the corruption you defend--are more akin to cronyism or socialism than capitalism.
And you sure as hell don't seem to undertand TIFs and how they are abused.
And quite telling people to love it or leave it. That's silly. I bitch and work/vote against our head clown because I love this city, am concerned about its future, and want to see it get even better.
Perhaps you should leave. New Orleans seems the place for you, or Newark, as you love corruption so much.
OK
New Orleans is awesome. Highly recommended vacation spot
OK Marylin it is clear you don't know the facts-
Pullman has undergone what is probably the largest municipal environmental cleanup in any urban area EVER! And yea they are still cleaning it up... it takes time and money but both of these are actually happening.
umm Hyde Park and South Shore are looking better too...Yea there are still slums around but my point is there are less slums.
And the whole NYC and Miami parallel- are you serious? Miami is crazy crooked and NYC practically invented graft and corruption. NY blows because it is incredibly dirty, the neighborhoods are poorly planned and they have a garbage festival every day on their sidewalks.
Miami has so much drug pushing, slums, and crime outside of Miami Beach that you must be insane to even hold it up as a shining beacon of mayoral-hood.
I don't care that a brownstone crack house gets flipped into a mansion. The whole yuppified vs gentrified vs ghetto argument is tired. I like- I mean love it when the slums turn into nice neighborhoods where kids can play in the streets.
Guess what Marylin? There are nice neighborhoods all over Chicago filled with a lot of non-white people. *gasp* and if you are loving the RP then you need to open your eyes- drugs on every freekin corner with cops looking the other way so as not to inflate the crime rate- local businesses and property owners getting the shaft from a hypocritical alderman....
Say they put another TIF in Rogers Park... then development comes in etc... then you will complain that it's been up marketed. I mean you are going to complain either way - with a TIF or without a TIF. The thing is TIFs are temporary! Eventually the property owners have to cough up the tax money and the temporary incentive is to encourage development so we have a bigger tax base instead of letting business and tenants go to Schaumburg. Get it now? Long term baby...
Anyway...Socialism = cronysim? That makes no sense. I won't defend the BS hiring that went on under Daley, but it happens on every single instance of hiring that I have ever observed. Show me a single corporation or government where cronyism is not practiced.. ok I'm waiting... um technically 'Sesame Street' is not a government try again.
OK one more thing- I am appalled at the state of the CPS and I hope to god changes happen there. Unfortunatly a great deal of the money for the schools comes from state and federal funds. Guess what color states that money has been going lately? Yea Iraq is a red state as far as I am concerned.
Bored now. But since KFunk seems to know my mind better than I do, I'm sure (s)he can keep up my side of the conversation.
Boo-yaaa
Let's face it Marilyn is just a total mess that will complain about anyting and everything. She is probably the same type of person that goes to Burger King and order a double Wapper with a Diet Coke then blaims Burger King because she is fat. Or better Mayor Daley for letting BK sell double Wappers.
Face it, Chicago sucks. It's a corrupt, third-world kleptocracy with a mayor-for-life who takes no action at all unless some of his buddies from fourth grade get a cut.
Oh, and half you guys on this board need to get your GEDs. Learn how to spell, folks.
This just in: Alderman Arenda Troutman Indicted.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/10695487/detail.html
"Troutman was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1990 after the death of Alderman Ernest Jones."