Daley Blames - Who Else? - The Media For Oprah-geddon
Chicago Gets Googled
Friday Flashback - Old School Oprah
Today's Transgender Day of Remembrance Honors the Dead
Review: Paramount Room
Well, they did it. Our elected officials in Springfield passed a budget (finally) this weekend. It's not a done deal, yet, as Blagojevich hasn't signed the bill yet, and has made some public indications that he's going to veto the bill. After the colossal failure of Blagojevich to get a budget with anything that he wanted, Mike Madigan stepped in a put the deal together, effectively castrating Blago while usurping the state GOP's attempts to be a player in the budget process, potentially embarrassing state Dems and setting the table for further unification of the Republican Party in Illinois around the issue of fiscal responsibility.
One of the pieces of this budget that hasn't gotten a lot of press is the casino that most likely will be coming to Chicago. While Daley has supported the notion, it's probably not going to be the cash cow that the city had hoped for. The revenue split for Chicago doesn't look too good, with money potentially going to education, schools, construction and other projects, and the city will see less than $30 million a year, in spite of being the host city.
While Blago is rattling his saber over a veto, our friend over at Capitol Fax, Rich Miller, has speculated that the only way a veto could stick is if the Governor cuts a deal with Senate President Emil Jones. Madigan has said that he will be back in Springfield to fix the CTA after a few days off (which Jule Hamos has predicted can be resolved before the whole fucking sky falls down as the CTA has it will do in September).
Image via Missouri University Extension
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"setting the table for further unification of the Republican party"? Give me a break. The Dems can't stop blowing chances due to their incessant infighting, but I can't imagine what Republicans you are talking about. There aren't enough of them. To quote William Shakespeare: "A plague on both your houses."
How exactly will the GOP be more unified after this?
I mean, there still seems very wide gaps between the social conservative wing and the moderates, and I've seen little evidence how the ongoing budget process will heal some of those raw feelings. Do you have any more evidence that backs up your theory?
the "to fix the CTA" link doesn't say anything about the CTA.
i really hope they get some money for transportation. Transportation is the gift that keeps on giving.
The republicans still wont get there act together it would be nice if this was a two party city county or state but it is not. Dems are just embarissing themselves with this nonsense. Emil Jones has set aside 7 million in additional funds for chicago state where the last audit found the school used tax payer money for bar bills,cruises, first class airfare, musical tickets and a large amount just not accounted for at all. We the tax payers get what we deserve when no one is held accountable for the waste in goverment. Think about Chicago state admin running up the bar bill when we are sitting waiting for the cta train that not comming or when we have a bridge collapse.
How appropo Curmbie!
But I'd like to take it to another level. The demorats are blowing it because they are not accountable to the "demos". I mean look no further than evil Emile Jones tethered to Com Ed as opposed to the poor people in his district, while his son rakes in fat contracts from the city and state. And I will not even deal with that Gangster Mike Madigan. And the rest of "them" Hamos included are little more than puppets that give state government a think glossy coat. No one is really raising and speaking any of the real truths that need to be addressed. This is part of the reason I can no longer call my self a democrat
But back to the plague. I think its a reflection on the coming plague on the House of America, because of our communal stupidity willful ignorance and greed.
"This is part of the reason I can no longer call my self a democrat"
There's a difference between a Democrat and a Chicago Democrat. Both have their faults, but one seems to make them a point of pride.
It's "Shenanigans".
As someone who realizes that Illinois actually exists south of Kankakee, I'd like to say that the Republican party in Illinois is stronger than a lot of Chicagoistas give it credit for, and this debacle will only make them stronger. Don't confuse the downstate folks with what you see on a national level. Chicago's Democrats somehow feel like they're invincible, partly because the people of Chicago are too stupid to connect dumb government with the people running it. (Look at Stroger, for instance). Even in the middle of Democratic strength, Illinois has seen several successful Republican governors. I predict after this, we'll see more of them.
I mean, I'm a Democrat, and I plan to vote Republican for every state and local office I can. And I'm not alone.
Absolutely. I'm as surprised as you to hear people act as though the Republican Party doesn't exist in Illinois. When carpetbagging lunatic Alan Keyes can swoop in at the 11th hour and still pull in a third of the vote for Senate (against Chicago darling Obama, no less), that speaks volumes.
I hope the next time we have an election for state offices in 2010 we will have some vocal and respectable opposition candidates that will remind voters of the mess that these complacent and arrogant egomaniacs caused in 2007. There is no reason the legislature needed 11 extra weeks to come up with the mediocre budget that they did. In they time they have taken, they could have done a lot better.
And I don't understand how a casino that will take at least several years to become operational will help our current budget woes, and how it will make any significant difference at all when it does open. The nine Illinois already has apparently haven't been the windfall everyone had hoped they would be, otherwise we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now.
Detroit tried casinos and it hasn't been the cure to all their ills.
You want to fix government at all levels we need Term Limits from the Federal, State and City.
matty: You have to scroll allllll the way down to see the part about the CTA.
Ah fuck it, here I'll just reprint it for you:
* The Speaker said the mass transit issue could require a return to town. Madigan said he planned to “get to work shortly after one or two days off” and would take up the issue.
Ferdy: If the legislature can take this long to pass a mediocre budget, I can misspell Shenanigans.
Matty:
We need fundamental reform!
Do you really think its much better on a National level? Both parties have one hand out to corporate interests and the other hand cuffed to a federal Indictment, like Jefferson, Delay, etc, etc, etc?
I strongly believed that Nader as flawed as he is (like us all) was/ is right in that both parties are one monster with two heads or two deck chairs on the Titanic. Sit where ya wanna, but the ship is still going down.
But I disagree with Guess 11 “Term limits” doesn’t address the fundamental corruption, nihilism, vapidness,and deep cynicism of our political culture its just musical chairs with monkeys.
I think the only answer is for progressive leaning democrats to join other fringe progressive elements to rebuild “something” new. I’m not advocating, not to vote or to vote republican (heaven forbid) but a symbolic break to put the democratic party on notice that it needs to reform while the same progressives hedging their bets by creating a space for a new movement to be born with the language to communicate with the common folk who have tuned out, or who vote against their own self interests. Like I wonder how many of those trapped in that ooal mine in central Utah voted republican who totally gutted mine safety?
And for those that say it was that much better under cynical insider Edgar or soon to be prisoner #XXXXXXXX? George Ryan, yea the thieves may have not have fought as much but the Polis still stank
And fed Up, Its no irony that the "president" of Chicago State, presides over a "university" with one of the lowest graduation rates in the state. I'm sure she was chosen, not to be a leader, but to be a lacky for Jones
"...a new movement to be born with the language to communicate with the common folk who have tuned out, or who vote against their own self interests. Like I wonder how many of those trapped in that ooal mine in central Utah voted republican who totally gutted mine safety?...."
As shown yet again with that quote, it is a characteristic of Democrats to blame Republicans for just about everything. The writer of the above passage wrongly, and strangely, blames Republicans for the Utah mine tragedy, then insults the miners as being too stupid to understand how to vote. What arrogance.
In fact, it is by voting for Democrats that the underprivileged of this nation have voted against their self-interests.
The icing on the cake is the way the writer of the above passage, within a discussion of how Democrats are hurting the citizens of Illinois, finds this to be an appropriate thread in which to attack Republicans. Talk about turning reality on its head. It is that kind of blindly-mad-as-hell-at-Republicans attitude that has turned so many people away from the Democratic party.
Both parties have that mad-as-hell-at-the-other-side attitude, and are too blind to realize it. They tend to be far-more concerned that the guy on C-SPAN has the right initial in front of their state's abbreviation than that they have any sense. Ward Up shouldn't deceive himself into thinking Democrats have a monopoly on this.
You're so right Ward Up and I’m sorrrrry for totally making the above up. Actually I was dreaming that the opposition to now Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, Mr. Sick Sick Stickler was son intense by mine safety advocates that even in a republican controlled senate, the Bush lackey and corporate mine insider couldn’t be confirmed by Senate vote, so Bush used a recess appointment to install him.
I also made up the FACT that just as predicted, Sick Stickler continued his history of bending the rules for mine companies and looking the other way when it comes to the safety of mine workers, which is why we keep having these little incidents more now than under Clinton.
And I also made up the legislation that Bush backed to make it easier to run "strip mines" with minimal safety standards to get all the money out quickly, and then flip them to a less standard companies who bend the rules even more, and re flip them and so on.
This is what happened in Virginia, and after these men are found dead in Utah, I wonder what will be said about this mine?
Yes I also made up the fact that The republican congress and bush slashed mine enforcement, and decided to forego new mine safety regulations favored by the democrats, for "voluntary efforts at individual mines".
and perhaps if you were not soooo closed minded, you could see that I criticized BOTH parties and it started with the "Demo-rates". I'm really trying to be civil hear!
The only thing you are right about is that working class and poor working class white Americans have left the democratic party in droves, because they have been brainwashed, Bamboozled,hood winked, race carded, shucked and Jived, three card monted, mentally pick pocket, to believe that middle class mobility still existed in America for those with out education, and that they should not question the disparity between rich and poor, but should focus on guns, gays, and a women’s right to decide her freak'n future!
"Ferdy: If the legislature can take this long to pass a mediocre budget, I can misspell Shenanigans."
That "logic" is about as silly as the behavior of the Ill. Gen. Assembly. At least the Chicagoist staff likes things to be spelled properly.
Guess 15, the "mad as hell" attitude among liberal democrats is as elusive, bland, and vaporous as the "guess" label on Chicagoist. I think liberals that stay on this path are deeply unsettled by systematic change and progressive praxis.
The Democratic Party also has major problems with coming down from the NPR Tower and speaking truth boldly, because the most salient issues of the day don’t affect them directly. This is also why they lack passion that working class Americans crave so instead of turning to us, they turn to Rush Limbaugh types.
The Blindness comes from liberals who still, even after Gore (who is now a much better candidate (but not running) with a "madder" attitude) and the Kerry fiasco, still stir clear of the good fight. Democrats need to stand for something and fight for it.
"Guess 15, the 'mad as hell' attitude among liberal democrats is as elusive, bland, and vaporous as the 'guess' label on Chicagoist."
Spook, what the hell does that sentence mean? I almost think you'd have a smidgeon of a point, maybe, except that you've strung together a list of random words--presumably because of the high syllable count--and convinced yourself that they somehow mean something.
Lets parse it down a bit. First, I'm a "Guest," not a "Guess." I know the letter "T" is a tough one to pronounce, but it's as easy to type as an "s."
Second, the label "guest" is not elusive on Chicagoist. It's relatively easy to find, popping up four or five times on a 20-comment post. It is not a gas, so it can't be vaporous. It is bland, I'll give you that, but as they say even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I'll leave the rest of it alone, though, and give you some time to figure out how your dead digital can be right.
Dear Guess
Nope words aren't random, and I like em just the way they are and I think you know exactly what I mean. Yet instead of dealing with them, its easier to split hairs between guess and guest
But I always say hell have no fury like a liberal who gets called out
Spook,
Huh? Really, dude, you're just not making sense.
Yup, that's the problem with our Red Eye reading society, millions upon millions of light bulbs get dimmer and dimmer while the level of smugness increases