
Chicago's lone Wal-Mart paid more than $5 million in state and local taxes during its first year, including $1.3 million to the City and $400,000 to Cook County. That means the store brought in between $55 and $60 million for the year, which is slightly less than what stores that size should make, according to Melaniphy & Associates Inc., a local retail real estate firm that tracks this kind of thing. And you thought your day job was grueling.
Jerry Miller spent 25 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Now that DNA evidence has exonerated him, he's asking for a state pardon fromBlagojevich so he can clear his name and get compensation from the state.
Local author Kevin Guilfoile continues his fantastic, fascinating coverage of the Hans Peterson case. Peterson's father has been making the local news rounds this week.
So...when's the CTA budget coming out?
Police in Evanston are looking for four juvenile suspects in an armed robbery; one of the suspects is described as being nine years old.
Get out an extra blanket tonight. It's going to be chilly tomorrow. Finally!
"Sears, Sears, Sears" by Musely

Stroger Makes Hollywood Play


It is great that Pat Dowell is going to put that stupid "sculpture park" on the tax roles. That park served only as a monument to the corrupt, incompetent urban planning policies of Dorothy Tillman.
Here you have an historic intersection that should be made vibrant. You don't do that by putting a sculpture park on the corner. That corner will serve the city better by having a building there with active storefronts, i.e., one that comes out to the sidewalk and "fills the corner."
Tillman's ideas mostly concerned lining her pockets and the pockets of her offpring. If only Patrick Fitzgerald's team had gotten a few south side developers to wear wires. Tillman is one that got away.
Kudos to Pat Dowell for walking the walk in the 3rd Ward. Dorothy Tillman's monument to herself at 47th and King was a large reason for her being elected out of office. Moreover, her "historical blues district" in that area flies against the actual history of 47th Street, which was one of the cradles of jazz back in its heyday.
This was the first time I've actually seen someone mention that the nine year old robber is....gasp...black.
Why are media outlets so afraid to mention race, when 'alerting' the public about a criminal at large? It seems so stupid.
Cleared but no pardon and no compensation. He shouldn't even have to ask.
This man had his life stolen by some half-wit Barney Fife cop and an rape victim so enraged she took out her anger on the first man she was able to confront. How that bitch can sleep at night is beyond me.
Isn't pardoning is something that happens to people who are currently convicted of crimes? Since his conviction has been overturned, he's technically not guilty of anything. Wouldn't asking for a pardon in this case is like asking for forgiveness for a crime one did not commit? Mind you, my JD is from the Jack McCoy School of Law and Order, so I might be wrong here.
As for the woman who was raped, I doubt she sleeps as well as you insinuate, Ozu.
Another thing about Dorothy Tillman and her absurd "sculpture park" that cost the city $200,000.00, not to mention the cost of lost tax revenues on the site.
Tillman made it a point of blocking competition for any businesses of any of her cronies. Would she want any coffee place or food place at that corner? Of course not. Her family was operating the always-empty "Spoken Word Cafe at the northeast corner of that intersection. Tillman sure did not want competition for her offspring.
Meanwhile, Tillman's other offspring were heading and staffing the also-always-empty Harold Washington Cultural Center across the street. When that white elephant, created with taxpayers' money, was on the payroll, Tillman arranged for the demolition of the historic Metropolitan Theater.
The Metropolitan theater, near the northwest corner of the intersection, was important in Chicago's African-American history and could have been restored if a performing center was truly needed. But no. That would have meant no Harold Washington Center...and no phony jobs for her kids. And no construction contracts for Tillman's cronies and contributors. Thus, in 1997, Tillman had the Metropolitan Theater demolished.
We are all still paying the bill for Tillman's debacles. Good riddance to that historically inaccurate "blues-themed" sculpture park. Thank God the ward now has Pat Dowell.
Sorry if this is off-topic:
Does the Sears Tower publish an explanation for its colored light choices? I'm guessing the blue and red in the photo is to support the Cubs, but last month it was blue and yellow. Numerous guests from out of town asked me what it meant. I had no idea.
So, Walmart brought in $5 mil in taxes. How much TIF money were Chicago taxpayers forced to give to subsidize that walmart?
awe come on, yall being too hard on The Hat!
I feel sooo sorry for her. I mean where is she gonna get payed any where near what she got payed to be an Aldercreature!
And both her daughters are also now looking for employment as the former director of the Spoken Word Cafe and the former Harold Washington Center. I'm glad her Mom, keep it real and street by making sure that daughters like mother managed not to get college degrees.
I'm really crying over hear! Maybe they should have went to jail cause they could continue to live off the tax payers dime. Maybe Jesse Jackson should hire them
Guest #7
http://www.thesearstower.com/antenna.html
(too lazy for html)
Here's to Evanston's liberal housing policies! They're reaping what they sowed!