Results tagged “edburke”

With the Olympics out of the way and Mayor Daley's imposed delay on a vote over the proposed second Wal-Mart store in Chicago, 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins has decided it's time to up the ante on bringing the global mega-retailer into his neighborhood. Setting a stuffed hound in front of 14th Ward Ald. and Chairman of the council's Finance Committee Ed Burke, Brookins vowed to "hound" Burke until the issue was brought to a vote. “Not after 40 years,” Burke said. “Woof, woof.”

• He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.
• The Sun-Times looks into a fence that cost taxpayers over $45,000 but seems to have benefited Ald. Ed Burke (14th) the most by keeping those damn kids with their rock'n'roll music off his lawn.
• Jackie Heard, Mayor Daley's press secretary, is not amused with media reports suggesting she rented a house to drug dealers.

Wal-Mart certainly raised the stakes this week in its bid to open a second store in the city. But the results of the push-poll notwithstanding, setting up shop in Chatham may not be the slam dunk the Arkansas-based mega-retailer thinks it will be. That's because, as the city council was passing the buck on the Wal-Mart vote by sending it from the Rules Committee to the Finance Committee, committee chair Alderman Ed Burke (of the 14th Ward) told the Sun-Times that Wal-Mart would have to step up to the plate to play ball in Chicago.

• Wow, if you can't trust a fine city steward like Ald. Ed Burke to not be involved in shady dealings, who can you trust?
• This sounds like a plot from an episode of Rescue Me -- a 23rd Battalion Chief on the South Side is being investigated after he allegedly slept through a fire.
• And this sounds ripped from Nip/Tuck -- car dealer and ubiquitous TV ad presence Bob ROOOHRman is suing a plastic surgeon for "stealing" his wife. Life imitates FX.

So with all the controversy over the parking meter privatization, we shouldn't really be that surprised by the fact Ald. Burke canceled the scheduled City Council hearing on the meters. [via Gapers Block]

A slightly reduced admission fee increase for the Art Institute of Chicago. After weeks of huffing and puffing from Ald. Ed Burke, the Chicago Park District Board, who sets the admission price, voted to increase adult admission from $12 to $16 instead of the proposed $18 and students/seniors admission from $8 to $10. One added bonus: they also raised the age limit for free child admission from 12 years to 14 years. [AP via WBBM]

Summer is almost here (even if it doesn't feel like it) and that means lots of museum visitors. And, of course, there's been a big stink about the Art Institute's upcoming 50 percent admission hike. Under pressure from many directions - but most prominently Ald. Ed Burke - the Chicago Park District may give locals a break on the new admission fees to the count of $2. Instead of $18, local adults would pay $16 and local students and seniors would pay $10.

• Gov. Quinn's reform panel made their recommendations today, including limits on campaign money.
• Speaking of politicians and money, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is now mum about issues surrounding the Bright Star program.
• More trouble for the Toddler: the Cook County State's Attorney's office is now poking its nose into the hiring scandal surrounding Tony Cole.

The Art Institute is learning a hard lesson: you don't screw around with Ald. Ed Burke (14th). Responding to the AIC's recent decision to raise admission prices by 50 percent, Burke, along with Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th), has introduced a measure to the City Council that, according to the Tribune, "would block city fee waivers to any not-for-profit Chicago Museum that charges more than $10 for general admission," including cutting off free water. Said Burke, "They are making it almost impossible for the average Chicago citizen to take his or her family to view these Chicago treasures...At the same time they are paying to subsidize the institution, they are going to be required to pay $18 to go into the institution? That doesn't seem fair."

A vote on Ald. Ed Burke's controversial plan to require all cats and dogs in the city to be sterilized hit a roadblock today when...the court reporter taking testimony at the City Council hearing had to leave. Still, the no-vote followed hours of testimony and the measure looks to be facing some opposition. Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) said, "It really doesn't make a lot of sense when you tell me what a dog owner can do." Ald. Ed Smith (28th) had an issue with Burke's claim that such a measure would stop dog attacks, saying, "We're on the wrong track." Still, Ald. Burke, who has promised to bring the measure up for voting again at a later date, was not deterred as he said, “I still believe there is a sufficient number of votes to pass this thing." [Trib]

14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke is renewing his plans to enact an ordinance imposing sterilization of pets. Burke says that the new proposal, which includes some changes from the previous version, has the votes it needs to clear the city council. Unlike the previous version, which would have hit pet owners with a $500 fine, impoundment and forced sterilization, the new version has a $100 a month fine. The new bill also no longer requires veterinarians to report non-sterilized animals, and doesn't require breeders to immunize pets before sale, and then report the name, address and phone number of the buyer.

Alderman Howard Brookins told WBBM-AM that "with unemployment growing and tax revenues sagging, Chicago needs Walmart." In a separate speech to labor leaders, Ald. Ed Burke said he'd be fine with more Walmarts in Chicago, as long as they allow employees to unionize - which is about as likely as Walmart turning all their stores into marshmallows and sunshine. Are the anti-Walmart tides starting to turn? It was just a couple weeks ago that Walmart started their push back into the city proper - with two aldermen starting to think about what the 'Mart could do for them, could the other 48 be far behind?

Animal activist and retired game-show host Bob Barker will testify before the Chicago City Council this morning, supporting a proposed ordinance that would require pet owners to spay or neuter their pets once they reach six months in age. "One of our most tragic animal problems is overpopulation and this ordinance would help immeasurably to solve that problem" Barker said in a statement released through Alderman Ed Burke's 14th Ward office. Burke, along with 19th Ward Alderman Virginia Rugai, is sponsoring the ordinance to reduce the number of homeless dogs and cats in the city.

1st Ward Alderman Manny Flores and 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke are calling for a citywide ban on Bisphenol A, or BPA, an industrial chemical commonly found in plastics. Recent scientific studies, including work by the National Toxicology Program have raised concerns about the health hazards associated with the chemical. While the NTP report on BPA cited “some concern for neural and behavioral effects on fetuses, infants and children at current exposures,” and expressed concern for BPA exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate, mammary gland and an earlier age for puberty in females, the FDA is saying that plastic bottles are safe.

] From the Trib:

Developers, contractors and homeowners often hire private individuals known in City Hall parlance as expediters to apply for and obtain permits from the city...Some expediters argue that their reputations have been unfairly tarnished by the expediter-turned-government spy and another expediter who last year admitted bribing city workers to speed up the permit process.

Ald Ed Burke (14th) is planning on proposing a city ordinance requiring dogs and cats over six months old to be spayed or neutered. Burke's believes the law is necessary "because people are not living up to their responsibilities as pet owners," he told CBS2. The law would exempt law enforcement dogs, animals a vet deems not healthy enough to undergo surgery, and breeders, who must pass a criminal background check to get licensed. The proposal is intended to fight the growing problem of dog fighting among gangs in the city. "I don't think there's too many gang members who are going to go through a criminal background check, so either they'll get these dogs neutered, or they're not going to keep them," he said.

14th Ward Alderman Edward Burke is at it again, with his radical attempts to give you nutritional information and clean up your water! His proposal that restaurants should provide calorie counts on their menus, originally proposed 15 months ago, is back on the table. It’s been revised to only include chain restaurants (defined as having more than 15 locations nationwide), but really. How silly of him! No city would ever do anything like that! Oh, wait. New York’s version of the same ordinance takes effect on March 31st. And the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been trying to pass state laws along the same lines for 2 years now.

Chicago took another step towards fulfilling Mayor Daley’s vow that by 2016, we’ll have cameras on “almost every block.”

Surprise, surprise: Chicago will not be banning retail stores from distributing plastic bags anytime soon, but steps are being taken to institute a plastic bag recycling program. According to the Sun-Times, Alderman Ed Burke from the 14th Ward proposed a "San Francisco-style ban on non-compostable plastic bags" last May, but he was ultimately forced to compromise. Now, Burke is joining Economic Development Committee Chairman Marge Laurino from the 39th Ward in proposing a much softer ordinance that instead of banning bags creates bag recycling options.

Former Chicago Police sergeant John Herman faces a minimum of 24 years in prison after he was convicted of rape this week. Herman had a bench trial rather than a jury trial, and Judge Joseph Claps not only found Herman guilty, he also had some additional harsh words for the rapist. "The defendant's testimony is unreasonable and nothing short of perjury," Claps said. Claps also didn't believe two officers who testified on Herman's behalf, saying...

Going to Lollapalooza, we saw all sorts of oddities, curiosities and plenty of people handing out shit. The one group we stopped to talk to was the Chicago Park District, who were taking signatures for a petition to help stop BP/Amoco dumping their industrial waste into Lake Michigan over in Whiting, Ind. Point blank, it sucks. As someone on a message board commented, "even animals know not to defecate in their drinking water." No kidding....

A little over a year ago we collectively sighed with relief when Ald. Joe Moore of the 49th Ward persuaded city councilmen to decide, in a 48-to-1 vote, to ban the sale of foie gras, those delicious fatty livers of geese and ducks. We sighed not because we were happy, but because there was so much talk about it at the time, even we got tired of the whole debate. But the issue just wouldn't...

"Your Friday Food Buffet" is a new feature where we combine business-related news concerning food and drink with tastings and fixed-price dinners happening around town this weekend. Pretty cut-and-dried, don'cha think? Anyway, we hope you like it. Starbucks finally drops act, admits inspiration for business model: After test-marketing in Chicago and other markets throughout the country, Starbucks rolled out their breakfast sandwiches and drive-thru service in Boston and select Los Angeles locations. No information...

You have to love Ed Burke. Either he truly means well, suffers from the "Second City" inferiority complex, or he reads Chicagoist and can't help himself. Regarding our post last week about Culver's decision to ban trans fats, we wrote:

We took a gander at this short news story from ABC 7 (via AP) and thought to ourselves, "They can't be serious."

As if fighting terrorism wasn’t tough enough, it looks like America’s war on trans fat has reached its breaking point. But not to worry, Chicago aldermen have devised some strategies for success that will enable us to win this war — and they don’t even involve talks with Iran. In the wake of New York City’s blanket ban on the use of cooking oils with trans fats in all restaurants, Chicago may very well be heading in the same direction. Ald. Ed Burke posed a watered-down ban on trans fats earlier this year that would apply only to restaurant chains with $20 million in annual gross sales. NYC’s comprehensive ban has brought the issue back to the forefront as the Chicago City Council’s licensing committee is currently reviewing Burke’s ban.

Those folks at City Council sure are shrinking violets, aren't they? Take Ed Burke, for example. First, he wanted to ban the use of trans fats in all city-located restaurants. When he realized that wasn't entirely plausible, he introduced watered-down legislation limiting the trans fat ban to companies that only do more than $20 million dollars in gross revenue. Now, Burke is proposing that those same companies the amended legislation would affect post trans fat warnings on all wrappers, cartons, and containers.

It seems as though not a week goes by without an alderman doing or saying something that makes Chicago look like just another parochial, hick town. If they're not banning foie gras, or passing a smoking ban that allows bars a time frame for compliance that more resembles an exit strategy from Iraq, then they're feuding with each other on the Council floor, passing salary increases for themselves, and getting caught in the occasional compromising...

Remember all of those voting machine snafus in last month's primary election? Well, some people think the problems were the result of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez trying to infiltrate the US electoral system. International intrigue, right here in Chicago! And no, this isn't the plot to a new political thriller. Chicago's new electronic voting machines were supplied by Sequoia Voting Systems, a company based in California, but ultimately owned by a Venezuelan company. After the...

Through adroit parlementary manuvers, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance today that would ban drivers from using cell phones without a hands free device. Chicagoist has learned that the ordinance will be enacted this July, and first time offenders will be fined $50, with repeat offenders subject to fines of up to $200 with each offense. The ordinance does not apply to people in parked cars, people calling 911, or law enforcement officials. Alderman...