Results tagged “finance”

As you might have noticed, the 1980s hard rock scene produced very few great scholars. There is no Kip Winger, Ph.D., or Mark Slaughter, M.Ed. Vince Neil implored us to call Dr. Feelgood, but never himself M.D.'ed. (Nikki Sixx OD'ed, though.) Blackie Lawless is not an Esq.

Dominick's has jumped aboard the cheap-generic-drugs wagon and is now offering 300 of the most frequently purchased drugs for $4 for a 30-day supply, which the Trib helpfully points out is also $8 for a 60-day supply and $12 for a 90-day one.

In quick succession, the Cook County Board shot down a series of tax hikes yesterday, including proposed increases on electricity and natural gas. Five other increases backed by Democrat Roberto Maldanado, including taxes on SUVs, hotel stays, jet fuel and liquor sold in bars, died without support from any commissioners. The 2-14 vote against the electricity and natural gas taxes, proposed by Stroger ally Bill Beavers, signaled the unofficial death of Board President Todd Stroger's...

Every time we think the state's government can't get any worse, they somehow find a way to surprise us. Unable to reach a deal that'll adequately fund the CTA and its crumbling infrastructure, they think they want to buy yet another fixer-upper piece of property. The State of Illinois is supposedly interested in buying Wrigley Field, which is for sale along with the Cubs following billionaire Sam Zell's takeover of the Tribune Co. The Illinois...

Is the City finally going to reach some kind of resolution with four victims of police torture victims? It look like it. Aaron Patterson, Leroy Orange, Stanley Howard and Madison Hobley, all tortured by Chicago Police commander Jon Burge and his Area 2 lackeys, will divide a $20 million settlement in their suit against the city. Says 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, Failure to settle these cases when there was no argument anymore that there...

Who doesn't love the Onion? God knows we do, and hey — even Neil Steinberg sort of likes it. And that guy knows funny! Anyway, there are two big reasons to love the Onion even more: First and foremost, their Google map layer — go ahead and play around with it, above — is twenty kinds of amazing. And the company announced today that they're moving their HQ here. Well, business HQ. While the...

A freshman at Corliss High School on the South Side says his school's security guards assualted him--and a student has the incident on tape. According to the Sun-Times, the tape shows an officer wrapping his arm around the student's neck and pining him to the floor. RIP, Betsy the harbor seal. The 36-year-old resident of the Lincoln Park Zoo was quite old for a harbor seal. The City Council's finance committee approved the Mayor's...

Don't settle for another Wednesday of and Girl Scout cookies that have been in the freezer for months (not ... that ... we do that ...). There's a shitton of stuff going on tonight!

Ugh, finally: 28 aldermen are filing a petition to U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow demanding the City release the names of the most-complained-about police officers. The Sun-Times's spot-on editorial is completely degraded by heinous illustration that accompanies it, from the same "artist" who also did yesterday's ricockulously bad Stroger drawing. The Book Cellar is hosting "Chicago’s Wittiest Women Writers" tonight. We deeply resent not being invited to participate, but cannot deny the wit of Stacey...

Ron Huberman et al handed down the proposed 2008 CTA budget, and it ain't pretty. At all.

We cannot wait for tomorrow. Not just because it's the season premieres of The Office and Ugly Betty, but also because there's an even more important show debuting. On the internet. We write, of course, of City Council Meetings, which, starting tomorrow, will be streamed online. Clear your calendars; the meeting starts at 10 a.m. These meetings were supposed to be broadcast back in 2004, but aldermen are pretty pretty princesses. "Some aldermen complained that...

Conventional wisdom says that we should not speak ill of the deceased, but that's a tall endeavor if we're to take the pundits' criticisms of William Wirtz as law, although one has surprised us with his restraint. The longtime Blackhawks owner and liquor magnate passed away early this morning at the age of 77 from cancer. It's easy to say that Mr. Wirtz was stuck in a bygone era, treating his beloved hockey franchise as...

There's no love lost here between Chicagoist and Cook County government. In fact, not only has Todd Stroger (as well as the other comedians that pass for "Commissioners" on the county board) been a target for our anger, frustration, and disappointment, they've been fodder for our ridicule and a symbol of what's wrong with local government here. Looking back at the news from last week, we've been following the story of Sally Lemke, the nurse...

While the state government devolves into a teeming cesspool of Machiavellian intrigue and self-loathing (quickly becoming an annual tradition in one form or another here in the Land of Lincoln), the world of politics moves on. While we have no problem kicking around Blagojevich (and the other asshole cynics downstate), this week, we're putting it aside, damn it! With out further adieu, here it is, your dose of news before lunch: Daley Takes his Public...

Like baseball and steroids, drug-dealing and hip hop always seem to be mentioned in the same breath. This time Lupe Fiasco’s business partner at 1st and 15th, the record label he started in 2000, has been sentenced to 44 years on drug charges. There have been no charges filed against Lupe who partnered with Charles Patton for his first album, Food & Liquor. Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Coughlin stated that it was rare to have...

In one of his first acts as the new 2nd Ward Alderman, Bob Fioretti threatened to stall the second phase of a $750 million plan to raze the CHA's ABLA Homes, part of their multi-billion dollar "Plan for Transformation." After learning that $31 million dollars in expiring tax credits might be lost, he approved $15 million in tax-increment financing, but he vowed that a series of side letters would dictate three things: minority participation at...

Last night was the first debate among Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination. On a crowded stage, the large group of suits that are hoping for the nod to take on a Republican in Fall of '08 for the White House argued about the nuances of the Iraq War. Erstwhile local gal Hillary had a well thought-out answer to the question "Do you agree with the position [that the war in Iraq is lost] of...

Some of us are still recovering from last week's Four Questions, but our readers have an insatiable thirst for answers. One recently posed an interesting question to us concerning Chicago's Olympic bid and the city's flag. As all Chicagoans no doubt know, the city's flag includes three white bars, two blue bars and four six-sided stars. The three white bars signify the North, West and South sides of the city, while the blue bars...

Campaigning for alderman is hard work — you have to knock on doors, make speeches, and be sure that you are leaving time for the business interests in your ward to come by and tell you all about their big plans to develop the area. Alderman Howard Brookins knows all about bringing development to the ward, and how important it is to work with businesses that will bring quality of life and good jobs to...

Yesterday we talked about the fighting that has been going on between the labor movement in Chicago and the aldermen that are facing runoffs this year. On the heels of the very public sniping that is taking place between unions and aldermen whose power is being challenged comes some not-so-surprising disclosures of the First C.D. Victory PAC, a political action committee founded to finance pro-business candidates (and, generally, allies of Daley). The Chicago Tribune is...

In the latest round of skirmishes over power in this city, aldermanic candidates have seen the labor movement in Chicago flex it's muscle. In the 21st Ward, incumbent alderman Howard Brookins is being challenged by Leroy Jones, a community activist and member of SEIU Local 73 and UFCW Local 881 member Toni Foulkes is running against Felicia Simmons-Stovall for an open seat in the 15th Ward. In fact, this election cycle, more than any other...

We here at Chicagoist haven't been shy about our skepticism of bringing the Olympics to Chicago. So we weren't too shocked to see, less than two weeks after Mayor Daley coasted to re-election, that the US Olympic Committee wanted the city to have "some skin in the game," committing the city (and therefore taxpayers) to guarantee the games to the tune of half a billion dollars. On Monday what's left of the city council took...

This time of year, many people are looking to weed the closet and clean out the garage to make room for the new pile of stuff they didn't really need acquired over the holidays. So, responding to an altruistic impulse, they decide to donate their old clothes, furniture, appliances, and toys. But that Salvation Army center with the nice workers who help unload the car is so far away. Hey there's a green collection box...

Chicagoist knows good reality TV when we see it, and this past "Survivor" was the best season since Boston Rob and Ambah fell in love and won the All-Stars (they’ll be back for another go in the Amazing Race All-Stars in March). We do think Ozzy should have won the million, even if he did look a lot like Joey Lawrence on the reunion show.

The city council is considering a new measure that would allow real estate agents, home healthcare workers, and social workers to park in any residential zones using a special $300 permit. The proposal was approved by the council's finance committee Monday, and now goes to the full council for a vote.

As recently as 24 months ago, there were three baseball franchises whose fans blamed decades of World Series futility on curses. The Red Sox fans blamed the "curse of the Bambino," cast upon their franchise when the team's owner sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in order to finance a Broadway production. Since the Wilson administration, White Sox fans blamed their lack of a title on the "Black Sox" scandal, in which members of the 1919 team were accused of throwing the World Series. And the Cubs had their "Billy Goat" curse, cast upon the team after Vasili "Billy Goat" Sianis and his actual goat were denied admission to Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the 1945 World Series.

After quibbling about who would wear what color suit, how big the podiums had to be, and when, where, and how they would exclude the Green Party candidate, Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich finally had their first debate. And what an event it was, with each accusing the other of lying about everything from state contracts and patronage to property taxes and job growth. While Topinka said that her education plan wouldn’t expand gambling...

Ever had one of those friends who continually confuse you with their ability to live beyond their means? We’re guessing Jacques L. Antoine had a lot of people scratching their heads over his spending habits. As a mortgage loan originator for Harris Bank, Antoine made $48,500 a year. A decent salary, but not one that would allow him to buy a $1.6 million home in Florida. And yet, that’s exactly what he did. He also bought eight Chicago properties between 1998 and 2004 and spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars on boats and cars.”

Since “Project Runway” didn’t start till nine; we decided to do something educational to pass the time. We traipsed our hot, sweating, rear-ends over to the Chicago Architecture Foundation to hear Meredith Mack, VP of Finance and Operations of the Art Institute, discuss its new addition.