Results tagged “thecitycouncil”

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.

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...

Mayor Daley has finally announced his pick for new police superintendent: J.P. “Jody” Weis, an FBI agent who was most recently the head of the Philadelphia field office. The City Council still has to approve the appointment, but given that Ald. Isaac Carothers, chairman of the City Council's police committee, says "maybe going to the outside might bring a fresh look — a guy who knows no one and owes no one,” is anyone worried?...

The City Council passed Mayor Daley's insane budget with a vote of 36-14. Only in Chicago is that "a departure from the overwhelming victories" of years past. The tax package was a closer call, but still passed 29-21. The approved plans include doubling the phoneline surcharge to $2.50 per month to support the city's 911 centers, raising the tax on wine and beer, a 5-cent tax on bottled water, higher parking tickets, and dozens of...

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...

We can't help thinking "superbug" makes it sound awesome, like a superhero, superfly, Super Mario, etc. Either way, There are two more cases of drug-resistant staph infections in Naperville.

This is going to get way boring, but what the eff. The City Council meeting is streaming online! Watch it yourself, or just follow along with us. Updates at the bottom, until we get too tired of doing this. 10:02 They take attendance. 10:03 This stream is...meh. It keeps cutting out. "We have taken a major step in making our city government more transparent." Turns out they didn't know how hard it would be to...

Chicagoist is a big fan of chips – chocolate chips, potato chips, ChiPs – so when we heard that Chicago dogs may soon have to be implanted with indentification microchips, we figured it had to be a good idea. Alderman Gene Schulter proposed the ordinance, which would also include limits on tethering, stiff fines for unleashed dogs and higher license fees for non-neutered pets. In addition, grooming, boarding and day-care facilities would have to be...

Hey, next time your heading out to your car don't forget your hand-free listening device. You'll want to practice getting used to wearing it because it may soon be what you'll need to use your cell phone while driving.

It's Friday (read, "we're lazy, ready for the weekend and five cans deep into a sixer") so we're going to use the cliche lede that's surely spread over newspapers 'round the nation today: We wish it were an April Fool's joke, but it'ain't. The City Council's Transportation Committee approved the taxi fare we've been whining about for a while. We know it's probably overdue, but that doesn't mean it won't cut into our beer money....

The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which has 1.3 million members in the U.S. and Canada, 40,000 of whom work in Chicago, has vehemently opposed Wal-Mart�s move into urban Chicago. The UFCW says that Wal-Mart�s lower wages and worse benefits will affect wages and benefits at other grocery retailers. Even though 1.2 million people in America work for the discount giant, no Wal-Marts in North America have unionized labor.