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Aldermen have expressed frustration, fear, skepticism, and in a few isolated cases anger over the mayor's plan to collect nearly $300 million in new taxes. But most of their hand-wringing has been over the kinds of taxes that might be levied, rather than over the notion of tax hikes per se. The administration's pitch for $108 million in new property taxes has galled even longtime mayoral allies like 45th Ward alderman Pat Levar.
"The questions are about this tax versus another," one alderman said to a couple of reporters before police department budget hearings this week. "There aren't enough questions about how and where we can cut."
The police department is the last place the City Council is going to look to trim--even criticizing "a few bad apples" in the police department is generally considered a dumb political move. In this tough budget year, the mayor has proposed hiring 50 more officers, and aldermen have griped that they need to find money to hire more.
When interim police superintendent Dana Starks testified Monday evening, most aldermen played their expected roles, spending their Q & A time praising their district commanders and condemning those who dare to wonder if the department is plagued by corruption and abuse.
But a few tough questions about police spending came from Ninth Ward alderman Anthony Beale, normally a soft-spoken, deferential presence in the council, even when he bucks the mayor's lead.
Almost one-fifth of the city's proposed $5.9 billion budget will be devoted to police personnel costs. Beale read some of the line items in the proposed police budget aloud and asked Starks and his deputies to explain: $28.8 million for police overtime; $3.9 million for "holiday premium pay"; $37.1 million for "duty availability."
"What is 'duty availability'?" Beale asked.
"It's a contractural benefit paid to sworn officers," Starks said. One of his assistant deputy superintendents clarified: officers are paid $730 every three months, on top of their salaries, to be "available" in case they're called in to work an extra or emergency shift. If they report for extra duty, they're paid overtime wages as well.
"So each officer is getting $730 a quarter to be available? My, my, my," Beale said, shaking his head. "Is anyone tracking who's working a second job and isn't available?"
"No," Starks said.
Officers will also be paid a total of $11.5 million if they don't take furlough time they're entitled to, Starks confirmed, and $24 million each year to cover the cost of uniforms. That last expense works out to $600 per quarter for each officer.
"Is there anything in place to find out if the uniform allowance is being spent on that?" Beale asked.
"No," Starks said. "Just on the annual inspection day."
"Well, I can put aside a nice shirt and tie and come in looking real good for inspection," Beale said. "Officers are paid to be available, compensated for furloughs and uniforms, but we don't know if they're using it for uniforms or not--all that comes out to $153 million when we're being asked to slap the taxpayers for $300 million--"
Carrie Austin, the chair of the budget committee, cut him off. "Alderman, I didn't give you time for a speech," she said.
Beale offered a half-hearted near-apology before wrapping up his remarks. "I think we can cut some of the fat here," he said.
Starks explained that it's not that easy, since most of those expenses are written into contracts with the Fraternal Order of Police. The floor was then turned over to Ariel Reboyras, the 30th Ward alderman, who told Starks he had "the most difficult job in the world" but that crime fighting in Chicago was working. "We are the best in the nation," he said.
At least someone is appearing to ask questions and disrupt the smooth flow of the bullshit river we have for a city council.
Like lava flowing down the side of a volcano, aldermanic bullshit seems to be an unstoppable force of nature.
Pity the poor fool who steps into it's path.
As for Reboyras' cheerleading apparently he hasn't heard of the Burge controversy, read the recent abuse cases of probing a man's ass with a screw driver, watched an off duty cop beat the shit out of a defenseless barmaid, heard the press accounts of 4 bar patrons who were badly beaten only to have fellow officers ignore their duty to defend the public and led to the indictment of three of the officers involved, or even looked at Chicago's crime statistics compared to other large cities since the late 80's.
We are not the best at combating crime, we may be the best at ignoring it or hiding it and even in some cases having our governments perpetuate it, but not at combating it.
I won't be holding my breath at any of Alderman Beale's fellow council members bringing the same sort of common sense approach to the CPD budget, but I certainly appreciate his efforts.
Dowell seems to be saying the right things.
The tax raise is not for libraries but to make Daley's friends rich.
Assessments are coming up.
The County wants more taxes.
The City wants more taxes.
Property Taxes are at an all time high.
Sales taxes are high
The building inspectors and red tape is ridiculous for business
Evictions are at an all time high
Bankruptcys are at an all time high
Corruption is rampant
People don't trust the police
the CTA is about to cut service to 250,000 people
This is a sick joke.
Rise and Shine, all ye faithful:
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Here is how to get it done:
1) REGISTER TO VOTE
2) Make a list of every INCUMBENT, (leaving those few incumbents who you are CERTAIN deserve to be reelected off of your list)
3) BRING this list with you when you go to vote
4) DO NOT vote for ANYONE on your list
5) If the INCUMBENT has only one CHALLENGER, vote for that CHALLENGER, no matter who it may be
6) If the INCUMBENT has 2 or more challengers, then:
If the INCUMBENT'S name is listed 1st, then vote for the CHALLENGER who is LISTED LAST
or
If the INCUMBENT'S name is NOT LISTED FIRST, then vote for the CHALLENGER who IS LISTED FIRST
(This will concentrate the most votes for a SINGLE CHALLENGER, thus providing the greatest possibility of the incumbent losing)
7) whenever you have the choice to RETAIN or NOT RETAIN an elected official, vote to NOT RETAIN
8) Vote for whomever you choose, for whatever your reasons, it's your vote and you can cast it for whomever you please, but, remember, the INCUMBENTS are the people who have been, are, and will continue to be, the one's responsible for all of our current troubles
Cast your votes with the sole purpose in mind of ousting practically all those currently holding, and abusing, the power and authority they've been entrusted with.
This strategy, if applied, will guarantee that the incumbents will lose, every time.
Primaries are the perfect opportunity for honest individuals, of either major party, to challenge the corrupt, old-school hacks infesting their parties.
Whether one considers oneself essentially a 'liberal', 'conservative', a Democrat or Republican, or a mixture of both, one must acknowledge that the entrenched members of BOTH parties have been, and currently are, responsible for fucking up the lives of the 'common citizens'.
Independent-minded Democrats AND Republicans should flood their respective primaries with challengers and vote according to the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT protocols, which will replace each party's respective incumbent hacks with anyone BUT the incumbent hack.
In the general election, both Democrats and Republicans can have the opportunity to elect a candidate who is not a hack, not a part of the old-school hack machine, and may well be a person more authentically committed to the ideals of true democracy.
Those citizens who are sick and tired of the ways in which BOTH Democrats and Republicans have fucked up our city, county, state and country, can apply this voting strategy, in the general election, (should any incumbent hacks survive their respective primaries), to ensure that practically ALL incumbents are ousted.
This will also open up the general election for any and all independent candidates to have the chance of successfully challenging the major party candidates.
GET REGISTERED TO VOTE
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION, (be it a Primary or a General Election.)
USE THE POWER OF YOUR VOTE TO COMPEL CHANGE
It's Simple, Effective & Easy.
S.E.E.?
Try it, you'll like it.
Alderman of the City Coucil have become as useful as Unions in Chicago. Both are controlled by fear of replacement.
All the people who have property tax bills that are unchanged since 89, raise your hands or wave your mousepads excitedly.
Maybe if you've been drinking Colt 45 all day these kinds of shell games seem slick and polished, but I don't really give a flying f*** how they come up with the taxes, the fact remains every 3 years property taxes skyrocket, recent developments with the so-called "7% solution"(pushed through average schmoes, not by Da Mare) notwithstanding.
People want to make a killing selling their house because it appreciated in value, but do not think the taxes should increase accordingly.
Can't have your cake and eat it too. (Unless you are lucky like me !)
Our resident machine flunky is, once again, talking out of his ass.
Taxes are levied for the SOLE purpose of paying for AUTHENTIC services rendered to the citizens, for their benefit only.
Thus, the amount levied shall be no more than is necessary to provide said AUTHENTIC services.
Basing the amount of taxes due from each citizen on the 'fair' market value of real property owned by same is, in no way, relevant to the determination of how much money is truly needed to provide said services.
Furthermore, the 'fair' market value of real property is not realized until, and unless, the owner of said property SELLS same, or borrows money using said property as collateral.
Therefore, real property taxes based on the 'fair' market value of said property, is inherently unfair to property owners.
The true value of real property is the cost when purchased, or the amount of debt said property is currently carrying.
Real property's assessed value should be either the original purchase cost or the current, total debt balance, adjusted for inflation.
Tax rates on this fairly assessed value would then be determined by the tax revenue needed to provide said AUTHENTIC services.
This would ensure that the calculations determining both taxes levied and taxes spent are clearly visible to those who PAY the taxes and those who are PAID to provide the services, as in the costs of said services.
Our machine shill wants us to believe that there is an inherent and unquestionable connection between the potential value of our real property and the amount of taxes we should be expected to pay on same.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The total amount of taxes required to pay for the total cost of services, the division of said tax burden amongst the populace, and the specific factors governing exactly how said division is determined, are the issues at hand.
Further, the nature and authenticity of said services, the costs of same and the lack of accountability, as to the honest value of said services, relevant to their cost, are also issues needing examination.
Simpletons, like 'orion' and his ilk, want us to believe in the fantasy that the way taxes are being determined and levied is fair and 'written in stone'.
The built-in nature of basing taxation of real property on it's 'fair' market value is hardly 'fair', as this value is potential only, until real property is sold or used as collateral.
Basing taxation on the buying and selling of goods and services is the more equitable and fair means of raising the revenue needed to pay for the AUTHENTIC services our governments exist to provide the citizens.
A tiered tax rate, based on each citizens ability to pay, ie., yearly income, would more fairly distribute the tax burdens imposed on same.
Also, certain services provided should require certain responsibilities from those who receive the benefits of same.
Without getting into the vast amounts of waste, abuse, misuse and fraud prevalent in the ways our taxes are spent, we should consider the reevaluation of our current taxation mechanisms to be at the top of our 'lists of things to do'.
All bullshit from the machine peanut-gallery to the contrary, not withstanding.
I believe that would be the sound of orion hitting the pavement after being slam dunked with extreme prejudice by tutor.
Not to mention this "People want to make a killing selling their house because it appreciated in value, but do not think the taxes should increase accordingly." displays an astounding ignorance of two things:
1) not everyone considers their house an investment to flip.
2) the taxes in question have nothing to do with taxes levied on the SALE price (and I doff my hat to the tutor).
So if Grandma wants to stay in the house she purchased in 1950 and thinks she is going to pay 1950 taxes, she is sorely mistaken, unless when Grandma kicks the bucket her heirs sell it for what she paid for it in the '50s.
Otherwise, she should draw the equity in her house down or else sell and get out of the way for someone that CAN pay without bitching, because I got a raise coming up and my pension needs to be fully funded so that I will not be in the same position.
Firemen and policemen to protect it, garbagemen to clean-up, sewer workers, tree trimmers, sidewalks, streets and curbs and gutters, snow removal, etc. etc. are all labor intensive and make your house worth living in. Their wages are higher than they were in 1950, 1989 etc., so what makes you think you should not have to pay for the increase in those services ?
There ain't no Santee Claus or free lunch.
Once again, the baby burps up formula onto his bib.
Let's take each bit of orion's vomit, one at a time, and see what our favorite clout monkey wannabe had for lunch today:
"If you cannot afford the taxes, you have to sell and move, plain and simple. Its called capitalism and no one said it was fair, it is what it is."
No, knucklehead, it's not called capitalism, it's called corruption, abuse of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars and extortion, however much said extortion has been legalized.
It's called gross and fraudulent misappropriation of funds, waste of said taxpayers' dollars and more than enough cause to motivate the ousting, from public office, of those responsible for same.
"So if Grandma wants to stay in the house she purchased in 1950 and thinks she is going to pay 1950 taxes, she is sorely mistaken, unless when Grandma kicks the bucket her heirs sell it for what she paid for it in the '50s.
Otherwise, she should draw the equity in her house down or else sell and get out of the way for someone that CAN pay without bitching, because I got a raise coming up and my pension needs to be fully funded so that I will not be in the same position."
My, oh my, how pleased both orion, and his masters, must be, at this frank, honest and unabashed statement of how many clout monkeys view the taxpayers.
First, nobody is saying that it's a given that a homeowner, (orion sees fit to give a grandmother as an example of same), expects to pay taxes based on the original price paid for their real property, as, the suggestion was for the present basis, upon which taxes should be assessed, to be the original purchase price, adjusted for inflation, OR the balance of any debt currently held on said real property.
Second, the purpose of taxation is for the citizens, as a whole, to pay for the services provided by government, for the sole benefit of said citizens, and to have the application of taxation fairly and equitably imposed upon same.
Third, said services, provided by government, for the sole benefit of the citizens as a whole, are to be AUTHENTIC services, provided at the least possible cost, in the most efficient, effective and economical manner, SOLELY for the benefit of said citizens, and NOT for the benefit of those providing the services.
Thus, as I would hope orion is well aware of, he/she is, once again, full of shit, albeit, this time, he/she hasn't allowed his/her lunch to make it all the way through his/her digestive system, before presenting it to us, for our consideration.
"....and you are really a short bus rider if you think the cost of running government will not increase over the time you own your home."
Now, now, now, little fellow, nobody thinks that the cost of the AUTHENTIC services provided by government, for the sole purpose of benefiting the citizens who PAY for said AUTHENTIC services, will not increase over time, BUT, everybody KNOWS that said increases should not be much more than the rate of inflation, given that the cost of services citizens purchase from the private sector generally increase due to said inflationary forces and due to whatever remnants of 'free' market forces that remain.
Further, the citizens' purchases of services from the private sector are VOLUNTARY, thus, placing some semblance of economic force upon said private sector service providers to actually provide the services offered to the satisfaction of their customers, ie., the citizens who decide to purchase said private sector provided services.
The citizens have no such freedom of choice, when it comes to government provided services, and thus, there is no effective economic force to be applied to those of government who provide said services, to encourage and require said services to be AUTHENTIC, or to give satisfaction to those who are PAYING for said services.
Finally, the issue of what would be a more fair, equitable and honest way to determine how, (and from whom), taxes are calculated, assessed, imposed and dispensed, and for what AUTHENTIC purposes said tax revenues are spent for, appears to be an issue which orion sees fit to ignore.
Why does orion ignore this issue?
Maybe ".....because I got a raise coming up and my pension needs to be fully funded so that I will not be in the same position."?
I agree with orion on one of his/her points, namely "....it is what it is.", though, what I see as being what is, is what the orion's of our city, county and state fear to address or even acknowledge, namely:
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Try again. And just a hint, using 3 and 4 syllable words does not make your point any more valid.
"There is no way that you can compare private sector analysis to city services....."
I just did.
Services are just that, Services.
Customer Satisfaction is just that, Customer Satisfaction, ie., Satisfied Customers.
Since the taxpayers are the customers of government services, it is the absolute responsibility of government servants to serve the public, to give service that satisfies the customers, ie., the taxpayers, and to do so honestly, competently and completely satisfactorily.
NOT what we, the taxpayers, are experiencing from the present crop of incompetent, dishonest, deceptive and self-serving schmucks currently holding our city, county and state government authorities and currently holding hostage the taxpayers hard-earned, and badly wasted, tax dollars.
Save your piles of rhetorical shit for those who have developed a taste for it, work on building your resume', (I recommend you omit all evidence of your having been a clout monkey), pack your bags and prepare to hit the streets, you're about to join the ranks of the many unemployed citizens you and your pals have helped to run into bankruptcy.
Just a hint:
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Believe them.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Please take a deep breath.
Then hold it for, say, forever.
The notion that the City of Chicago provides an average citizen with any "services" is surreal. The Department of Streets and Sanitation should be called the Department of Guys You Only See at Your Polling PLace on Election Day. Remember when some poor schmuck suggested to Daley that there shouldn't be standing water on the streets for days at a time due to clogged storm drains, and Daley jibbered for about five minutes about how citizens should get out and clear the drains? Last thing he wants Streets and San workers doing is going out into the streets to deal with municipal sanitation.
Meanwhile, Amenesty International thinks our cops are inexcusable, and it's hard to disagree with that in a month in which a jury awarded $4 million to a guy who the cops sodomized with a screwdriver. I note that this was one of three such jury verdicts entered this month. In the same month, a "crack" (in, it appears, the drug sense) police unit was disbanded after a its members were shown to be involved in a series of criminal acts, including attempting to murder one another to prevent testimony. This is of course over and above the day-to-day low level stealing, never paying for lunch, etc., that all of us get to watch our coppers do day in and day out.
Our 9-1-1 system, which is probably the most expensive such thing ever built, works very badly indeed acording to the federal Department of Homeland Security. The Fire Department is probably the pick of the governmental litter, as it actually shows up for fires.
I assume the City does some garbage collection; I know it still owes condo boards throughout the city millions of dollars for gargbage collection it charged them for, but never did. Our half-assed recycling program was never intended to do anything but enrich Mayoral crony and Mob associate Freddie Barabara.
We don't get "services" where I live, although since I don't live in Bridgeport or Beverly, I may have a jaundiced view.
Beale's father was a do nothing cop. Beale is also a crybaby alderman who filed a complaint against a cop who called him a bad name. It's a wonder Beale can breathe, what with his head sequestered far up The Right Reverned Meeks'butt. No wonder Harold Ward has him running scared for his position.
Less ALDERMEN!!! More term limits!
Still not using your real name, Orion? No balls as well as no brains.
My father used to say that any year we, the taxpayers, got 50 cents worth of benefit from our dollar in taxes paid, was a GREAT year, and to not hold my breath waiting for that great year to appear.
A wise man, my father was.
The thing about reducing the number of alderman is, while seeming to be a good idea, (due to the substantial lack of intestinal fortitude amongst most of them), in reality, wouldn't do anything but reduce the number of aldermen that the royal-family-of-Daley needed to corrupt.
What would actually be of some benefit, (besides everyone implementing the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT voting strategy and honest citizens flooding the primaries with challengers), is to have MORE alderman, getting paid FAR LESS, representing FAR FEWER citizens, covering much geographically SMALLER aldermanic wards, determined NOT by partisan, ethnic, racial, religious or gender-orientation factors, but either by simple grid geometry, or by population, as is done in our state and federal House of Representatives.
We already have enough social forces dividing us by race, ethnicity, religion, gender-orientation, etc., why do we accept the political force of gerrymandering making things even worse?
What might happen if ward boundaries were determined in such a way as to ensure that NO aldermanic wards had anything close to an ethnic, religious or racial majority residing therein?
What if aldermen seeking to represent much smaller wards, with far fewer residents, would have to do so by leading their varied constituencies to the promised land of reasonable, rational and honest compromise and cooperation?
What might life in this city, county and state be like, if there were far less political exploitation of people's differences, and much more political application of the citizen's commonalities?
The only 'group' that would be left out in the cold would be the GREEDY, DISHONEST FUCKS who currently rule and ruin, and relish their seemingly unquestioned shenanigans.
Let's BE honest, let's BE smart, let's BE the people we tell ourselves we are.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
She is a buffoon. She has no intelligence.
She does not allow good questions or debate.
same way she got to be alderman:
her husband died and Daley appointed her
Oh, and Beavers moved up to County Board
Alderman gets post once held by husband
CITY COUNCIL
Daley taps Austin to lead Budget Committee
May 23, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN Sun-Times City Hall Reporter
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/397251,CST-N...
The amount of taxes imposed upon the city, county and state residents, by whatever means, is determined by the total amount of dollars CLAIMED to be necessary to provide 'services' to the people as a whole.
What are those services that governments claim can ONLY be provided BY governments?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are most ECONOMICALLY provided by government?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are most EFFICIENTLY provided by government?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are most RELIABLY provided by government?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are most HONESTLY provided by government?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are BEST provided by government?
What are those services that governments CLAIM are REQUIRED to be provided SOLELY by government?
What services CLAIMED to be provided by governments are, in reality, provided by PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITIES, contracted by governments?
What leverage do the CONSUMERS of 'government provided' services have, to ensure that said services are SATISFACTORILY provided to same?
What leverage do the CONSUMERS of 'government provided' services have, to ensure that said services are ECONOMICALLY provided to same?
What leverage do the CONSUMERS of 'government provided' services have, to ensure that said services are EFFICIENTLY provided to same?
What leverage do the CONSUMERS of 'government provided' services have, to ensure that said services are HONESTLY provided to same?
What choices do citizens/consumers, of these 'government provided' services, have, concerning whether or not said citizens/consumers WANT said services and from WHOM said citizens/consumers WANT to purchase said services?
What free market forces affect the cost, quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction factors concerning these 'services' provided to the citizens/consumers by said 'government service' providers?
What services, currently 'provided' by governments, could better be provided to citizens/consumers by private sector, free-market service providers, at a lower cost, in a more efficient and effective manner, of a higher quality and providing the citizen/consumer with the freedom of choice said citizen/consumer enjoys when purchasing services from private sector service providers?
What services are provided to the citizens/consumers, by governments, which said citizens/consumers truly believe are BETTER provided by said governments?
What services are provided to the citizens/consumers, by governments, which said citizens/consumers truly believe are MORE ECONOMICALLY provided by said governments?
What services are provided to the citizens/consumers, by governments, which said citizens/consumers truly believe are MORE EFFICIENTLY provided by said governments?
What services are provided to the citizens/consumers, by governments, which said citizens/consumers truly believe are MORE HONESTLY provided by said governments?
The concept of the 'privatization' of services, currently provided to the citizens/consumers by governments, being touted by this city's, county's and state's present office holders is NOT authentic.
For specific services to be truly provided by private sector businesses, said services must NOT be merely government-contracted, but must be authentic, free-market, private sector service providers, independent of government control, other than the oversight function authentic private sector businesses are subjected to.
The free market forces, inherent in a free market economy, are the best means by which the citizens/consumers, exercising their natural right to purchase, or not purchase any given service from any given service provider, can effect the cost, efficiency, quality and reliability of said services.
Patrick Daley Enlists for the Airborne
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's son enlisted as an airborne infantryman back in august. Hooah:
Patrick Daley, 29, who got his master's degree from the University of Chicago in June, said he "always wanted to find a way to serve ... just like my grandfather and father." He said the Sept. 11 attacks played a role in his decision to enlist in the airborne infantry.
"Think of it. It's amazing. I get to serve my country," he told the Chicago Sun-Times, which disclosed his August enlistment in a story Tuesday.
The mayor said he was very proud of his son's decision. He said that he was concerned about his son's safety but did not try to talk him out of it.
"He believes that is part of public service," the mayor said.
The younger Daley will report during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day to Fort Benning, Ga., where he will undergo basic training, advanced infantry training and airborne training for 20 weeks, said Bill Kelo, spokesman for the Army's recruiting battalion in Chicago. After that, Daley could be sent anywhere, including Iraq or Afghanistan, Kelo said.
Kelo said Daley asked that the Army not publicize his decision.
"He didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Kelo said. "He didn't want any special treatment, and he didn't want any special coverage."
Patrick Daley declined all interview requests Tuesday. He spoke only to the Sun-Times.
Patrick Daley, who briefly attended West Point as a college freshman and later graduated from the University of Illinois, comes from a famous Democratic family. His father was first elected mayor in 1989. His grandfather Richard J. Daley was Chicago's iron-fisted mayor for more than two decades before his death in 1976.
Typically, people with Daley's background sign up for officer training school rather than enlist. But he might make the Army his career, so "it's better to start out at the bottom," said the mayor.
The mayor, who served in the Army Reserves, declined to discuss his opinion about the war in Iraq but insisted "you stand by the president, you stand by the men and women in the military."
Patrick Daley joins a small roster of prominent people in the military today. Fewer than a dozen members of Congress have sons who have been on active duty since the Sept. 11, according to published reports.
NFL player Pat Tillman gave up a multimillion-dollar football career to join the Army after Sept. 11. He was killed in April in
Airborne daddy gonna take a little trip
Mission classified, Destination unknown
Don't know if I'm ever comin home
Richie Daley (RMD) avoided service in Vietnam being in the reserve.
Patrick Daley going in as an enlisted is rather odd after working for Blair Hull (Patrick Daley was smart during the 2004 Senate race when he told Blair Hull to reveal the domestic issues early, Blair Hull should of listened to Patrick Daley--he had better political sense than the high paid idiot from Virginia)
but still odd to go in as an enlisted (when he can go in with a Bachelors Degree as an Officer--while maybe he wants to bond with the younger kids and the lower levels--be could do more good with leadership and decision making as an Officer especially with a University of Chicago (Hyde Park not Circle) Masters in Business Administration. Daley also did a stint in investment banking at Bear Stearns (Bill Daley was going to go to Bear Stearns or Goldman Sachs at one time--Rostenkowski helped Daley meet the big National and even International playahs and Bill Daley got set up in big International deals after NAFTA passage (Daley's loyalty to labors unions) and access to Clinton administration and Congress)
(Mick should look into the ComEd nuclear deal with the Daleys, or the relationship between Bill Daley and the President of Amalgamated Bank---where the CPS kids money was earning no interest)
Patrick Daley had a undergrad degree (from U of I?) and graduate degree from U of C but he went in as an enlisted airborne infantry?
Not as an officer (who could of still saw combat.
Being over 30 years old is odd to go in enlisted and with an MBA.
What is also odd is that unless Patrick Daley is seriously injured why he is not in Iraq if he is in an airborne unit out of Fort Benning (101st?) or Fort Bragg (82nd).
If one wants to see combat--they can see it and there are plenty of places to volunteer.
Most Airborne or enlisted combat arms soldiers are in combat zones (unless they are criminal discipline problems or are seriously injured)
Patrick Daley is no Pat Tillman.
Military gossip talk is that Patrick Daley is being protected.
Rich Daley has been good for us greaseballs.
Michael Marchese buys land for $1 or Lincoln Park prime land for under market price. He owns the Harlem Irving Plaza
Oscar Dangelo does whatever he wants. Gets little old Italian ladies homes by eminent domain.
Him and Ted Mazola (another Icetalian) made tons of money off the exclusive sale of the University of Illinois Property.
Oscar Dangelo got into the airport deals with Maggie Daleys friends and real estate from Terry Teele (Teele was working for Tony Resko)
Frankie Coconuts you keep on complaining about discrimination against dagos by Mayor Daley.
But isn't Vanecko an Italian name?
John Daley is married to Mary Lou Briatta. Tons of Briattas are on the payroll and have been protected despite gambling, bribes etc. (the Briattas used to own property by UIC)
Tommy DiPiazza (come on Frankie Coconate--you know Tommy--didn't you work with him? Didn't he know your other friend named Frank and friends of friends)
DiPiazza has made a ton of money in real estate--he is Italian and a friend of your friends.
Mikey Tadin is half Italian (the other half Croatian like Eddie Vrdolyak who he likes to go to lunch with)and he has made a tonnnnn of money on trucking, hired trucks, asphalt
The most money goes to Freddie Barbara--who is a real Italian American success story growing up in the mob and going clean and legite and making a ton of money even in the Harold Washington days with his partner Melody or all the snow removal or trucking, real estate and everything else
with homes in Oak Brook, Florida and banks and everything
So goombah--please keepa da mouth a shut. You screwin up Italians making money with the greatest Mayor in the world.
Daley is Capo di tutti Capi
Remember the Bank President of Amalgamated?
Remember one of Patrick Daley's nightclub buddies?
That's the ticket, 11th man.
Stay the course.
Stick to what you know.
BE all that you can be.
Thank you for being so consistent, so dependable, so predictable, so sincere, so traditional, so literate, so diplomatic, so focused, so dedicated, so parochial, so thoroughly without a clue, so very much you.
I trust you are happy to be of service.
Keep posting, you always make my day.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT.
Why does everyone jump on Coconati. He must be doing somethig right to get everyones attention. i saw him on tv the other day. he was talking about how bad security was at our water supplies. keep it up coconati.
He is doing a number on Hispanic representation by:
1. Supporting his daughter in a Hispanic district. She has no connection to the Hispanic community and certainly does not understand their issues. Deborah Mell is not Hispanic, the district is.
2. Trying to take out Senator Iris Martinez with a half hispanic coconut. Iris Martinez has helped pass legislation for all sorts of important issues including child support, birth control for women and is the strongerst voice in the City Council. Now, Old Gringo Mell is trying to take out the only Hispanic female in the Senate, and the only Puerto Rican female in the Senate with machine hack double dipper Rich Bradley.
3. Mell is not only supporting double dipper Bradley but he is also supporting Cindy Santos and pretending she is Hispanic (she is Irish with a Greek name from an ex-husband she cheated on)and he is dumping Commissioner Frank Avila Sr the only Hispanic and Environmental engineir on the board. Santos is not Hispanic and has no qualifications and is double dipping with a state job.
4. Mell has supported Ted Lechowicz Jr for judge against qualified Hispanics and has always opposed Hispanics for judge.
Illinois State Senator Iris Martinez should be re-elected.
The State Rep seat of double dipping traitor Rich Bradley should be replaced with a qualified Hispanic and not the nepotism of Dick Mells daugher.
Cindy Santos should just have one job and not pretend to be something she is not and exploit the Hispanic community that she does not help.
Mell should stop lying, keep his word, and stop trying to be Old Gringo and exploit Hispanics.
Here's some input:
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Here's some more input:
Cut EVERY city employee's salary by 20%, and every city employee means EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE, including you.
Where there are labor contracts which prevent this from being done NOW, offer the respective labor contract holders a choice: either accept 20% wage cuts across the board, or cut the budgets of each and every department that employees contract covered employees by 20%, thus resulting in 20% layoffs of the employees in said departments.
Do the same with each and every contracted company doing business with the city, whether said companies are providing services or supplying goods.
The same goes for the county.
If, as you constantly claim, the mayor, his executive administrative staff and all of his hand-picked management personnel are truly leaders, they will lead the way, by accepting, themselves, those financial sacrifices they seek to impose on the taxpayers.
How about you, kosicki, leading the way, by voluntarily accepting a 20% cut in your own yearly salary?
After all, what's the difference between $100,000+ a year and $80,000+ a year? A measly $20,000. That's more than many of this city's citizens earn all year.
Will we hear you suggesting this solution to the mayor on 10-31-07?
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Term Limits/No Incumbent rules, anyone?
Fire the asshole who posted the above.
Cynthia Santos is not a Latina and has no credentials and she will be outed in the community.
She is a double dipping perpetrator. She is lying to people and exploiting the Latino community.
Bradley should of stayed in his state rep seat he would of beat Debbie Mell. But now Rich and Cynthia Siciliano (not Santos really) will both lose their elections and only have 1 job a piece instead of 4 total and all the family they have on the payroll through patronage.
In this election HDO is going to try to get the only Female Latina Senator beat because she won't go along with their illegal acts and stand ups to sexist violent bully criminal men. HDO also wants to take out the only Latino Commisioner at the MWRD and his crew better get smart about it before the lies and backstabbing start and he gets screwed trying to rely on Dick Mell or the lies that HDO isn't still out to get Avila. The Avila group better get HDO and Mell before they get the Commissioner Avila Sr. All Latinos will get double crossed by Mell.
In 1990 (one year after Mayor Richard M. Daley was elected (1989) Mayor) there was an Italian American Congressman (Marty Russo--who supported Rich Daley against Mayor Byrne in 1983) and a Statewide Constitutional office holder Cosentino. Now in 2007 there are NONE, ZERO, ZILCH, ZIPPO.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation was traditionaly and historically the Italian Department (not that it should be, yes people should be Americans first but tell that to the Chicago Machine that always has played racial and ethnic politics)
Mayor Daley screwed over his long time supporters and gave Streets and Sanitation to the Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO) and brought in characters worse than the old 1st ward.
There are no Italian Americans elected Statewide. There are no Italian Americans elected countywide besides the geriatric do nothing Majewski (who is really Italian and uses one of her late husbands last name), and none citywide.
YES, you are right that a few selected corrupt Italian Americans like disbarred Oscar D'Angelo or former city worker Tommy DiPiazza make money but very few other people do.
Some Italians make money, so Daley uses them to play divide and conquer and screw over other Italians.
Frank Coconate has been a real voice for Italian Americans.
Rich Daley uses the term Dago (which may be a joke) and gets other Italians to lie for him.
Jesse Jackson Jr uses a slur against Italian Americans imitating a movie about drug dealers and qouting a drug dealer and nobody says anything.
Richard M. Daley knew about the 1st ward being cut up and Greylord and Gambit and took help from the same people he distanced himself from or helped take down. 26th Street (Chinatown) raised a lot of money for Richard M. Daley and he put his Inspector General on the Streets and Sans workers. John Daley gets some mob guys jobs for some guys (including at McPier--McCormick Center and Navy Pier) including people from the 26th Street Crew but pretends to be clean.
Daley even screwed over Alderman Billy Banks (but lets him make money and his family make money) by leaking rumors to the media about mob connections and backing him off the race for Assessor and letting Tom Hynes hand pick his replacement with another Irishmen.
Yes, we should all be Americans but look at the elected officials in this county.
MAYOR Richard M. Daley IRISH
COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT John Daley Irish and his predecessors Dick Phelan and George Dunne were both Irish (No TODD STROGER is not really in charge John Daley is--Todd Stroger is a dupe and a dufus)
SHERIFF TOM DART is Irish and from the 19th Ward and the former Sheriff is Irish and from the 19th Ward Sheehan
PRESIDENT OF THE SANITARY DISTRICT Irish Terrence O'Brien and the real power is the Superintendent Jack Farnan from the 11th ward
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Michael Madigan Irish and from the South Side
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Pat Quinn (yes truly independent) is Irish
ATTORNEY GENERAL Lisa Madigan daughter of House Speaker Michael Madigan is adopted but Irish by her adopted father's heritage
COMPTROLLER Danny Hynes who is Irish from the 19th ward and son of former Assesor Tom Hynes
ASSESSOR Jim Houlihan, also Irish and roots in the 19th ward handpicked by Tom Hynes to replace him screwing over Alderman Billy Banks
No Italians or Polish or anyone else in these spots.
Let alone most of the Commissioners and those really in charge of major City Departments.
So Frank Coconate may have a point.
Some sell out Italian Americans screw over their own people so all of the elected officials can be Irish.
Richard Mell has been the biggest supporter of Latinos becoming elected official perhaps ever in Chicago. Cook County Commissioner Irene Hernandez was part of his organization. The only elected official elected countywide Commisioner Avila is part of his organization. State Representative Luis Arroyo is a State Rep because of Richard Mell. Judge Gloria Chevere is a judge because of Alderman Mell.
Moreover, besides elected officials, most of Mell's organization is Latino and he has many top precinct captains, coordinators with good government jobs and big roles in his organization.
Richard Mell has also been the leader in reaching out to other not as large ethnic groups such as Cambodians, Filipinos, Koreans, the Muslim community and many others helping them interact with government and making them part of the mainstream of life in the United States.
Richard Mell is a true American who does not look at race or religion and tries to help everyone.
I guess what is good for "Ian" is good for me too."
Ian's my real name, so unless "Orion" is your first or last name, I'm 100% more truthful than you.
CHICAGOANS LOVE DALEY
ANALYSIS & OPINION BY RUSS STEWART
http://www.russstewart.com/10-17-07.htm
Obama Be Bold: Break with Backer on Torture
by laura flanders Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com
Senator Obama told the New York Times this week that he wants to stand out on the campaign trail. How about standing up against torturers and those who cover up for them, not just in Gitmo -- but in his hometown of Chicago?
Former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and officers serving under him stand accused of torturing some 200 mostly African-American men in custody in the '70s and '80s. In 2002, after a criminal investigation, four who had been sentenced to death and spent over a total of 70 years behind bars on false confessions extracted through torture were pardoned, Governor Ryan issued a moratorium on executions and a package of reforms was passed. Running for US Senate, Obama was rightly proud of SB15, his piece of that reform package, which required the videotaping of interrogations. When asked by an interviewer in 2004 why African Americans in particular should support his campaign, Obama pointed to his "track record of effectively working on behalf of the issues that they care about... I come out of a legislative session where I sent twenty-five pieces of legislation to the Governor's desk, including landmark videotaping legislation of interrogations and confessions, the first in the nation.”
The Senator's work in the area of detainees rights and policing is a piece of his record he'd like the media to consider when they're accusing him of lack of expertise, but there's plenty more to be done. By the time SB 15 passed, the electric-shocks to-the-genitals, bags-over-head treatment had stopped, but justice has never been served. To this day, Burge (who was finally fired in 1992) is drawing a pension in Florida. He and the others have never been prosecuted. In 2006, a four-year, investigation costing Chicago tax-payers $17 million confirmed the allegations but declared it too late to act. Now Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley stands accused of running out the clock on the statute of limitations.
Daley – who abandoned his tradition of neutrality to back Obama in this year's Democratic primary -- has been involved in this story from the start. In 1982, he was Cook County's top prosecutor (the presiding state's attorney) when evidence linking Burge to torture was first brought to him by the superintendent of police. For eight years thereafter, he collaborated in prosecutions of Burge's victims -- and took credit for a high conviction rate -- without taking action to investigate. Now Daley is Mayor, his former assistant, Richard Devine, is Cook County state's attorney, and his brother, Bill Daley, is a senior adviser to Senator Obama.
Chicago justice-seekers have never given up. Not long ago, they testified in Geneva before the UN Committee against Torture. The Committee demanded action and the global scrutiny could count conceivable count against Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. Independent prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced a federal investigation this September, not only to examine the torture, but also to review what looks a whole lot like a conspiracy to cover up (on which the statue of limitations wouldn't apply.) Most recently, on October 17, local Congressman, Bobby Rush (D-Il) wrote to committee chairman John Conyers (D-Il) requesting a Judiciary Committee hearing in the House.
I was just in Chicago, where this is the issue among would-be Obama supporters is ho. “[Obama’s] been very silent on this issue here. We haven’t really pressed him on it because he’s been involved in what he’s been involved in. We also realize he’s playing the politics of it all and Daley is a major, major actor in all of this. And he has to keep his fences mended,” said Flint Taylor of the People’s Law Office who has represented victims of torture in Chicago for the last twenty years.
But if Obama wants to show courage, confronting one of his own hometown cronies could do it. Obama knows this issue and he knows what's right. A Senate investigation anyone?
Next: tackle homophobia.
www.lauraflanders.com
Laura Flanders is the host of RadioNation on Air America Radio and the author, most recently, of BLUE GRIT: True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians. You can find out more at www.lauraflanders.com.
If Barack Obama is truly worthy of being our President, why the fuck would he need the support of a slick hustler like Dick Daley?
Get it??
As for Hilary's people, masquerading as 'skeptical brutha', thanks for reminding us how full of shit 'regular' dumbocrats are.
With your mirror-image brothers and sisters in the 'regular' retardican party, you knuckleheads have really fucked up our country.
Personality Politics, along with the Love of Money, are the root causes.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
is the beginning of a solution.
Simple
Effective
Easy
S.E.E.?
Just Do It.
Richard Bradley or Iris Martinez ?
The CPD wrongfully stripped and fired some officers. This has had long-lasting repercussions within the rank and file. The disciplinary process is not fair and objectively based. The promotional process is primarily based upon clout, not on knowledge or competency. The existing merit system leads to great frustration. We work six straight days in a row with CPD's archaic work schedule. The work schedule further increases stress levels. The residency requirement is killing the job, by keeping qualified younger officers away. The media hammers the CPD unfairly, on a daily basis. The contract has been expired for 15+ months, with no resolution in sight. The squad cars, computers and radio batteries don't function properly. Other times, there are not enough squad cars, radios and batteries to equip all the officers working. Equipment shortages and malfunctions place officers in additional danger. Officers routinely find themselves semi-involuntarily working alone. Working alone resulted in Officer Richard Francis's murder in July. The contract stipulates that officers work as two man units, during the hours of darkness. If officers complain about being assigned to work alone, retaliation will come about. Compensatory time is routinely denied, due to manpower requirements. Chicago is an exceedingly expensive city to reside in, with a very high cost of living and the worst public schools in the nation. Chicago has the some of the highest taxes in the nation,IE. sales tax. The officers are also picking up an overall feeling of hopelessness and despair, this is downright dangerous.
To be fair, Superintendent Jody Weis inherited a shipwreck of monstrous proportions from Phil Cline. This situation did not just arise under Weis's tenure, but has been festering for sometime. This situation was definitively made much worse under Cline's tenure. Many officers, initially applauded the appointment of an esteemed outsider taking the reigns. Officers believed that change was forthcoming. Some of Weis's initial moves immediately changed that assumption though. Weis sought and obtained Federal charges against Bill Cozzi, this was the icing on the cake.
Chicago Police Officers work in some of the nation's worst Hell holes. These officers are routinely involved in life and death situations; that are to say, unnerving. Chicago is the third largest city in the nation, but now has the highest homicide rate and violent crime rate in America. NYC has a population of 8.6 million, while Chicago has 2.86 million. This year,Chicago is exceeding NYC's homicide rate.
City politicians claim that there is a 430 million dollar deficit. Yet, there is over 800 million dollars sitting in the TIF Funds, 500 million dollars sitting in a bond fund from the lease of the Chicago Skyway, and who knows how much money accrued from the lease of Midway Airport. Last year's record property tax increase was to fund police hiring, and to settle labor contracts. Where has all this money gone? Ironically, the politicians claim broke. This all, coincidentally coincides, while the police contract is being negotiated; and allegedly justifies the critical manpower shortage. Officers believe the monies are being diverted for the 2016 Summer Olympics. This is occurring at the expense of Chicago's children, residents, visitors, tourists and officers' safety.
Many chess experts, view the knight as one of the most important strategic game pieces. The knight is a necessity to win a chess game. Knights guard and defend the King, at all cost. What happens when the knights are all turned into pawns?
Remember, we are the eyes and ears, and the pulse of the third largest city in the United States. Overall pressure is building in society; fueled by the impending economic woes, the daily stress, terrorism, the wars, the disgust with corruption, and the moral decay in society. We know and feel that something is seriously askew. You could call us the blue canaries, yet we still stick it out, and keep you safe.
It's okay, joke about us,scorn us, denigrate us and look down upon us. Realize one thing, when we fail or fall in battle: Who will protect you and yours, in this AntI-GuN asylum state, called Chicago, Illinois???