Politics
The Grass is Always Greener . . . When You Get a Tax Break
In that moment of truth – when you realize people are lying through their teeth – I read in the business pages of the New York Times that Caterpillar Tractor located in Peoria, Illinois, increased its 1st quarter profits five-fold over those of the same period a year ago and is on track to sell a record $57 billion of its products worldwide this year.
Caterpillar employs almost 23,000 workers in Illinois – over 100,000 worldwide – and the profits are spilling in from all over the globe. And yet, this is the same Caterpillar whose CEO Douglas Oberhelman has been making headlines lately with the suggestion he might move the Caterpillar headquarters to another state because the Illinois tax climate is not welcoming to business. MORE...
If He Only Had a Brain
I’m not saying Donald Trump doesn’t have a brain. I’m just saying if he has one, he should show it. And I hope he does have one. It would be very hard to grow all that hair artificially without a brain. So we have to presume he was born with a brain and, maybe . . . maybe he just lost his mind somewhere along the way. MORE...
Let The Battle Be Joined
Whether you are a fan of Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” or President Obama’s “Framework for Shared Prosperity and Shared Fiscal Responsibility” (or the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission report), all three call for running up an additional $7 trillion (Obama), $5.4 trillion (Ryan) or $5.3 trillion (Simpson-Bowles) before the deficit curve turns down. Try that without a credit card. MORE...
The Lawyers Who Reformed Chicago
Any number of legislators, civic leaders, community organizers – even Mayor Richard M. Daley – are in a position to claim some credit for reform in Chicago. But the slow, decades-long process that cleaned up the worst of the abuses was a complicated struggle, played out under the rules of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-60’s by an unlikely combination of a Republican senator and a handful of crusading attorneys. Let’s call them the unsung heroes of Chicago reform. MORE...
The Morning After
There is a touch of irony to the fact that potentially the most divisive candidate, one with apparent issues relating to blacks, Latinos and progressives in general should weld all of them together in a remarkable 55 percent coalition that left the rest of the candidates far in the dust. MORE...
Rahmphoria!
The last days before the February 22 mayoral primary are shaping up to be something of a letdown. Three polls released last week have frontrunner Rahm Emanuel winning 54 percent, 49 percent and 58 percent (if “undecided” is not an option) of Tuesday’s vote, and last night’s ABC debate at the Oriental Theater did little to change the dynamics. Maybe it’s time to invoke the slaughter rule. MORE...
Who Is The Status Quo?
"There’s another candidate running who is the status quo. He’s wanted by the status quo to maintain the status quo. And that isn’t me. I want to open it up, I want to change things, I want to turn things over and bring some different talent into city hall. So that we get a city hall that is responsive to our neighborhoods. That’s what I’m about." -- Gery Chico MORE...
A Blizzard of Opportunity
There’s nothing like a blizzard to put a damper on politics in Chicago – or supercharge it. First things first, let’s get the snow out of here. Then we can argue about how to make hay out of it. MORE...
All Very Interesting
The bizarre limbo created this week by the appellate court's decision to kick Rahm Emanuel off the ballot reminded me of a story from Carl Sandburg’s days as a labor reporter on the Chicago Daily News. Sandburg was sent to Minneapolis to cover a contentious labor convention. Soon enough, the city editor back at the paper began receiving wire service reports about fistfights on the floor, walkouts and riots. But no word from Sandburg. As the deadline approached, a messenger arrived with a telegram: “Greetings,” Sandburg wired. “All very interesting. Will write soon.” Yes, there was plenty to write about this week. But what exactly happened? MORE...
Five Weeks . . . and Counting
I spent the afternoon Monday at WTTW, the public television station that was holding the first televised debate of the Chicago mayoral race. It was about as exciting as a high school civics lesson on how to run for student council. MORE...
JK: I know what would make my sore back feel better….. A nice big bowl of Mac ‘N Cheese!
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