November 26, 2014
"UNDER-SERVED" WILL BE 2015 CANDIDATES' MANTRA
To serve, under-serve, mis-serve, non-serve, or be servile, unserviceable, or display servitude, or provide constituent service. S-E-R-V-E is the operatve word (or variations thereon) in the upcoming 2015 Chicago aldermanic election. In the 41st Ward. the issue is under-service (as in deploying police elsewhere) and servility to Rahm. In the 45th Ward. it's mis-service and non-service. In the 39th Ward, where the Laurinos have ruled for 50 years, it's servitude In the 38th Ward, it's non-service, as the ward was remapped, and Nick Sposato has only half the precincts, with the rest in the old Cullerton-run ward. In the 33rd Ward, where Dick Mell foisted the alderman's job on daughter Deb, it's servicability. Can the Mell Machine keep Deb in office? Full Article...
November 19, 2014
TWO PRO-EMANUEL CANDIDATES INSURE ARENA-GARRIDO RUNOFF IN 45TH WARD
The way to beat Chicago 45th Ward Ald. John Arena, according to strategists for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is to flood the Feb. 24 ballot with anti-Arena candidates. Arena is the council's premier Emanuel critic, and the public sector unions (AFSCME, SEIU) will dump $400,000.00 -- plus into his 2015 campaign (as they did in 2011). The 45th Ward field includes, Arena, John Garrido (a police lieutenant who lost by 30 votes in the 2011 runoff), and two Emanuel acolytes -- Mike Diaz and "45th Ward Mom" Michelle Baert. The Baert campaign has underperformed, prompting Team Emanuel to recruit Diaz, a state official. Emanuel honcho Tom Bowen is running Diaz's campaign. Full Article...
November 12, 2014
RAUNER WILL NOT CURE SPRINGFIELD DYSFUNCTION
Bruce Rauner is governor - elect for two reasons. First, because he spent about $68 million (self-funding $28 million). And second, because he is not Bill Brady, 2010's Republican loser. Brady never made the election a referendum on Pat Quinn; Rauner did. Rauner won by 171,900 votes; Brady lost by 31.834 votes. Turnout was 50,000 greater than in 2010. Quinn's vote total was 136,067 less. At least 125,000 of Quinn's 2010 vote was anti-Brady period, Rauner made 2014 a referendum on the governor, and he switched nearly 200,000 votes. Unfortunately, Rauner had no coattails. Republicans gained one state senate seat, and no House seats. The Democrats' super-majority will make Rauner nearly impotent. Full Article...
November 5, 2014
EMANUEL'S MASTER PLAN: TAX SUBURBANITES, VISITORS
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a master plan. It's called OPM -- which is an acronym for Other People's Money. The city has a $6.9 billion 2015 budget, and has $27.5 billion in unfunded pensions. But, at a 10/16 fundraiser for Ald. Marge Laurino (39th), Emanuel disclosed his plan for Utopia on the Lake: "Tax the suburbanites. Tax the visitors. Make them pay more." The mayor promised better schools, partks, libraries; more cops, more trees, more services, no property tax hikes. Those who park, drive, party, and work in Chicago, but don't live in Chicago, will pay more. Emanuel has $8.7 million in his campaign account, and has no credible 2015 opposition. The field includes Bob Fioretti, Chuy Garcia, Bob Shaw, and Amara Enyia. Expect Emanuel to win, and then break all his promises. Aldermanic contests are developing in the 39th, 45th, 38th, and 36th wards. It will be Emanuel's proxies versus the unions. Full Article...
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