I am so proud that I live in the Land of Lincoln. It’s a state that gave American Barack Obama and now wants build him a $100 million dollar Presidential library with taxpayer money it doesn’t have. It’s a state that once had 2 of 3 governors in prison at the same time. One got out, but the current one, Quinn is being investigated. It’s a state that has been run by the Democrats forever and demonstrates the foibles of those politics. Nearly broke with the second highest unemployment in the US. Residents and businesses leaving for better economic climates.
I decided to take one day of the Chicago Tribune and see what the paper was saying about our state. The headline for the day I picked, Sunday, May 4, 2014, read:” New O’Hare Highway a road to nowhere?” Years ago the airlines said the needed a new terminal to handle expansion at O’Hare. Great, a western expansion that would split the traffic to the airport. Funding was approved and it was a go. But, in the interim new runways were built. Now the airlines say they don’t need any terminal expansion and refuse to pay for any such plan. The terminal and the need for the terminal is gone, but the construction has started on the road. A road that is no longer needed for a terminal that won’t be built and is being justified by the supposed commercial development that will follow the road and use vacant land. Don’t you wonder who owns that land and who will develop that commercial property?
Digging a little further I find all the Chicago charging stations to provide quick charges for electric cars are unplugged. The firm selected to do that job is broke and gone along with the $2 million in state and federal funding for the project. Wonder who’s brother-in-law put that together?
Then the little article about Cook County and federal prosecutors looking into the troubled Neighborhood Recovery Initiative of current governor, Pat Quinn. Seems the $55 million might have been spent to buy votes, not help neighborhoods.
Next the bill in the state senate that would let unions negotiate how many firemen each fire district needs. I have a friend who is on a small suburban fire commission board. He says they will demand 5 on a truck instead of the three they have now. It will have a significant increase in their annual budget and since disability has increased since they became unionized, they will end up adding more staff to insure there are the number the state will require. These decisions have been left to the fire districts and not made at the state level. Someone is getting a nice campaign contribution from the union.
The City of Chicago has banned plastic bags. Goodbye to more trees. No sense in using that abundant natural gas we are getting from fracking to make plastic bags. Mother’s holding kid’s hands, turn them loose to grab that paper bag. Forget the story about the child who was sexually abused in the restaurant restroom while Mom and Dad were eating. Forget those rainy dashes across the parking lot. Forget grabbing 6 plastic bags in each hand to bring the groceries in from the garage. It’s four trips now. Hopefully, nothing rips or breaks. The City Council knows what’s best for you and the environment.
A traveler brings the MERS virus to the US through O’Hare. Nice.
And, a major contractor who has been doing work for he city for decades was ordered to pay $12 million for using a female front to get a minority contract where the work was actually done by the major contractor. Everyone who does business in Chicago has a little fund for these deals where a whistleblower costs them a few million. Tune in soon and we will have a story about a whistleblower floating in the Chicago River, a drowning victim, no doubt.
Well, that’s a highlight in one day in the newspaper news of Chicago.
