How to Fill This Hole
With Mayor Richard Daley on vacation and taxpayers focused on their weekend plans, City Hall did what is fast becoming a Friday ritual: It rolled out bad budget news.
If the economy continues to tank, the city budget could be $200 million short by year's end, the mayor's top aide said.
A quarter of the way through the budget year, City Hall is about $33 million behind what it had hoped to collect, even after $31 million in cost-cutting, chief of staff Paul Volpe said.
Gee Rich, another vacation? Hope you didn't take EduCap flight.
In any case, we see a whole bunch more shortfalls looming with "the List" being a hot topic and the economic death spiral being spun out of Washington.
In any case, we see a whole bunch more shortfalls looming with "the List" being a hot topic and the economic death spiral being spun out of Washington.
Labels: city politics
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
49 Comments:
Fucking Democraps!!!! If I don't have the money to pay for something, I don't buy it. Guess what? I have never been unable to pay my bills. I must be an idiot because you can only benefit from the Democrats if you don't!!!
"With Mayor Richard Daley on vacation..."
How would we be able to tell from any other day?
It's beyond paradoxical -- how can a vacuum do nothing but harm?
Our elected officials are IDIOTS !
My friend recently stopped in at a loop resturant and thought himself lucky to find an abundance of parking and no wait for a table.
The staff treated he and his dineing companion like kings.
The waiter soon explained that business has been down seince the parking meters TRIPLED in price and his patronage was truely appreciated.
I have to admit that I avoid down town for the expense and congestion in favor of places like wheeling and oakbrook terrace with the same food and less bullshit.
However, I may occasionally venture downtown now that the unwashed masses are filterd by astronomical taxes and fees.
I just hope there are enough people with expendable income to keep the doors open.
If our elected officials are idiots then so are we who elected them.
Forget about a raise and forget about retro. The Union is already talking to the troops about how the ranks are going to be thinned, and as far as a raise goes I think the right word is FREEZE.
Remember boys and girls this brought to you by a city that has given the aldermen raises and politicians who have surely lined their pockets.
The list thing is not an irony it was planned all along by the Mayor and his group of scalliwags.
(Mayor Daley's $6 billion budget, passed in December, was balanced with 420 layoffs, slow (how about no) police hiring and $52.5 million in taxes, fines and fees. At the time, Daley insisted his numbers should hold up "unless everything really goes into the sewer system."
Welcome to the sewer dumbass. November sales tax collections fell $3.2 million short of projections. The January take from the corporate personal property tax was $4.6 million off the mark. And February real estate transfer tax collections fell to $3.3 million. That's $4.5 million below projections, and the worst monthly total since March 1996.) Chicago Sun-Times 3/6/09
Yeah daley you asshole, it's never your fault. Sales tax collections are down because the economy is slow and not because you charge a 10.5% sales tax.
Where is the $2 million from the Obama campaign?
>>>If our elected officials are idiots then so are we who elected them.
3/07/2009 02:48:00 AM<<<<
I have NEVER voted for a city, state or national Democrat, with the exception of Jane Byrne.
This WAS a nice city for the working man to live in. The "Welfare City" people, the Scantuary City" people, the "Criminal Element Contractor" people, those are who elected these Democrats. But I will not be an idiot and stay here forever. Unless Shortshanks gets convicted and sent to Club Fed. Then things might get better, or a least watch the fireworks.
We can only hope and pray for that day.
Enforcing and negotiations have been a lost cause with Markie and the boys. The perfect storm has hit.
The failure of Markie's strategy of wait, wait, wait has led to a negotiating position of "take it or leave it".
If Markie would have filed for arb after 6 months of no movement the arb's decesion would have already been rendered.
But don't forget Markie continues to get his $170,000.00 a year plus car and the boys over $100,000.00 what do they car. Aguilar and Bailey and Bullock just received a raise of $30,000.00 plus all while we get a "freeze" shoved down our throats. Do you think they care about your financial problems or maybe they would take a "pay cut" then they would have a reason to get out of bed with the mayor.
Ain't gonna happen unless you throw the bums out.
What Mike Shields is doing to the pension board needs to be done with FLOP
Come on down Shields...
RJ603
Mayor mumbling idiot daley is crying poor again. He is out of town. I wonder what ax will fall. It must be time for our contract to settle.
We are what we are because we the Chicago Police dont stick together.
>>>Forget about a raise and forget about retro. The Union is already talking to the troops about how the ranks are going to be thinned, and as far as a raise goes I think the right word is FREEZE.
Remember boys and girls this brought to you by a city that has given the aldermen raises and politicians who have surely lined their pockets.
The list thing is not an irony it was planned all along by the Mayor and his group of scalliwags.
3/07/2009 02:52:00 AM<<<
The WILL BE FAT RETRO CHECK, paid for by the interest free loan that we are giving Shortshanks and it is building every minute of every day. The ranks are thinning, only 200 hires this year, that's not enough to cover retirements, and firings and promotions.
So what is the city strategy. Maybe it is to get the rank and file down to as small numer as possible. Then offer the retro check, the 55 years of age retirement medical benefit and some kind of signing bonus that will not be a me-too for the other unions. But, we would have to give up something, like forever holding CRs, or worse yet, CUTTING OUR MEDICAL BENEFITS, like from the year we have now to 12 or 45 days.
This would dead wrong as one serious injury, could leave you without a job and without health insurance.
Don't let them screw with the Medical Benefits. Remkember the warning years ago, not to vote for the contract with the $2 per paycheck cost for medical insurance.
Where is the money from all the movies that are made here? Movie trucks were on Van Buren and Plymouth this week. Where did all the money go from Batman movie?
Is daley the thief ever in shitcago? he is always on vacation1 hey mayor with all the vacations he takes are his guys back in patrol helping us out? Hey come to think of it when eddie burke leaves town are his guys back in patrol helipng out at the d-1 pay rate?
Anonymous said...
Forget about a raise and forget about retro. The Union is already talking to the troops about how the ranks are going to be thinned, and as far as a raise goes I think the right word is FREEZE.
Remember boys and girls this brought to you by a city that has given the aldermen raises and politicians who have surely lined their pockets.
The list thing is not an irony it was planned all along by the Mayor and his group of scalliwags.
3/07/2009 02:52:00 AM
thinned? How much thinner can we go?
Has anyone else noticed all of the empty spaces next to parking meters that have appeared? Walking past Gene and Georgetti's at one on Thursday and ten empty parking places. All over the north side it's easy to find street parking. People are changing their shopping/work habits rather than pay the exorbitant increased rates. Shops and restaurants must really being affected.
$500 million into the TIF funds this year. Billions sitting in these TIF accounts. Parking meters sold for $2 billion. The city has all the money they need but Daley hoards his personal bank accounts for things that will benefit him.
How about you guys increase the "Real Estate Tranfer Tax" again, you dummies! Right in the face of the WORST housing bust evah! These city planners could not be more stupid.
Did the Obama Campaigh pay for his inaugreation party yet??
Anonymous said...
...Yeah daley you asshole, it's never your fault. Sales tax collections are down because the economy is slow and not because you charge a 10.5% sales tax.
3/07/2009 04:37:00 AM
I am so sick and tired of you calling our mayor an asshole. That is so rude and disrespectful. Do you have any clue how many Chicago voters have elected him repeatedly to watch over us and our city. What makes you so much smarter than all of them? Besides, that 10.5% tax goes to the state and county as well, so don't give those people a free pass and just pile on the mayor.
I guess you think its easy running a corporation the size of the city of Chicago. Navigating through this economy at this point in time, is hazardous, at best. Having a budget shortfall, I'm afraid, is a universal certainty. Show me a state, county or municipal government that is not on shaky financial footing right now and I'll show you some swampland in Florida.
Last I heard, Chicago police, fire and other city employees are making a livable wage paid with our tax dollars. Yet, all I read about here, is how bad your lives are. Over 8% of Americans are now unemployed. How would that work for you and your family if you were one of those unfortunate people!
Congratulations on being able to feed, clothe and house your family and provide for your future retirement through a pension. You are some of the lucky ones, but then, that is why a lot of you took a job with the city to start with, job security.
I'm not expecting a positive response from your readers, to say the least. That being the case, let me say in advance that I will read what I choose, express my opinion if I am allowed to speak, I don't work for the mayor nor am I related to him or his business associates, I am not a liberal democrat and I will not go have sex with myself.
Thank you for the thankless job you all do, stay safe and God bless you all.
Better buy some new AA batteries for OEMC [or whatever they call themselves this month] city-wides were down Thursday and the district zones were dispatching from hand-helds.
Great Funkin' system.
Oh Yea, we're ready for a terror event.
Already I am seeing a reduction in parking along Lincoln Ave. The rates go way up, people stop parking there. Way to go Daley. Now, for the real killer shot, raise the head tax, raise the sales tax and kick in some extra property taxes and then stand back and watch businesses flee.
For my part, I fuck up every ANOV I am forced to write to a business for a false burglar alarm. The businesses get it stuck to them enough. I will only write one if a Sgt is there and tells me to write one, then I do it wrong. Fuck Daley. Someone has to help the businesses.
Anonymous said...
Forget about a raise and forget about retro. The Union is already talking to the troops about how the ranks are going to be thinned, and as far as a raise goes I think the right word is FREEZE.
Remember boys and girls this brought to you by a city that has given the aldermen raises and politicians who have surely lined their pockets.
The list thing is not an irony it was planned all along by the Mayor and his group of scalliwags.
3/07/2009 02:52:00 AM
A thinning of the ranks will translate into a thinning of activity. A wage freeze will bring about a total activity freeze. Already I am making a book of parkers last two periods and a book of movers lasts me three periods.
Fuck Richard M. Daley
He will never get a good day of work out of me again.
Since the biggeswt cost is employees, why don't we get rid of some of the high paying, political jobs that are appointed thru city hall. We could save over $5 million just on the police dept by getting rid of those who function only as a political "make work" job.
Also, anyone who does not respond to EMERGENCY calls should not have a take home car ( and certinly their wife should never drive it! )
Yet the city has the money to promote captains!
Seems when you are a political hack friend of Daley there is always money for you, "Yes we can".
I have an idea for added revenue for the city to help with the shortfall. They can tax all the bums downtown asking for change. You will have to have a permit for that, and only the corner you are on. The same with the expressway ramps. Good idea you think?
Forget about a raise and forget about retro. The Union is already talking to the troops about how the ranks are going to be thinned, and as far as a raise goes I think the right word is FREEZE. Remember boys and girls this brought to you by a city that has given the aldermen raises and politicians who have surely lined their pockets. The list thing is not an irony it was planned all along by the Mayor and his group of scalliwags.)
3/07/2009 02:52:00 AM
Please do not vote for the contract if this is true. I'm all for a wage freeze if this shithole city was legit, honest and were really having financial troubles. How can that asshole daley cry broke if he can give himself and the aldercrooks a raise? How can he continue to spend the tens of millions needed to bid for the olympics if we are broke? Where is all of the billions made after selling off the skyway, miday and all of the parking meters. If we are not offered at least a 4 to 5% raise per year with retro, my vote is NO.
Sorry about the typo...:"There WILL BE A FAT RETRO CHECK..."
jUST REMEMBER, We are paying for that ourselves!
About 12 or 13 years ago, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a series in the Sunday editions where the readers would write in questions for famous people. The second in the series was Richard M. Daley. It was during contract negotiations and after the city council voted the mayor and themselves hefty raises.
One of the questions was, “How can the mayor get a 35% pay raise and the aldermen get a 30% pay raise and you only offer the firefighters and police officers a 2 ½ % pay raise.”
The mayor’s response, “I am the mayor of a great city and the aldermen are the legislators of a great city. I am very proud of the salary that I make. If this guy or anyone else doesn’t like what we are offering he can quit. We had 40,000 sign up
to take the firefighters test and he can be easily replaced.”
This is what we are up against, the mentality of that man with the mean little mind.
Now years latter, Shortshanks knows that the Feds are closing in on him, that his phones are tapped, that his political allies are talking, that his bodyguards are being turned and his days as a free man are numbered.
Stay safe, and pray that those days are very few in number.
Take the difference out of your billion dollar slush fund aka TIFF money. Oh wait, you need that for the Olympic bribes. Where is chalky when we need him.
Anonymous said...
If our elected officials are idiots then so are we who elected them.
3/07/2009 02:48:00 AM
..............
Remember the line from Men in black?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."
Never a truer line has been spoken. People are the reason Stroger, Blago, Obama and Daley get elected.
Parking revenue will be down no doubt due to the stiff increases.
I will never again write a ticket for an expired meter, citizens take heed. Who is going to do the enforcement?
If Daley was smart he would make the right cuts in his management staff. He employs too many management types (clout positions) which cost the tax payers much more than it should to run this city. In order to keep his clout minions employed he raises taxes and fees. They always reach into our pockets first before cutting from within. This city could have positive cash flow is it wasn't for the clout employees. Same problem in the state and county. We pay too much for employee wages for staff and personnel who are merely there as payment from the mayor for political contributions and favors. I am also curious as to why their budget projections are always so far off the mark. Is this done purposely to portray a different scenario to the public or are these people that bad at budgeting? We pay them enough so they should be able to do a much better job then they do! I hope the more light that is shed on Daley's spending and poor management will create anger among the voters so we can get someone different at the helm. Daley has been their too long. It is time for change. Daley has got to go.
can the government extend a line of credit to us just like they did to gm, ford, chrysler, citigroup, aig, etc..... we need cash flow or we are going to be bankrupt. the little emperor has stashed all the money from the sale of the skyway and parking meters and goes boo hoo hoo, we are broke. now he goes to the unions with his bs about unpaid furlo days and layoffs. it's time for a "dump daley" march.
"With Mayor Richard Daley on vacation..."
How would we be able to tell from any other day?
It's beyond paradoxical -- how can a vacuum do nothing but harm?
3/07/2009 01:38:00 AM
How many weeks vacation does he get? 32? 45? 52? Or is that confidential like what he plans to do with the stimulus money?
If our elected officials are idiots then so are we who elected them.
I DIDN'T ELECT THEM,AND I ALWAYS VOTE FOR WHOMEVER IS RUNNING AGAINST THEM. THEY ARE ALL CROOKS!
Where is the $2 million from the Obama campaign?
O One
B Big
A Ass
M Mistake
A America
"Where is the $2 million from the Obama campaign?"
--3/07/2009 05:18:00 AM
It's hidden in Assistant Superintendent Beatrice Cuello's condominium, in the same room with the bulk narcotics and multiple illegal firearms.
You know, the room that no one who lives there knows anything about.
"slow (how about no) police hiring"
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO MAKE 12 DO-NOTHING CAPTAIN POSITIONS @110G A PIECE?
THE FOP SHOULD JUST TRADE THE RAISES FOR THE RIGHT TO LIVE ANY WHERE.
THE CITY SAVE 100 S OF MILLIONS AND WE GET TO LIVE SOMEPLACE ELSE.
WE WOULD SELL R HOUSE AT A LOSS BUT THE CITY WOULD GET THE TITLE TRANSFER TAX!!!
IT S FAIR!
I WOULD MOVE TO THE SAFE AND CLEAN TOWN OF CICERO ILLINOIS WHERE A GARBAGE MAN IS DA MAYOR!!!
"With Mayor Richard Daley on vacation..."
How would we be able to tell from any other day?
Because when he is away, another scandal breaks!
everything is going to be
OK. Barak Obama is president, and he is so smart
"I may occasionally venture downtown now that the unwashed masses are filtered by astronomical taxes and fees."
--3/07/2009 02:47:00 AM
Don't get your hopes up. It doesn't cost anything to jump a turnstile and ride downtown yelling and screaming and swinging from the bars on the train. Then they can run up the subway escalator the wrong way, shoving people aside, and spend all day on the corner posturing and acting threatening.
It beats spending all day on their own corner, posturing and acting threatening.
"I just hope there are enough people with expendable income to keep the doors open."
Everyone here has observed --
"...business has been down since the parking meters TRIPLED in price..."
"...all of the empty spaces next to parking meters that have appeared? Walking past Gene and Georgetti's at one on Thursday and ten empty parking places. All over the north side..."
"Already I am seeing a reduction in parking along Lincoln Ave. The rates go way up, people stop parking there..."
As SCC calls it, "the economic death spiral."
"Do you have any clue how many Chicago voters have elected him repeatedly to watch over us and our city.
3/07/2009 10:26:00 AM"
Uh, yes, yes I do.
And it has never, ever been more than 30% of the total number of eligible voters.
Anonymous said...
"Do you have any clue how many Chicago voters have elected him repeatedly to watch over us and our city.
3/07/2009 10:26:00 AM"
Uh, yes, yes I do.
And it has never, ever been more than 30% of the total number of eligible voters.
3/07/2009 09:52:00 PM
Eligible voters don't mean shit if they are not voting. He has won every mayoral election he has entered and by far more than 30% of the vote. If people aren't voting against Daley, they are voting for him.
Forget about a raise and forget about retro.
....this is bull$hit. We will eventually get our raise and the retro.
They haven't been hiring by the hundreds like they used to and they will hire, just not as much as you'd had seen in the past.
"Eligible voters don't mean shit if they are not voting. He has won every mayoral election he has entered and by far more than 30% of the vote. If people aren't voting against Daley, they are voting for him.
3/08/2009 12:39:00 PM"
So, you admit that the basic reason daley has been reelected is that a huge number of city residents haven't voted?
And that their lack of voting is the primary reason he's won reelection?
And that would mean, then, that, in your mind, those city residents who don't vote are fundamentally irrelevant to daley, correct?
As long as they continue to not vote, that is.
At least I have a step raise coming up in the next year. Contract? We spend half our careers without one. No room to wonder why coppers don't want to produce revenue for the city. Here's an idea. Put 50% of that money made on parkers, movers, and impounds into our grossly underfunded pension fund. Do you think that would help people want to produce?
>>>Where is the money from all the movies that are made here? Movie trucks were on Van Buren and Plymouth this week. Where did all the money go from Batman movie?
3/07/2009 08:55:00 AM<<<
RICHIE DALEY FUCKED THAT UP TOO!!
His shortsighted greed in imposing taxes drove almost all the small businesses in the movie business out of out of business.
Take a look at all those trucks the next time. Almost all of them have California license plates, and the teamster driver? Not so long ago they had Illinois plates and Teamsters Local 714 Drivers.
All those prop houses, equipment rental companies, casting companies and all the people they employed went bust. Now when they come to Chicago to make a movie, the companies bring everything with them because that can't rent the stuff here anymore.
Chicago cops got a lot of acting jobs on phone calls because the casting companies were local and knew them. Now it's a California company and you have to go to a cattle call audition and waste a day.
The other basic problem is that thanks to Richie shouting on TV that there will be NO MOVIE STUDIO BUILT IN CHICAGO. Why, because there might be mob money involved. But, there certainly wouldn’t be in a casino.
God how I want to see this man gone! Please Mr. Fitzgerald, get him soon!!
ventured into area around Second City Comedy show that we had tickets for 7 pm show, spent 25 minutes looking for legal parking in the rain as between the 2 of us we didn't have 18 quarters....yes need $2USC in quarters per hour to park at those new meters that don't take credit cards yet and surprise it costs $18USC/for 2hrs, to pull into off street parking next to the theatre, if you wish to not be pushed and bumped by the roving groups of nearby project thugs; wondering how bad this will be when weather better. Stunned at all the open meter spaces and empty eateries along the 4blk walk to the show which was very good! Too bad we don't want to deal with shitheads trying to intimidate us and the insane parking fees, so back to booking us in to nearby burbs except for rare special occaions. Daley has finished the city businesses off for sure. I don't pay, no ticketing, or towing to shop all the same great store outside the city and like most folks do 95% of all buying outside the city/cook county killer taxes.
Post a Comment
<< Home