The City That Didn't Work
Just about everyone was shut down. Unless you generated revenue:
- You could not get a library book or see a doctor in a city health clinic Monday in Chicago, but you could pay a parking ticket or fight to un-boot your car, provided you'd wait in a line long enough for an amusement park ride. Cops, firemen and privatized parking meters were working, however, even if nothing else was.
From a security guard answering phones in the mayor's office at City Hall to a harried staff collecting payments of fines at one of the few city offices open Monday, confusion and frustration reigned in the City that Works, which by design wasn't officially working at all.
And Police Department operations were affected, despite assurances that we'd be at full strength:
- Animal Control ran a skeleton crew, meaning extra long response times to vicious animals and strays, meaning police manpower wasted babysitting dogs;
- Most of Fleet's gas stations were closed, meaning tens of extra miles driving to find gas and tens of extra minutes that cars were out of district not answering calls, leading to monumental backlogs;
And did anyone get a look at the lakefront? Two days worth of garbage from 2 million Air & Water Show attendees stacked and spilling over cans and dumpsters. Way to keep Chicago a world class city there Shortshanks.
UPDATE: Someone is hassling us in the comments saying that the lakefront was picked up within hours of the event ending. All we know is that it wasn't cleaned up after we left the lakefront and no one was picking up when we passed by after a 1900 hour downtown dinner. And we drove the entire length of LSD.
Also, some other commentator is stating that the Park District had huge crews in white garbage trucks cleaning the lakefront after the event. Who were these people? Subcontractors? On a Sunday? If so, where's the savings generated by having everyone off on Monday? Or is this more union busting by Shortshanks? Anyone?
UPDATE: Someone is hassling us in the comments saying that the lakefront was picked up within hours of the event ending. All we know is that it wasn't cleaned up after we left the lakefront and no one was picking up when we passed by after a 1900 hour downtown dinner. And we drove the entire length of LSD.
Also, some other commentator is stating that the Park District had huge crews in white garbage trucks cleaning the lakefront after the event. Who were these people? Subcontractors? On a Sunday? If so, where's the savings generated by having everyone off on Monday? Or is this more union busting by Shortshanks? Anyone?
Labels: city politics
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
42 Comments:
I had to make a run to the loop and all of the garbage cans on the sidewalks were overflowing garbage onto the sidewalk and street being run over by cars and kicked around by the robber thugs scouting victims. Very attractive.
RATS EVERYWHERE.....
Daley is turning Chicago into a dump. Why don't the people elect another Jane Byrne?
There are City Health Clinics still operating in Chicago? Thought they went by the Wayside during the Reagan era??
It was nice to see that PO's who work 014 front office took the day along with their civilian counterparts.
The lakefront on the southside had trash pick up by white park district garbage trucks. Park district facilities were being cleaned by crews and life guards were working. But downed trees and limbs from storm remained down along the lakefront and neighborhood parks.
Try again SCC. The lakefront was cleaned in both 018 and 001. A private company was hired to deal with the abundance of trash for the 3 day event and they actually did a good job. They had huge crews hand picking all the filth left behind.
This weekend North Ave Beach got cleaned up better than any weekend all summer.
How does the saying go? You can fool some of the people half the time but you can fool all your readers all the time! Please don't start stooping to posting something one of your readers said as words of your own.
Thanks, a long time reader!
Oh no lots of garbage along the lakefront???? I bet next year the reduced services day will not be the day after the air and water show.
If you want to post a comment where the whole world will see it, go here...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8206433.stm
The "education" mayor, closes the libraries....huh
Try again SCC. The lakefront was cleaned in both 018 and 001. A private company was hired to deal with the abundance of trash for the 3 day event and they actually did a good job. They had huge crews hand picking all the filth left behind.
This weekend North Ave Beach got cleaned up better than any weekend all summer.
How does the saying go? You can fool some of the people half the time but you can fool all your readers all the time! Please don't start stooping to posting something one of your readers said as words of your own.
Thanks, a long time reader!
8/18/2009 01:21:00 AM
Okay, who paid for the private companies to clean up the mess?
The olympics tour should be visiting the city now.
I'm still trying to get over the fact that Da mayo can just hang a "closed" sign on the city. Just like Meigs field, he treats this city like its his own personal property. Including the city treasury, the way he passes out cash and contracts to family and friends. The cronies he takes care of, who the hell is hubbermann? Where did he come from? What qualified him to be exempt or for that matter head of any city entity? I used to think there was hope for this city but now, I don't know. At one time I was thinking the feds were watching and doing their usual "building a case" thing on all the corruption. With the magic man in the white house, probably any case will be forgotten. This isn't a race, political or sexual orientation thing, its a right or wrong thing. I would like to know where I can get some 45 auto rounds....thank you.
014 front office people taking off with their civilian rats, doesnt suprise me the least
and this "private" company to clean up the lake front Mr mayor? which distant relative has their hands in this? you can't hide from the truth all the time.
Smoke and mirrors to make it appear that the city is in dire straits! But this just might blow up in their face if the IOC reads about this! Chicago BROKE? Say it ain't so! Then how can you afford the Olympics in 2016? Oh, you do have money set aside? In the cookie jar? Ahhhhhh, very clever! The Police Pension Board and the FOP don't know about it? Shhhhhhh, be vary, vary quiet, we're lookin for suckas!
I saw a crew picking up trash yesterday in Douglas Park.
And I'm not talking about the two-legged trash.
Drum roll please...
The trash cans at Damen and Division were over-flowing on Sat AM - I don't want to mention what they were like on Mon AM.
The city is a giant dump. I do not understand what the IOC sees since it is not the city that I live in.
Riding through Lincoln Park while biking to work on Monday morning there were hundreds of garbage bins (most of them tipped over and spilling trash everywhere from the storms) all over the place. As of Tuesday morning the Lakefront path is still a mine field of broken glass for its entire length.
I had a conversation with one of the district "custodians" in early July regarding the clean-up at the "Taste". She told me that the city would be using the custodians, along with a number of newly hired "summer help" to clean up after the summer festivals.
There were no Animal Control or Streets and Sands available to pick up a dead skunk at Harlem and Estes. That thing was run over all day and night until washed away. The neighborhood stunk for hours and calls to pick up the skunk went in one ear and out the other. Thanks Richie next time this happens I will plug up my nose and rent a car and haul it down to 16th & Indiana and throw it on your street. Maybe I will do this the day after Thanksgiving or the day before Christmas (another forced furlough day. Oh I forgot you won't need Animal Control or Streets and Sands you will just have your CPD security go pick it up and throw it in Ben Sevorskys car. Sorry Ben Da Mayo is EVIL!!!!!
There was a chemical or road hazard spill of some sort at Addison and Western and I noticed that IDOT had to respond. Maybe that's normal.
I live right there so I was worried.
Calling 311 to get information about it, they never answered.
Luckily a 19th District Officer knew what was going on,
civilian post
another contract to a daley flunky! scumtimes is reporting that daley had dinner with musclehead son patrick yesterday, trying to groom him to be mayor? was he not kicked out of army? just asking!
As far as i am concerned after what happened to COZZI, what is happening to SWISS, and no contract,poor bosses everyday is a reduced workday!
in Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods water hydrants were opened to no avail of a water management crew shutting off the ghetto water spigots!
I was out having breakfast Sunday morning on 18th & Ashland and saw a blue garbage truck rolling down 18th. I thought it was odd early Sunday Morning.
Hey, those bike officers writing all those parking tickets on campers in Beat 811. Good job!! I'm sure the W/C is very happy with your superb productivity and you might get a DC from the mayor and Supt. for your achievements in closing the budget gap.
Those were Park Distrist Garbage trucks. Park district did not pay for high cost of painting the name on the trucks, just small decals on the doors and same for numbers. And for you people making up stories of private compamies picking up garbage, you are also wrong. The Chicago Park district is a different budget from the City and did not have a shut down day, all park people worked and were paid.
The lakefront garbage would be collected by the Park District, wouldn't it? I don't believe they were shut down on Monday.
OT: Uptown Alderwoman looked like a deer in the headlights this morning on Fox, dodging reporters.
Interesting, she took no responsibility for the wildings that are taking place in her ward, blamed the entire issue on "political opponents" out to get her and said the "only reason people are upset is because they keep playing the tape over and over again."
But I guess it was alright to play the Abbate tape ad nauseum?
Just once I'd like to see them take responsibility for what they are elected to do. Just once. Because it's not all about the perks Alderwoman, it's about the service to your constituents.
Why don't they get that? Keep it up SCC.
By the way, it was delightful to see an Uptown resident holding shell casings in his hand asking the Alderwoman live on Fox why she is allowing this to go on in her ward.
Fucking priceless.
---not a cop
Garbage on the lake?
As opposed to the Garbage on the 5th floor?
I swear...one Bloody FAE on City Hall at the high point of a Council Meeting....fix a lot of problems.
Try again SCC. The lakefront was cleaned in both 018 and 001. A private company was hired to deal with the abundance of trash for the 3 day event and they actually did a good job. They had huge crews hand picking all the filth left behind.
This weekend North Ave Beach got cleaned up better than any weekend all summer.
How does the saying go? You can fool some of the people half the time but you can fool all your readers all the time! Please don't start stooping to posting something one of your readers said as words of your own.
Thanks, a long time reader!
_______________________________________
So in order to save money by making city workers take furlough days they hired a private contractor (legit open bidding I'm sure) to do the same job? shrewd.
Anonymous said...
Riding through Lincoln Park while biking to work on Monday morning there were hundreds of garbage bins (most of them tipped over and spilling trash everywhere from the storms) all over the place. As of Tuesday morning the Lakefront path is still a mine field of broken glass for its entire length.
8/18/2009 09:52:00 AM
WTF? It was rain, not a hurricane!
"...Thanks Richie next time this happens I will plug up my nose and rent a car and haul it down to 16th & Indiana and throw it on your street..."
8/18/2009 09:59:00 AM
They'll gun you down before you raise the little dead skunk outta the trunk!
" The "education" mayor, closes the libraries....huh
8/18/2009 08:15:00 AM"
And, class, the lesson being taught is?
Fucking jagoff Daley. Lays all those people off and then hires his fucking relatives disposal businesses at three times the wage to do a half-assed clean-up. C'mon Ratface, have the big one soon. We can all see you're about a month away from the heart attack that will finally free this town.
Hey Jagoff, we SAW private clean-up crews. Go back to squeezing some pols balls.
I had dinner out of town tonite. One of the guests was an older retired supv that said dickdog is offering HUGE salaries with bonuses to try to lure some of the people that ran big events yrs back, into taking on his olympic planning. He said nobody wants it. Everyone knows (according to him) JFed's career is trashed forever and no one wants to be the next fallguy for "that jagbag" (again, his words, not mine)fuck-up. They are all laughing about Daleys paid army of idiots which is the current admin of CPD.
I know the meter maids are working, they ticket every coppers car parked around 021 whenever they get a chance. Is this happening elsewhere? not at 35th street I bet.
Dick Durbin Townhall Meeting
Posted by: Cisco Cotto at 6:09 AM
Dick Durbin says he’s not going to face the voters in a townhall meeting so we’re taking the townhall meeting to him. Join us Saturday, August 22 for a townhall meeting outside Dick Durbin’s Chicago office. Click HERE for all of the details. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and neighbors to join us in a show of force!
Dick Durbin doesn’t want to hear from us. We’re going to show him he can’t ignore the people he is supposed to represent in Washington. Join me for a townhall meeting in the plaza outside Dick Durbin’s Chicago office.
Where: Federal Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn in Chicago.
When: Noon on Saturday, Aug 22.
Come one, come all. We need to let Durbin know by our numbers that we’re serious about this. Make sure your friends, family, and neighbors know about this and show up on Saturday. Patriots, I’ll see you there!!
http://ciscocotto.com/
Just want to set the record straight on some seemingly misinformed folks with respect to Air and Water clean up.
The Chicago Park District was responsible for the clean up along the Lakefront on Monday, and they were not beholden to the city shut down day, so that's who you saw out there.
During the Air and Water Show, a private company hired by the Mayor's Office of Special Events did the clean up in and around North Avenue.
It is important to mention that no event produced by the Mayor's Office of Special Events uses taxpayer dollars. They pay for everything by using the hotel/motel tax, through sponsorship dollars and by revenue generated through food and beverage at their festivals.
That is fact, whether you want to believe it or not.
I also know that they fully reimburse for all city services, including the Police Department, through these same funds. I think the Police get between 1 and 2 million a year.
Check the city budget. It's all right there.
"Check the city budget. It's all right there.
8/19/2009 02:42:00 PM"
You check the city budget.
Then I'll read you another fairy tale.
And no, not the one with the ass fucking ending that you love to hear.
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