Joravsky on Rahm's Spending
Why this guy doesn't have a closet full of awards is curious. Probably because he works for a paper that gives itself away for nothing. In any case, he has a very well written article about Rahm's plans to help build DePaul a new stadium for a team that can't even fill the current one and hasn't seen an NIT berth in 5 years or an NCAA bid in 10. He closes with this whopper of a lie by Rahm's people:
- The climactic moment of yesterday's meeting came when a fellow in the audience asked if there would be "any additional costs to the city for the new plans?"
At which point Brad McConnell, from the city's department of planning, stepped forward to say:
"No."
"None?" asked the audience member.
"None," said McConnell.
Wow.
I don't think anyone knows how much all this wheeling and dealing will cost when it's all over. But the mayor must think we, the taxpayers, must be really stupid to believe that buying three plots of land won't cost more than buying two.
Of course, we're the ones who elected him in the first place. So I can see why he'd have a low opinion of our intelligence.
We're pretty sure Jaravsky didn't vote for Rahm, and we're damn sure we didn't. But we're pretty sure that we know who did. Go read the whole thing here.
Labels: city politics
posted by SCC at 12:02 AM
45 Comments:
depaul..is that where rahm's kids plan on attending in a few years...hoping to try out for the basketball team
meanwhile...
illinois tourism board is blowing six-figures on a superbowl ad.
is that money spent in the hopes of tourist or is it money to the media for publishing the spin that the illinois politicians demand under the guise of promoting tourism.
come to chicago y'all. don't forget to bring your i-phone and plenty of cash to flash...oh and your health insurance cards too for when the thugs play the punch 'em out game.
City employees need to get out and vote at election time. Let's make Rham a 1 term mayor!!!
I am screaming and screaming!!
'Mayor Rahm makes no small plans with your tax dollars'. Read it and weep.
Screwed and screaming!!
Ben and his paper have never been nice to us and he shouldn't be. We just ask him to be fair. I believe he is.
He seems to be the only honest journalist in this state. His parents should be proud.
Building the stadium provides needed jobs.
Im pretty sure the CITYWIDE Team voted for Rahm since their Leader Donahue always supports 19th Ward democrap hacks and what ever machine politicians that Madigan tells them to.
These little men we elect as mayors sure are big spenders with our tax dollars. i only wish that the flying tutu would meet his pension payment obligations before spending millions on companies that should be spending their own money.
These little men we elect as mayors sure are big spenders with our tax dollars. i only wish that the flying tutu would meet his pension payment obligations before spending millions on companies that should be spending their own money.
If the excuse for spending millions on companies that have their own money to spend is economic growth, then what is the excuse for not funding pensions and putting the city at risk with the liability of underfunded pensions?
It will be a sad day in Chicago when Ben decides to retire.
He's agonizing at times but works hard to understand and explain very complex issues. He stays on top of problems and continues to write about subjects year after year (like TIF's) so that you cannot help but eventually read an article or 10.
The Reader is great, it's seen better financial days, and it's amazing that it is still around considering the corporate papers cannot seem to hold it together. Everyone who writes for the paper seems held to the highest of standards....sometimes the best things in life are really FREE!
As usual, Ben hits it right on the head.
Amy Rule will probably get a job/position affiliated with DePaul in the future that compensates very well...
This is a non issue SCC, the extra parcel of land is being donated by Tony Rezco...
It's the Chicago way.
Speak for yourself when talking about who elected Rham.Lake front Liberals and African- Americans carried the vote for that treacherous F**kWeasle.He has absolutely no use for the Caucasian, middle class voter. All you have to do is look at his photo-ops.Hopefully, the Black electorate will remember he closed all those schools in their neighborhoods, indifferent to their kid's safety, when the next election comes around.
Veeeery interesting. Tiny Dancer declaring War against James McHugh.
To say McHugh is 'politically connected' is putting it mildly -- its the understatement of the ages. McHugh not only knows 'where the bodies are buried' -- but James McHugh Const probably dug the fricken holes and provided the concrete for graves for the carcasses.
Ergo, the Tutu wearing freak has more than met his match in picking this fight, and he'll friggen lose -- period. That neighborhood is McHugh's, he's been there +50 years -- investing there with office after office when all others bailed. It's HIS and he ain't going nowhere. What McHugh wants, McHugh gets, the end.
Wait SCC, get your facts straight! I never vote for any Democrat- regardless of what they say and promise. I hate democrats as much as I hate a child rapist.
I Totally With SCC Opinion of Mr. Joravsky. He is without a doubt the best investigative reporter this city has ever had. Yes, that includes Kass, and all the rest. Past and Present. He is not just a "Flash in the Pan" He has been doing this kind of stuff for years. You know what ? Very few Chicago Readers even know who he is. The people in power love it that way.
Higher tax bills force some homeowners to leave Chicago. City population of productive, law-abiding tax-payers goes down.
Corrupt Democrats levy higher taxes against remaining tax-payers to make up for shrinking tax base left by departing tax-payers.
Higher tax bills force more homeowners to leave Chicago. City population of productive, law-abiding tax-payers goes down again.
While no one is looking, corrupt Democrats sell and "lease" city property to rich friends.
Price to city to borrow money goes up as ratings agencies downgrade bonds. Democrats hit taxpayers with even higher taxes to pay debt service.
Higher tax bills force yet more homeowners to leave Chicago. City population of productive, law-abiding tax-payers goes down even more.
Repeat until Chicago looks like Detroit.
The Daley-Emanuel death spiral continues.
Anonymous said...
These little men we elect as mayors sure are big spenders with our tax dollars. i only wish that the flying tutu would meet his pension payment obligations before spending millions on companies that should be spending their own money.
2/01/2014 03:01:00 AM
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
Anonymous said...
Building the stadium provides needed jobs.
2/01/2014 02:08:00 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Really? For whom?
People out of work don't get hired by any of these companies that are associated with the design, construction and operation of any of these projects.
Anonymous said...
depaul..is that where rahm's kids plan on attending in a few years...hoping to try out for the basketball team
meanwhile...
illinois tourism board is blowing six-figures on a superbowl ad.
is that money spent in the hopes of tourist or is it money to the media for publishing the spin that the illinois politicians demand under the guise of promoting tourism.
come to chicago y'all. don't forget to bring your i-phone and plenty of cash to flash...oh and your health insurance cards too for when the thugs play the punch 'em out game.
2/01/2014 12:35:00 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will have to watch to see if in fact the Ill Tourism Bd has an ad in the SB.
But I think ads go for significantly more than 6 figures.
6:56....
Amy Rule will never need a made-up job like run of the mill Chicago patronage whores.
These are internationalist, masters of the universe who will never need to soil themselves with scum.
This guy is fantastic,a true investigative journalist who takes no s--t from any of rahms criminal conspirators, Thanks Ben for all you do,keep up the good work!!
What I would like to see is the FOP take out a full page add in both daily rags and mount a PR campaign. This campaign should emphasis...in 19?? X dollars to the CTA from our pension fund.
in 19?? X dollars to teachers pay raise
in 20?? X dollars to Vanecko and company on a bad invest.
etc.
Joravsky is the bizarro Speilman. I wonder if she makes eye contact when they meet.
would it be possible (ever?) for a person, who is not a career politician, who is not beholden to any special interests, who genuinely a person of the people, to be elected into office, and then bring honesty, integrity, and character to the position? In America....or in Illinois?.....probably not
DePaul University enrollment is down and so are tuition revenues. Pay raises suspended for two years, maybe more--internal budget slashing right and left.
It's the perfect time for DePaul to toss away 70m on a stadium for an already pricey basketball team and coach. As both a DPU employee and as a Chicago taxpayer, feel like we are getting screwed at both ends.
Anonymous said...
depaul..is that where rahm's kids plan on attending in a few years...hoping to try out for the basketball team
meanwhile...
illinois tourism board is blowing six-figures on a superbowl ad.
is that money spent in the hopes of tourist or is it money to the media for publishing the spin that the illinois politicians demand under the guise of promoting tourism.
come to chicago y'all. don't forget to bring your i-phone and plenty of cash to flash...oh and your health insurance cards too for when the thugs play the punch 'em out game.
2/01/2014 12:35:00 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will have to watch to see if in fact the Ill Tourism Bd has an ad in the SB.
But I think ads go for significantly more than 6 figures.
2/01/2014 10:50:00 AM
===
It isn't DURING the Super Bowl.
"Chicago may not be playing in the Super Bowl, but Illinois will be seen on Super Bowl TV-- at least for half a minute.
A "quirky" commercial featuring an animated Abe Lincoln will run just once in Chicago only and will cost Illinois taxpayers $127,500."
Apparently, people in Chicago need to be reminded to be tourists here in their own state.
Here's the link to the story. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=9415381
Close schools/build even more charter schools. Tear down a perfectly good park/spend 55million rebuilding it into guess what, a park. Spend tons of money on state of the art (but unnecessary and already being vandalized) turf fields for parks in literal war zones. Build a new harbor when the existing harbors are underutilized. Build runways for air traffic that doesn't exist. Build medians all over the city, when the city got rid of medians years ago because after several years they start looking like shit. The list goes on and on...Connected fatcats get fatter, while the blame goes to our pensions.
The Reader has the best reporters in the city, hands down. They're amazing. Someone must be giving them some respect, because they sure do have a lot of sources.
It's amazing that the main-stream media will cite stories from SCC, but never even mention The Reader's in-depth reporting and expose's. (can't find the accent thingy--no editorial comments pls, unless you can tell me where that accent thingy is located.)
Anonymous said...
would it be possible (ever?) for a person, who is not a career politician, who is not beholden to any special interests, who genuinely a person of the people, to be elected into office, and then bring honesty, integrity, and character to the position? In America....or in Illinois?.....probably not
2/01/2014 01:34:00 PM
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in pondering that. After thinking about it, I don't think it's possible. But I'm an idiot and keep hoping it's possible. So sad. Rule out Chicago and IL. Maybe, just maybe, America still has hope.
Blogger Cuthbert J. Twillie said...
Veeeery interesting. Tiny Dancer declaring War against James McHugh.
To say McHugh is 'politically connected' is putting it mildly -- its the understatement of the ages. McHugh not only knows 'where the bodies are buried' -- but James McHugh Const probably dug the fricken holes and provided the concrete for graves for the carcasses.
Ergo, the Tutu wearing freak has more than met his match in picking this fight, and he'll friggen lose -- period. That neighborhood is McHugh's, he's been there +50 years -- investing there with office after office when all others bailed. It's HIS and he ain't going nowhere. What McHugh wants, McHugh gets, the end.
2/01/2014 08:14:00 AM
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/15/feds-target-construction-giant-mchugh/
The Chicago Reader is the only true investigative news paper in the city of Chicago. In other cities these so called "alternative news weekly's" do more hard hitting journalism than their so called "professional" media counterparts.
The Sun Times a week or so ago had a headline stating that shootings of CPS students is down this year. No shit! It's freaking cold outside and it was only the second week of January.
The Sun Times also had a fluff piece how under Mayor Emanuel spending on public arts is down. They are trying to make it seem as if he is such a financially responsible mayor when he isn't.
Just a thought maybe javorsky could investigate he things Mike Shields uncovered from the top fop getting cushy jobs after they left fop leadership, to the Greg Bella accusations, and the grieger activity hey been get I. Touch with shields this would be an interesting story. No wonder Shields was thrown out in front of membership like in roman times, now Mike Shields give Ben the story we the members are owed that thank you!
OT hope Rahm saves some money for next weekend's snow storm. Souza from Fox weather is forecasting a possible 24 inches of snow. Hope she is wrong on this one.
Anonymous said...
Just a thought maybe javorsky could investigate he things Mike Shields uncovered from the top fop getting cushy jobs after they left fop leadership, to the Greg Bella accusations, and the grieger activity hey been get I. Touch with shields this would be an interesting story. No wonder Shields was thrown out in front of membership like in roman times, now Mike Shields give Ben the story we the members are owed that thank you!
2/01/2014 08:22:00 PM
The public doesn't care about a pack of dumb fuck union boss playing cops. This is more of an embarrassment than anything. We should be ashamed as an organization that these imbeciles are representing us and getting on camera to air their dirty laundry.
$100 million TIF $ to Depaul and McPIer could pay down one year of pensions. Think of the last few years of TIF being sucked from the city budget. Pension problem? no. It could have been solved long time ago. Rahm will keep spending $500 million TIF a year to keep the pension problem on the table. Joravsky is the only one investigating it and telling the truth. Stop TIF and fix the pension.
Really? For whom?
People out of work don't get hired by any of these companies that are associated with the design, construction and operation of any of these projects.
2/01/2014 10:48:00 AM
Exactly. Go by some of these jobsites parking areas. You won't find a single city sticker in the bunch. Everyone is from the far burbs or Indiana.
Joravsky for Mayor!
He'd get my vote.
TO: 2/01/2014 05:37:00 PM
re: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/15/feds-target-construction-giant-mchugh/
That's no big deal, really. And I would bet the rent that McHugh skates, 100% clean.
The thing is, that 'story' is old news. Not one year old news per the link, but 40 year old news, like ever since MBE/WBE subcontracting became 'law', then a 'goal' -- when minorities (MBE) and women (WBE) contractors could not be found.
And guess who goes to the bank; the minority & women 'owner', NOT the subcontractor who does the work, or most of the work. Oh, and guess who is clueless on these sub-subcontracts -- the General Contractor, this case McHugh.
But the Feds keep on trying to take bites from the same dried up apple. Problem is there's nothing there.
Exactly. Go by some of these jobsites parking areas. You won't find a single city sticker in the bunch. Everyone is from the far burbs or Indiana.
And works for a construction outfit that is affiliated with Daley or Rahm ....
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Joravsky for Mayor!
He'd get my vote.
2/02/2014 03:00:00 AM
And how would Joravsky deal with the snakes of the City Council? Burke, Balcer, O'Connor etc. They can out vote the mayor and do pretty much what they want. Why do you think Ed Burke is still chairman of the Finance Committee? Because Rahm thinks he is a swell fellow?
Bullshit, Burke told Rahm said he is Chair of Finance and what the hell can Rahm do about it? That is true, the City Council was poised to vote to keep Burke on Finance if Rahm tried to dump him or pull his bodyguard detail.
No one cares about DePaul B-Ball. This is about getting back convention business . Check out convention schedules on the web for Orlando and Vegas. The broadcasters convention alone will bring 96,000 to Vegas for 4 days this spring. Lakeside Center at McCormick Place may be torn down along with the underused Arie Crown Theatre (seating 4800). A large venue adjustable to stadium/theatre seating is needed. Progress at a cost.
Anonymous said...
Speak for yourself when talking about who elected Rham.Lake front Liberals and African- Americans carried the vote for that treacherous F**kWeasle.He has absolutely no use for the Caucasian, middle class voter. All you have to do is look at his photo-ops.Hopefully, the Black electorate will remember he closed all those schools in their neighborhoods, indifferent to their kid's safety, when the next election comes around.
2/01/2014 08:13:00 AM
And they will vote for him again and again,along with the hispanics. These are voting blocks that vote Democratic 80% of the time.
Why do you think he panders to them?
Anonymous said...
Building the stadium provides needed jobs.
2/01/2014 02:08:00 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Really? For whom?
People out of work don't get hired by any of these companies that are associated with the design, construction and operation of any of these projects.
2/01/2014 10:48:00 AM
I wouldn't hire those out of work except in rare circumstances. I want people who know how to work and how to find work. I want skilled hard workers who want to better themselves, not mopes who walk around looking at the sidewalk.
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