Detox ditties. I’m watching a few things that might speed up your post-Super Bowl recovery from all things excessive:>Onion skins. Even a no-nonsense civic watchdog organization like the BGA, with its proud tradition of anti-corruption advocacy, has to lighten up once in awhile. So laugh along with us as you read The Onion’s hilarious, don’t-miss sendup of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Rahm residency ruling.
Long and short of it.
Two cardinal rules of politics: We don’t elect short U.S. Presidents or tall Chicago mayors. Crain’s on the latter phenomena—candidates who need booster chairs for the big desk on the 5th floor. (screenshot/Crain’s)
Alley oops. Trib columnist John Kass whacks the Daley administration for announcing that city crews will not remove snow from Chicago’s alleys. Kass says the misguided decision reflects the reality of a lame-duck mayor who doesn’t have to worry about voter backlash because he’s not running for re-election.
Snow job? Springfield reporter/editor Scott Reeder questions the Quinn administration’s decision to pay 39,000 state workers who couldn’t make it in last Wednesday because of the blizzard, instead of following a standard private sector model of making employees take a personal or vacation day if they can’t get to work.
Up theirs. The Daily Herald looks at an expensive state fee of dubious value: several hundred dollars for someone to “witness” elevator inspections in high-rise buildings. An editorial suggests this contributes to the state’s unfriendly business climate.
TIF talk. Also in the Sun-Times, an editorial suggesting unspent Tax Increment Financing (TIF) dollars be used to build more affordable housing in Chicago. City Council considers that proposal on Wednesday.
McQuery-ing. Southtown Star columnist Kristen McQuery talks to Cook County Board members from the south suburbs, including commissioner Liz Gorman, who wants to make sure the county’s new president, Toni Preckwinkle, isn’t eliminating county jobs at the low end of the pay scale while she staffs her own office with highly paid administrators who are also collecting pensions from other units of government. Gorman wants to end the double-dipping practice.
