Entries from March 2006
Even columns have leads, and I am pleased to report I found Mark Brown’s today in Sun-Times. It took some digging, but there it was, at the very end: ” . . . the citizens of Cook County deserve to be kept completely informed about [county board president Stroger's] health in the coming days.” (Nice going, Jim! For finding it) There it was, ‘way at the bottom, coated in vanilla, and nicely stated as to “completely informed,” not partially. Brown was lied to by relatives, and the rest is blah blah blah spelling it out in no certain terms the people’s right to know the health of elected officials
Meanwhile, the long arm of Middle East terrorism reached Urbana yesterday when the Daily Illini editor was fired for running anti-Muslim cartoons. Not 3,000 New Yorkers in a tall building the victims this time, just the First Amendment. No problem, U. of I. trustees or publisher’s board. We feel your pain, you stinking cowards.
And Atty Genl Lisa Madigan, who may or may not still belong to the gov’s love-hate commission, wants no part of controlling a public-complaint mechanism she devised. She’s worried about AG’s to come who might screw up how complaints are registered or questions asked about open meetings and using freedom of info. She gets lots of complaints as things stand, and wants to keep it that way. Does she mean the boxed form on her web site that I used two days ago to ask if she’s on the love-hate commission? Nothing yet from her, by the way, and I have some Jewish voters waiting to hear. Maybe even some non-Jews, who knows?
Finally, it’s quite interesting that in the wake of recent fatal South Side shootings, there’s no outcry (screaming headlines) about (a) gun control — though “delusional” Mayordaley II apparently made some customary noises about it — and (b) root causes of gang criminality. Sun-Times did have “Instant Messages” emailed from readers that touched on the former but also had the two items that in this blog’s opinion matter most in these matters: 1. Decriminalization of recreational drug use and 2. draconian law enforcement.
The former would require a change of heart mostly of white libs, the latter of them and the affected, afflicted community, which would have to permit cops to get tough. Since this would mean jailing neighbors’ sons, among other things (deport gang-bangers, said one letter writer!) , I bet on decriminalization happening before any unleashing of cops. Oh, another — yes, better — idea was for parents etc. to take back the sidewalks by standing on the corners watching all the drug customers drive by. Is this affected, afflicted community up to such unanimity? Not so far.
Categories: Uncategorized
Chi Trib’s Colleen Mastony has a page one Metro Near West story about Elmwood Park, its Italian immigrants of two generations past vs. Latin Americans of today, with dollop about Poles also of today – Poles are second only to Italians now, reports Trib, which would not surprise someone who shops at Caputo’s on Harlem near Diversey. The story jumps off from recent put-down of Elmwood Park (EP) schools for not taking an Ecuadorean kid on immigrant-status grounds. It was the last straw, apparently, for tightly knit, stranger-shy EP, but higher-ups put them down and they had to take the kid.
Point is, older immigrants resent new ones.
Second-generation immigrant families, mindful of how their parents and grandparents once struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S., now find themselves arguing about the rights of new immigrants,
OK, but the next sentence stops the careful reader, who hasn’t got all the time in the world to read what Trib has to say, even if he lives near EP and wrote about it recently and used to eat bagels there: Among recent arrivals, some wonder if it is right to extend social services to those who subverted laws to come to this country. Others think basics such as education should be available to all, especially to children, who are not responsible for their immigration status.
Which thanks to dangling phrase means that some recent arrivals question social services for recent arrivals. The reader trying to take Trib seriously — Mastony and her apparently MIA copy editors — wonders what’s going on here? A wrinkle he hadn’t realized? Nope. Another irritating boo-boo by the once world’s greatest newspaper.
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
Chi Trib’s Colleen Mastony has a page one Metro Near West story about Elmwood Park, its Italian immigrants of two generations past vs. Latin Americans of today, with dollop about Poles also of today – Poles are second only to Italians now, reports Trib, which would not surprise someone who shops at Caputo’s on Harlem near Diversey. The story jumps off from recent put-down of Elmwood Park (EP) schools for not taking an Ecuadorean kid on immigrant-status grounds. It was the last straw, apparently, for tightly knit, stranger-shy EP, but higher-ups put them down and they had to take the kid.
Point is, older immigrants resent new ones.
Second-generation immigrant families, mindful of how their parents and grandparents once struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S., now find themselves arguing about the rights of new immigrants,
OK, but the next sentence stops the careful reader, who hasn’t got all the time in the world to read what Trib has to say, even if he lives near EP and wrote about it recently and used to eat bagels there:
Among recent arrivals, some wonder if it is right to extend social services to those who subverted laws to come to this country. Others think basics such as education should be available to all, especially to children, who are not responsible for their immigration status.
Which thanks to dangling phrase means that some recent arrivals question social services for recent arrivals. The reader trying to take Trib seriously — Mastony and her apparently MIA copy editors — wonders what’s going on here? A wrinkle he hadn’t realized? Nope. Another irritating boo-boo by the once world’s greatest newspaper.
Categories: Uncategorized
FYI, here are the non-Jews who have not resigned from Gov Blag’s hate-crimes commission over the Farrakhan-man flap, having apparently decided they can work with the top aide of a Jew-basher who won’t distance herself from his [if not his, whose?] contumelious remarks. If any are Jewish, I stand corrected:
Rev. Willie T. Barrow, Commission Chair
Chair of the Board, Emeritus, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Kimberly M. White, Executive Director
Governors Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes [staff]
Lisa Madigan
Attorney General, State of Illinois [oh?]
Honorable [sic] Robin Kelly
State Rep., District 38
Honorable [sic] Larry McKeon
State Rep., District 13
Honorable [sic] Carol Ronen
State Sen., District 7
Rev. H. Douglas Bankhead
Second Baptist Church
Ertharin Cousin
Americas Second Harvest
Rick Garcia
Equality Illinois
Denise Gordon
PCI Inc.
Sgt. Kelly Henby
Illinois State Police
Ernestine Jackson
City of Bloomington
Ann Lata P. Kalayil
South Asian American and Policy Research Institute
Shannon Sullivan
Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation
Karen Lennon
Entreprenour
Laura McAlpine
The Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation
[Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad
Nation of Islam {top aide of Jew-basher}]
Gail Purkey
Illinois Federation of Teachers [!]
Gilberto, Romero Jr.
League of United Latin American Citizens
Sgt. Anthony J. Scalise
Chicago Police Department, Civil Rights Section [!]
Laura Thrall
YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Rev. Ronald Webb
Shiloah Baptist Church
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
FYI, here are the non-Jews who have not resigned from Gov Blago’s hate-crimes commission over the Farrakhan-man flap, having apparently decided they can work with the top aide of a Jew-basher who won’t distance herself from his [if not his, whose?] contumelious remarks. If any are Jewish, I stand corrected:
Rev. Willie T. Barrow, Commission Chair
Chair of the Board, Emeritus, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Kimberly M. White, Executive Director
Governors Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes [staff]
Lisa Madigan
Attorney General, State of Illinois [oh?]
Honorable [sic] Robin Kelly
State Rep., District 38
Honorable [sic] Larry McKeon
State Rep., District 13
Honorable [sic] Carol Ronen
State Sen., District 7
Rev. H. Douglas Bankhead
Second Baptist Church
Ertharin Cousin
Americas Second Harvest
Rick Garcia
Equality Illinois
Denise Gordon
PCI Inc.
Sgt. Kelly Henby
Illinois State Police
Ernestine Jackson
City of Bloomington
Ann Lata P. Kalayil
South Asian American and Policy Research Institute
Shannon Sullivan
Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation
Karen Lennon
Entreprenour
Laura McAlpine
The Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation
[Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad
Nation of Islam {top aide of Jew-basher}]
Gail Purkey
Illinois Federation of Teachers [!]
Gilberto, Romero Jr.
League of United Latin American Citizens
Sgt. Anthony J. Scalise
Chicago Police Department, Civil Rights Section [!]
Laura Thrall
YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Rev. Ronald Webb
Shiloah Baptist Church
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
Just moved but have been reading the noosepapers.
Have wondered where the non-Jews disappeared to in the wake of the Farrakhan man’s latest spew and subsequent resignations of Jews from Gov Blago’s love-hate commission. Are Jews the only ones who object to Nation of Islam contumely?
Have also wondered what went on in the mind of Cub manager Dusty Baker, if anything, when his player Barry Bonds showed up beefed up — steroid use is strongly suspected — when Dusty managed the San Fran Giants.
Will have to consult notes on various receipts for services rendered by rug cleaners and telephone installers before offering further comments disguised as wonderings. For now, however, the body is tired and th-th-th-that’s all, folks.
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
Just moved but have been reading the noosepapers.
Have wondered where the non-Jews disappeared to in the wake of the Farrakhan man’s latest spew and subsequent resignations of Jews from Gov Blago’s love-hate commission. Are Jews the only ones who object to Nation of Islam contumely?
Have also wondered what went on in the mind of Cub manager Dusty Baker, if anything, when his player Barry Bonds showed up beefed up — steroid use is strongly suspected — when Dusty managed the San Fran Giants.
Will have to consult notes on various receipts for services rendered by rug cleaners and telephone installers before offering further comments disguised as wonderings. For now, however, the body is tired and th-th-th-that’s all, folks.
Categories: Uncategorized
Such a day for Jews and cops in Chicago. The former, excoriated by Minister [sic] Farrakhan, a.k.a. Calypso Louie, had to put up with one scheming governor and a condoning black state rep [wrong: senator] from Maywood who also represents part of Oak Park.
The one cried the 1950s anti-anti-communist “guilt by association” as what motivates Jewish members of an anti-discrimination commission who resigned because another member is aide-de-camp to Minister [sic] F. and not only invited commission members to hear Louie excoriate Jews but did not denounce him, the gov talking as if she and Louie merely attended the same lodge or hung out together at the same barbershop.
“What I really enjoyed about the commission [when she was a member] is that it was unique, in that we were all different–different backgrounds, different religions, different geographical areas,” Lightford said. “If all were alike, or the majority were alike, and you were evaluating an issue that took place, it would be all like minds.”
Like all agreeing that you don’t excoriate Jews at the United Center? That would sure be a drag. What a ditz. Her Jewish constituents, not to mention Catholics, Protestants, and secular humanists who presumably object to Louie’s tirades, have to love her. She a stand-up girl.
Cops, meanwhile, find Alderwoman Madeline Haithcock still seeking to name a block or two after Fred Hampton, whose “off the pigs” comic books were a big seller among young bloods, one of whom lay in wait for two of them in 1969 and shotgunned them to death before being shot and killed by cops. Yes, he was one of Fred’s Black Panthers, Fred had to admit. Two weeks later Fred was shot and killed by cops who may have been a bit leery of asking questions before shooting.
Minister Louie drew a full house to the United Center for his most recent excoriation of Jews. It was “Saviour’s Day” for his Nation of Islam. He has a record of such effusions. But Gov. Blago says so what? Louie’s “minister of protocol” belongs on his commission anyhow. What, me worry? He’s not excoriating governors, is he?
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
Such a day for Jews and cops in Chicago. The former, excoriated by Minister [sic] Farrakhan, a.k.a. Calypso Louie, had to put up with one scheming governor and a condoning black state rep [wrong: senator] from Maywood who also represents part of Oak Park.
The one cried the 1950s anti-anti-communist “guilt by association” as what motivates Jewish members of an anti-discrimination commission who resigned because another member is aide-de-camp to Minister [sic] F. and not only invited commission members to hear Louie excoriate Jews but did not denounce him, the gov talking as if she and Louie merely attended the same lodge or hung out together at the same barbershop.
“What I really enjoyed about the commission [when she was a member] is that it was unique, in that we were all different–different backgrounds, different religions, different geographical areas,” Lightford said. “If all were alike, or the majority were alike, and you were evaluating an issue that took place, it would be all like minds.”
Like all agreeing that you don’t excoriate Jews at the United Center? That would sure be a drag. What a ditz. Her Jewish constituents, not to mention Catholics, Protestants, and secular humanists who presumably object to Louie’s tirades, have to love her. She a stand-up girl.
Cops, meanwhile, find Alderwoman Madeline Haithcock still seeking to name a block or two after Fred Hampton, whose “off the pigs” comic books were a big seller among young bloods, one of whom lay in wait for two of them in 1969 and shotgunned them to death before being shot and killed by cops. Yes, he was one of Fred’s Black Panthers, Fred had to admit. Two weeks later Fred was shot and killed by cops who may have been a bit leery of asking questions before shooting.
Minister Louie drew a full house to the United Center for his most recent excoriation of Jews. It was “Saviour’s Day” for his Nation of Islam. He has a record of such effusions. But Gov. Blago says so what? Louie’s “minister of protocol” belongs on his commission anyhow. What, me worry? He’s not excoriating governors, is he?
Categories: Uncategorized
Never let it be said that Mayor Daley is lost for words. Chi Trib’s Kass put a microphone in his face and asked him if Forrest Claypool, candidate in this month’s primary for Cook County board president, seeking to replace John Stroger, is a reformer, as he is being greeted by lib Dems in Oak Park and elsewhere. The mayor said:
“He worked very hard as [Daley's] chief of staff. He worked very hard at the Park District [where he was superintendent]. I am supporting John Stroger. I am not negative about anyone.”
Mayor, is Claypool a reformer?
“That would be up to him. I mean, everybody is a reformer. I think everybody is a reformer. I mean everybody is. Regardless of every life, you reform, you change. Some people don’t drink anymore. Some do. Some smoke. Some don’t smoke. We are all reformers. Everybody is a reformer.”
Does this mean Chicago is ready for reform, as Alderman Bauler famously denied in 1955, the night Mayordaley I was elected mayor?
Categories: Chicago Newspapers
