Chicago Daily Observer

Since its inception, the proposed Ogden-Pulaski TIF has stirred commotion among residents in North Lawndale.

Those who support the plan argue it provides a much needed strategy for catalyzing development in the community. Those who oppose the plan argue the community has not had a voice in its creation. Although the consensus appears to be that community development is needed in North Lawndale, many believe the current proposal is not sufficient and requires more resident input before implementation.

Last Tuesday, a public hearing was held at City Hall in front of members of the Community Development Commission. There, community members were given the opportunity to voice their support or concerns publicly before the TIF is passed into law.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich did it again last week. The roof is leaking, the electricity has been shut off, they’re coming to repossess the car, and he’s talking about adding a swimming pool and taking a Caribbean cruise.

Illinois is perhaps in the worst financial shape in memory and has the largest budget deficit of any U.S. state. But he’s proposing new programs and bigger giveaways. Blagojevich’s state of the state speech should have been delivered by Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman. What, me worry?

A couple of weeks ago, John McCain was straining to ingratiate himself with the activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. It was an uphill climb: By that point, some movement icons had publicly renounced the presumptive Republican nominee, and attendees were urged not to boo him. Some did anyway, and McCain was left to ponder the possibility of being abandoned by much of his party’s base.

He shouldn’t have worried. All it took to rally conservatives behind him was the intervention of The New York Times. Thursday, it published a flimsy, anonymously sourced story suggesting that nine years ago, McCain may have canoodled with a female lobbyist whose clients had business before his committee. How bad was the article? Years from now, if you type into Google, “Why do people hate the news media?” this story will pop up.

Edward Hopper

Until March 10th 2008

Isolation, introspection and the empty spaces of modern life; these are the hallmarks of Edward Hopper’s instantly recognisable paintings. This exhibition centres on his most productive years, from the mid-1920s to the 1950s, with famous works such as “Chop Suey” and “Nighthawks”. But it also includes a handful of lesser-known early pieces, such as “Night on the El Train”, a 1918 etching that hints at many of his later themes. A man and a woman sit in a railway carriage, their relationship ambiguous, their distance from the viewer exaggerated by a line of empty seats. Few artists have so ably captured the nuances—and loneliness—of modern living.

The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Ave. Tel: +1 (312) 443–3600. Open: Mon-Wed, Fri 10.30am-5pm; Thurs 10.30am-8pm; Sat, Sun 10am-5pm. See also the museum’s website.