Chicago Daily Observer

Iraqi parliament has shown more courage in solving its problems than Illinois legislators

For all of the Iraqi parliament’s flaws, I would trade it straight up for the crowd that we’ve got in Springfield. Ridiculous, you say? Then, consider what both have accomplished. First, the Illinois state government: (This space left intentionally blank.)

That’s right, nothing. Maybe the Iraq parliament hasn’t done much more but think about its challenges compared with Illinois’ crew. Iraq has to repair centuries of tyranny and brutalization. The country is split in three, marked by a centuries-long and sometimes bloody religious feud. With virtually no experience with self-government, the Iraqis are expected to come up instantly with a government and culture that respects democratic values.

Governor Blagojevich’s last-minute bailout spared CTA riders long-threatened doomsday hikes in fares and cuts in services—for the moment. Still, without a permanent tax hike to close the budget gap of $110 million a year the CTA is likely to slash bus routes and raise fares to as much as $3 a ride. At the same time, the local property tax machine is gearing up to send out property tax bills that will jump as much as 100 percent for some home owners. And what’s the city’s response to this pending crisis?

Once again, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the legislature provided the Chicago Transit Authority with an 11th hour financial reprieve that has forestalled the need for its planned “doomsday” budget. Although aid from the state is largely welcomed, it has again resulted in the sidetracking of an idea whose time is long overdue: a more rational fare structure that reflects costs incurred by the CTA.

Just as the Chicago Bears are on the verge of a quarterback “controversy,” Chicago Mayor Daley is in the throes of a police superintendent controversy. He wants to replace Dana Starks, the mercurial interim superintendent—but he can’t find the right replacement.

In choosing a police superintendent, rank matters. Family history matters. Political connections matter. And, most importantly, being an “insider” matters. The so-called “culture” of the department decrees that a non-Chicagoan, somebody from another city, cannot win or earn the trust of rank-and-file police officers.

But, in the ongoing, fruitless search to replace the departed Phil Cline, the selection criterion has changed as the political, bureaucratic and racial environment has deteriorated – both inside and outside of the department.

Cline resigned April 2, amid headlines of barroom brawls involving off-duty cops. One beat a female bartender, and six beat four businessmen. In the special operations section (SOS), a supposedly elite ... Read More...