By The Beachwood 2040 Affairs Desk

“At the behest of Mayor Daley’s former law partner, a City Council committee agreed Monday to extend until 2040 a franchise agreement that has allowed a private company to tear up Loop streets to install the chilled water pipeline needed to cool downtown office buildings,” the Sun-Times reported on Tuesday.
This got us to wondering what Chicago will look like when that contract finally runs its course.
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CTA hovercraft derails even without rails.
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City council approves Lake Michigan privatization deal.
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Last city landmark demolished.
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Cubs announcer Kerry Wood to miss rest of season with vocal cord strain.
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2016 Olympics finally paid off.

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Posted on July 30, 2008

By The Beachwood Pedestrian Safety Affairs Desk

Editor’s Note: This was posted before we learned that Robert Novak was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
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With apologies to Prince and Don Liljenquist.
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I guess I shoulda known
By the way you spout your nonsense
That you’d hit-and-run
See you’re the kinda person
Who drives fast at 10 a.m.
And hates pedestrians
I guess you had to run
cuz u had to meet with sources
Use them and also get used
But it was broad daylight
You were in plain sight
And the Prince of Darkness doesn’t lose
And Bobby I say

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Posted on July 28, 2008

By The Beachwood Follow The Money Affairs Desk

Here are the campaign contributions to state lawmakers made by CeaseFire executive director Gary Slutkin, according records from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
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Slutkin, Gary
Chicago, IL
$200.00
8/1/2001
Individual Contribution
Citizens for Lisa Madigan
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Slutkin, Gary
Chicago, IL
$200.00
8/22/2002
Individual Contribution
Citizens for Lisa Madigan
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Slutkin, Gary
Chicago, IL 60610
$200.00
6/10/2003
Individual Contribution
Friends of Iris Y Martinez

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Posted on July 25, 2008

By Citizen Kate

Lose weight and do your civic duty at the same time.

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Posted on July 24, 2008

By Citizen Kate

Our citizen journalist on the campaign trail wants NBC to pick her. Now it’s in the hands of the Morning Joe team and other assorted, alleged VIPs. Pick Kate!

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Posted on July 18, 2008

By The Service Employees International Union

WORKING FAMILIES, MERCHANTS SEND JOINT MESSAGE TO LAWMAKERS
Washington, D.C. – July 15, 2008 – In a groundbreaking joint effort by the nation’s fastest growing union and trade associations representing merchants, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Food Marketing Institute (FMI), National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), and the National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) sent a letter to every Member of the House of Representatives today calling on Congress to stop the nation’s biggest banks and credit card companies from continuing abusive practices which harm American consumers and businesses. The groups jointly urged Congressional action to pass the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008 (H.R. 5244), the Credit Card Fair Fee Act (H.R. 5546 and S. 3086), and the Credit Card Interchange Fees Act of 2008 (H.R. 6248).
“The biggest banks have put working families and the economy on a rollercoaster – but regulators aren’t paying enough attention to make sure it doesn’t go off the track,” said Stephen Lerner, Director of the SEIU Private Equity Project. “Lawmakers and regulators have to act before the fees and bad practices hurting consumers derail the economy altogether.”

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Posted on July 16, 2008

By The Beachwood Hope And Change Affairs Desk

The Green Party will hold its national convention right here in Chicago Thursday through Sunday. These are the party’s “Ten Key Values” as originally ratified at its convention in Denver in 2000.
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1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.
2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

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Posted on July 9, 2008

By Mike Gravel

July 5, 2008
When in the course of human events, unattended grievances make it necessary for citizens to reexamine the structure of their government and bring about change.
We were once a great nation, created by immigrants from foreign lands who populated a bountiful continent.
We now witness our nation’s prestige and our domestic liberties considerably diminished.
We, who suffer the consequences of a dysfunctional system of government, seek to reaffirm our founding principles and to improve upon the structure of representative government.

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Posted on July 7, 2008

By Citizen Kate

Our correspondent on the road caught up with Mike Gravel and his band of freedom-drinkers at the Libertarian National Convention in Denver. Libertarians, she learned, are the answer. Watch as she tries to figure out the question.

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Posted on July 7, 2008

By Mike Gravel

Dear friend,
I am writing you today in the hope that you will support Jesse Johnson for the Green Party presidential nomination. The party’s convention is in two weeks, and Jesse needs your help.
I feel deeply in my heart that if we truly want to empower the people, end illegal and immoral wars, provide health care for all Americans, and fight global warming, we must do more than just work together with other voices. We’re going to have to make a commitment to support them.
Let me tell you why I’m with Jesse.

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Posted on July 2, 2008