Chicago And Big City Challenges

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 10:00 AM EDT

Chicago And Big City Challenges

Rahm Emanuel is Chicago’s next mayor. We’ll look at big city challenges right now through the eyes of the Windy City.

Mayor-elect, and former White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel speaks at his election night party Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Chicago. (AP)

Rahm Emanuel will be the next mayor of Chicago. That’s a long way from the White House, but right in the middle of what American cities are up against in 2011.

What works and what doesn’t? In his 22 years as mayor, Richard M. Daley turned the upfront face of Chicago into a vibrant showplace of public amenities and glossy urban zest. Back in the neighborhoods, it’s a different story.

And now, recession has left this city – like others – with a huge deficit.

This hour On Point: the American city – Chicago. Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago.

- Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Larry Bennett, professor of political science at DePaul University. He is the author of “The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism.”

Laura Washington, columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She is also a political analyst for ABC 7-Chicago and contributing editor for In These Times.

More:
Read an excerpt from Bennett’s “The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism” here, or in PDF.

Z. Vayman, the Galilee

He is a rough go getter. In spite of his Israeli origin he was elected.
He is also representative of the Israeli Jews who are too Ashkenazi, too smart to sit in a tiny Jewish Bantustan where easily identified Jews cannot walk the land.
As a result the State of Israel is denuded of Germanic “alpha males” and thus it gets more Arabized and “minoritized” with, perhaps, grim consequencies for the Hebrew republic.

Pancake with biscuit heart

What is his policy on the Second Coming? The Moral Majority wants to know.

Beverly

GO, RAHM!

He seems to be the cosen one, the mayor Chicago has been crying out for since before the era of *”The Great Dumpling”.

He’s a dynamo, (an extremely smart, amiable one), who is very adept at the art of persuasion.

He loves Chicago, warts & all. In the debates, he was head & shoulders above his many competitors; the right man at the right time. Serendipity.

You are wished the best of luck, Mayor Emanuel. Go get ‘em!

*Mike Royko’s nickname for Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Beverly

CORRECTION: Make that “CHOSEN”, not cosen.

susan

WBUR when will you adress the new (or old) anti-semitism that is so obvious here day after day in your comment section!!!

Beverly

The only worrying thing is that we still haven’t seen Rahm’s birth certificate. What’s he trying to hide? Maybe he was really born in Hawaii, which means he’s not really American at all!



Pancake Rankin

Israel (Palestine)

Beverly

I should have known. Hope he’s not planning to run for President.

Detroit-Cleveland-Buffalo

Tom–
The “white flight” from big cities, and their schools, back in the 60s and 70s, was the beginning of their decline, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast. I hope you ask your guest(s) about the lingering deleterious effects of banks’ red-lining of real estate districts to keep minority families from moving into suburbs (and thus to gain better educations for their kids). Ask whether regionalizing public school districts–rather than pushing dubious charter schools–would help revitalize cities, lead to better control of noise and crime, better schools overall, more “life” in tired cities, which no longer have the huge manufacturing and steel-producing plants.

A “metropolitan area” approach to “big city” issues–crime, education, transportation, etc., takes power from big city mayors but may help solve some of their more intractable problems.
Michael

Surprised he won by 55%,still impressive.

hope he governs better than when he was helping obama do so.
Anonymous

Chicago corruption continues….

I hope He volunteers his city to be a test bed for Obama-care starting today.
Michael

“I hope He volunteers his city to be a test bed for Obama-care starting today.’

There would be no Obama care if there were no Mitt romney care,

Give credit where’s credit is due Brandstad

Anonymous

You are right, but you also make my point.

Mitt Romney Care is a bad idea, but it is constitutional. Obama-care is a bad idea that didn’t learn from Mitt Romney’s mistakes and is unconstitutional since the federal government can not regulate not buying something.
Beverly

C’mon. You know that’s not the Republican way.

michael

Surprised as well onpoint is not talking about the current discriminations going on in boston and Mass right now in regards to closing schools and Disproportionally effecting blacks and latinos (90%) and the opening of charter schools that don’t fit the current law and/are not meeting government goals are still openly.

boston com /news/local/breaking_news/2011/02/discrimination.html?rss_id=Top+Stories

Discrimination alleged in Boston school closure plans

boston com /news/education/k_12/articles/2011/03/01/state_gives_green_light_to_16_charter_school_plans/

So there closing 18 and opening 16 charter schools that many do not even meet state requirements to open.
Webb Nichols

Tom, WBUR should consider catching up and streaming “On Point” live
during your broadcasts seeing you and your guests interacting in the studio would further enhance the dynamism and energy of the program.

nj

Speaking of catching up, the guests are rarely in the studio.

Michael

“You are right, but you also make my point.

Mitt Romney Care is a bad idea, but it is constitutional. Obama-care is a bad idea that didn’t learn from Mitt Romney’s mistakes and is unconstitutional since the federal government can not regulate not buying something.”

can you provide a count of judges saying it’s illegal vs ones saying it’s legal?

I bet there’s many in Ma that believe what was done in mass is illegal as well.

Anonymous

Anything not specifically mentioned in the US constitution as a Federal power is delegated to the states, so the state has much more leeway as long as it doesn’t violate the state constitution and it isn’t a federal power as stated in the US constitution, they can do what they wish.

Pancake with biscuit heart

…Or to the People. What we have now is government by corporate management. Look at what hedge funds Emmanuel has worked for and is allied with, what banks, what pharmaceuticals, what investment schemes. All governors, mayors, legislators and council persons are puppets to be bought, or discarded through slander if they fail to cooperate. The corruption that always permeates big business has become preferred practice in government. Chicago was renowned for shady deal-making (Obama’s house) but now it is a cake to be distributed among transnationals. Rahm is only a game show host, and the People can’t win.

Beverly

It’s all legal, since it was put in place to dramatically reduce the deficit.

The score is now 2 against, 3 who have ruled that it’s constitutional.

I haven’t read past entries, so maybe I missed it; does this have something to do with oil from the Middle East, or have I pressed the wrong button?

Beverly

Hey! Just found out that I DID press the wrong button. Meant to read about oil. I’m outta here.
Beverly

. . . what does health care reform have to do with Chicago’s mayor?
Tom

Where does the US constitution give the federal government the right to do anything they want in order to reduce the federal deficit using 10 years of taxes to give 6 years of benefits?

I wonder how the deficit will do the second 10 years when it has to give 10 years of benefits! LOL
Tom

Where does the US constitution give the federal government the right to do anything they want in order to reduce the federal deficit using 10 years of taxes to give 6 years of benefits?

I wonder how the deficit will do the second 10 years when it has to give 10 years of benefits! LOL

michael

Brandstand wrote:
“Anything not specifically mentioned in the US constitution as a Federal power is delegated to the states, so the state has much more leeway as long as it doesn’t violate the state constitution and it isn’t a federal power as stated in the US constitution, they can do what they wish. ”

So what was the count of judges that stated it was illegal vs the ones that stated it was legal?

Do you know?
Rob (in NY)

Now that Rham Emanuel is Mayor of Chicago, he may soon regret running for this job and yearn for the “tranquil days as Chief Of Staff” when he is forced to confront’s Chicago’s fiscal reality. Based on its fiscal condition (including a municipal pension mess), Rahm might quikly become as unpopular with union activists as Governors Walker, Chris Christie in NJ, and Andrew Cuomo in NY (D). Although to be factual, the latter two governors are not seeking changes to collective bargaining laws, but are still seeking large concessions from state worker unions, much to the dismay of the far left.

Tom, please ask your guest about Emanuel’s proposals to deal with Chicago’s fiscal mess.

Anonymous

You don’t know what you are talking about.

Cory

Nice followup topic after yesterday’s discussion about oil.

Barring a breakthrough in energy technology or a hard commitment to nuclear power, most of our futures will be in urban areas. Suburbia will wither and die as frivolous travel and transport become too expensive.

Tom

Just another reason we need an energy policy that includes building at least 20 new nuclear power plants across the country along with using what ever domestic energy sources we can get to including natural gas and coal.

nj

Are you offering to store the nuclear waste in your basement?

Cory

I don’t think the plan was to store nuclear waste in poor Tom’s basement. NJ, are you ready to live life without petroleum in all its many forms? Really think about this. Nuclear seems like the best option if we don’t discover cold fusion or anti matter energy soon. It is easy to be a NIMBY, but we have to find a way to carry on in this country. I bet I could bury a drum of spent nuclear fuel 100 yards from your house and you’d never know unless someone told you.

PI Resident

Rahm said he is going to go after Chicago City Workers’ pensions. Amazing how that did not stir a fire storm in the media.
I wonder why.
Steve

Beverly

. . . or with Chicago’s City Workers.

Aguy

Can this Larry Bennett guy drone on and on and on or what? Next topic-please.
Jim

Chicago cameras, cameras everywhere.

Police city on the lake.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-20/news/ct-oped-0220-chapman-20110220_1_cameras-crime-justice-policy-center
Kevin

Great point about the impacts of decades of uncontested Democratic Party government in big cities like Chicago. The cronyism and political patronage are rampant, and the public employee unions haven’t had any adults to tell them “no.” Now–when they are being told that very thing by Republicans in places like Wisconsin and Indiana–they throw a tantrum. Funny–when tea party types rally at state capitols they’re described as reactionary extremists. But when union members act in the same way they’re somehow heroic.

Amazing double-standard.
Tom

China is not the friend of the US, and we shouldn’t be friendly with them as long as they artificially hold their currency high compared to the USD to insure they can sell us more than we sell them and by doing so they are effectively robbing the US Treasury and holding their loot in the form of US debt.

They started to push Obama around recently because they hold enough of our debt to ruin us.

Cory

Tom,

I agree with you theoretically. However, it may be too late to do anything other than grabbing our ankles and learning to speak mandarin.

The saving grace may be India and eventually Africa out-China-ing China.

twenty-niner

Doubt it.

The Chinese are going to extract every resource out of Africa and leave the people behind with nothing.

“How China has created a new slave empire in Africa”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1063198/PETER-HITCHENS-How-China-created-new-slave-empire-Africa.html

I agree, its probably too late to do anything, as Obama (the hugger in chief) has proved to be yet another Chinese toady who is willing to box up our national assets and sell them off.

“A state-owned Chinese aerospace company that just formed a joint venture with GE Aviation Systems is reportedly pursuing another deal with a California company, with the aim of bidding on U.S. defense contracts.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2011/02/07/ge-aviation-partner-in-china-seeks-deals.html

Michael

lol, China friendly,

I.E. the most authoritarian/Communist friendly state,

where’s the republicans on this one?

Guest

The republicans have given up the city to the Progressive Socialist revolutionaries like Obama

Steve T

Because money talks and BS walks.

Tom

Racial and ethnic diversity is a cancer on the US population. Every american should be an American first and what ever else less so. This is necessary to hold the fabric of our society together.

Pancake with biscuit heart

Our corporate citizens don’t obey those archaic rules. They prefer a thin tissue of lies to fabric. Why should we sacrifice for corporate interests and call it patriotism? That’s patridiotic!

Steve T

Chinese as a second language. Coming to the New Chicago that will, skip that, is now FOR SALE.
Tom

Chicago is notorious for teaching Black Liberation Theology in the church and in the schools
Detroit-Cleveland-Buffalo

China has taken manufacturing jobs from cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh. Crappy steel beams we have to buy back from China are what will “repair” our old cities’ crumbling bridges. Do we want “China friendly,” if it means low-paid US workers making shoddy products? Or do you mean to let Chinese people immigrate here to work at rock-bottom labor prices? Or does “China friendly” mean even more dollar stores in neighborhoods where the trash blows around on the streets, the potholes aren’t filled, the schools look like prisons? The mirage on the lake of posh stores, museums, etc., is the new Potemkin village.
Tom

Tom,

Chicago has terrible commute times in the city and in the suburbs. Can you speak about this and what the city is doing to change this.
Kelli

I lived in Chicago from 1999-2005 and loved my education at DePaul. I have since moved back to my hometown of Des Moines. One thing I noticed when I lived there was how segregated the city was. It was like pulling teeth to get people from more affluent neighborhoods to even visit places in the south and west sides. Once I got my affluent friends at DePaul to explore the city with me we discovered such wonderful neighborhoods full of hard working people who were doing their best to improve their lot. And once people crossed neighborhood lines they were able to see everybody as people with similar goals and dreams. I fear the political structure in Chicago of aldermen and wards perpetuates the problem. I’d love to hear what Prof. Bennett thinks of this.
Philonous

Oh, please, Megan caller:

If a culture is viable and worthwhile, it doesn’t need “programs” to defend it.

Greg Camp
Springdale, AR
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/

Pancake with biscuit heart

Capitalism is the most revolutionary and disruptive economic regime ever devised. Corporate capitalism with the resultant concentrated wealth accelerates capitalism’s churning effect geometrically. If anything other than the ruthless competition and rapid human disposal of corporate culture is to survive it almost needs encapsulation. Notice how David Koch encapsulates the arts he admires in NYC. Things have deteriorated to a point that without funding the artistic aspect related to any new technology or to a societal critique will not only go neglected and undeveloped, but the repressive forces in society will attempt to eradicate it as a defensive measure. Notice how Philadelphia police were mobilized with federal and corporate assistance to destroy protest art being prepared for the 2000 Republican Convention, before 9/11 mind you. Our museums now boast retrospectives with no cutting edge shows. Even the speculative art market is being hampered by lack of funding. Here and there you find patrons bankrolling their favorites, but this type of intellectual prostitution results in perversity and sterile contracting. Witness the operation of Andreas Bechtler in Charlotte, NC. I have been discussing our crippled high culture, so you might imagine how vapid, stagnant and sales driven our popular and substantive culture is compared to what might have evolved without oligarchic dominance and manipulation. I owe the synthesis of my views to the work of Sheldon Wolin and Chris Hedges. Your consumer filter from down in Arkansas has narrowed your perception and limited your comprehension. Don’t buy them sofa sized oils just yet.

Steve T

There is always two sides of any story. what you just heard was have vs. have not.

Economic separation is the fulcrum. I heard it this way, “yea if I had your money I’s stay too, but I don’t, and I don’t have enough to get away, and this ain’t no place to be broke.
Philonous

Cameras everywhere in a police state? Daly did say that he wants Chicago to be China friendly. . .

Greg Camp
Springdale, AR
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/
Tom

Any city that requires their residents to “give up so much” to live there are by definition a bad place to live.
Skryczka

I was born and raised in Chicago, went to a Chgo. public high school, undergraduate school and graduate school there. My family still lives there. I have been in Boston since 1984. Chicago is sophisticated and ever changing. It is exciting and offers a political Broadway show every day. It’s the greatest place on earth.
Tom

Will “Multi-Culturalism” Lead to Civil War in Europe? Probably

http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-multi-culturalism-lead-to-civil.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+NewZeal+(New+Zeal+Blog)

Will the same happen in Chicago? Not if we learn from Europe’s mistakes.

Anonymous

I’m sorry–I clicked the wrong button–I do not like the above comment–so subtract one. I think the above comment is ignorant and racist and totally wrong a lie and propaganda. Get a grip. Get an education.

Rob (in NY)

I did not have time to listen this show, but I find some of the comments amusing from both those on the left blindly supporting Rahm as “the chosen one” as well as those on these right who hate him simply because he served as White House Chief Of Staff under President Obama. As Chief of Staff, his job was to push the President’s agenda through Congress and control access to the President’s schedule, rather than to determine the nature of the specific agenda.

Rahm Emanuel is probably as conservative a candidate can be and still win election in a city like Chicago. As someone who is right of center, I probably would have voted for Rahm over the over well known candidates, including Mosely-Braun, Chico, etc…When you look at his platform, many of his ideas are actually center/right. This is even apparent based on his own campaign’s website, which as usual does not contain much detail (e.g. this is true for all these websites ans is not an attack on Rahm). http://www.chicagoforrahm.com/issues/

Here are a few others:

1) No tax increases

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/02/23/emanuel-no-property-tax-hike-to-fix-pensions/

2) Pension reform

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/23/us-usa-chicago-emanuel-idUSTRE71M0EI20110223

http://www.publicsectorinc.com/psi_articles/2011/02/rahmbo-takes-on-public-worker-unions.html

P.S. Beverly, you can clarify whether you simply mean the people of Chicago chose him to be their Mayor or you mean something deeper but I am skeptical of any claims that a certain politician is “chosen” to lead by anyone other than specific voters.

Rob (in NY)

Here is specific ad, Rahm ran during the mayoral election:

“…….city government is not an employment agency,” and, when Rahm is mayor, “everybody that works for the city government [will know] that they’re actually a public servant.”

Can you imagine the outrage if a Republican ran a similar campaign advertisement?

Anonymous

if he could get away with it–and soon these fascists will be–he would just drop the rhetoric and say what he means–slave. Repub and dem are the same same same–fascists. The slogan they use for annihilating public education–the privatization of education–making it expensive and elitist–is “wave of the future.”–the same slogan the fascists used in the twenties and thirties, the same fascists that supported Nazism. We are living in a lie–America is fascist. You have no rights. You are a consumer and nothing more. You are not a citizen with rights. You are product with a bar code. You are a serf. A slave. rise up! Off with the heads!

Rob (in NY)

I suggest you learn more a little more about the pure evil perpetuated by the institution of slavery, Facists, and Nazis (e.g. Hitler),etc…. prior to using these references so liberally as you do with your references to Rahm Emanuel and the majority of US citizens (as most are either registered Republicans or Democrats) as ‘facists”. While an individual person may not his or her job, they can quit and try to find something better. Even if you need to continue working at a job you hate for economic reasons or are unemployed, you still have legal rights, whereas a slave was a human being without legal rights.

P.S. Please get a clue prior to making statements that threaten violence against your fellow citizens. If you are serious about the comment’ “Off with heads”, you are mentally unstable so please seek professional help before you harm either yourself and/or others!!!!

Anonymous

I feel offended. You shouldn’t flame people in civilized discourse. Am I
not entitled to my opinion. Do I have to think like you. That is the
fascist way thought isn’t i? Always telling people how to behave how to
think. Not very democratic, I must say. I think you are a fool and you
need to get a clue. Just because you are registered democrat or
repugnant-thug, doesn’t mean you are not a fascist. The government is
controlled by corporations and the military industrial complex. The
senate is a revolving door. Corporations have more rights than humans
and have been declared human beings by the corporate puppets in the
supreme court. America has a bigger military than every country combined
and spends more money on the military machine than any nation or empire
in history–so much we cant take care of Americans at home,
infrastructure is failing, citizens are sentenced to death because they
are not rich and health care is controlled by a middle man that makes
profit by NOT treating you. We sth. like over 400 bases around the world
occupying territory. We massacre and assassinate and corrupt to install
dictators around the world, dictators like the King of Saudia Arabia,
Saddam, etc, who chop womens’ heads off for being raped by crazy men and
dictators who gas their own people–only when they disobey, go
democratic on us, do we invade, kill, maim, murder and burn the whole
nation leading to environmental disaster, infanticide, pestilence chaos
and terrorism. The gov-dem and repugnant-thug bail out the same banks
and corporations that defrauded the American public. These same thugs
continue to dismantle every social benefit that maintains representative
democracy==or the illusion of it. They know that if workers have the
right to bargain than they can improve their conditions and hold
officials accountable. At the same time these corporate thugs have one
interest–outsource every job to slave wagers in the developing world,
to China that now owns most of America, by debt and assets, but that’s
OK–because these corporate thugs have no interest in America or
democracy–you see–the corporate model is a hierarchical one–its
feudal and fascist b nature. open your eyes. The people are nothing but
beasts of burden to them. The media is controlled by a handful of
powerful men, CEO’s controlling every single byte of information you
swallow–they are the gate keepers. We have been at war continuously
since the conception of America. I suggest you look up the definition of
fascism and then read about it. I read quite a bit. And I was educated.
I doubt you were. And even if you went to school–you were probably in
business school–the church of free trade dogma–no opposition or
dissent allowed. Last time I checked America was founded on dissent. Who
is accountable? Nobody. Especially when you people keep slashing taxes.
Why do you pay attention. Even Oscar Wilde said it–when fascism comes
to America it will we be wrapped in the flag and a cross. I know quite a
bit of Nazism. ANd these thugs are financed by the same institutions
that financed and manufactured Hitler–including your papa Bush–the
Bush crime family.

You probably support the war as well–Hmm-that’s killing and murder on a
grand scale–those who never offended. In my book that’s insane. No
health care for the people. Forcing people to die when they get
sick–that’s insane and murderous. When Hitler invaded Poland, the world
went to war to stop him. When Hitler massacred the disabled–THE
EDUCATED, the dissenters, the immigrants, the Jews, the gypsies, and
all-non whites-the world said that’s insane and went to war to war to
stop him. But the Germans rallied behind Hitler–not to do so was
unpatriotic, Un-German, and crazy. The Germans were blinded. They
supported Hitler until the end. They couldn’t see that he was a monster.
By the way, Hitler could not get into power with an unholy alliance with
the corporations and religion. Americans and the Allied forces called
Germans crazy. Much of the world thinks Americans are cray. I wonder
why. Hows’ that war economy for you? If you say good–i bet you are a
war profiteer or a you or a family member is in the armed forces–the
very fools who march off to war to kill and murder for corporations
while those same corporations outsource your jobs and work tirelessly to
diminish your lifestyle.

Do I think the crazy people in power, demo and Republican are crazy and
murderous and cruel and heartless and ant-human, and anti-social
anti-community–YES–a resounding yes. They are fascists. And most
Americans support fascist ideals without knowing it because they are
brainwashed by the media. Fools. Suckers. Imbeciles. Insane. Even, evil.
Do I think the military should be dismantled and its high-ranking
officers-the propaganda specialists–imprisoned for crimes against
humanity–a resounding yes! DO I think The dems and repugnant-thugs and
the teabaggers (imbecile brown-shirts) should be impeached,
incarcerated, forced to labor, and put on trail for crimes against
humanity–absolutely yes. And some should even get the death penalty–to
be carried out by jury of common American citizens and and an
Independent international panel.

I think you are insane–I know you are insane–crazy– for disagreeing.
You are uneducated, and unable to think or see what is clearly in front
of your eyes. I think you perpetuate evil just like the ignorant and
coerced pawns of Nazi Germany. massacres and brutality and torture is
carried out in your name. And you do nothing. You support it. You are
ignorant and apathetic. We put common Nazi soldiers to death for just
carrying out orders. Nobody thought us insane for doing so. Once upon a
time, I swore and oath to protect America for all enemies domestic and
foreign. The enemy is within. You ideals have been betrayed. You have
been betrayed. Or perhaps you are a betrayer, a criminal of war. You
need to calm down son, and stop spouting filth and ignoramus nonsense.
You have no idea what you are talking about. That’s obvious. Were the
people who removed the Nazis from power called crazy. No. They were
heroes. You are just a fool. You perpetuate evil. You prop it up. That
is evil. I am not a hypocrite like some people who support an finance
torture and illegal inhumane wars while calling dissenters and humans
with a brain and a heart or pacifists evil and crazy. Its insane! You
are insane! I would go so far to say you are evil. I am not a hypocrite.
I do not kill. I do not support killing. And I f you cant understand a
metaphor when you read one–an allusion to history, you really are a
dropout looser. fascist wave flags. Have a good one hypocrite.

Yes. i do think many of our elected officials and their puppet-masters
should be dutifully executed by jury of sane truly-patriotic progressive
Americans and International victims. They should be summarily put to
death. Your America is not the America you thought you loved. Its it is
fascist. it is anti-human. it is anti-democratic. and Anti-people. Read
a book. use your brain. Dont be evil. One day, when these monsters are
put to death, who do you think will be the heroes. But that’s just a
dream. Evil runs the world and always has. It’s propped up by people
like you. Worthless. jerk. Do I think we should be civil. NO. Evil
people do not abdicate authority because people ask. They fight and kill
and dehumanize. Only force destroyed the Nazis. Only force liberated
France. Only force liberated the Americas. And it is written in the
constitution that we do so again when our gov. no longer feels itself
accountable to the people. If you cant see that they are against us and
have betrayed democracy your are truly an ignoramus. or simply a
fascist. I’ve traveled the world and lived under dictatorships. I know
what one looks like. All the world can see America for what it is except
red state Americans and half the blue, Germans didn’t see themselves as
evil either. Those who did were murdered by the state. I know that’s
what you want of me too. Because its in your heart. Control. Violence.
It snot in mine. I want to help the people, you want to incarcerate
them, and have them go off to their deaths as cannon fodder for
absolutely nothing–you want them to go into battle and commit crimes
against humanity. Evil corrupts. I suggest that all who support the war
and join up are killers, complicit with crimes against humanity and the
earth. You are crazy. Get you head checked. I am sane. I have a heart.
DO you? i don’t think so.

Thank you for your concern wrong-headed American. But don’t tell me how
to think. I can do that myself. If they can make you believe absurdities
they can make you commit atrocities. Learn to think, and then we can
have a grown up conversation. But I fear not in this nursery.

Beverly

Yes, I meant that he was chosen by the voters.

It’s not that I love him, because I don’t know very much about him yet. All I really know is that it seems he got the job done for the President, he’s impressive when interviewed, & I thought he did a great job in the debates. I would have voted for him, too, whether he was running as a Democrat, or Republican . . . I think.

Besides, I didn’t like the way his opponents unfairly tried to keep him from running, by saying that he didn’t live in Chicago.

Chicago deserves a great mayor; I hope Rahm will be it, but only time will tell. (Fingers crossed.)

Anonymous

He plans on killing workers rights and killing pensions and stealing your money. Everything will be further privatized, whatever till benefits the people will be killed. He plan on paving the way for the fascist takeover.

michael

I guess we will have to tighten our belts for anotehr bail-out this time Kabul bank, how much 900 Million

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/28/134137014/another-bailout-looms-but-this-time-its-for-kabul.

Republican or Democratic hold your guy accountable if he votes for this and gives the bs answer of but it’s for security line. Make sure to remember this when that same Rep. calls for cutting X,Y,Z
npr org /2011/02/28/134137014/another-bailout-looms-but-this-time-its-for-kabul
Tim in Ann Arbor

Dear Tom and the OnPoint staff,

Thanks very much for such an _excellent_ program on Chicago.
As someone who grew-up there, subsequently spent a number of summers there, and has since (except during a few career years in Europe) visited there several times every year, I thought your program was entirely accurate in its facts, exceptionally representative in its _balance_, and, within its time limitations, impressively comprehensive in its treatment. I found your program to be a refreshing contrast to the usual ‘coastal’-based (e.g., NYC, DC, LA) media coverage of Chicago.

And thanks also very much for all of your continuing professional excellence.

Anonymous

I feel sick. China’s gateway-you mean we haven’t sold enough of our democracy and jobs to China–we haven’t outsourced enough jobs to a despotic society that has no respect for human rights or worker’s rights? The same China that is buying up all the American assets? The same China that owns half our businesses, our debt, and our law firms–the very institutions that protect democracy? Emanuel–the same guy with the Obama admin that has sold out the American people to big business–the same admin that funnels all the small bit of poor and middle class money straight to the billionaire rich (corporate-welfare) without shame, remorse or mercy, the same Admin that bailed out the robber-barons, the scamming, lying, defrauding banks that stole from the American people? The same admin busting unions all over the nation? The same admin dismantling public education–privatizing education!? What will we do when all education in America is private–sequestered for the rich and powerful? We cant afford food on the table, how will we afford the fascist agenda obliterating the few social benefits in our society–the very glue that binds us. We are not a nation–we are China’s pretty play thing. I hate the democratic party. I hate the republican party. Both are fascist and hate American people. It’s time to rise up! It’s time to tear down the fascist establishment! it’s time to take back democracy and our community. It’s time to criminalize democrats and republicans and start voting third party. The agenda of these fascists is to make us all third world–a feudal state of the rich vs. the slave class. Enjoy your new dream, serfs. The American charter.

Let’s see, in a time of depression when there are no jobs or social benefits or equality, the masters of the universe are reducing taxes and reducing regulation even though BP and others are killing us, and bailing out criminals. When does it end? Will they ever show us mercy? Why do they hate us so much? Why do they hate America?

Tim in Ann Arbor

Myrroynomous,

Thanks for the reply.
I have no major disagreements with the directional/qualitative aspects of many of your concerns and their diagnoses.
(I am, however, dubious about the feasibility of some of your prescriptions.)
“Time will tell.”
Since Chgo is a municipality, in some ways it should be easier to evaluate the economic effects/consequences of Emanuel’s mayoralty (than to evaluate state or national economic policies).
(One thing that should best happen is for Chgo’s relationships with China to have a net positive effect on Chgo’s balance of trade.)
(And, of course, the distribution of wealth within the city is one of the most important evaluative criteria.)
One thing to watch:
The extent to which Emanuel co-opts or otherwise deflects morally valid and empirically justified opposition to his policies and initiatives.
Thanks again for your reply to my post.

Carol

It’s ridiculous to say that Chicago’s neighborhoods haven’t gained. Some neighborhoods have been gloriously revived. Others have lagged. This is decidedly not a downtown vs. neighborhoods legacy that Daley has left. That’s way too simplistic.