Clout St

Mayor Richard Daley: We've cleaned up city hiring and court oversight should end

Newsdesk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:51:19 -0600

Posted by John Byrne at 12:51 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley said today that his administration has taken sufficient steps to reform its hiring to end federal court oversight of its personnel practices.City Hall's top lawyer told aldermen this week that...

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk no Gitmo transfer to western Illinois prison

Newsdesk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:28:26 -0600

Posted by Rick Pearson at 12:25 p.m. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk is circulating a letter among the state’s congressional delegation and state officials urging the White House not to transfer suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the little-used...

Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk blasts Democratic health bill in national radio address

Newsdesk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

Posted by Rick Pearson at 5 a.m. Five-term Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park delivered the national weekly Republican address today, blasting the Democratic-led House passage of a health-care reform package that he said does little to rein in costs...

Near-empty Illinois prison a contender to house terror suspects

Newsdesk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:16:27 -0600

From the print edition: Illinois the next Gitmo? TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE: Near-empty prison a leading contender to house terror suspects By Christi Parsons Tribune newspapers A near-empty prison in rural Illinois has emerged as "a leading option" to house suspected terrorists...

Daley defends special taxing districts as he opens restored North Side bridge

Newsdesk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:54:39 -0600

Posted by John Byrne at 3:55 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley today used the opening of a renovated bridge on the North Side to decry critics of special taxing districts, defending the programs as one of the few tools to help...

Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants federal corruption trial moved to thick of campaign season

Newsdesk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:20:17 -0600

From the Breaking News Center: Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are seeking to delay the start of his trial next summer, court records show. The attorneys want the the trial moved from June to September to give them time...

Recession allows City Hall to drop hourly rates paid to outside lawyers

Newsdesk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Posted by Todd Lighty at 6 a.m. William Shakespeare famously suggested in Henry VI (Part 2) that, “The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.” Well, maybe not so fast. The current Great Recession has led to a...

Stroger rehires county commissioner's brother as primary election looms

Newsdesk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:45:00 -0600

Posted by Hal Dardick at 5:45 a.m. Two months ago, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger fired the brother of a wayward political ally from a high paying patronage job. Now that politically connected sibling is back on the county...

Friday Illinois political docket: Quinn gets Gutierrez endorsement

Newsdesk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

Posted by Tribune staff at 5 a.m. A look at what's going on in Illinois politics Friday: *Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is scheduled to collect the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez this morning. Gutierrez is a key Latino leader....

Republican senator, Democratic community activist win top spots on Feb. 2 governor primary ballot

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:11:50 -0600

Posted by Rick Pearson at 5:11 p.m.; updated at 11:46 p.m. Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale and Democratic community activist William “Dock” Walls each won the top spot on the Feb. 2 primary ballots for governor in a...

Daley's lawyer says city will seek to end court oversight on personnel

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:03:26 -0600

Posted by Todd Lighty at 4:04 p.m.; updated at 7:02 p.m. Mayor Richard Daley's administration believes it has cleaned up the city's corrupt hiring system and early next year will seek to end court oversight of its personnel practices, his...

Republican governor candidate Jim Ryan apologizes for his handling of Rolando Cruz prosecution

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:55:17 -0600

Posted Rick Pearson at 3:55 p.m.; last updated at 5:15 p.m. with link to WGN radio interview Republican governor candidate Jim Ryan today said he was “sorry” for his repeated wrongful death-penalty prosecutions in the killing of Jeanine Nicarico and...

Daley will pay drivers OT this winter to plow side streets after city failed to attract private company for the work

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:26:24 -0600

Posted by John Byrne at 1:30 p.m.; updated at 5:01 p.m. with overtime information The city of Chicago will pay Streets and Sanitation snowplow drivers overtime this winter after failing to find a private firm to clear side streets. In...

House Republican Leader Tom Cross backs Andy McKenna for governor

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:07:47 -0600

Posted by Rick Pearson at 1:10 p.m. Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross endorsed Andy McKenna for governor today, saying the former state GOP chairman is part of a “new generation of leaders” that would reverse the effects of the...

City Council panel approves Daley's inspector general nominee

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:09:57 -0600

Posted by John Byrne at 11:07 a.m. A federal prosecutor nominated to be Chicago's next inspector general told aldermen today that "there are still significant pockets of fraud and corruption in city government." Joseph Ferguson also applauded Mayor Richard Daley...

CTA board approves budget with no fare increases but service cuts

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:59:39 -0600

Posted by Monique Garcia at 10:59 a.m.; last updated at 3:25 p.m. with Daley comments Chicago Transit Authority leaders today approved a new budget that does not increase bus and train fares but results in service cuts and layoffs. The...

Thursday Illinois political docket: Daley talks about snow removal, CTA to vote on service cuts

Newsdesk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

Posted by Tribune staff at 5 a.m. A look at what's on Thursday's Illinois political docket: *Mayor Richard Daley holds a mid-morning news conference to talk about the city’s preparations for winter weather. The big question may be how the...

Daley marks Veterans Day with Soldier Field wreath laying

Newsdesk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:21:51 -0600

Posted by John Byrne at 2:15 p.m. Chicago leaders marked Veterans Day with a ceremony at Soldier Field that included the laying of a wreath at a statue remembering World War I. About 200 or so people gathered at the...

CTA agrees to avoid fare increases for two years, but service cuts loom

Newsdesk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:38:59 -0600

Posted by Monique Garcia at 1:35 p.m.; last updated at 3:15 p.m. Chicago Transit Authority officials agreed today to not raise fares for two years in return for limited state help that won't be enough to avoid service cuts next...

Is Kirk leaning to right in Senate bid? He says 'I am who I am'

Newsdesk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:14 -0600

Posted by Rick Pearson at 1:03 p.m. Despite his recent request for help from Sarah Palin and renouncing his past support of cap-and-trade legislation, Republican U.S. Senate contender Mark Kirk denied today he was moving to the right to try...