Faced with a massive budget deficit Emanuel proposed another change that attracted attention, reduce the number of alderman. Currently the third largest city has the second largest City Council with fifty members. The largest city, New York City, has fifty-one council members. The nation’s second largest city, Los Angeles, looks small with its fifteen member city council when compared to the other two. The City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, ranks in between Chicago and Los Angeles with seventeen members.

I was not surprised by the number of aldermen in the Chicago City Council, but rather by the number of alderman in other large cities. There are two arguments for Emanuel’s idea. Reduce the number of aldermen since a larger city does not even have half as many aldermen or keep the current number because Chicago’s fifty aldermen provide for their constituents unlike any other city.

In order to illustrate my point I will draw a brief comparison between the city councils of Chicago and Los Angeles:

Chicago – Third Largest U.S. City

• 2010 Population: 2,695,598 (Represents a loss of 200,418 people from 2000)
• Area: 234.0 sq mi
• Number of Aldermen: 50
• Council Cost: $19.5 million (plus $4.7 million for 19 committees)
• Role of Aldermen
• Ward Map

Los Angeles - Second Largest U.S. City

• 2010 Population: 4,094,764 (Represents an increase of 44,000 people from 2009)
• Area: 498.3 sq mi
• Number of Councilmen: 15
• Council Cost: $21 million (2010-2011 budget)
• Role of Councilmen (Page 12)
• District Map

Based on this comparison the argument could be made that Chicago’s fifty aldermen and the $19.5 million in tax dollars it takes to maintain them, add another $4.7 million for the nineteen standing committees, is an extravagant expense. Then a closer look at the ward map illustrates how small and oddly shaped some of the wards are. By comparison the Los Angeles council districts are oddly shaped but they are bigger and thus represent more people. The main argument to be made in favor of reducing the size of the council is that a larger city with more people and growing, Los Angeles, represents more people with fewer councilmen. So why not a smaller city with less people and a shrinking population, Chicago, do the same.

Those who study politics would probably agree with me when I write that something is different and special about Illinois and Chicago politics, and I am not talking about corruption. I am talking about constituent services provided by Chicago aldermen. I would be willing to bet that most Chicagoans would be able to name their alderman and they probably have called them for something in their neighborhood. The alderman is a very important role in the city. In the recent municipal elections in February in some wards as many as six or more people were running for alderman. In Chicago, aldermen play a role in coordinating garbage pickup, street cleaning, public works, and many other services. Here is a good example from just this past week of residents contacting their alderman when a neighborhood dispute arose. If the number of alderman were reduced while it would save money and make logistical sense, at the same time it would increase the work load on the remaining aldermen and possible reduce the all important constituent services. I am not saying that this type of constituent service is only in Chicago, but I am sure it is most used here. Then the other argument will be how best to combine Chicago’s unique neighborhoods.

This issue will not go away as Chicago tries to find creative ways to balance its budget and address other problems, but it is safe to say no changes will be made overnight. Any changes to the number of aldermen would require approval of the Illinois General Assembly or Chicago voters in a referendum. The newly elected aldermen do not seem to be warming up to the idea any time soon. The existing fifty ward boundaries will be redrawn soon to reflect the population change in the 2010 census. It is something to think about, especially for the voters who will return to the polls this Tuesday, April 5 to cast their vote for aldermen in runoff elections in fourteen wards. What is your opinion on this matter? Leave a comment and tell me or let me know if you have contacted your alderman. I do not live in Chicago, but I do know who my alderman is even if I have never contacted or met her.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center Illinois now joins with these fifteen states and the District of Columbia that no longer allow the death penalty: Michigan – 1846, Wisconsin – 1853, Maine – 1887, Minnesota – 1911, Hawaii – 1948, Alaska – 1957, Vermont – 1964, Iowa – 1965, West Virginia – 1965, North Dakota – 1973, Washington, D. C. – 1981, Massachusetts – 1984, Rhode Island – 1984, New York – 2007, New Jersey – 2007, and New Mexico – 2009.

States have different reasons for abolishing the death penalty. New Jersey abolished it in 2007 based partly on the argument that it is less expensive to keep someone in prison for life than to put them on death row, plus the state had not executed someone since 1963. Illinois arrived at this decision after former Governor George Ryan placed a moratorium on execution in 2000 after the sentences of thirteen individuals on death row were overturned after evidence surfaced that they were innocent. Currently the number stands at 20 individuals on death row who were proven to be innocent. Then in January 2003 before he was to leave office Governor Ryan emptied death row by providing blanket clemency to all inmates sentenced to death. He pardoned four and the other 167 death row inmates were sentenced to life without parole. Since January 2003 the moratorium on executions has lasted, but inmates were still allowed to be given death sentences. Before Governor Quinn abolished the death penalty fifteen men sat on death row. Now they will serve life in prison with out the possibility of parole.

Some facts about the death penalty in Illinois from Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide . Governor James Thompson reinstated the death penalty in 1977. The first execution occurred on September 12, 1990. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy was the second in May 1994. The last execution took place in Illinois in 1999. Now the most sever sentenced place on inmates can be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Death row in Illinois was located at the Pontiac Correctional Facility.

Reaction to the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois has been mixed. It remains to be seen how prosecutors will change their tactics now that the threat of death is no longer an option. Even with the passage of the law the debate about capital punishment in the state and country will continue. What is your opinion of Governor Quinn’s decision and of capital punishment? Leave a comment below and lets have a discussion.

Crystal Lake Road McHenry, Illinois.

Here is the breakdown from the National Weather Service:
1. January 26-27, 1967 – 23 Inches
2. January 1-3, 1999 – 21.6 Inches
3. February 1-2, 2011 – 20.2 Inches

I was around for the blizzard of 1999, but I do not remember the blizzard itself. I remember stores being closed, two snow days, some shoveling, and playing in huge snow piles! In 1999 I was not a college graduate struggling to find a job as a television news producer or reporter so playing in the snow and enjoying the snow days was how I occupied my time. I did not commit the events to my memory bank and have no images or video to help me remember. Twelve years latter the media world has changed greatly and I am always eager to showcase my multi-media skills in the hopes of finding a job. After spending three hours with my dad and mom digging out the twenty inches from my driveway I took a few pictures with my iPhone and shot and edited a short video on my Flip camera.

As I sat last Tuesday night in my home looking out my living room window I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Seventy mile an hour winds were whipping and blowing snow all over, I could not see the homes across my street. I live on a very busy street, hundreds of cars pass by everyday, this night all I could see were the flashing lights of the plows heading up and down the street. Appearing for a few seconds and then disappearing into the dark and white of the night. This storm gave me a new appreciation for all those plow drivers who work so hard to keep out streets clean.

When I woke up early on Wednesday morning there was snow everywhere. There was an eerie calm. No cars, no people out, and the faint sound of plows and snow blowers in the distance. Every now and then a truck with four wheel drive would drive by. The city was shut down for the first time there was no delivery of the paper or mail. Services we take for granted until they do not show up. Unfortunately, I do not have a snow blower, we were forced to dig out using shovels. I even contemplated going inside and not coming out again until it all melted in the spring. After hours the driveway was passable and that was enough for me. For the first time I did not shovel the sidewalk, I will get out there and do that soon.

The frustrating thing about this blizzard is that I wanted to be out covering it as a journalist. I know I would be an asset to any station, especially in a multi-media capacity, when it came to this story. I remain resourceful and did some of my own without even leaving my driveway. This blog post is to show all my multimedia work and my account on the Blizzard of 2011. While some will remember this blizzard for being stuck on Lake Shore Drive, digging out their homes, and two snow days, I hope to remember it as the blizzard that helped me get my first job in television journalism. My first job, just like spring, is only a few weeks away. At least I hope so, it is still pretty cold out there, did I mention the twenty inches of snow that remain.

Paul Konerko

If Walt Disney World is really the place where dreams come true the Chicago White Sox capitalized on that slogan at this year’s Baseball Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. After the meetings the Sox have their captain back, a left handed designated hitter, and a catcher. They should be a force to be reckoned with in the American League and a definite playoff contender despite the need to add pitching before the season starts.

Back in April on Opening Day I blogged about the upcoming 2010 baseball season and how I thought the season would play out. I never imagined the roller coaster of a season that would follow. In the end the Sox finished in second place in the American League Central with a record of 88-74. They also spent six weeks atop the division. Hitting was the problem at the beginning in the season and the end of the season was plagued by pitching problems and injuries.

The season ended with a win against the Cleveland Indians there were a lot of questions in the air. Would General Manager Kenny Williams clean house and go with a younger team? Would the captain Paul Konerko, a free agent, return after his best season? Would catcher A.J. Pierzynski return to his place behind home plate? The answer to all these questions was up in the air. I was present at the last game of the season and the fans sent a message that the answer to the last two questions should be yes. You never know what to expect on the south side.

After no major news in November Thursday, December 2nd proved to be the day the pieces of 2011 came together. The White Sox signed free agent Adam Dunn to a four year $56 million dollar deal and brought their catcher A.J. Pierzynski back for a two year $8 million dollar deal. Then they set their sights on their captain, Konerko, after many meetings and a tense few days for Sox fans at the last minute the Sox announced they signed Konerko to a three year $37.5 million dollar deal.

The White Sox are not done yet because they will have to address pitching. With Jake Peavy trying to come back from an injury and more help needed in the bullpen after the loss of J.J. Putz, Scott Linebrink, and Bobby Jenks. With most of the money being spent on the signings of Konerko, Pierzynski, Dunn, and other players they wont be able to sign a big name free agent, but I trust them to make the right trades.

I think most fans are happy that the Sox are being aggressive and are going to be a major contender in 2011. I am ecstatic that I did not see Konerko and Pierzynski’s last game in a White Sox uniform. I am glad that Paul Konerko is back he is a class act and on of the best players in White Sox history. I only went to one game in 2010, but I hope to go to more in 2011. I cannot wait for Opening Day. Great job in Florida Kenny, Jerry, and Rick I guess for Sox fans dreams do come true.

By now you’ve all seen or read the stories about the many complaints surrounding the new full body scanners and pat downs that random air travelers are being required to undergo. I listened to one air traveler who said that if he was asked to receive a full body scan he would turn around and walk out of the airport. I do not know if I believed him. Protesters of these full body scanners organized a protest today, November 24, 2010, on one of the busiest travel days of the year called National Opt-Out Day. Everyone is weighing in on this from everyday citizens to the President and Secretary of State.

This brings up the question of balance. How do we successfully balance the safety of air travel and the rights/civil liberties of our citizens? I do not know if this balance exists, but every attempt should be made to ensure that it is balanced as possible and as a country we do not over or under reach to threats. I would like to return to my example of my international flight to Germany in January 2009 to illustrate what I mean.

Security traveling to Germany:
At O’Hare airport in Chicago at the security check point I had to remove my shoes, belt, empty my pockets, remove my laptop from my backpack put it in a separate bin (which I did not know you had to and I got yelled at), and walk though. This as you know is very time consuming. Upon arriving in Frankfurt, Germany I approached the passport desk, the officer working the desk looked at my, looked at my passport, stamped it, and said welcome to Germany. I was done in under a minute.

Security traveling back to the United States:
At the airport in Frankfurt at the security check point I did not have to remove any articles of clothing except my jacket, I did have to remove my laptop from my backpack but when I went to put it into another bin the and the security agent told me I did not have to, and then I walked through. The passport desk was the same as it was coming into the country quick and easy. The only difference was that I was interviewed at the gate before boarding the flight but it went quickly. Then in the air I had to fill out that customs form and go through that long line upon arriving back at O’Hare.

You can see the difference in the security procedures in these two countries, both large democracies in their regions. In the last two years the security procedures in Germany may have changed but I much rather have that airport security. In addition to the question of balance I think these new security procedures in the U.S. raise the debate of guilt versus innocence. At the airport in the United States are we presumed guilty and have to prove our innocence or are we innocent until proven guilty?

The T.S.A.’s website is a great resource if you are traveling by air to answer any questions you may have.

I am not going to offer my opinion on the matter or tell you what I would do if I were asked to be put through a full body scanner. I just want to further the conversation. Use the comments below to offer your opinion and share your stories.

There are many things in life that you can not choose, but are glad the choice has been made for you. I was born a White Sox fan. On July 24, 1987, my birthday, the White Sox defeated the New York Yankees by a score of 5-2 at Old Comiskey Park. My grandpa and dad made the decision that I was a White Sox fan because that is the team they followed for years. In the past twenty years there is no sports stadium that I have gone to more than Old and New Comiskey Park and now U.S. Cellular Field and team I have seen play than the Chicago White Sox. While I have not seen many history making games in person I have seen a walk off home run by Carlos Quentin against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Jake Peavy’s first start in a White Sox uniform. I also remember traveling to the south side with my grandpa and dad on a very cold day to wait outside as they sold items from Old Comiskey Park.

After a long off season and spring dealing with a dispute between General Manager Kenny Williams and Manager Ozzie Guillen over Twitter and the roster it is time to put those differences aside, as they have, and start to concentrate on baseball. I will admit that I’d like to still see Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye in White Sox’s uniforms, but I’ve moved on and look forward to what this season has to offer. There are many positive things about this season. I think the designated hitter by committee that Ozzie has instituted will be very versatile, the starting pitching will be a force to be reckoned with in the American League, and the best part the White Sox no longer have to play the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome, a place they had trouble winning in the past.

I predict that this will be a great season for us White Sox fans. I predict the Sox will win the American League Central division and go far in the playoffs. I will stop short of saying that they will win the World Series again, but if they do that I’ll love it. Finally, I hope that the Chicago Cubs finish last in the National League Central. As the joke goes I have two favorite teams the White Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs.

I have had increase views of my blog in recent weeks. I encourage all of you who visit and read this post to use the comment feature to tell me your favorite baseball team and your favorite baseball experience. I look forward to reading them.

Let’s Go White Sox, and Play Ball!!!

Today the Congressional Budget Office released its final report on the proposed legislation. The CBO concluded that the legislation will reduce the deficit by by $130 billion in the first ten years, reduce the annual growth of Medicare expenditures by 1.4 percentage points per year, and would expand health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans. You can read the entire letter from the CBO to Speaker Pelosi here.

Also today the U. S. House of Representatives posted their revisions to the Senate bill. The changes tack an additional 153 pages onto the bill, but close some holes left open in the Senate version as well as some additional fixes. You can read the revisions here.

In the final seventy-two hours that will lead up to the vote Representatives will be reading the legislation and deciding how to vote. While it is almost certain that no Republican members of the House will be voting for this bill there are a few Democrats who remain undecided and hold the power as to whether the bill will pass. If thirty-eight Democrats vote NO the bill will fail. As of March 17, 2010 CNN has this chart as to where certain members of the Democratic Party stand. Those not listed are confirmed YES votes.

Democrats believe that they have or will get the necessary votes in order to pass the bill on Sunday. Attempts by some members of the Democratic Party, most notably Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak, to hijack the bill for their own special interests have failed and the leadership are not going to entertain those ideas. The leadership is under the impression that they do not need their YES vote or that they will fall inline and vote YES in the end. The House is also contemplating using a tactic know as “Deem and Pass” to pass the bill.

Before the vote is taken it is important to look at how Americans view health care reform. Below is some polling data:
Pollster.com
RealClearPolitics

If you look at the polling data you can see that there are more people opposed to health reform, but only a few percentage points separate them. I see this as confusion as to what is included and how the bill will work if it is signed into law. I encourage everyone who cares about this issue to read the documents that are linked in this blog, look at you and your family’s health insurance coverage, and then decide if these proposed reforms would help you or your family. Do not make your decision based on what you hear from a special interest, a conservative or liberal commentator, or some members of Congress. Remember members of Congress have access to the best health care in the country, they are not on the same plans as you and me. Once you deiced on your own without the spin then let your member of Congress know what side you are on, even if they are on the same side as you.

Finally while the final parts of this bill would not be implemented until 2014 within six months of the bill being signed into law most of the parts of the bill will be up and running.

A year later on February 14, 2009 I returned to NIU to see how the campus was remembering those who lost their lives and how the campus has moved forward. Again this outpouring of community and friendship was evident. These two stories I filed about Northern Illinois are two that I am very proud of. I ask that you take some time to watch both of them and remember the five students who died two years ago and the entire Northern Illinois University campus community. The light of the Huskies will not go out and I can still hear the cheers of red and black two years latter, they will never die.

Links to the Stories:

Remembering NIU Events of February 15, 2008

Northern Illinois: One Year Later Events of February 14, 2009 – the one year anniversary

After giving into the pressure to resign Scott Lee Cohen announced that he would resign from the ticket, which he has yet to formally do. Now that he is out it is up to the Illinois Democratic Party’s Central Committee to appoint a replacement candidate. Instead of focusing on that Party Chairman and Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan is proposing to eliminate the position using a Constitutional Amendment. Just because he did not do his job why should the office be eliminated?

According to the Constitution of the State of Illinois (Article V, Section 14) “The Lieutenant Governor shall perform the duties and exercise the powers in the Executive Branch that may be delegated to him by the Governor and that may be prescribed by law.” The office has a budget of roughly two million dollars While this may not seem like a necessary job it allows them to take on special projects assigned by the Governor and take up causes of their own. When current Governor Pat Quinn was Lt. Governor he championed Illinois veterans and was a consumer advocate. The main role of the Lt. Governor is to step up and fill the office of Governor if a vacancy occurs, like Quinn did when Blagojevich was removed from office last year. Since the office was created in 1818 seven of the state’s forty seven Lt. Governors were promoted to Governor for various reasons.

I believe that this office is necessary and serves an important purpose for the people of Illinois. I believe that the office needs to be retained but the way in which Illinoisans elect that person needs to be changed. Currently the Lt. Governor candidates run separately from the candidates for Governor, their future running mate, in the primary and then are parried on the same ticket with the candidates for Governor in the general election. This has caused problems when the two candidates do not work well together, most notably in 1986 when Democratic nominee for Governor Adlai Stevenson III leaving the Democratic ticket and forming his own party after clashing with eh Lt. Governor nominee. Rather than eliminate the office I propose changing the rules and allow the candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor to run together in the primary, than maybe we could have avoided the current state of affairs.

A few items to disclose:
- Currently there is no Lt. Governor in Illinois. When Pat Quinn moved up to fill the Office of Governor he was not replaced, as stated in the Illinois Constitution.
- If a vacancy were to occur now in the Governor’s Office it would be filled by the current Attorney General of Illinois.
- This would be the line of succession if Speaker Madigan’s proposed amendment went into effect. The Current Illinois Attorney General is Madigan’s own daughter, Lisa.
- The Republican nominee for Lt. Governor is Jason Plummer, he is twenty-seven years old.

Who knew and office would cause so much debate. We’ll wait and see who the democrats choose to fill Scott Lee Cohen’s place on the ballot and if the office is kept.

The Illinois Primary for many years was held in mid March, but in 2007 was moved up to the first Tuesday in February for the 2008 Presidential Primary, the day that would be known as “Super Tuesday”. This was the earliest a Illinois primary had ever been held. The reasoning was that because Illinois’ own Senator Barack Obama was running and had a chance of winning the nomination Illinois wanted to play a bigger role. In other years the winner of both the Republican and Democratic nomination was decided before March. The irony was that while the early primary helped John McCain secure the Republican nomination Obama did not secure the Democratic nomination until June. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown wrote a column in Tuesday’s paper explaining the history of the Illinois Primary.

I believe that after Tuesday’s election the Illinois Primary needs to be moved back to March at least. My reasoning for this change is not based on the weather, even though it snowed Tuesday morning in Chicago and Northern Illinois, but the closeness of the elections. As of this writing only the winner of the Republican nomination for Governor remains undecided and possibly headed for a recount, but many more races were too close to call as of midnight Tuesday night. What this points to is the fact that voters were not given enough time to make decisions about the candidates.

With the normal break in campaigns for the holidays, the day after New Year’s was one month until the election. In thirty days candidates had to receive endorsements form newspapers, debate one another, and put out their first ads. In the days leading up to the election many of the candidates who finished second started to move up on the polls, had the election been in March these candidates could have received more coverage and might have won. One month is just too short of time for people to make decisions and get excited about heading out to cast their ballots. Trust me when I say there is enough going on in Illinois to get Democrats and Republicans to the polls to support their candidates.

While elections are not always fair, the candidate with the most money, endorsements, and popularity does not always win and there is no good month, day of the week, or time to hold elections it was just to soon. With all the talk of recounts and the long general election campaign I’m willing to bet that there will be talk about moving the Illinois Primary Election back. Only time will tell.