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Old 11-11-2011, 05:29 AM
 
Location: Chicago
6,359 posts, read 8,755,388 times
Reputation: 5869

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Awhile back, I started a tongue and cheek thread based on the insane notions people from other cities were throwing out here on the plight of Chicago, seemingly and smuggly suggesting that things in Chicago were worse off than in their favored burgh and that somehow Chicago hadn't pulled the right levers and pushed the right buttons to make things worse.

Now I'd like to introduce a serious thread on this subject. Through our distorted and dysfunctional paradigms, we tend to compartmentalize our topics, sheering off the broader implications of an issue so that we can stay hyperfocused on the specific.

it doesn't work; everything is interconnected. It cannot be piecmealed out.

So I will contend again (as I have ad nassium) that Chicago's problems based on our city itself are very small, miniscule in fact. That's because the massive problems we face we do so as part of one of the most dyfunctional lands on the face of the earth.

We, like other cities, have no control over our own finances (even our states, berift of money that should be coming from the federal government but no longer does) are hell-bent to carry out the necessary agenda of serving the public interest.

In a global economy that has turned amuk the very good and workable idea of a local economy, working for the good of the community. When WalMart squeezes profits out of an exploited Chicago, those profits end up in Arkansas. When Marshall Field's (remember that?) was locally owned, back in the day, profits of that store were spent in the community, enhancing the community which was further enhanced by a civically oriented Marshall Field's which contributed to the quality of life in our city (guess why we have a "Field" Museum at this point in our history).Today even our greatest cities are merely the spokes of this cross-planet monster, spokes that don't really call any of the shoots which are called by a small minority of elite people not really connected with an city.

That's the background, beyond the Windy City, that needs to be there due its relevance. But let me turn this thing totally back to Chicago itself and the comments we receive:

I'll contend here that Chicago is a mess today because it is an American mess, one which we did not create ourselves and one in which we are prostrate to do much about.

I don't know if you accept my premise or not, but I think it is a damned good one.

So if it is true, please answer me this:

If Chicago is a basket case today, which American city (cities) is not? Which city is producing quality jobs for its residents (jobs in tune with the 21st century, not the 20th), respecting its environment, upkeeping its infrastructure, putting money into funding its schools, narrowing the gap between rich and poor, protecting its commons, practicing the principles of democracy at the local level, regulating the economy to prevent abuses, investing in the future, innovating to the degree that our "competition" is doing in lands across all seas?

Where is this magical (and I believe non-existent) city that somehow has been able to transcend the American lunacy and actually get things right?

Is there an Atlantis out there, all drapped out in red, white, and blue but workign like a whistle, that I know nothing about.

Who is this competition that should have been shaking in my boots, although I can't even conger up in my mind who it is?

 
Old 11-11-2011, 08:05 AM
 
47 posts, read 76,029 times
Reputation: 73
I will be surprised if you get many post on this topic. To answer to your question none. No city in this country is doing that great however, sometimes I wonder if Chicago leadership really had a good strategy.

I worked in urban planning under the previous administration and never heard them articulate an economic development strategy. They never even focused on mass transit as part of positioning the city for the future. I know it would have been tough to do but, the administration never really approach this issue seriously. They also filled many key position with professionals who were not experienced or had great vision in that field. An example would be Transportation. That department was run by cops and other southwest siders for years. NYC and D.C. had well trained professionals and visionaries in those positions and as a result they are much further ahead on pedestrian, transit (including bicycles) and other traffic related quality of life issues.

I know the Daley administration did many great things (public housing, education and downtown) but, competition among all world cities has been fierce for decades. You need the best and brightest working in these department helping to solve problems that affect residents of the city.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 08:42 AM
 
14,802 posts, read 17,553,974 times
Reputation: 9244
Quote:
Originally Posted by urbanpln View Post
I will be surprised if you get many post on this topic. To answer to your question none. No city in this country is doing that great however, sometimes I wonder if Chicago leadership really had a good strategy.

I worked in urban planning under the previous administration and never heard them articulate an economic development strategy. They never even focused on mass transit as part of positioning the city for the future. I know it would have been tough to do but, the administration never really approach this issue seriously. They also filled many key position with professionals who were not experienced or had great vision in that field. An example would be Transportation. That department was run by cops and other southwest siders for years. NYC and D.C. had well trained professionals and visionaries in those positions and as a result they are much further ahead on pedestrian, transit (including bicycles) and other traffic related quality of life issues.

I know the Daley administration did many great things (public housing, education and downtown) but, competition among all world cities has been fierce for decades. You need the best and brightest working in these department helping to solve problems that affect residents of the city.
Daley was in office too long, which of course is partially the voters fault. Though, he never had serious opposition. Rahm seems to be focused on the right things.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 09:13 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,928,817 times
Reputation: 18723
The premise of the OP is seriously flawed. The fact is the corruption and ill-advised polices of throwing money at public employee unions to buy a long peaceful tenure IS PRECISELY why Chicago and the State of Illinois which has been DOMINATED by Chicago legislators since the 1970s are in a deep hole of massive deficits and will be forced to raise taxes at an increasingly precipitous rate for the foreseeable future.

There is political type ad running where a unseen man with a voice vaguely like that of Mike Madigan rings the door of young mom. He "asks" the resident for about $30K. The mom says she doesn't have that kind of money. The visitor says he was talking to the baby...

THAT IS A PRETTY ACCURATE PICTURE OF WHAT HAS BEEN HATCHED!

Madigan and the Cook Co political machine, with some key cooperation from corrupt insiders that are often refered to as "the combine" because they cross party lines and fleece money from whoever they can have given away around a TRILLION DOLLARS in pension promises that , by most people's reading of the Illinois Constitution, will suck up tens of thousands of dollars from every tax payer for decades to come.

There is a complete FALSE notion that government, be it city, county, state or federal, is needed to "create jobs". What we see in Illinois is the crushing burden of the "corruption tax" has driven honest business people away. The firms that choose to gaze at the filthy trough of inflated contracts raise the cost of all goods and services that government consumes and those costs result in decreased services to residents. The cycle of "connected" firms making out like bandits and "regular citizens" having to deal with crumbling roads, antiquated services, near open warfare and all the other well publicized ills has lead to the marginal areas seeing loss in population. That loss will accelerate the revenue shortfalls and increase pressure to raise taxes / fees ever higher.

Regions with low corruption are far more attractive to private business. When firms look to build auto plants or high quality appliance factories they avoid states with a history of entrenched unions. Wages are based on worker productivity NOT how much some diamond cufflink wearing union boss can extract for himself...

If Rahm behaves more like his first White House boss, Bill Clinton, and recognizes that private jobs are the way to get business booming MAYBE he can undo the damage that his more recent WH boss has inflicted on the nation by a slavish genuflection to failed labor policies from a by-gone era.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:16 AM
 
Location: Chicago
1,312 posts, read 1,859,512 times
Reputation: 1488
Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
...There is a complete FALSE notion that government, be it city, county, state or federal, is needed to "create jobs"...

If Rahm behaves more like his first White House boss, Bill Clinton, and recognizes that private jobs are the way to get business booming MAYBE he can undo the damage...
Is this a contradiction? Or could you elaborate on why Rahm is needed to create jobs?
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:19 AM
 
Location: Schaumburg, please don't hate me for it.
955 posts, read 1,820,224 times
Reputation: 1235
Quote:
Originally Posted by A2DAC1985 View Post
Is this a contradiction? Or could you elaborate on why Rahm is needed to create jobs?
Rahm doesn't create jobs, he just takes credit for them at press conferences.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:19 AM
 
14,802 posts, read 17,553,974 times
Reputation: 9244
Quote:
Originally Posted by A2DAC1985 View Post
Is this a contradiction? Or could you elaborate on why Rahm is needed to create jobs?
Chet is a contradiction.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:25 AM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,104,201 times
Reputation: 6422
There is no Utopia. The sad fact is 42% of the American workforce is underemployed or part-time wprkers, and as much as 50% of the Fortune 500 companies do not pay tax. Add to this mix the natural disasters, the horrendous amount of sneak theives who cross our border under cover of darkness and then have the gall to make demands, and the corrupt US Congress and state legistors who are more interested in feathering their respective nests than in we the people.

Who is willing to fix it? Practically no one. Who is willing to dismantle the machine? Practically no one? Who is willing to cut the apron strings between Chicago and Springfield? Practically no one? Who is willing to apply rules to lobbyists? Practically no one. Practically speaking We The People cannot do a thing except hope and pray for a miracle. Our three political parties (RNC, DMC and church) as so apart the only thing that will happen is "they" will continute to line their own pockets while corporations continue to rape ther rest of us.

We are all in the same old leaky boat. Chicago is no more worse off than NYC or LA. The only difference is it is the larest city in the Midwest and .beause of its massive size it just "looks" worse off. Factually, as thie particular time, and in the depressed economy IL is not a bad place to have a business according to Money Mag. I know business has and continues to move into Central Illinois.

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor we have a united USA. We as Americans were urged to plant Victory Gardens, buy US Bonds, make our own clothes, volunteer, help our neighbors and conserve. Sugar, flour, butter, beef, chicken and pork, gasoline and tires were shipped to our military. Houses were heated with wood and coal. Women worked in factories and stood in long lines at grocery stores for staples.. The bombing in OKC captured the nation's attention for awhile as did the first dustup with the muslim cleric in NYC. However when 9/11 happened reading bookd to children was more important than a national emergency, and the reponse was "spend money." And when Katrina hit FEMA was powerless to make one decision; people who had no water, no mediciane. no food and not toiled facilities died. The admonition to spend has helped little. Big Banks and big corporation continue to make billion dollar profits and pay no tax while the little businesses struggle or close.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:26 AM
 
Location: Denver, CO
818 posts, read 2,160,620 times
Reputation: 329
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vlajos View Post
Chet is a contradiction.
Not really with respect to the statement you are calling contradictory. He is stating that government doens't create jobs- private industry does. But, also, that Rham needs to understand that, and, rather than try to create Government jobs, create better conditions for the private sector to create them. Whether you agree or not, the statement is not contradictory.
 
Old 11-11-2011, 10:27 AM
 
14,802 posts, read 17,553,974 times
Reputation: 9244
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJaye View Post
Not really with respect to the statement you are calling contradictory. He is stating that government doens't create jobs- private industry does. But, also, that Rham needs to understand that, and, rather than try to create Government jobs, create better conditions for the private sector to create them. Whether you agree or not, the statement is not contradictory.
I was referring to Chet globally.
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