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Scott Waguespack

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Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
4:20pm
Tue Oct 16, 2012

City Staffing, Promised Savings Scrutinized In Emanuel Budget

The Chicago City Council started this morning four days of hearings that will examine the proposed 2013 budget that Mayor Rahm Emanuel released last week.

At a community meeting on the Northwest Side last night Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) said that, “The annual budget is the most important aspect of public policy. It tells us who we are as a city.”

Perhaps to the chagrin of Fioretti, Chicago is a city that mostly lets the mayor write the budget. Unlike the U.S. Congress or Illinois General Assembly, the 50-member city council essentially plays an advisory role.

The public also played a small role under previous mayors through community hearings, but Emanuel scrapped those this year. So a group of six aldermen representing the council’s progressive caucus held a public forum last night that attracted about 200 people.

Quick Hit
by Anthony Burke Boylan
3:30pm
Thu Aug 16, 2012

New Program Seeks To Sway Consumers, Lawmakers In The Battle Of The Bags

Consumers in five Chicago Wards will be seeing new bags to carry their purchases, though they may not notice the difference unless it’s pointed out to them.

It’s all part of a larger effort to ban plastic bags at large retailers in Chicago. The proposed ordinance, introduced by Ald. Proco “Joe’’ Moreno (1st), would encourage people to bring reusable bags to the store and charge a nickel for paper or so-called plastic alternative bags at retailers of 5,000 square feet or more.

Quick Hit
by Michael Sandler
12:34pm
Fri Jun 29, 2012

Janitors Take Protest Of Layoffs To City Hall, Calling For Reconsideration Of City Contract (VIDEO)

On Thursday afternoon, a group of SEIU* Local 1 members gathered outside City Hall to protest the layoffs of 50 Chicago union janitors and to call for a new labor contract ordinance.

Earlier this month, the city awarded a new janitorial service contract to Dayspring, Inc., a non-union janitorial services company in South Holland, Ill. The 50 union janitors aren’t being retained and will be out of work starting today. On Wednesday, Dayspring Human Resources Manager Marvin Richardson told Progress Illinois that the decisions the city of Chicago makes has little to do with his company. He said Dayspring is simply trying to fulfill a contract.

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
6:20pm
Tue Apr 24, 2012

Emanuel's Infrastructure Trust Passes Council Vote Despite Continued Concerns (VIDEO)

Chicago City Council

The Chicago City Council passed 41-7 today Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s controversial “Infrastructure Trust” public-private partnership, arguably Emanuel’s most significant proposal in his one year as mayor.

Quick Hit
by Micah Maidenberg
9:30am
Fri Oct 15, 2010

Dining Sets, Punts, And Band-Aids: Reactions To Daley's Last Budget

Here are few reactions from City Hall and beyond to outgoing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's final budget proposal, wrapped up from around the web:

PI Original
by Micah Maidenberg
3:14pm
Tue Oct 12, 2010

Fixing Daley's Broken Budget Process (VIDEO)

City Hall

Tomorrow, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will give the final budget address of his long career, detailing precisely how he proposes closing a gaping $655 million shortfall in the city's main fund. With Daley on the way out, are aldermen ready to contribute more to drafting the city's annual spending plan?

Quick Hit
by Micah Maidenberg
3:47pm
Wed Oct 6, 2010

Daley's Tough Day In City Council Chambers

Outgoing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is accustomed to seeing his legislative proposals sail through City Council like a 747 hurrying out of O'Hare. He isn't used to seeing a council member introduce legislation that would limit his power over local government operations. So today's council meeting must have been an especially bad one for Daley.

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