-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Greg Miller, a 14-year-old freshman at George Washington High School, co-organized Saturday’s rally of more than 100 people. “[Lightfoot] is supposed to be a leader and stand up for what’s right, not go against us…Lori doesn’t care because it’s not affecting her.”
“No one knows what’s really going to happen, you just kind of have to prepare yourself for the worst,” shopper Ramon Ponce said.
Applications for business licenses are up despite the pandemic. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that as of Nov. 7, there were 80,820 business applications nationwide, an increase of 30.6% over the previous year. In Illinois, the number was 2,017, an increase of 30.9% over 2019.
Sports betting has generated about $3 million in tax revenue for Illinois in its first three full months. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office has suggested it could eventually generate more than $100 million in revenues.
Five members of the committee — including a congresswoman and a newly elected countywide official — are openly calling for Madigan to step down. Four others — including the Cook County clerk — see no need for new leadership. What the other 27 are thinking is a mystery, since they didn’t respond to the Sun-Times’ requests for comment.
Jim Dey: “As a general rule, the turnover won’t make a lot of difference in terms of the court’s work. It rules on cases and controversies, most of which are very important to the litigants but of little interest to the public. Where the high court will make news over the next two years is in redistricting, not legislative redistricting but redistricting of judicial districts by highly partisan Democratic legislators.”
The new data sheds more light on the debate over closing indoor service at bars and restaurants, but also comes with limitations.
It will be in effect for 30 days. The latest restrictions also come after the Illinois Department of Public Health urged residents to stay in their homes and only leave for “essential activities.”
Said Chicago Department of Business and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosa Escareño, “When the federal money came here to Chicago, we know that traditionally, businesses that had banking relationships with the small business administration who pushed out the money, those were first in line. Those are not the businesses in [Black and Latino] neighborhoods.”
The mayor issued the joint statement with Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter: “This will ensure Chicago’s public workers, the backbone of our neighborhoods, maintain their jobs and health insurance while also protecting the critical services Chicagoans rely on during these unprecedented times. We are committed to continue working together to identify places where we can partner on savings.”
A Lightfoot ally, who asked not to be named, predicted Friday the mayor is at least five votes shy of the 26 votes she needs for the property tax increase. To avoid an embarrassing defeat, the alderman said, Lightfoot might delay the final Council vote, now scheduled for Nov. 24. “If her budget goes down, she’s toast. She might as well pack up her s–t and go,” the alderman said.
Said Ben Schwarm, deputy director of the Illinois Association of School Boards, “School board members are in a tough spot, and while it’s understandable that parents and teachers are voicing their opinions and having rallies, things can become really uneasy as the tensions escalate, especially with the whole social media aspect. I think in the coming year, we’re going to see a lot of school board member turnover, and a fair amount of superintendents leaving, too.”
“I just want to point out that just because you call a special session, in an environment like this where COVID is rampant, does not mean that members will actually show up and especially because the members have apparently chosen not to,” Pritzker said.
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