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"It is probably no accident that some of the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates are also those that have lost the most industrial jobs. The closing of Mars’ West Side factory is yet another example of how Chicago is two cities, one booming and affluent and the other deindustrialized and struggling."
Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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The Mars property always had the nicest, greenest, well trimmed lawn in the city. Soon it will be a broken glass strewn deserted lot.
WOW. The Wirepoints commentariat is a bunch of sour pusses for sure. Look at what was done in the Back Of the Yards with an abandoned meat packing plant…https://www.insidetheplant.com
The lawn will accumulate stained mattresses and discarded wheels. Sparkling with broken glass.
Mars/Wrigley plans to donate the 16 acres factory in Galewood “for the use of the community.” As if its a gift instead of what it potentially is- a flaming bag of doggie doo left on the taxpayers doorstep. Rule #1: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Cook County loses Mars property tax revenue by accepting this ‘gift’ and in turn, Galewood, Austin and Oak Park residents will be footing the bill with higher property tax bills. Oh but they can sell the property to a developer! Wanna build something on a 92 year old factory property? Good luck… Read more »
Jeez. get a grip already. Despite what you might think, a candy company closing a plant is not the end of the world nor a triumph of (snickers) “communism”. Mars is working with the city to repurpose the Galewood facility and besides the company’s global headquarters will remain on Goose Island. That’s in Chicago BTW. And plants in Burr Ridge and Yorkville will stay in business.
For now. It will take some time for them to complete the exit strategy.
I believe you are just guessing. But if I were on the board of a company that made sugar products in a market that is increasingly looking for healthy food alternatives i would be looking for either sugar free versions of my products or scaling down. That’s just basic capitalism 101. Mars is not leaving because of (Snickers) “communism”. They are scaling back because capitalism.
Thanks for the lesson in capitalism 101. Have you checked obesity rates in the US? And you believe this is a market “increasingly looking for healthy food alternatives”? Keep drinking your sugar-laden Koolaid.
I find it interesting that you are undermining your own argument. If there is a growing market for sugar products then Mars should be opening new plants and/or expanding capacity. OTOH in the real world https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancygagliardi/2015/02/18/consumers-want-healthy-foods-and-will-pay-more-for-them/?sh=6406705475c5
Mars has not commented why they are closing the plant other than to say they have different growth models. My guess, given the worker activism constantly present at Chicago factories, they figured it was cheaper to just move on. They are a private company – 4th largest in the country – and don’t need to answer to all the communism currently spreading like a cancer. As for healthy foods, when I go to my local grocery stores, and except for Brandon’s empty shelves, it’s most filled with processed sugary junk food. For example, I try to avoid seed oils myself,… Read more »
With a mayor who hates businesses backed by an equally hateful city council there will be many other companies that will also escape the anti business hell that chicago has become.
That’s right. Communism knows only of Destruction.
It’s Ugly.
Yes, Destruction is the point of communism. They don’t see it that way, they call it dismantling the patriarchal capitalist systems of oppression. That ultimately leaves everyone poorer because there is nothing to replace it.
The end result is “I don’t have a job, I don’t have any money, and I don’t own anything. I must rely on the government for everything. But at least I’m not oppressed!”
Oppression has many forms – government dependence is one of them.
It’s a good thing then that there are no “communists” in the Chicago City Council. OTOH six socialists were elected to that august body in the last election. And it was the biggest electoral victory for socialists ever in the United States. You could thank Rahm Emanuel for that. The last election was an across the board rejection of hedge funder Rahm and his neoliberal plans for Chicago.
“many other companies” Is there a pool? LOL. I am not a fan of the mayor but she does not (chuckle) “hate” businesses. In fact I can’t think of a mayor at any time in any place that has “hated” businesses. OTOH a lot of people do hate the mayor. Maybe you?
Perhaps you should talk to some of the former owners of the 18.8 percent of the restaurants in Chicago that were closed forever by her meaningless and ineffective mask diktats. They never got the chance to move out. I think they know pretty well where LL stands in relation to their lost businesses.
We are going to have to agree to disagree whether masks or (chuckle) “diktats” are “meaningless and effective”. Perhaps you should ask counties that voted for Trump how they are doing. https://apnews.com/article/counties-worst-virus-surges-voted-trump-d671a483534024b5486715da6edb6ebf In addition to more people getting sick and dying I am sure businesses closed there too. Priorities. OTOH even by your estimation that means 81.2 percent of restaurants in Chicago have survived this pandemic. Again, priorities. BTW since you seem to be so awfully concerned about restaurants I can highly recommend a new one which opened recently in the West Fulton area. It is called Lyra and it… Read more »
You cite the AP to prove something? AP is the propaganda newswire branch of the US government. Sorry, try again.
And not sure why you brought Trump into this.
Maybe you should seek mental help for your Trump Derangement Syndrome. He lives in your head!
Have someone read my reply and what was relying to and maybe you can figure it out. LOL. And it is hard to take you seriously if you don’t even accept AP as a reliable news source. I tried to find something on FOX that showed how bad Trump voting counties have done during the pandemic but unsurprisingly they didn’t cover it. Sadly it is nearly impossible to for any other information to pierce the media bubble you “live” in.
Nice try, everything is President Trump’s fault in the addled brains of demented democraps. Get over it already, Biden lost, is mentally incompetent, is destroying the economy, the military, the gas and oil industry,driving inflation thru the roof, ruining global credibility, failed diplomatic relations plus more. Meanwhile President Trump is living in your head 24 x 7.
I will explain this ONCE. The post I was replying to mentioned “meaningless and ineffective masks and diktats”. The ONLY way to argue that point was for me to cite “counties that voted for Trump” which have not done as well as Illinois has in fighting the pandemic.
Now since you are changing the subject again let’s be clear Biden WON and the economy is doing well
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/january-jobs-report-coronavirus-pandemic-2022
“U.S. job growth blew past expectations in January as the economy brushed off a record-breaking surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide that threatened to sideline millions of workers and kept many consumers at home. “
SouhtSideGT, you voted for Biden, so nothing you say matters. there are consequences for your poor judgment. You forfeited your right to contribute to the conversation. Now child please, go away, and let the adults speak.
In a democracy all should feel free to participate in discussions about governmental issues and not be intimidated in doing so.
“Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.”
(Walter Lippmann)
Biden voters, and by extension Democrats, in recently history have supported the KKK, segregation, anti-civil rights, and today they support defund the police, communism and aborting half-born babies.
Why should I give these people any say whatsoever? Their viewpoints are illegitimate and dangerous. They are actual fascists and fascism should be rejected.
People are individuals primarily and members of groups secondarily. Its a mistake to see one member of a group and consider him as proxy for all in that group. Some Democrats likely have all the beliefs you’ve mentioned while others have only varying subsets of such beliefs. Its probably better to think of people predominantly as individuals if your goal is to persuade. Otherwise you are alienating the fence sitters who might be swayed by a less offensive speaking/writing style on your part. Now, which image are you trying to give—persuasive or venting?
What about Neo-Nazis or Palestinian terrorists. Are they individuals primarily?
Sure, they are. But, generally those who largely agree about many things tend to become friends. Then, it depends upon whose values become more dominant if the friendship is to endure. People can be swayed where the friendship dominates. We all know situations where a group will do things where individually some would not if they were not there. Some things happen by mob mentality where weaker souls participate simply to “belong” or at least not be scorned by their friends. Again, “birds of a feather…..”
Well, there ya go. Thumbs up, James.
That’s a long reply. You could have just wrote “nyah nyah” and it would have conveyed just as much. LOL. Now that you have changed the subject AGAIN. Biden won. And even Mitch McConnell said so https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2020/12/15/22176355/mitch-mcconnell-acknowledges-biden-president-elect-says-electoral-college-has-spoken
Again, you live in a different world than the rest of us. None of us care what Mitch McConnell said.
Do you care what Joe Manchin or Kristin Synema said?
I’m thinking you’re the one living in a different world. The world where if the election doesn’t go your way, then it must have been stolen. You have your own form of Trump Derangement Syndrome.