-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
"The show’s accuracy extends beyond just the kitchen scenes to the messy, meritocratic dynamism that is running an American restaurant—and many of the policies that make doing so harder than it already is.... If anything, The Bear understates the regulatory challenges that aspiring restaurateurs face—especially in a place like Chicago."
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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What made me successful in my logistics and wholesale distribution corporate management career was what I learned running restaurants, hotels and night clubs. And the show jives with my experiences in both industries. Anywhere in Illinois is tougher than what I dealt with in Colorado, Minnesota (30 years ago), Missouri, Iowa or Kansas. But Chicago is even tougher than the rest of Illinois, and in a whole different league than KC, Saint Louis, Denver – even Boulder was easier to work with once you got your business in – which you probably didn’t. And that, I think, is because Chicago… Read more »
Here’s some classic Chicago corruption https://www.topic.com/the-story-behind-the-chicago-newspaper-that-bought-a-bar
There’s a lot of this, in some form. when you run a restaurant, nightclub or full service hotel in any state. But, yeah – from what I saw, Chicago was absolutely like this in ’76. I worked for two different Chicago owners managing 3 different Rush, Division or Ontario clubs in the early 80’s. It was still like that then, and still seems to be. And it didn’t take you long to learn the really ‘old school’ folks were still in it too. Big stakeholders. The ‘friends of ours’ folks, who really know how to make cash-n-gambling-n-booze-n-guvmn’t work for you… Read more »