It shouldn’t have taken a PhD in economics to notice this – Wirepoints Quickpoint
May 17, 2024
53 Comments
What a representation of Chicago’s plight.
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"Unfortunately, this will not be a feel-good feature story, a la Crain’s Chicago Business. The reality is that leaders from the private sector in Chicago, including business owners, management consultants, investment bankers, lawyers and real estate professionals we spoke with, are worried about the future of the city." SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
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Twelve Illinois Congressmen vote against bill to give federal custody to non-citizen defendants charged or convicted with assaulting cops – Wirepoints Quickpoint
May 17, 2024
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The bill passed despite their votes in response to certain incidents where local prosecutors are thought to have been too lenient with non-citizens assaulting cops.
The Chicago Teachers Union Plays Hooky – Wirepoints in the Wall Street Journal*
May 17, 2024
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The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board cited Wirepoints’ analysis of Chicago student proficiency data in their latest piece condemning the Chicago Teachers Union’s outrageous contract demands…all while a vast majority of Chicago’s children graduate unable to read at grade level.
Gov. Pritzker is using the threat of budget cuts to get more tax hikes passed – Wirepoints joins Tom Miller of WJPF Carbondale
May 17, 2024
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Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about the details of Gov. Pritzker’s proposed $52 billion budget, why the state is struggling now that federal covid dollars have run out, the controversy surrounding Tier 2 government pensions, why Illinois’ expensive education system fails to teach children to read, the outrageous demands of the Chicago Teachers Union, and more.
Public education staffing has ballooned over the years…yet kids still can’t read – Wirepoints on with Jeff Daly of WZUS Decatur Radio
May 17, 2024
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Ted joined Jeff Daly to discuss how politicians can never spend enough on education despite there being no accountability for that spending, the growth of education staffing across Illinois, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $1 billion demand for Chicago schools, why Gov. Pritzker is providing $830 million in taxpayer subsidies to struggling EV carmaker Rivian, and more.
The city of old is not going to return, but neither are the suburbs or the rural areas of old either. We just need to re-imagine the niches involved in each area as well as the pros and cons. While remote work could be characterized as minimizing cities the counter pieces to this are that cities themselves will probably get a lot nicer in a short amount of time. There are simply things you can’t replicate in the suburbs and other rural areas. Driverless cars should actually be a boom to cities because people can commute into them much easier… Read more »
you think driverless cars won’t get hijacked?LOL
How can a thriving city support people who only meet for drinks monthly or once a week? Restaurants need regular customers who eat there often.
If there are hot chicks at the bars and restaurants, there will be customers.
If you know someone who still lives in the city and is constantly virtue signaling their choice to remain over your choice to move out of there, simply ask them where do they buy gas for their car? Chances are 99.9% that they cross a boundary street somewhere to save the $.05 to $.10 per gallon extra you are taxed inside the city.
Its way worse than .05 to .10! By Midway prices were well over $3.25 while at home in Will County I was seeing $2.50 ish.
Always try to buy my gas outside of CROOK COUNTY.
At times there can be a 40cent difference, at times. Your city within cook county may be crooks too.
The irony of rags like Crain’s, etc. is their inability to run a causal analysis… To do a simple attribution analysis that would draw a very clear line from the decisions of Ill and Chi politicians and their outcomes – the impact of liberal hopey and wishy policies that have resulted in a crime-ridden pool of refuse. Votes, choices, decisions have consequences and not learning from them is the only way the left knows how to exist.
It is laughable. And sad.
The future. Abandoned ruins, like Detroit and Baltimore.
The Crain’s article makes no mention of Pritzker’s malfeasance for the rapid rise of crime in The Loop. Pritzker made a political calculation to sacrifice Illinois for the DNC’s ‘Orange Man Bad’ effort. Now Pritzker is no where to be found.
Orange Man Bad……..Fat Man still FAT and STUPID!
Downtown office space is obsolete for the most part. Id hate to be a company in the process of currently building a new skyscraper. My wife and I used to go into Chicago at least 3 times a month to go swing dancing, hang out at the Green Mill listening to jazz or the Drake or just walk along the lake. We have absolutely no intention of going to Chicago ever again. The crime and its gotten too damn expensive, we paid $40 or so to park at Navy Pier! But mostly its cancel culture, if the left is gonna… Read more »
Great post. Thank you.
On masks only doing what 50,000 Italian restaurants did the other day will end this. They all agreed to ban mask wearing inside their restaurants, against Government Policy. Within 24 hours the Italian Government removed this restriction.
The American people need to remove their masks now. And before anyone snipes, I had a relative nearly pass away with COVID.
I’m not going to say where it is,but there is a hardware store where masks aren’t needed,and guess what,its hopping,business is great,and prices are high compared to a Menards,or Home Depot,but customers don’t care,I don’t care will continue to go there even after this is over.
That’s clearlly a haven for super-spreader geniuses to congregate. Wonderful.
We hear a lot about “superspreader” events, places, etc. Can you please define what constitutes “superspreading”? We were told a pool in Missouri, a biker event in ND, Trump rallies were all going to be superspreading events. Aside from stories about a few people who became ill, there was never any follow-up with actual numbers and analysis.
So what exactly constitutes superspreading? Because it sure seems like the definition is “anything the left doesn’t like”.
Look elsewhere if you want a proper definition and the likely cosequences. Surely there are all kinds of articles on it, none likely thinking the people who congegate closely without wearing masks is anything even remotely advisable. You are free to tally how many medical experts are in each camp. Other “advisors” need not apply for said advice as I see it.
in other words you are too lazy to back up your statement
Its not a black-and-white set of options in the response. I’m not an expert and am suggesting sources. Notning more nor less to that part of my statement. I owe nothing more. He wants an expert opinon presumably.
Maybe you misunderstood my question. I know there are “experts” on both sides offering opinions on the “likely” consequences. But where is the follow-up of actual hard data? We have had enough forecasts of “superspreader” events. Where is the data that proves the expert forecasts were correct? If such data existed, I am sure it would be shouted from the mountaintops.
See my response written only a couple of mintues ago to Anna. I’m not the person to ask for such things.
The data and evidence I’ve seen is that superspreader events are primary private parties in residences.
In case you’re new to the party: Masks less than N95 does nothing to protect you. That boomer natural mask you wear has no effect. It might make you feel better in the store standing 6 feet apart but it has zero effect on your chances of catching the virus.
I don’t agree with any part of what you’ve said. First, we’ve all seen huge parties and events on TV recaptured on the evening news where almost literally no one is wearing a mask with an uptick in coronaviruses following those larger events–not events held in a persons home, although that may well cause such upticks as well. We can agree that N95 masks are the approved masks, but that’s not to say that lesser quality masks are worthless. Again, such things have been shown on the evening news even to include slow-speed photography of the spread of a person’s… Read more »
“We can agree that N95 masks are the approved masks, but that’s not to say that lesser quality masks are worthless.”
No, we can’t agree. Lesser quality masks, for all practical purposes, are useless. This is a scientific fact. Google the recent Danish study.
Well, at what point does anything become worthless? Is a mask that’s 50% effective worthless? How about 15%? To me anything better than not wearing one has some worth. Maybe to you it has to be 95% effective. If that is your point of view you are essentially saying anyone wearing a mask that’s 90% effective shouldn’t bother doing so. I’d applaud his thoughtfulness but ask him to consider a better one.
“To me anything better than not wearing one has some worth.” Yes, and that’s the problem, because it’s not based in science, and entirely based in virtue signaling. People like you are the problem, not the solution. The open states with no masks are no worse off than the closed states with strict masking requirements. This is a fact. Because, even as Fauci admitted early in the pandemic, masking outside of a medical context is ineffective. But it makes you feel like you’re protecting yourself. I feel that way too when I wear my surgical mask. But I know deep… Read more »
A 15 percent effective mask is also an 85 percent INEFFECTIVE mask. Wear that to a number of infections gatherings and you are pretty sure to come down with Wuhan Flu. Would you go to a gathering where there was an 85 percent chance you would be shot or stabbed?
You’ve twisted the intent of my response to say that I think a mask offering 15% effectiveness is sufficient. I didn’t say that, but I think its at least slightly better than no protection at all (unless the weather foolishly fails to educate himself otherwise and forever continues doing so). The rest of your statement flows from the incorrect slant you’ve given earlier and needs no response therefore. Now, instead of “duelling to the death” could we be adults here and drop it at his point?
“Weather” was supposed to be “wearer.” I so love auto-corrected spelling—NOT!
“You’ve twisted the intent of my response to say that I think a mask offering 15% effectiveness is sufficient. I didn’t say that, but I think its at least slightly better than no protection at all”
15% is not based in fact. It’s maybe a few percentage points at most, with 100% compliance, but overall its trivial at best, and the harm outweighs the benefits.
but go ahead, believe your fairy tales that masks work.
I did say “slightly” which encompasses “imperceptively.” Also, surely the thought might come to you at least once in awhile that maybe your position is the fairy tale. “Fairy tales can come true. They can happen to you…”
You were asking the question “was a 50% Mask effective? How about a 15% Mask?” I answered your question and twisted nothing. I wouldn’t take the risk of anything less than a real N95 mask if I need to go into a store. Otherwise, I wear no mask and avoid being around others. I prefer to control my own risk/reward equation and avoid the dictatorial edicts of the Faucis and Pritzgers of the world.
Fantastic
What about all that air that blows out around the mask? Or what about nobody in a restaurant has masks once they walk the 10 feet from the door to their “magic chair” at the table when they remove their mask? Masks right now are only a symbol of obedience and compliance. Time for a tea party!
I can agree that what you’ve describe in terms of common usage of masks isn’t optimal. What a person is supposed to do in the way of masking is seldom done at that optimal level. To the extent such people become lax admittedly the effect of being in such an area becomes more harmful. In my local area I’ve seen all kinds of common-sense protections embraced by the restaurants to include barriers between tables and significant distances between tables. None of that guarantees perfect protection, but surely one would suppose its a good attempt at protection. Diners can choose to… Read more »
Heyjude: in theory a superspreader event is a gathering where a larger than typical number of people contract an infectious disease. In reality, a superspreader event is any event the fascist left wants banned. A Trump rally is a superspreader event and must be banned but Biden rallies are ok. A Biden victory celebration: approved. BLM or Antifa riots- approved. A religious gathering- banned! Any event that doesn’t advance the power and glory of Woke-ism is banned
I subscibe to the thought expressed in your first sentence. Beyond that, you’ve expressed an opinion. I have political position to take on it and don’t want to go there.
James, now you’re being naive. In early May, anti-shutdown protests were widely panned as dangerous and they were shamed by all levels or government. Three weeks later, GF OD on drugs and there were mostly violent riots everywhere. Those were OK though because they wore masks and systemic racism is a greater threat than coronavirus.
We just returned from a Miami beach vacation. Miami Beach is I don’t know maybe 10 miles long, well no masks on anyone, maybe a hundred thousand sun bathers. Also around the pool no masks. Hanging out in the lobby, no masks. Walking down the streets no masks, except for the few that choose to. Eating, no masks. I just want to hit the highway of life as a free man again, screw these edicts. “Two weeks to slow the spread” is the bull we heard. The mask is worse for all of us than this bug. Florida has it… Read more »
Just stating where lots of people do something seen as unwise by most medically traned people doesn’t make their behavior intelligent.
classic projection on your part
Florida is thriving, Illinois is dying. Iowa just removed all mask requirements. It is past time Illinois did the same.
Your last sentence simply reflects society’s general boredom with this whole coronavirus set of warnings over a prolonged period of time. We have to be ever vigilant or what might be soon eradicated surely will not. Nature doesn’t care in the least whether you want to wear a mask or not. The coronavirus does its best to invade wherever it has the opportunity to do so. Don’t give it that opportunity or at least minimize its opportunity regardless of your boredom of dealing with it.
Wuhan is like a bad flu, current treatment my doctor told me is stay home but keep moving, treadmill, dancing, whatever. It will go away. He said he will maybe prescribe hydroxocloriquine or remdesivir, but most often nothing is prescribed. People are being duped. And “scientists” are just employees like everyone else that get a paycheck, depending on who their boss is you will get vastly different advice from them. My son in law has it right now, his wife is pregnant, they still sleep together just no sex or kissing. He has two kids, they are fine.
Agree. Such irresponsible behavior (attending large gatherings without masks) will result in it taking extra months to reach herd immunity, with many more people becoming seriously ill or dying from the virus. I guess this country will end up with over a million deaths from the virus. It didn’t have to be this way. Sure, I and so many others don’t like living this way by severely restricting our normal activities. However, we’re not over this pandemic yet, but the vaccinations are helping us win the battle. It’s disappointing to find out that so many adults don’t understand the characteristics… Read more »
You do understand that herd immunity comes from people getting the virus, not avoidance, right?
You’re partially correct. From health.harvard.edu: “Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination, but it can also occur through natural infection.” The latter way to achieve herd immunity will, once again, result in many more people becoming seriously ill or dying.
Yes, they changed the definition of herd immunity right before our very eyes.
Harvard, as an institution, has little credibility these days; the institution itself rests on its past laurels. But there is no need to take them seriously anymore. I sure don’t
Kudos to Wirepoints for highlighting this. This Contrarian article is right on point for anyone who lives or talks to people who live and frequent River North. What you hear from the politicians is just dribble. They know the stats and don’t want to admit what is really going on. Talk to any cop who you know north of the river and they will tell you being close to the Redline is a danger zone. Any shop owner on North Mich is still dealing with damage costs from the riots and now depressed foot traffic. Ask any single female– a… Read more »
Here’s what Crain thinks ???
“And though the city might sit comfortably now thinking the impact of either the pandemic or BLM or both appears less severe than originally anticipated, particularly from a commercial office space perspective, the fact remains that many businesses hold long term leases.”
Even this is wishful thinking. Those long term leases won’t be renewed.
Chicago survived fires, floods, gangsters, immigrants, riots, crime and fiscal disasters.
But Chicago can’t survive progressive politics and progressive politics will be listed as the first cause of death on it’s death certificate.
debtsor– you are absolutely correct. It is the progressive, incompetent managers who are destroying the City. And the Chicagoans who vote for them have a hellacious future ahead for themseves.
Awoman.
I talked to a liberal elitist friend of mine today, a graduate of my high school and my college (where Pritzker went). I told her that Chicago and Illinois are incredibly broken and corrupt, and that is where attention must be paid as opposed to going on an on about Trump. This Contrarian article reflects exactly why people voted for Trump, despite his considerable flaws. It doesn’t take an elitist education to distill that violent, broke beyond broke, and corrupt places of shrinking population are places people want to avoid. She wasn’t hearing it. The Gold Coasters – North Shore… Read more »