2009 Chicago Media Highlights: Parking Meters & Peraica

What were the most important events in Chicago media in 2009? I’m not sure, bere’s what I remember:

• Mick Dumke and Ben Joravsky owned the TIF and parking meter privitization stories.

• Dumke and Joravsky aside, on the Olympic bid story, Chicago media largely chose to be cheerleaders rather than muckrakers. Steve Rhodes called out Greg Hinz and the S-T ed board in this September post, but his criticisms could have applied to a lot of folks.

• Chicagoans for Rio critiqued the bid more effectively than any local journalist did.

• In the year that Twitter went mainstream, Cook County Commissioner @tonyperaica was the most interesting local pol online. His live reports of Commission meetings opened a new window onto the sausage making– though his colleagues weren’t always happy about what he was saying.  @johnfritchey was the most interesting Democrat on Twitter. County Commission hearings could be more interesting with the two of them tweeting side-by-side in 2011.  (Peraica also introduced an online database, CookEmployees.com.)

• Progress Illinois had comprehensive coverage of the Hartmarx Bankruptcy and tried to crowd-source state budget cuts.

• Dan O’Neil and Max Brooks thoroughly reviewed the City’s pdf-ridden TIF database website.

• The Uptown Update blog published video of kids running around Leland and Sheridan on a summer night. Though not all that gripping, the video moved onto local TV news as an example of a summer crime wave, actual or imagine.

• Greg Hinz was consistently the best political reporter in the city. Exhibit A.

• Rich Miller’s Capital Fax was the definitive source for impeachment coverage.

• Thomas Frank redefined “The Chicago Way” in his WSJ column. (“Sell off public property without public scrutiny. Prohibit public input on an essential public service. Rationalize the whole thing by insisting that government can’t run such things as well as the private sector can.”)

• David Schalliol posted amazing photos of Chicago on Flickr.

• Jim Tyree led a group that bought the Sun-Times in October. Maybe now it will have the resources to develop a website and online strategy.

• EveryBlock was acquired by MSNBC– but stayed in the Loop. Another local news startup, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.com, wasn’t acquired, but moved to New York. Suburban-based MLBTradeRumors blew up, becoming the site for coverage of the hot stove league.

• The Chicago News Cooperative debuted, in collaboration with the New York Times [fd: and with the support of my employer]. Its debut generated lots of noise from the media gagglespehere, including a thoughtful post by Dan Sinker.

• Google unleashed the Data Liberation Front out of its Chicago office.

• Chicago Now and ESPN Chicago joined the local scene. Neither has become relevant, yet, though Chicago Now has at least found a couple of quality bloggers.
• The Parking Meter Geek did a great job covering the revolt against the parking meter privitzation.

• Granta published a sold-out Chicago issue.

• An assortment of working and unemployed journalists, students, professors, geeks and entrepreneurs attended the Chicago Journalism Townhall at the Allegro Hotel in February and the Chicago Media Future Conference at Columbia College in June.

• Tom Joyner was dropped from WGCI by Clear Channel, then returned weeks later on Soul 106.3. Steve Dahl reinvented himself as a daily podcaster; one of his biggest fans, Rob Feder, returned as a blogger on Chicago Public Radio’s Vocalo.org and his former partner Garry Meier landed in WGN’s midday chair, which he used to shill for a Ron Santo statue.

• WGN AM was a mess. Led by former Howard Stern foil Kevin Metheny,  it found space for Glenn Beck impersonator Jerry Agar, gave a time slot to Simon Baninter– his schtick is that he’s French and zany –, embittered housefraus in DuPage County by cancelling the Kathy and Judy Show, and replaced newly-installed morning host John Williams after 6 months with SF import Greg Jarrett. (Jarrett’s affable, but tries just a bit too hard.) Feder detailed WGN’s travails last month.

• Jack Conaty left Fox Chicago after 22 years and Oprah announced plans to leave town, but shut down Michigan Ave. for a party, first.  Paul Harvey died.

• The Sports pages engaged in a hiring war. The Trib and Sun Times have been snagging one another’s reporters this fall and took it to a new level this week.  Swapping Rick Morrissey for Brad Biggs is a good trade for the Trib, though it’s not clear what will happen to his blog. Biggs’ Twitter stream is essential for downtrodden Bear fans.

• Speaking of downtrodden, the place to be following  Bears losses this season has been The Score’s postgame show, hosted by Doug Buffone and Ed  O’Bradovich, sports radio’s version of Statler and Waldorf. Less important, and more random, was Hub Arkush’s series of “scoops” that the McCaskey family was feeling out new leadership for the Bears.

• Jeff Joniak and Pat Foley continued to be the two best play-by-play men in town.

• Mark Grote and Bruce Wolff found a niche for retro sports talk on The Score 670’s Saturday afternoons. Where else can you get your Dallas Comegys, Vince Evans and Barry Foote?

• Jay Cutler has proven himself to be a bigger jerk than Jordan– Stefan Fatsis called it in April.

CookCountyEmployees.com and the limited value of transparency

On Monday, Cook County Commissioner Tony released his “transparency project,” CookCountyEmployees.com, a data base of names and salaries of some 25,000 County employees. Via Twitter, Peraica announced it as an “online database of county employees/vendors;” on Youtube he said it was “so that you know how your money is being spent” Peraica has stood out on the ethically-challenged Board for his crusade against corruption, and in favor of openness and “transparency.” He offers live reports, via Twitter, of Commission meetings, and uses YouTube to draw attention to the fiscal shenanigans of his colleagues on the Board.

Peraica’s goo-goo credentials are not in question. I do wonder, though, of the efficacy, and manners, of making publicly accessible a data base of County employees’ names and salaries. As Dan O’Neil, himself a leader in drive to make government data available and usable, often points out that most government employees do honest work that improves our lives. But I’m uncomfortable with the degree of transparency that CCE provides– the personal information almost feels hostile, and doesn’t carry with it the sense of appreciation and “gratitude” that undergirds related projects. More pragmatically, what value is it to me to know what nurse clinician B. Alston earns? Would it be more useful to know if she’s had any complaints, or commendations, filed recently? Of course, it I know she’s a Commissioner’s niece (she’s not, as far as I know), that could be interesting. As Carl Nyberg points out, however, “without knowing how people are connected, the data doesn’t tell the full story.”

The Internet’s potential for making government more open and responsive is of course exciting– even more so for those of us in Chicago. Perhaps my concerns about CookCountyEmployees.com and transparency are prosaic; perhaps they derive from the fact that I work in a sector that bends more to the opaque. In any case, we’re early in this government transparency game. In the end, we may decide that not all information is useful, or appropriate, to share.

[Update: On a higher plane, Joi Ito is doing some important out-loud thinking about innovation and government.]

[Update II: Thanks, GB, for the point. Related thoughts on efficacy of transparency, here.]

The Clarovista’s soggy mattress

The Clarovista is the (re-branded) culmination of the largest construction project in my Chicago neighborhood of Edgewater in a couple of decades. I didn’t oppose the development, enjoyed watching the construction unfold over the last few years, and have looked forward to the business my new neighbors could might bring to some of my favorite local spots, including Third Coast Comics, Ethiopian Diamond and Metropolis Coffee.  I didn’t join the chorus of boos that objected to the construction of an Aldi’s on the ground floor—in this economy, business development is welcome, even if its not a sexy brand.

The Clarovista's mattress, getting soggy, after a week

 

 

My curmudgeonly hackles have been raised by the property failure to keep its sidewalks free of snow and garbage over the last few months. The capper has been the appearance and steadfast presence for the last week of an abandoned mattress steps from the building’s main entrance on Granville St. I’ve chronicled the mattress’s week via Flickr; through the wonders of Page Rank, these photos are now for anyone searching “Clarovista.”

Upon my discovering the mattress last Thursday afternoon, I called the 49 Ward’s Alderman, Joe Moore –the Nation’s “Most Valuable Local Official, neighborhood bloggers’ opinions to the contrary. (Through some districting quirk, the 49^th Ward, which is comprised for the most part by Rogers Park north of Devon, extends through a sliver south to encompass the Clarovista and some properties owned by Loyola University. ) A woman in Ald. Moore’s office named Ann promised to take care of it. I’ve checked in on the mattress twice a day since, on my morning jog and on my walk home from the train, and it has held together, despite frequent April showers. 

I have to admit that I’ve come to appreciate the mattress—I’ll have mixed feelings if I return Friday night to find it gone.  

 (As you can see, the mattress is snuggled up against one of those new fangled parking meters that are causing so much sturm und drang. I’ve seen the LAZ Parking coin collectors step over the bedding whilst collecting coins—I wonder if a city-employed coid collector or meter maid would be more likely to call the local Streets & San office to arrange a pick-up?)

The Merry-Go-Round Continues: Who Replaces Quigley on the Cook County Board

I’m just back from the celebration at the Red Ivy, where Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley claimed the Democratic nomination, and in effect won election, to replace Rahm Emanuel in Congress. As this race fades, Chicago political junkies shudder at the prospect of no elections for 11 months,; to bide the time, we turn to the question of who will replace Commissioner Quigley on the County Board. Quigley’s 10th District runs from Pratt to North, from the Lake to about 2 miles west, with a long stretch in West Rogers Park. A quick glance at the elected officials who could be candidates include State Rep. Harry Osterman, Aldermen Manny Flores and Tom Tunney, and Quigley’s vanquished foe, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. Cook County Clerk David Orr and Commisoner Board of Review (I don’t know what that does) Joseph Berrios, both of whom seem to have good gigs, also seem to  reside in the district. A wildcard could be Naisy Dolar, who came close to knocking off 50th ward Ald. Bernie Stone last year.

The Race to Replace Rahm’s Final Lap

A consequence of the most interesting election cycle of my lifetime, the build-up for Tuesday’s vote in Illinois’ Fifth District has been a disappointment. As I’ve lamented previously, this rare occurrence of an open election with several appealing candidates, at a time of crisis, has been largely devoid of substantive debate.  In part, this reflects the snappiness of the election and the fact that the major candidates are largely in accordance on major issues like the stimulus, immigration and gay marriage. However, much digital ink has been spilt, by blogs, twitterers, and journalists, on issues such as who’s better buddies with Todd Stroger and Rod Blagojevich, who holds the biggest checkbook, who’s made the best use of Twitter and Facebook. (As smart outsiders, Tom Geoghegan and Charlie Wheelan have avoided this minutae in favor of issues. Progress Illinois has a thorough review of the policy positions of the five candidates who’ve raised the most money.)

Some thoughts as the election enters the final 48 hours:

• This email from Ald. Patrick J. O’Connor’s campaign is worth a chuckle if you know much about the powerful alderman.  “Pat has been an advocate for change in Chicago for 25 years. He understands what it takes to create REAL results with integrity.”
• On Twitter, I received my first direct message vote solicitation, from the @QuigleyCampaign. (I don’t live in the 5th, if I did, I’d be happy to vote for Quigley– as I would be for a few of the other candidates.
• A friend just mentioned that, in addition to the Tribune and Sun-Times editorial boards, Quigley has the support of long-time reformer and Depaul professor Dick Simpson.)
• I haven’t watched TV once this past week without encountering one of the ads the SEIU bought for Sara Feigenholtz.
• The forecast for Election Day: seasonably chilly, but no rain or snow.
• Predictions: Russ Stewart is guessing that Fritchey wins with 29%, followed by Feigenholtz with 26%, Quigley and O’Connor, with a turnout of 35,000.

Is no one writing about issues in the Race to Replace Rahm?

If you only read the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times’ coverage of the race to elect a new Congressman in Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District, you’d know a lot about campaign tactics, but little about where the candidates stand. The Tribune editorial board met with the highest profile candidates, and what is the result? An evaluation of their stances on the stimulus bill, a discussion of their different approaches towards gay marriage, peace in the Middle East, or immigration reform? Dan Mihalopoulos  and John McCormick’s summary of the meeting, Feigenholtz, Running as Reformer, Won’t Say Whether Campaign Pushed Negative Poll, manages to avoid discussion of a single substantive issue in favor of standard horeserace coverage. “The most heated discussion Thursday centered on whether some of the candidates had betrayed their reform promises by slinging mud at one another.” We’re also told that Mayor Daley and Emanuel have not endorsed anyone in the race, but told us nothing about the slew of endorsements that have come down in recent days. Likewise, we learn almost nothing substantive about cadidate John Fritchey in Abdon Paallasch’s profile of the state representative. (We did learn that “Fritchey pushed through ethics bills that angered the Dem regulars and put him on the side of then-State Sen. Barack Obama.”)

Tomorrow, I’ll look at how bloggers have been covering the race. My hunch is that they (we?) are not much more interested in delving into issues than are the paid writers.

Will the Candidates in the Race to Replace Rahm Take the Pledge?

Last week, Larry Lessig and Change Congress called for a Donor Strike: “We pledge NOT to give to any candidate who doesn’t support Citizens’ Funded Elections.” How about it, Sara Feigenholtz, Mike Quigley, John Fritchey, Tom Geoghegan and the rest: do you pledge to support the Fair Elections Now Act? And for the rest of us, will you join the Donor Strike if they don’t?

Breaking Down the 5th

Political consultant Mike Fourcher (the man behind Chicago Cloutwiki) shares the slides he presented this week to the Northside of Democracy for America chapter; key takeaways from his preview of the Febrary 3 primary election

• The majority of votes in the District can be found in the city.
• Shrinking middle class: between the 2000 Census and 2007, the residents of the District became both more educated (from 23% college educated to 36%) and poorer (from 8.6% to 10.6%)
• Other demographic oddities: the 5th became slightly less foreign born (30.8/28.6), while also becoming a bit more Latino (25% to 27.7%).
• Alums of the Bill Foster victory are managing the campaigns of Sara Feigenholtz (Mike Redina, Foster’s manager), Mike Qugley (Tom Bowen) and John Fritchey  (Josh Levin).
• Illinois is liable to lose one district after 2010 redistricting. (And might this seat, with a relatively new Congressman, be the most likely to end up on the chopping block?)

628,245.32 Reasons Gene Schulter is a Favorite to Replace Rahm

[A couple of readers, including James below, have pointed out that Schulter is limited in how he can use his funds;  the money Feigenholtz raised last quarter has no such restrictions.]

In an ongoing attempt to track the race to replace Rahm Emanuel in Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District, a look into who might have the most money squirreled away. It’s not Sara Feigenholtz, who had $313,000 in her bank as of October 5 and says she raised $300,000 before the end of the year–presumably in addition to what she had on had in October. Nor is it Mike Quigley, who reported $492,000 as of June 30. No, it’s 33-year veteran Chicago alderman Gene Schulter of the 47th Ward. According to his most recent report filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Schulter had more than $628,000 as of June 30. Of course, these three and other candidates, and others, have been raising funds over the last few weeks. Feigenholtz has a snazzy web and twitter presence; labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan has quickly become the darling of the “Net Roots” and non-Chicago lefties such as, most recently, Katha Pollit. But Schulter would seem to have a significant head start in the money race, not to mention a veteran campaign machinery. (As Schulter’s entry at Cloutwiki points out, the long-running feud  he eventually won over his former mentor Ed Kelly means he  “is thought to maintain one of the strongest campaign organizations in the city.”

The Beltway Liberal Chattering Class Finds a Candidate to Replace Rahm

The big buzz today in Chicago politics, at least in the national progressive press, wasn’t Sen.-designate Roland Burris’ failure to pass the Senate threshold. Rather, elite chatter has focused on the entry of labor attorney Tom Geoghegan into the race for Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District. Unfortunately for Geoghegan, the endorsements of James Fallows, Rick Hertzberg, Kevin Drum and Joe Trippi don’t equal the support of a single Democratic committeeman. While the blogo- and twitter-spheres were a-buzz about Geoghegan, neither the Sun-Times nor the Tribune mentioned him once.

The creators of the Chicago Elections wiki have set up a page on the Race to Replace Rahm, with a total of 18 candidates; Mike Dumke of the Chicago Reader keeps it to 14. With so many candidates, someone could win the March 3 primary with as little of 20% of the vote, but realistically there are six candidates who could win: Aldermen Pat O’Connor and Gene Schulter, State Reps. John Fritchey and Sara Feigenholtz, Cook County commissioner Mike Quigley, and former TSA staffer (and son of a long time alderman) Justin Oberman.

Mayor Daley may be refraining from making an endorsement, meaning the traditional party bosses may split their support among  Schulter, Fritchey and O’Connor, should he stay in; Feigenholz and Quigley will wrestle for the progressive vote. (To date, Feigenholz has the best web presence, and $300,000 in the bank.) Feigenholz and former Ald. Eisendrath, with 10.8% each,  lead the prediction thread at Eric Zorn’s blog–”Other” is in front with 33%.

One pol who is not a candidate, 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore was named “Most valuable local official” by the Nation in its listing of 2008’s “Most Valuable Progressives.” (via Angela Caputo) (I can already hear the chortles from Rogers Park bloggers such at Chicago News Bench and The Broken Heart of Rogers Park.)