DALEY NEWS
Mayor Daley had a handful of public events today. The first stop: The Sheraton on N. Water Street for a summit on policing street gangs.
At the event, reporters grilled the mayor about Chicago's ongoing privatized parking meter debacle. Yesterday many of Chicago’s downtown meters quit functioning properly. However, the meters continued to take taxpayer money, just like an alderman who also fails to function properly (yeah, we’ll get to Ald. Carothers in a second). Though citizens diligently fed the meters, the new machines failed to spit out parking passes, leaving motorists confused and fretting over the possibility of a ticket.
Turns out the new company’s computer system went down and drivers were given a day-long respite from parking meter fines.
Daley seemed less bothered by the abysmal way the company has botched their takeover of city parking meters and instead reserved his ire for those cruel meanies in the press who just won’t give the corporation a chance.
“Yeah but it's a computer glitch. How many computer glitches do you have in your company?” the mayor said accusingly to reporters. “It happens. But, I know the headline is important because you need the headlines.”
OK, for once I agree with the mayor. Anyone who’s ever visited the Sun-Times or the Tribune online knows that their web pages must be massive, ongoing computer glitches because no one in their right mind would put up such wretched web pages on purpose.
That said, the mayor did have some concerned words for Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, which paid 30 pieces of silver to take over meters in the city for the next 75 years (by the way, Morgan Stanley’s share of federal bailout funds: $10 billion, keep that in mind as you pay doubled rates at the meter).
Saith the mayor:
"Everybody's frustrated about . . . the glitch that took place. Everybody is frustrated. This company is performing, [but] has to perform much better. I've told them that."
However, that’s little comfort for confused and angered residents whose pockets are being lightened by raised rates.
In the afternoon, the good mayor handed out the 25th annual award for student achievement. No word on who was awarded this fine honor.
Finally, our Dear Leader returned to the Chicago Public library, where he spent a portion of his Wednesday teaching the value of reading. Today, however, Asian-Pacific American heritage was the event of the day.
DALEY CHATTER
Loyal Daley crony Isaac Crothers was indicted today. The alderman was rung up on charges that he accepted $40,000 in home improvements from a developer, who was also indicted.
But you know, that’s not such a big deal for Daley. Losing an aldermanic ally to federal corruption charges is about as standard as losing a quarter to a broken parking meter.
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