October 1, 2014

QUOTE OF THE DAY  

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 My Fox Chicago: Ridesharing company Uber to expand in Chicago’

Officials say ridesharing giant Uber will create 420 jobs in the next two years in a major expansion of its Chicago regional headquarters.

Gov. Pat Quinn joined in the announcement Monday. The Democrat says his veto action last month killed legislation that would have set up statewide restrictions on Uber and kept it from expanding.

Uber’s Chicago office covers the company’s central region, including Texas and Canada. There are currently 80 full-time employees who support Uber operations in more than 40 cities across 16 states and Canadian provinces.

Read more…


New York Post: On its one-year anniversary, ObamaCare gets an ‘F’

This Wednesday will mark one year since enrollment in ObamaCare began. What began with the disastrous rollout of healthcare.gov has ended with the health law’s supporters claiming victory.

It is true that some of the worst predictions have not yet come true. Yet. But in the last year we’ve also seen plenty of bad news for consumers, providers, employers and taxpayers.

A report card:

Read more…  


Chicago Sun Times: Emanuel prods sister agencies to mandate $13-an-hour minimum wage

Four weeks ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed an executive order requiring city contractors and subcontractors to increase the “living wage” paid to their employees by nearly 9 percent — from $11.93 to $13 an hour.

Now, Emanuel is pressuring all local government agencies under his control — CTA, CHA, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, City Colleges and Public Building Commission — to follow his lead.

That would mean a pay raise for roughly 2,400 contract employees working as custodians, landscapers and bus drivers.

Read more…


Wire Points: New study of Chicago area effective property tax rates should leave you speechless

study by the Civic Federation released yesterday computes true, effective property tax rates for Chicago area communities — the property tax rate as a percentage of actual market value.

Some rates honestly have already reached what is effectively nothing less than confiscation. You have to wonder when taxpayers in many of these places will start looking for the pitchforks. Even Chicago’s rate, which is the lowest, is very high by national standards. And look at the pace at which they are increasing.

Keep in mind that these rates are calculated only through 2012 taxes and, as any property owner knows, taxes are still soaring further.

Read more…


Chicago Tribune: Emanuel taxi proposal: No fare hike, centralized dispatch

Chicago cabbies won’t get a fare hike but stand to get a centralized dispatching system to help taxi companies compete with ride-sharing services under a plan Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled today.

The idea is part of a package of cab industry reforms that also would reduce some taxi lease costs but does not include a fare increase.

The proposed ordinance, which will be introduced to the City Council next week, lowers the cap on fees paid by cabs for credit card fares, and reduces the maximum city administrative fine paid by cab drivers from $1,000 to $400, according to a letter sent to cabbie representatives by Maria Guerra Lapacek, commissioner of the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

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Chicago Tribune: State begins notifying medical marijuana applicants

The first patients have been approved to receive medical marijuana in Illinois, officials said Tuesday — though the legal product won’t be available until spring.

The Illinois Department of Public Health started issuing letters last week notifying applicants if they were approved to buy cannabis, spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said. The actual permits have yet to be delivered.

Jim Champion, a veteran with multiple sclerosis from Somonauk who lobbied to get the law passed allowing medical marijuana, said he got his letter Saturday, after being first in the state to apply on Sept. 2.

Read more…


ChicagoNow: Bottomless breadsticks can’t make up for shallow jobs outlook

Give the people breadsticks and they’ll forget all their troubles – that’s the logic some Illinois officials seem to follow.

This week, the governor’s office issued a press release heralding Chicago’s first Olive Garden restaurant, located at 3555 W. Addison St., which will bring 170 jobs to a city in serious need of employment opportunities.

That’s certainly welcome news to the thousands of Chicagoans out of work, but Illinois still has a long way to go before it can claim to be back on its feet post-recession.

Read more…

CARTOON OF THE DAY

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