It was how Aldermanic candidate Don Nowotny revealed his plans to run for election.
And it scooped the big news outlets with its expose on the office of the Vice Mayor and how its budget is used to hire aldermanic aides. Now Chicago Tonight (on WTTW, Channel 11) is doing a piece on "Chicago's Vice Mayor" and we're betting that's a direct result of LEN's muckraking efforts. Watch tonight to see what happens.
Update: "Chicago's Vice Mayor. Who takes the reins if the Mayor is unable to serve? We look at the little-known office of Vice Mayor."
Congrats to Lorraine and Hugh on the Vice Mayor story.
ReplyDeleteFine work.
Tell me Lorraine or Hugh is a guest.
ReplyDeleteLorraine confirmed that Hugh Devlin was interviewed for the story.
ReplyDeleteeverything you ever wanted to know about our Vice Mayor, but were afraid to ask
ReplyDeletetune in to watch Stone splain hisseff
"The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'", quoting Larry Hardiman.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lorraine for breaking the storing of the $100,000 per year "Vice Mayor" budget bloodsucking that involves Alderman Shiller's staffer.
Wonder what she did to deserve her payolla?
Hugh was mentioned, but did not appear.
ReplyDeleteThe story is now available at the link posted above.
More government waste.
Thankfully as Vice Mayor Bernie Stone did get sent to China and took part in some anti terrorism planning here in Chicago.
I don't mine the idea of him going to China as long as he stays there. I imagine the Chinese might mind.
The idea of Stone being involved in any "homeland security" type stuff boggles my teeny brain.
Snicker,
ReplyDeleteI just signed into my Facebook Account, looked at the Uptown Update Page, and saw that Brendan Shiller is now a "fan" of Uptown Update.
Welcome, big guy. You are so very welcome to be a small part of Uptown's most non exclusive group. I guess EVERYONE is welcome.
Glad to see you've joined the 1600+ fans of Uptown Update.
I guess it's a good way for you to keep up on the happenings in Uptown and the 46th Ward.
I'm kinda hoping that this is some sorta "Kung Fu" move on your part to let the Uptown Update folks know YOU are watching. Just the idea that you are officially watching makes me all giddy with the idea that momma Shiller will be running again.
Just think if she runs and then loses there can be lotsa subpoenas sent out using interesting legal theories about liabilities and whatnot. "Whatnot" being a legal term for bullshit.
I positively am getting the "vapors" just thinking about it.
In the words of that great Irish writer Liam O'Shakespeare
"Cry Havoc and let slip the dawgs of war".
Woof, woof.
Media Critic on the WTTW Vice Mayor story.
ReplyDeleteI gotz to say I agree. Not the finest moment in the history of "Your W indow T o T he W orld"
It is a start though. The media needs to pay more attention to that story.
I apologize for the cross posting to the WTTW site.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the vice-mayor’s budget was first broken on March 26th by Hugh Devlin in the Lake Effect News here: http://www.lakeeffectnews.com/2010/03/26/another-city-council-stealth-budget/ with a follow-up on April 1st here: http://www.lakeeffectnews.com/2010/04/01/156-paid-out-of-vice-mayors-budget/
When Phil Ponce says “Chicago Tonight has found a little known city office that has a budget…” it is claiming, in effect to have broken the story. WRONG. The story was broken by the work of others. Shame on Ponce and Chicago Tonight for claiming credit for the work of others.
Further, instead of trotting out the tired comments of former Alderman Dick Simpson, Chicago Tonight should have interviewed either Devlin or Lake Effect News editor Lorraine Swanson. While reporter Ash-Har Quraishi covered the history of why the position was created, he didn’t discuss the use of the account to pay relatives and close associates of other aldermen.
That use of the account, detailed in Devlin’s report, is what makes this account interesting. It is not an “interesting side note.”
I am disappointed. WTTW didn’t even discuss this important aspect of the account.
WTTW almost always drops the ball when it comes to its Uptown stories. How many times have we seen them introduce a representatives of ONE, a government funded social service organization that spans the city and is devoted to acquiring more affordable housing, as spokesmen for the 46th Ward community. It as if WTTW don't even bother to find out that 20 or more networked block clubs operate in this Uptown community.
ReplyDelete"Stone ... took part in some anti terrorism planning here in Chicago."
ReplyDeletewell, the irony of Stone mention that is -
it makes sense that the Vice Mayor might sit in an anti-terrorist planning meeting, after all he's #2 in succession, god help us, and might become mayor (briefly) under certain scenarios which are extremely disturbing to contemplate -
the Homeland Security types no doubt needed to know that Stone could usually be found in his ward office perched above the Dress Barn in Lincoln Village shopping mall even if downtown were wiped off the face of the earth
so given that the point of the story was basically that the Vice Mayor gets $100K-$900K/year but has no duties or responsibilities other than waiting around for the mayor to cark, it's ironical that one of the two activities since 1998 Stone used to justify his budget was precisely because it's his duty to wait around for the mayor to cark
"tired comments of former Alderman Dick Simpson"
ReplyDeletei thought Simpson was PERFECT
“There are no responsibilities as vice mayor,” Simpson said. “Once in a while they will be allowed to represent the mayor in some ceremonial function, but there’s nothing in the law that gives them any responsibility except to replace the mayor upon his death or resignation.”
“They’re paying $100,000 or more every year for staff that should not be necessary to the operation of the city,” Simpson said. “There is nothing for the vice mayor to do unless the mayor dies."
"Hugh was mentioned, but did not appear."
ReplyDeletejust as well
CT has their demographics to worry about
between Stone & Simpson & Orr they had their quota of shrivelled up old white guys on tape
if Rich Samuels was reporting they would have had to cut Orr
WTTW discards broadcast treasure Rich Samuels
ReplyDelete"WTTW didn’t even discuss this important aspect of the account."
ReplyDeletehi Pat
maybe we have to wait for the other "half" of this story
Will half a reporter make ‘Chicago Tonight’ whole?
Mayor Daley's office asked Vice Mayor Stone to take on the duties of receiving delegations from defunct nations (the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991):
ReplyDeleteSince 1998, the role of vice mayor has been filled by 50th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone, the eldest and second longest serving alderman on the council.
Stone says as vice mayor his duties include representing Mayor Daley on various occasions as well as greeting visitors and dignitaries.
"I'll be asked by someone in the mayor's office to meet with a delegation, for instance, from the old Soviet Union, when they were there," Stone said.
"I apologize for the cross posting to the WTTW site."
ReplyDeleteno need to apologize, CT nuked your comment there
Hi Hugh,
ReplyDeleteI saw that my comment got taken down at Window to the World... I'm not sure how to take that, was it too close to the truth or were they insulted? The text is identical to what was submitted here and in Windy Citizen.
Let's see what happens, this isn't over yet Hugh. WTTW can hide some things, but now that they've taken this down, I suspect people will be even more interested in what has happened.
Pb
Hugh,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know what about the posting, which you can read above, is so prurient that WTTW had to remove it after first allowing it to post?
Patrick
Patrick,
ReplyDeleteyour post is now back.
Bon Apetit!
http://blogs.wttw.com/moreonthestory/2010/04/13/more-on-the-story-city-council/#more-374
The Reader has picked up on this situation: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/bernie-stone-vice-mayor-lake-effect-news-hyperlocal-citizen-journalism/Content?oid=1742462
ReplyDelete