Chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We've made the lists, we've attracted enough celebs, let Batman AND Spiderman fly around this bitch oh yes,this city is the place to be. And apparently Mayor Daley plans to keep it that way, at ALL costs.
In order to have high tourism in a major city, you have to have major transportation channels, including airports. O'Hare airport is the 2nd largest hub of American airlines to date, seeing just under 70 million passengers in 2008. Walk through the terminals and buy a souvenir tshirt for bout $35, get a slice of pizza for $4.50, and wash it down with a $4 smoothie. Yep, looks like O'Hare gettin bread like the toast factory. So why the hell is it necessary to eliminate 2 entire neighborhoods just to expand it?
Bensenville and Elk Grove Village were the 2 communities who got the axe when the $15 billion expansion plan was introduced publicly last year. Newspapers flooded with stories of elderly women and men getting stalked and harassed to sell their homes for the expansions. Families and businesses being forced to close and move. Over $40 million was spent for campaigning and protesting and law suits to keep the communites, but Elk Grove caved first and Bensenville came next. They had no choice anyway, the bigger money won. All so O'Hare can add on some more terminals, or expand some runways. And of course, more trees! I'm sure this will look good in our bid for the next Olympic city. Oh but wait this has NOTHING TO DO WITH GETTING THE OLYPIC BID RIGHT? Just want a bigger airport, that's all.
And give it up to Todd Stroger! Chicago, fuck that, Illinois has the greatest history of corrupt politicians and this nigga just helps stir the pot. The Cook County Board prez gave raises, and I mean RAISES, to all of his forest preserve district employess who "happen to" have contributed to his campaign. These are also the 38 employees who "happen to" be exempt from a city court order banning POLITICAL HIRING IN CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT. Chicago Sun-Times gave a list of the 38 employees and their salaries, and raise %s, from 2006 to 2008.
Lemme just sum it up....the lowest salary was $53,408 in 08 with an 8% raise from 06-08. The highest was $168,511 w/a 13% raise from 06-08. But the list included raises up to 25% for positions such as superintendent, executive secretary, police chief, and information representative. That's right. Shit you could do. It's the FOREST PRESERVE! These the people who control the trees!
So when I hear people say we're in a recession I laugh. I live in a city where money grows on trees. Literally. This is a city that donates to corruption and supports the everlasting concept of money over people. It's a concept that has made this city rich for years.
(By the way Black people, the O'Hare case is PROOF that it's not a racial thing. Money is forcing unfair treatment to all. Bensenville and Elk Grove Village were majority white and European immigrants. Not to mention when the residents who didn't make a settlement were forced to move, they were NOT given assistance like blacks. That's right, when Blacks were forced out of the now demolitionalized housing projects into the suburbs, the government made alot of the housing in those areas subsidized so that families could live for as little as 10% of the rent. See what I mean?)
I think it's terrible the plight my city puts its citizens into. We pay the highest of taxes, withstand the conditions of a corrupt political and judicial system (Fuck the cops), and this city is still seeing the higher of the nation's unemployment rates. So when we welcome tourists to our city, I urge you all to show them where their money is going, where OUR money is going, and at what expense. Cuz it's hurtful, this is the place of my birth and most likely of my death. I love Chicago; any Chicagoan knows the connection to this city is a unique one.
But this paper chase is disconnecting us at a very fast pace, and I fear the day I look up to find Chicago a place I cannot love anymore. Let's force our city to stop focusing on bringing people in before helping the ones already here.
Cuz we ain't leaving.
Hell yeah,I heard about the raises on the radio. Yeah, we are livin in a city of corruption and it doesn't look like we are goin to be changing this way of living anytime soon.think about it. We have the worst educational system. Highest homicide rate. Hightest taxes. Most corrupt city officals, judicial system, and political personal. This doesn't even sound like a place you would want to live at.
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