Stimulus/Porkulus in Chicago… Running Out of Money, City Closed for Business to Save
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on August 17, 2009
Chicago government running out of money... shut down for business today
Ironic.
The day after Pres. Obama and his family had a lovely trip to tour the Grand Canyon in Arizona undisturbed (the national treasure was closed to the public for seven hours), the city the president used to call home is so deep in the deficit that it has shut down government business today.
How’s that stimulus working out, Mr. President?
Chicago Area Local News
City Government Closed For Business Today
August 17, 2009CHICAGO (CBS) ― If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you’re out of luck.
The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed.
Emergency service providers including police, firefighters and paramedics are working at full strength, but most services not directly related to public safety, including street sweeping, will not be provided.
That also includes garbage pickup. Residents who receive regular collection on Mondays should expect trash to be picked up on Tuesday. Some other customers may experience a one-day delay as collectors catch up.
As part of the 2009 budget, three reduced-service days were planned for 2009, days which are unpaid for all affected employees — the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; and New Year’s Eve. The City Council recently approved moving the reduced-service day planned for New Year’s Eve to Monday.
The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days.
In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off.
“Every dollar we save from these measures helps to save jobs, and in the long-term, maintain services for Chicagoans,” Mayor Richard M. Daley said in a news release. “This plan relies on most of our civilian employees to be part of the solution to our very serious budget challenges. I want to thank them again for their sacrifice.”
Over the weekend, there was a sign on the door of a city clinic in Englewood telling patients all Chicago health offices will be closed Monday.
A lot of residents CBS 2 interviewed this weekend didn’t know about the partial government shutdown. It came as bad news to Denzel Thornton, a student at Chicago State who visited the library Sunday to find out it was to be closed Monday.
“Where am I supposed to go now?” he asked. “I have no other place to go. I don’t have a computer of my own, so this is the only public place I can go to do what I need.”
But for city workers like Marx Daniels, the day off is a mixed blessing.
“I never took a day off, and I’ve never been late, so now the reduced days seem pretty good, you know,” he said.
On Monday, the boots, shovels and jacket he uses while excavating and cleaning city sewers were sitting at home. But Daniels said Sunday he was happy to trade a day off here and there if it means keeping his job.
“At first … I didn’t think that I could live with it, and then when I found out the alternative was being laid off, I thought it was a good thing,” Daniels said.
Daniels will lose a little over $200 dollars for each reduced services day. And he says that can add up.
“With me having two kids in college, that one day makes a difference,” he said.
Additional reading:
Blithe Spirit, the Blog: Closing Down Chicago
Phil’s Favorites – By Ilene: We Regret To Inform You That The City Of Chicago Will Be Closed Monday
Goodtimepolitics: Most Liberal States Are Least Free Says Study
Gateway Pundit: Dem Leader to GOP: If You Don’t Vote to Bankrupt Country With Libs You’re Unpatriotic
Chicago Breaking News: Alderman’s $200-a-ticket retirement party canceled
Let Freedom Ring: Congressman Warns Rahm: This Isn’t Chicago
Hip Hop Republican: Isaac Hayes – “Help Me Put and End to Corruption in Chicago”
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Darrell Issa to Rahm Emanuel on Stimulus/Porkulus Criticism: “Back Off! This Isn’t Chicago…” and Majority of Americans Demand ‘Cancel the Porkulus Package Now’ and The TARP “Gravy Trough”…Barney Frank Wants to Funnel $1 Billion from TARP to Homeless and More Insanity from DC… John Murtha Puts Your Taxpayer Stimulus Money to Work and Like a Wild Little Kid in a Candy Store: Obama Spending $18 Million to Redesign Recovery Website and Soft Tyranny: Mark Levin Interview on Sean Hannity’s Show (video) and VP Biden Says to Expect “Scamming & Waste” of Stimulus Money on His Watch: Billions at Stake, Bring in Wile E. Coyote and Michelle Obama: “Patient Dumping” While at University of Chicago Medical Center
News You May Have Missed: Whitehouse Strong Arming Congress
The Daily Bail: President Obama’s Budget Cuts Visualized (Video)
Small Dead Animals: He’s Running America Like They Run Their Party
Hispanic Pundit: Obama’s Proposed Power Grab
Clinging to G & G: Note to Obama: Drop the Jimmy Carter routine. It’s a proven failure.
Sister Toldjah: Figures: PrObama MSM spins bad economic news as good
Michelle Malkin: The pay czar’s power grab and Be careful: DOT inspector general challenges O’s stimulus spending and Cornyn to Obama: Disband the Internet Snitch Brigade and This is what mob rule looks like and When you can’t stand the heat… and Dodd and Obama: Corrupt birds of a feather; Update: Resisting subpoena; Dodd has prostate cancer and Grass-roots revolt in Austin, TX: “Just say no!” to Obamacare; Pennsylvanians boo Sebelius & Specter, “How can you manage health care when you can’t manage Cash For Clunkers?” and The 60th anniversary of 1984 and Stimulus…or smut-ulus? and The more he talks about nationalizing health care and spending more money… and Obamacare: Code Blue and Barack Obama speaks the truth! Update: Mayo not okay-o with Obamacare and New unemployment numbers: Quick, blame Bush! and Tea Party Watch: Protesting the cap-and-tax cramdown and After the “Special Master of Compensation” and The biggest, most magical makework program ever!
Hot Air Green Room: Obamacare would already be law, if not for you stupid Americans
Weasel Zippers: Rasmussen: Americans Want Another Stimulus Plan About as Much as Bawney Fwank Wants to Have Sex With a Woman…(Update) Right on Cue Dem Calls For Second Stimulus…
The Clampdown: The Chicago Way
Confederate Yankee: “The Obama Administration is the Most Fiscally Irresponsible in the History of the U.S.”
Burt Prelutsky, Big Hollywood: Time to Get Mad as Hell
RomanticPoet’s Weblog: Biden With the Biggest Understatement of the Year: ‘We misread economy’
Jim Blazsik: “We Misread How Bad The Economy Was” – Joe Biden
Stop The ACLU: Obama Tanks In Ohio
VotingFemale Speaks!: Obama-Pelosi Declare WAR; Demonizing Health Industry; Warning, Socialist Demons At Work
Matthew Vadum, American Spectator: DNC Organizing to Destroy U.S. Healthcare
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Beatles, ‘I’ll Tax the Heat, I’ll Tax Your Feet’: Britain’s a Mess with Its Punishing Taxes, We’re Not Far Behind
Frank DeMartini, Big Hollywood: Obama’s Six-Month Report Card
The Sundries Shack: Fool Us Once, Shame On Us. Fool Us A Dozen Times, You’re Barack Obama.
La Shawn Barber’s Corner: Why Barack Obama is Overrated (from 2006)
Free Republic: Socialism Coming Back To Haunt U.S. and Beware of Obamanomics
Gateway Pundit: British Sensation Daniel Hannan: “It’s Common Sense When You Are in Debt You Spend Less – Anyone But a Politician Can See That”
The American Spectator: Obama’s False Choice
Jim Gilmore, Human Events: Obama’s ‘New Socialism’
Rasmussen Reports: Number Who Says U.S. Heading in Right Direction Slips to Lowest Level Since February
CNSNews.com: Joe Biden: ‘We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt’
Temple of Mut: Detention Won’t Change a Delinquent
About the author
Keep voting Democrats into office you fools! What do you expect? Democrats can’t tax you enough, can’t get into your private lives enough, and don’t use reason and common sense when making decisions, they use emotion and political expediency when making their decisions. As far as the people in Chicago… good enough for you. Keep voting them into office and giving them a breeding ground to spawn these types of people and politicians. Until I see Daley out of office and a Republican majority, don’t complain to me, I won’t listen.
Dave,… The problem is the infestation that is destroying Chicago has infected Washington D.C.
I highly recommend Michelle Malkin’s book entitled “Culture of Corruption”.