Can I just say that I miss the entertaining politics of Chicago? There is nothing like sitting back with a beer and listening to the latest nugget of wisdom from Mayor Daly, which for the record I think does a fantastic job running a city as diverse as Chicago.
The latest entry in to the category of "When Liberals attack Liberals" comes to us courtesy of a man who disagrees with the city's efforts to recycle Christmas trees. Seems that if you bring your Christmas tree in for mulching, you get a year's worth of "Blue Bags" and a nice bag of mulch. Let me briefly explain the "Blue Bag" program and if I am wrong (since I live in Arizona now, I could be.) I am sure that Chicagoans will correct me.
The "Blue Bag" program is a way to encourage recycling in the city of Chicago. But being Chicago, you have to pay for the needed "Blue Bags" in order to participate, see that's the Chicago way. I don't remember if the program was running 4 years ago when I last lived there, but if it was I was not participating. See, as much as I love the environment, I am not paying extra for some pretty "blue bag" on top of all the Chicago city taxes and fees, don't even get me started on the whole city parking sticker thing.
So Chicago land’s most loved/hated activist and atheist Rob Sherman has nothing better to do but criticize the Mayor's efforts to make Chicago green. You may remember Rob from his efforts to remove crosses from the city seals of Zion and Rolling Meadows (Chicago Suburbs). He feels that the city is unfairly rewarding Christians by giving the "Blue Bags" free to those who bring in a Christmas tree. He further explains that since the Christmas tree is a well-known Christian symbol the policy is most unfair since "No self-respecting atheist or Jew or Hindu puts up a Christmas tree in their home unless they are Christian wannabes."
The city caved in and changed the policy to give "Blue Bags" to anyone who just shows up at the city's recycling centers with a "large" bag of recyclable material. Question, what constitutes a "large" bag? I can see another protest in the wings. I suspect that Rob is a member of the ACLU and this was a personal project of his but he would not have failed to call in the big guns if the city had told her to take a hike. I can imagine the conversation with City Hall went something like this:
Rob: Your Blue Bag /Holiday tree policy is unfair to non-Christians and I don't think you should charge for the bags if we don't bring a Holiday tree to the recycling centers.
City Hall: Well we only want to encourage participation in the program.
Rob: Give the bags for free to non-Christians or we are going to have a problem.
City Hall: Look, we already lose money on this program because no one participates, I don't think we can do that.
Rob: Hey, wise up. You saw what I did to Zion and Rolling Meadows right? Don't make me call the ACLU.
City Hall: Ok, we give up.
The link to the story is below, enjoy a good chuckle. Hat Tip to Mrs. Mad Tech for the article. Later....................
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0412280272dec28,1,806834.story
3 comments:
God I miss the antics of Bobby Sherman.... I think that the blue bag program has been running for a while, but then I haven't lived in Chicago proper for MANY years, and I haven't even been in IL in a long time. (It is much warmer in Florida, and I am sure in your locale as well!)
Richie Daley is not a good mayor - isn't he up on federal charges over giving his brother-in-law some sweetheart deal? But then graft always was the way Chicago worked. Harold Washington was a good mayor, Jane Byrne was OK, Balandik was a joke, and the old man was just a crook. (How many dead people voted in Chicago in the 1960 election? All of them - and they all voted for Kennedy.)
Under Richie Daley, Chicago is in a race every year with Washington DC to see who has the highest murder rate. Daley chases more business out of Chicago every year with his taxes. And the last time I looked, he was failing to educate the children in the school system. What a mayor!
God I miss the antics of Bobby Sherman.... I think that the blue bag program has been running for a while, but then I haven't lived in Chicago proper for MANY years, and I haven't even been in IL in a long time. (It is much warmer in Florida, and I am sure in your locale as well!)
Richie Daley is not a good mayor - isn't he up on federal charges over giving his brother-in-law some sweetheart deal? But then graft always was the way Chicago worked. Harold Washington was a good mayor, Jane Byrne was OK, Balandik was a joke, and the old man was just a crook. (How many dead people voted in Chicago in the 1960 election? All of them - and they all voted for Kennedy.)
Under Richie Daley, Chicago is in a race every year with Washington DC to see who has the highest murder rate. Daley chases more business out of Chicago every year with his taxes. And the last time I looked, he was failing to educate the children in the school system. What a mayor!
Thanks for your comment. I guess I was not quite sarcastic enough in my endorsement of Mayor Daly; I will try harder next time. I agree it is amazing that anyone does business in the city of Chicago, much less live there. The tax burden is unbelievable and most people can't imagine the things that are taxed. Enjoy Florida, my friend. I will sit back and bask in the wonderful Arizona sun and warmth of a 65 degree high today.
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