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* Have at it, but please confine your topics to Illinois and be as polite as possible. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:12 am

Comments

How’s all this water playing in all our high-water prone communities? How are they going to do all the sandbagging while maintaining proper social distancing?

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:18 am
If our neighbors to the North can do it, surely we can:)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5550110

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:24 am
City of Sycamore has partnered with Upstaging, Inc., to provide each local business a plexiglass barrier. Sycamore has reallocated money that was to be used for grants for business facade improvements this year. Now that concerts are out of the question, Upstaging has also been making face shields, and could be called upon to create a sort of field hospital in short order.

Comment by yinn Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:25 am
how viable will United be after this. Saw something on the TV where they had 10,000 passengers a day, but still employed 12,000 pilots.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:46 am
“How high’s the water, Momma? Five feet high and risin’” sang Johnny Cash.

Numerous streets in Des Plaines were closed to traffic due to flooding.

Comment by Practical Politics Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:46 am
Des Plaines River has crested and is splaying water out into neighborhoods in southern Lake County. Due to lockdown prep we have sufficient supplies and provisions to ride it out. But additional rain this morning did not help matters

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:47 am
Love my Sycamorons. Well done.

Comment by Lt Guv Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:47 am
The Chicagoland version of the “Waffle House Index” is the “Gene’s And Jude’s Flood Gauge”

As of this typing, the iconic hot dog stand is closed, the flooding stopping service.

That’s high water.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:49 am
==how viable will United be after this. Saw something on the TV where they had 10,000 passengers a day, but still employed 12,000 pilots.==

I’m not sure if United it doing some similar, but my friend who worked at American Airlines got offered to be on a on-call list at 70% of pay or receive 50% of pay to not be on call. I think that arrangement goes until July 1.

Comment by twowaystreet Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:52 am
My favorite radio station (WFMT) got knocked off the air last night due to flooding-related power outages.

Comment by JoanP Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:58 am
Still waiting for some journalist to inquire and present a story on the backlog of Medicaid and status of the SNAP program. Unemployment backlog is a easy story. Someone ask the hard questions and get to work.

Comment by Southsider Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:19 am
I might get in trouble with Rich for asking this question on the open thread, but, here goes:

So different areas of our state periodically experience flooding. Some for a few days, some a few weeks.

Sometimes, it goes on for more than 30 days. (Great Mississippi flood (1993?), Southern Illinois 2019)

When a federal disaster is declared for flooding and governor is issuing multiple EOs for flooded areas, how is that ok, but multiple EOs regarding a deadly disease are not?

Is it because we can see flooding, but not viruses?

Is it because FEMA money comes with flooding, but not deadly diseases?

(And I wasn’t in Clay County for Beetle’s little courtroom stunt, but why didn’t the state lawyers bring up the flooding examples? If people are willing to accept EOs for that “act of God”, why not this one? Or does it all tie back to the comment about not inconveniencing white people?)

Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:20 am
===but why didn’t the state lawyers bring up the flooding examples?===

They did. Pritzker issued two 30-day flood disaster declarations last year for part of… Rep. Bailey’s district.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:27 am
Thanks, Rich. I thought they had, but again, I wasn’t down there, and that example sure seemed to be conspicuously left out of all media coverage of this. Guess it isn’t click bait enough.

Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:32 am
One of my co-workers is always harping on JB’s weight and I respond that is a childish way to discuss policy differences.
Then Pelosi does it to Trump. Having a morning of whataboutisms.

Comment by Monarch Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:41 am
While biking in the city yesterday afternoon in the NWside I saw about 60+ people on a soccer field at River Park. The stay at home appears go be over.

Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:55 am
what is the longterm plan for dealing with water issues in Chicagoland, in Illinois? yes, the pandemic is all consuming, and water is all about climate change, but the water problem of immediate issues needs a massive program plan.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:56 am
Today’s the first day of drive-thru service at SOS Dirksen Parkway building for sticker renewals, license renewals, etc. Forgive me for watching them (they’re the only local news on now), but Channel 20 just had an item about this, and they reported that cars have supposedly been in line there since 5AM (they open at .

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:10 am
Think I’m just going to ignore all the news today, spend it with the wife, and revisit the scene of the crime (Washington Park) 36 years ago.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:14 am
Addressing flooding will require major changes in land use. Less impervious surfaces, more wetlands, more vegetation in general, less channelization, etc.

I don’t think America’s ready for such sweeping changes. Infringement of individual rights and liberties. Kinda like stay-at-home orders.

Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:18 am
“How high’s the water, Momma? Five feet high and risin’”

As a little boy, that song absolutely terrified me. Every time the key changed, the unstoppable, farm-destroying monster was bigger and closer.

It was like a musical horror movie.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:18 am
I’d be OK with a couple more episodes of “The Last Dance”. Perhaps the best sports documentary that I’ve ever seen. Just reiterated the greatness of Jordan and how comparisons of other outstanding players to him seem silly.

Comment by Stones Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:27 am
The creek on my property is up but not out…yet.

Tentative date for me to return to the office is July 1st.

Comment by Dog Lover Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:30 am
So Representative Bailey thinks he has a constitutional right to not wear a mask, but he has a constitutional right to fish. Got it.

Comment by So Blue Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:38 am
For the first time since Apr. 2, I had to spend money at a Springfield business this morning. An oil change on my car.

Any shopping I do (I am currently single) has been in Chatham (plus a couple trips to Auburn) for shopping since state employees sent home Mar. 16, with one exception for an unavoidable trip to Walmart in Southern View on Apr. 2. So happy to “shop local” in southern Sangamon County–which I always have preferred even before the pandemic.

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:40 am
Rivers been rivering in the spring forever and civilization’s been trying to tame them forever. This interesting article on the Forest Preserve website is about how 100 year old Chicago area dams are now being removed because they not only didn’t help, they made river hydraulics and hydration worse.

https://fpdcc.com/about/plans-projects/dam-removals/

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:41 am
Responsa,

Google “Ellsworth dam Danville”.

Danville city officials had to fight over a decade to remove a small dam down there. Several people drowned by it.

But lots of folks wanted to keep it because “the fishing’s really good there, and it won’t be if the dam is gone.”

Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:50 am
Lynn S.–the first of the dams to be removed was not far from our home. There was a little squawking because some historic cabins there were going to be lost but for the most part everyone understood that getting rid of the man- made dam (which also had regular participation of beavers) was the right thing to do. The river still overflows its banks near here a few times a decade, (like this week) but does so in a slower less explosive manner than when the dam was present.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:03 pm
The city of Chicago has now shut down General Iron after yesterday’s explosion:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/05/18/city-will-shut-down-general-iron-following-monday-explosion-alderman-says/

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:17 pm
@Monrch-

Except that in Trunp’s case, it’s relevant. He is, like it or not, President of the United States. And when he is taking a drug for an inappropriate purpose, and that drug has serious side effects the likelihood of which is increased by his obesity, his weight becomes a proper subject for comment.

It’s all about context,

Comment by JoanP Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:36 pm
===Think I’m just going to ignore all the news today, spend it with the wife, and revisit the scene of the crime (Washington Park) 36 years ago.===

I may be reading too much between the lines here, but I think congratulations are in order for Mr. and Mrs. RNUG’s anniversary.

I got married at Washington Park once. Didn’t take.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:40 pm
Points to ponder: 1) Bears QB’s, or when do they make Mitch the backup?; 2) Rain. Again and again.
3) Blago disbarred-Hooray (banned punct.); 4) Are we there yet? (ref to normalcy post-C-19); 5) Starting to see very small bottles of hand sanitizer in some stores; 6) For those doing their part, whether working or at home, and following the rules, THANK YOU.

Comment by revvedup Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 1:26 pm
- Joe Bidenopolous - … yep and thank you.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 9:57 pm

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