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* Sun-Times | City’s chief labor negotiator fired over interview on Sun-Times podcast, sources say: Sources said a vacationing Lightfoot called Franczek on Monday and summarily fired him for doing a lengthy interview on a Chicago Sun-Times podcast where he essentially endorsed Paul Vallas over Brandon Johnson in the April 4 mayoral runoff.
* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers created a commission to investigate police torture more than a decade ago. Now, special prosecutors acting on behalf of Cook County are challenging it.: The special prosecutors have filed a motion in at least two cases related to Kato, arguing that the torture commission, which referred the cases for a court hearing, is unconstitutional. The commission was formed in 2009 by the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act and has played a role in a number of overturned convictions in the past decade. The commission reviews torture claims and refers those it finds credible to judges for a hearing.
* WTTW | Posing a Danger for Children, Majority of Chicago Homes Contain Hazardous Levels of Lead Paint, Health Officials Say: Paint containing lead has been outlawed in Chicago since 1978, but a WTTW News investigation has found the vast majority of Chicago’s housing stock still contains potentially toxic levels of the substance and that most children are not being tested regularly.
* Tribune | Norfolk Southern derailment brought the company under scrutiny. Days before, it won approval for Chicago expansion: In Englewood, the plan was for years met with pushback from residents who sought, ultimately unsuccessfully, to halt the sale of blocks and blocks of homes to be bulldozed. More recently, as plans progressed, some have turned their attention to ensuring jobs and quality of life for community residents.
* Crain’s | How much is Lolla worth to Chicago? Three NASCAR events.: It appears that Lollapalooza will be a better financial deal for the city than NASCAR, even factoring in the fact that Lolla runs for four days, and NASCAR vehicles are due to race for two days in Grant Park earlier in summer.
* Shaw Local | State must address corrupted workplace cultures: When considering such situations in their entirety – at Choate, more than 1,500 reported incidents of abuse and neglect over the decade ending in 2021 – it’s easy to detach from the individual stories, or to apply simplistic characterizations to everyone who punches the same time clock. Myerscough wouldn’t follow that trend, even while issuing a deserved 20-year prison sentence.
* Sun-Times | How an out-of-state pot firm used a shooting victim in a bid to score social equity licenses in Illinois: Edna Peterson was searching for a job on Craigslist earlier this year and came across an offer that sounded too good to be true: “Interested in a quick $2,000?”
* WBEZ | Pitchfork Music Festival announces 2023 lineup: Perhaps the most notable programmatic shift is that the Sunday programming, which historically leaned more heavily into Urban Alternative performers (such as Toro y Moi, Noname, Erykah Badu and Flying Lotus) is headlined this year by Bon Iver. There also aren’t any of the throwback acts that were earmarks of the fest in years past, a’la George Clinton in 2017 or Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) performing in 2016 … That is unless you count The Smile, which is made up of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead with drummer Tom Skinner, or perhaps Panda Bear + Sonic Boom (members of aughts indie darling band Animal Collective and 80s alt-rock band Spacemen 3, respectively).
* Pantagraph | Illinois law, 200 years ago: Inside the quest to digitize state’s legal history: A committee charged with preserving historic Illinois Supreme Court documents has received a $135,000 grant from the National Archives to digitize court records dating from the state’s infancy through the end of the Civil War.
* Block Club | ‘Significant Delays’ Expected On DuSable Lake Shore Drive Through May For Obama Center Road Work: Just weeks after the busy intersection reopened, crews will close all but one lane in each direction at DuSable Lake Shore and 57th drives for about two months.
posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 7:35 am
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When I read the article about Jim Franczek I actually had to go back and re read it because I was stunned at what he had to say. My first thought was this is going to be a problem for him and sure enough it is. He was too honest in a moment where neutrality was called for.
Comment by regular democrat Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 7:44 am
Bruce Rauner: No one in this administration talks to Rich Miller!
Lori Lightfoot: No one in this administration talks to Fran Speilman!
Comment by Dirty Red Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 8:45 am
I’m slowly learning it is the official position of the US Atty of NDIL that it is a crime to not run the legislature like a Montessori preschool. I’m not saying there were not also crimes committed here, but it seems like people are just testifying about an iron fist and the case continues to give me United States v. Theodore F. Stevens vibes.
Comment by Nuke The Whales Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:02 am
RE: Firing of Franczek. We, as the public, are owed an explanation as to why a longtime civil servant was fired. I’m not saying it was an improper firing, just one that warrants public explanation.
Comment by Nuke The Whales Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:03 am
Lori apparently learned absolutely nothing after her stunning defeat last month. Thats what got her fired by the voters; namely, her constant confrontational style. Tone deaf and stupid. She cant leave the 5th Floor fast enough.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:09 am
Anyone know why the killing of a prison inmate in Illinois DOC custody was handled as a federal civil rights case rather than a homicide prosecution in state court?
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:15 am
===why a longtime civil servant was fired===
LOL
He runs a law firm.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:18 am
==He runs a law firm.==
OK, why was a longtime contractor fired after giving an interview. The error doesn’t really undercut my main point.
Comment by Nuke The Whales Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:33 am
Mayor Lightfoot is a lot like Fox News. She has been defaming people she does not like for years.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:36 am
Madigan ruled the democatic party with fear and intimidation?speaker ruled with velvet hammer?
Comment by Rabid Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:51 am
==We, as the public, are owed an explanation==
You aren’t owed anything. He worked at the pleasure of the Mayor.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 10:08 am
==You aren’t owed anything. He worked at the pleasure of the Mayor.==.
He did certainly but its as if MLL learned nothing.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 10:38 am
=== Demoralized sounds like…===
… someone with an understanding of what it means to “work at the pleasure of”, and we are owed nothing.
Geez.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 10:51 am
The public is not owed nothing. She has every legal right to fire him. It does not mean that it is democratic or that the public cannot be upset by her decision.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 10:53 am
- Three Dimensional Checkers -
What exactly do you want her to say on her own if nothing is owed?
If these past 4 years proved anything, Lightfoot doesn’t care what folks think anyway. Why would she appease inquiriinv thoughts now?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 10:57 am
Spielman didn’t mention that Franczek’s wife (shades of Don Tracy?) donated $5k to Vallas just days before Franczek sang high praises of him and trashed Johnson.
https://twitter.com/jimdaleywrites/status/1637128622270996482?s=20
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:02 am
@- Nuke The Whales - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 9:03 am:
===RE: Firing of Franczek. We, as the public, are owed an explanation as to why a longtime civil servant was fired. I’m not saying it was an improper firing, just one that warrants public explanation.===
Was he on the job when he gave interview, or on his own time? Most public employees are not allowed to express an opinion while on the job, but are allowed to have and express an opinion on their own time.
Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:02 am
=== but are allowed to===
Not “at the pleasure of” types, heck they can go for any reason let alone speaking to press or on a podcast.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:12 am
=== Most public employees===
He’s NOT a public employee.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:13 am
==but are allowed to have and express an opinion on their own time==
I’m not sure what it is that some of you don’t understand about these positions. He didn’t have to do anything and she still could have kicked him to the curb. It’s the nature of the position. He was free to talk all he wanted. But some of you confuse that freedom with freedom from consequences.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:15 am
===He’s NOT a public employee.===
My mistake, I thought he was. I stand corrected.
Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:25 am
Lets get back to the situation at hand. Recognizing he was a contractor of the city and able to be fired at any time, I dont understand what he said or did that caused Lightfoot to fire him while on vacation.
He was very complimentary towards the mayor in the original article.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:36 am
It’s because he was basically acting as a campaign mouthpiece for Vallas.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:40 am
- low level -
“… at the pleasure of…” types.
It doesn’t matter. He wasn’t an employee, he served at the pleasure of *any* administration, and did so for many a mayor, Lightfoot wanted him gone.
“He’ll be fine”
- McClain recorded audio, maybe
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:41 am
===What exactly do you want her to say on her own if nothing is owed?===
I don’t care what she says. We should not shame people if they criticize her. That’s all. This is a democracy. People have a right to criticize politicians.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:49 am
If he’s so indispensable the next mayor is free to hire him back.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:51 am
I thought the Franczek interview was great.
Actually got me thinking about changing my mind about Vallas.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:52 am
===People have a right to criticize politicians.===
People have a right to criticize more than politicians.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:55 am
==People have a right to criticize politicians.==
Not when they are a part of a politician’s management team lol.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:56 am
John Cullerton and a few brave Senate Democrats look like heroes on these wiretaps.
Crossing the corrupt Speaker Madigan who ruled Illinois through fear and intimidation, despite a vast majority of Illinois residents overwhelming disapproval.
The body blows from the special interests who benefit from the corruption ended their attempts at ousting him.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 11:59 am
==I’m not sure what it is that some of you don’t understand about these positions. ==
Oh, I think the vast majority of people who make their way to Rich’s blog understand what an “at will” position is. Its also fair ti speculate and ask questions about what may have motivated the Mayor to fire him, especially seeing as he was very complimentary towards her.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 12:01 pm
==Crossing the corrupt Speaker Madigan=
We have a presumption of innocence in this country and he hasn’t been convicted of anything. You Republicans sure like to pretend you’re patriotic, so get with American principles.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 12:29 pm
=He’s NOT a public employee.=
He’s the name partner in a 30 attorney firm. His client was The City of Chicago (and many other agencies in Cook county). Whether you agree with Lightfoot’s decision or not, he took a risk in weighing in on the mayoral race given the work of his firm and the clients they represent.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 12:44 pm