THE ILLINOIZE: Guest hosted by Bruce St. James of WLS-AM...Rep. Delia Ramirez for Congress...Lauf shifts targets...More school mask fights...Historic new U.S. Attorney downstate
December 9, 2021
Good morning. Our guest host today is Bruce St. James, the morning drive host on WLS-AM in Chicago. He took on the famed spot almost exactly a year ago coming to Chicago from Phoenix. His show airs from 5:30am-9am weekdays. You can listen live here or to podcasts here. You can also follow him on Twitter here.
Let’s get to it.
First off, thank you to Patrick for this opportunity. I choose to believe I was the first person asked and Thursday is prime real estate. Humor me.
The old adage says, "You can't see the forest for the trees," and Chicagoland seems to be mired in a thick grove of bad and depressing stories. With almost exactly 1 year under my belt as a Chicagoan, specifically the mean streets of Streeterville, I'd like to think I have gained some perspective, both as a resident and an outsider. Like you, I see and hear the reports of shootings, burglaries, carjackings, and more daily. The crime, which had been confined to specific areas, seems to be spreading like a fungus, north to south, east to west. Increasingly, I find myself having to defend the city from outsiders who view the Windy City in a way settlers must have viewed Tombstone, Arizona.
It's frustrating, exhausting, and in many ways, unfair.
Take it from someone who is still discovering this amazing city, and all its quirks, eccentricities, and character. Chicago is an incredible place to live and work, and my 12-month experience has exceeded all expectations. I understand how easy it is to fall into the trap of the weekend shooting tally and to allow it color your view of the entire area. But we should strive to remember all the good reasons we choose to live here. (I’m assuming most of you are not under a court order or confined to the area by an ankle monitor.)
The last thing anyone would accuse me of is being an optimist. I wear my pessimism on my sleeve and can find the bad in anything. It’s my gift. But even I can’t get on board with the notion that this city is dying a slow death and there is nothing we can do about it. Of course, we need to address serious issues like crime, education, taxes, regulation, and opportunity, but they are hardly unique to Chicago. As someone who has made a living talking about local issues on the radio, I can assure you these themes are the topic of discussion nationwide.
How do we break out of the funk? Who can lead us back to the Chicago so many of you remember and fell in love with? I’ve got good news and bad news.
Bad first: it won’t be a politician. (Maybe that’s actually good.) Today’s political environment doesn’t reward solving problems, but you could also make the argument (and I do) that harping on the problems get you noticed and, potentially, elected.
The good news? It’s you. Me. Us. Nobody is coming to save Chicago. The way we talk about the city and reflect its core values of hard work, integrity, community (with a healthy dose of Midwest “nice”) will speak volumes, not only to the outsiders, but to your friends, family, and neighbors as well. Each of us can become our own mini Chamber of Commerce. When someone starts to run down the city of Big Shoulders, you remind them how amazing downtown looks during the holidays, the great restaurants that represent more than just food around the world, and the dominating sports teams that strike fear in the hearts of cities everywhere. Well, two outta three ain’t bad.
2022 is just around the corner. Instead of failing at another New Year’s resolution based on your weight, cigarettes or alcohol, why not challenge yourself to be a voice for a better Chicago? Who’s with me?
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RAMIREZ RUNNING FOR CONGRESS
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago), one of the breakout young stars of the last couple of legislative sessions, threw her hat in the ring for Illinois’ new 3rd congressional district seat yesterday.
More from our friend Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune:
Ramirez, a member of the General Assembly since December 2018, was a primary sponsor of legislation creating an elected school board in Chicago’s public schools and has worked on affordable housing and immigration issues in the Legislature.
“In a time where our families are struggling to recover from the pandemic, and we have attacks on people of color, women’s rights and our voting rights, we need someone who is not afraid to take on these difficult fights on behalf of our communities,” she said. “I am confident that I am the candidate uniquely qualified to do this because I have spent my entire career fighting these fights.”
Democrats who control the General Assembly created the new open-seat district to give greater influence to the state’s growing Latino population — though Latinos are not a majority within the district that stretches from Chicago’s Northwest Side westward to include Latino communities in Bensenville, Addison and West Chicago.
This sets up a potentially divisive primary between Ramirez and Chicago Alderman Gil Villegas, who has also entered the race. Though, with Garcia’s backing, Ramirez could be in the driver’s seat.
LAUF TO RUN IN 11TH, NOT 16TH
Trump crowd darling Catalina Lauf, who finished third in the 2020 GOP primary in the 14th district, will challenge Congressman Bill Foster (D-Naperville) next year.
Lauf had launched a primary bid against Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) earlier this year before new congressional maps were drawn. Kiniznger’s district was dismantled in the Democrat-drawn map leading Kinzinger to announce he would not seek re-election.
More on Lauf from the Daily Herald:
"Together, we ran Adam Kinzinger out of this election cycle," Lauf said in the tweet announcing her political intentions. "Now, it's time to (defeat) Bill Foster."
A Foster campaign spokeswoman declined to comment.
Lauf, an adviser for a children's nutrition company, was an adviser at the U.S. Commerce Department under then-President Donald Trump. She has touted her connection to the former president on Twitter.
In her campaign announcement, Lauf called Foster out of touch. She also attacked President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "and the socialists."
Patrick reached out to Lauf the other day before her announcement and she declined to answer until The Illinoize stop “lies spread by your publication” about her. We asked her to provide examples of what information we got wrong and she did not respond. We stand by our stories here and here.
KANKAKEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STARTS NEW MASK FIGHT
St. Anne, a community of about 1,200 southeast of Kankakee, is jumping back into the school masking debate. The St. Anne Grade School Board originally voted to make masks in schools voluntary, reversed course after threats from the state, and again this week has decided to make masks optional. (Over the objection of administrators, mind you.)
More from the Kankakee Daily-Journal:
“I think the majority of the board felt that it was time to give the choice back to the parents and the people of District 256,” said [Jed] Beaupre, board president.
“These mandates are ridiculous,” he added.
The district administration still is recommending following the mandate, he said.
There was discussion to bring the matter to another vote during the September board meeting, but that didn’t happen until the Nov. 29 meeting.
Beaupre said the board might have taken action sooner, but it delayed making any decisions because the district was one of about 150 across the state named in a class-action lawsuit about pandemic rules.
As for the looming threats from ISBE regarding losing state recognition? That is a concern for another day.
“I’m sure it is in the back of our minds, but we will deal with that as it comes,” Beaupre said.
The State Board of Education did not responded to our inquiry last night regarding St. Anne.
NEW U.S. ATTORNEY CONFIRMED
Longtime federal prosecutor Gregory Harris was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the new U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Tuesday. The Central District includes courthouses in the Quad Cites, Peoria, Springfield, and Urbana.
But Harris’ confirmation makes history, via the State Journal-Register:
Harris, 73, who won't assume the new position until he is sworn in by a judge, will be the first Black person to fill the role, which comes with an annual salary of $172,500.
“Having served for nearly 30 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, more than a decade in private practice and several years in the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender, Greg Harris is well-qualified and an excellent choice,” U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said in a joint statement.
Durbin, D-Springfield, and Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, said Harris’ “diligent, thoughtful and principled approach to the law will serve central Illinois well, and we are proud to have supported his nomination and confirmation.”
He replaces John Millhiser, who resigned at the end of the Trump administration.
BEFORE WE GO