Uber and Lyft at O'Hare Airport and Beyond

Today, Uber, Lyft and similar application based ride-share services scored a victory by not having to follow the traditional route of taxi and chauffeur's licensing. Chauffeur's licenses are costly because drivers get fingerprinted, undergo drug tests and background checks. But, any one with a smart phone and car can be an Uber driver.

The Chicago City Council Finance Committee passed the Rahm Emanuel supported Ordinance to open up McCormick Place, Navy Pier, O'Hare Airport and other Chicago locations without Uber driver's going through the proper regulations or having to apply for the expensive Chauffeur's license.

Uber et al. play by a different set of rules than taxis, but the service they are providing is exactly the same, thus they should be subjected to the same regulations. It doesn't matter if you hailed the driver on the street, made a phone call, sent an email, or downloaded a smart phone app. Uber should be regulated in the same manner as other services.

The founders of Uber, Travis Kalanick and Garret Camp haven't created a new product, invented a new service, discovered a new alloy, or revolutionized production, they've exploited a hole in the law. It's incredible we reward legerdemain so much but here is Uber and their creators lauded as though they were Jonas Salk.

I dislike Uber because I'm not jumping in a car with some random person. But, more than that I dislike what the Republican Economic Policies of the last 35 years have reduced Americans to doing.

People drive for Uber because Ronald Reagan's and the Neoliberal economic revolt he got rolling has undercut the American Worker and gutted the American Dream. It's uniquely American, to quote George W(orst Potus Ever) Bush, that Americans have to work multiple jobs because they Plutocracy he worked for decided they wanted to destroy the Middle Class and reduce every American Worker to a Wage Slave shackled in Corporate Bondage.

Mayor 1% to balance the Chicago Budget on the backs of the Working Class

So Mayor Rahm Emmanuel is back at enforcing Neoliberal economic Austerity on Chicago.

Besides shutting down mental health clinics for poor people, eliminating CPS buildings used by minorities and working class families, and then giving hundreds of millions of welfare dollars to private contractors to build a casino in McCormick Place, a basketball stadium for DePaul University, and for bizzare Navy Pier upgrades like a pool-szed "Giant Civic Hot Tub"; Rahm Emmanuel has earned his moniker Mayor 1%.

Now, Rahm has proposed a novel way of balancing the budget, by squeezing more and more money from working class Chicago families and collar county residents.

Mayor 1% is counting on $120 million in fines from red-light and speed cameras and $10 million more from higher parking fines and impounded vehicle storage fees. Additionally, along with other so-called "sin" taxes, the price of cigarettes is going to go up by 75 cents, making the purchase of a pack of smokes in Chicago the most expensive in the US.

Rahm likes to brag about not raising taxes but like all neoliberals his tax hikes are firmly targeted at those who don't have his ear and aren't rubbing elbows with him. Like, all "Capitalists" in America, Mayor 1% friends make their money by getting government stooges to funnel taxpayer money to them.

Previously, Rahm gave $15 million plus of taxpayer monies to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange right after CME blackmailed Governor Quinn with ransom demand for $100 million in Corporate Welfare from the State of Illinois or else.

When Mayor 1% closed 6 of 12 mental health clinics in Chicago he did so at the behest of his owners. Rahm is a tool of the Rich and powerful. His Plutocratic owners will make huge profits from mental healthcare now that the clinics are closed and people have less options. In fact, Rahm had to give at least $500,000 in government funds to private mental healthcare immediately upon closing the 6 clinics, slashing a third off the so-called budget savings back in 2012.

Mayor 1% tax hikes are set at working class people who can't afford to rent limos and have to drive and park in the city and each day are subjected to a fine for that turn on red or a fee for parking to close to that hydrant.

Worshiping the Intolerant Chick-fil-A as a Religious Pilgrimage (Updated)

I'm a Thief
I'm a Liar
There's My Church
I Sing in the Choir - Pearl Jam, Do the Evolution

Chick-Fil-A is still a corporate bully. Dan Cathy came out and proclaimed proudly what many have known about Chick-Fil-A, that they are a group determined to undermine the basic liberties of Americans because the Bible says so.

I'm betting that Cathy and his Board made a conscious decision to broadcast their Gay Hate proudly as a Marketing Strategy. The company has gotten free advertising from Sarah Palin (Sarah's astonishing ignorance of the 1st Amendment was great reminder of her utter lack of ability to be VP), Rick Warren, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, Faux News, and thousands of conservative bloggers to trumpet their chicken sandwiches.

This is the same company who stole the "Eat More..." phrase from the VW Boys who had popularized the phrase "Eat More Possum" in the 1950's and then threatened Vermont artist and small business-man Bo Muller-Moore with multiple lawsuits for his "Eat More Kale" t-shirts.

And the Right has fallen into their hands faster than the 6 minutes it takes their deep-fryers to fry one of their signature chicken breast sandwiches. When people pointed and were upset by Chick-Fil-A's discriminatory bigotry right-wingers became mad because Liberals were shakin' their fists at god and all. Bigotry, Hatred and Intolerance are considered by right-wing buffoons to be okay but pointing out, ridiculing and boycotting them are the true crimes.

Chick-Fil-A as a business has the right to spend money on any campaign they wish. They do not have the right to discriminate aginst employees and customers. But, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Chicago Aldermen Proco "Joe" Moreno do not have the political power to restrict Chick-Fil-A from building a new franchise in Chicago just because they are rightly insulted by the rank bigotry and blinkered ignorance on display.

But, I'd make sure every application, zoning document, and building blueprint is double-checked for errors. Any violations of building code, failed health inspections, workplace harassment or discriminatory violations by refusing service should be investigated and if it found to be true should be used to sanction or close the fast-food joint.

Also if Aldermen Moreno wants to begin legal proceedings to have the proposed 1st Ward building site rezoned to not accommodate any commercial restaurant then he should. As long as it is done in accordance with the law.

But, it's already too late. This is just another front in dividing people with this issue. Dan Cathy knew precisely what he was doing, rallying the bigots around him by exposing and waving his religious bigotry for them to see. It's just so shameful so many hypocritical conservatives continue to deny basic freedoms and liberties to their fellow Americans.

See My Previous Post: Eat Less Chick-Fil-A Corporate Bully.

Update:
Hmm, I thought it was all about the Holy $$$.

"While we don't release exact sales numbers, we can confirm reports that it was a record-setting day," said Chick-fil-A's executive vice president of marketing, Steve Robinson, in a statement.

But, it also has become a pilgrimage site for the Religious Bigots in Office who never wanting to let a pious photo op go to waste let every one of their Zealous supporters know they partake of the Most Holy Chick-fil-A.

Illinois Taxpayer Welfare for the Billionaire Ricketts Family to rebuild Wrigley Field?

“Socialism, communism, whatever you want to call it, is never the answer.“ - Hank Steinbrenner. Unless, that is you are a Billionaire baseball Team Owner, then the taxpayers, middle class, and working class people need to give you money to finance the building of your stadium, as when Steinbrenner received $1,200,000,000 Billion dollars in Taxpayer money to finance the building of the new Yankee Stadium.

It's funny how when a "private" business wants huge wads of taxpayer "relief" to finance some project, the discussion becomes a Grandiose debate on Utilitarian Principles and the greatest good for the greatest number. The ancillary benefits to businesses, the community, the neighborhood. The indirect sales and tax gains and so forth. But...

When discussing the closing 7 Chicagoland mental health facilities [OccupyChicago Reports: Mental Health Movement / Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) - Mental Health Clinic Facing Closure Occupied by Patients and Advocates. Members Bbarricaded inside Woodlawn Clinic until Rahm Emanuel backs off clinic closures.] or the salaries of Chicago Public School teachers, the discussion is how much to slash, slash, slash, slash! That cutting and reducing government spending is the only option and those directly affected and the subsequent thousands indirectly affected are given short shrift, if they are considered at all.

It's almost as if the 1% has set up a Government to cater to their whims and wants and has designed the Body politic to funnel and transfer wealth upwards to them in a Reverse-Robin Scheme.

Capital belongs to the Capitalists, Poverty belongs to the Poor.

The Ricketts Family had a net worth of $2,700,000,000 in 2007. That placed them in the Forbes 400 Richest Americans. But, who should pay for the rebuilding of Wrigley Field; why the poor hardworking blue-collar Chicago Cub fan, who can maybe scrape together enough money to take himself and his family to the game a couple times a year.

After stating last week the Wrigley Field Renovations and Facelift discussion were "in the final stages" Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel clarified,

"Always remember that I'm here to represent taxpayers, but I'm not here to subsidize private investors with public dollars."

Okay Rahm. Then prove it.

Prove you aren't doing the work of the obscenely wealthy and providing them with Chicagoans tax dollars when the Ricketts easily purchased the second most profitable Baseball Franchise behind the Yankees. Prove to us Rahm that you aren't a tool of the Oppressors. A willing accomplice of the 1%. A lackey of Hedge Fund Vulture Kenneth C. Griffin CEO of Citadel LLC. A man who has created nothing but has made Billions off of Legerdemain and paper shuffling. And all the other Rich Elitist Bastards who view the Government of Chicago and Illinois as nothing more than their hired hands transferring Hundreds of Millions of dollars up from the Poor to the Rich.

But, at least I can finally say thank you to Governor Quinn and 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney. From Greg Hinz comes this column,

"I'm not excited about that at all," Governor Quinn said on the "Don Wade & Roma Show" on WLS-AM/890. "Our state has severe fiscal challenges, so the very idea of the state of Illinois spending millions and millions of dollars on Wrigley Field, I don't think that's in the cards at all." Quinn continued, The Ricketts family "bought the team, and they should make the lion's share of the investment to fix up the park."

And Tunney put the brakes on Rahm Emmanuel's "final stages", when he said, "I think the deal is not in the final stages," he said. "This is a deal that involves a lot of complexities." Tunney also added, "With the city still facing future budget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the economic benefits to the city as a whole will have to be clear."

Private business, the Free Market, "Job Creators", and a Government not involved in "picking winners and losers" is a the biggest myth peddled by the evil Republican Party and their Right-Wing lackeys. What the Republicans want and what they get their Conservative Media Goons to report ad nauseam is a Government controlled by the 1% and aligned to cater to the Plutocracy's interest.

And that is what's strangling and destroying America. State, Local and Federal Governments being co-opted and taken over by the Wealthy.

N17 OccupyChi Mass Action, Rahm Emmanuel's Budget and the 1%

"You really started something here. Hope on the streets..." - Batman Begins

The N17 #Occupy Mass Action was powerful. The March in Chicago followed by the General Assembly (GA) at the Thompson Center is an indication the bitter Chicago Winter will not be enough to dissapate the Occupiers.

Attending OccupyChi GA's is informative and inspiring. It's a functioning example of Direct Democracy what the 1% now appears desperate to stop. However, unlike, the other #OccupyMovements, Chicago has not had a large long lasting entrenched Protest site. For that reason, Chicago has also not seen the massive over-the-top paramilitary sweep and clear bulldozer operations Oakland and New York and now several other cities have experienced.

46 arrests were made, but The Full-Lockdown 1% Solution has yet to be applied to OccupyChi.org. Although the previous arrests of almost 50 little old ladies, members of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, was bad enough.

At the N17 OccupyChi GA, the big item on the agenda was Rahm Emmanuel's 2012 Budget. It was correctly pointed out this budget, like all Austerity Plans, is solely for the benefit of the 1% and at the expense of the 99%.

The Stack, which included a CTA member, a CPS teacher, a long time striker against the Congress Hotel, an OccupySouthSide leader, an off-topic Ron Paulian, and several others focused on specifically condemning Rahm Emmanuel and his budget, and the decision to close of 6 of 12 Mental Health Facilities in Chicago while the others will be privatized. Of all the 99%, those suffering from mental illness or disability are the least able to defend themselves.

Several Beautiful Protesters from the November 15th Mental Health Care Action held at City Hall also spoke. Those protesters spent over 10 hours outside Rahm's office denouncing his budgetary decision to close the clinics.

But, here's the problem. While I fully support condemning Rahm's 2012 Budget, Emmanuel is a tool. Rahm is merely the pruning shears for the 1%. The key is to identify his holders. Who are the Companies which will control these privatized mental health hospitals? Who's on the boards of the Companies? How much will they reap from rationing care to the disabled? What kind of exclusive contracts have they signed to provide mandatory care? What expenses will these private companies be able to illegally slough off onto the people, as Illinois Blue Cross Blue Shield did*, while the profits are funneled to their off-shore accounts?

Rahm's budget is akin to Paul Ryan's Coupon for HealthCare or Scott Walker's Union Busting. The 1% will always be able to find a willing political tool to carry out their orders and steal the wealth of this nation. The key is not to break the tools but to "break" the hands of the 1% thus loosening their stranglehold on the Nation and We, the People forever.

*- Illinois Blue Cross Blue Shield, the states' largest health insurance company, paid $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick children in need of nursing care by "fraudulently" shifting their claims to the state's Medicaid program.