AltWeeklies Wire
Mayor Daley: Mr. Big Spendernew
As the city faced a gaping budget deficit, the Daley administration closed out Chicago's oldest and fattest slush fund by spending every last cent in it -- and then some.
Chicago Reader |
Ben Joravsky |
08-10-2009 |
Politics
Driving California Off the Edgenew
We should be so lucky as the State of Alaska that our celebrity governor would simply resign at this point. That’s what I think of Sarah Palin’s resignation the other day –– a lucky break, and it’s what I think Schwarzenegger should do after his “line-item veto” ploy that cut another $500 million after the California legislature packed up for summer recess. The Governator claims to be forcing the state to live within its means, but in effect he is driving the Golden State right off the edge. We’d be lucky if he just resigned at this point.
Random Lengths News |
James Preston Allen |
08-03-2009 |
Commentary
What We Missed in the Sotomayor Hearingsnew
The media hyped the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings as the must-see event of the summer, but they proved to be underwhelming at best. The hearings were also disappointing for their failure to spur discussion on three topics that were important for the country to hear, weigh and digest.
Random Lengths News |
Bobby Grace, Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. |
08-03-2009 |
Commentary
Rebranding Alberta's Right Wingnew
Would Wildrose Alliance candidate Danielle Smith represent real change for the party? With a Progressive Conservative government plagued by caucus trouble and a sluggish economy, there's speculation among bloggers and pundits she could be a game-changer in the next election, if she is elected leader.
SEE Magazine |
Angela Brunschot |
07-31-2009 |
Politics
The Early Birds: New Mexico Pols Build Momentum for 2010new
With nearly 1.2 million registered voters in the state of New Mexico, it would take a statewide candidate 833 days working around the clock to spend a personal minute with each one of them. And you wonder why candidates are announcing more than a year ahead of the 2010 election.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Dave Maass |
07-31-2009 |
Politics
State Budget Debacle: California Descendingnew
Some experts predict the state budget will quickly become unbalanced again, thanks to a persistently bad economy. But that didn't stop self-congratulations and posturing by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democratic majority leaders Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg, and Republican minority leaders Dennis Hollingsworth and Sam Blakeslee, the so-called "big five" who worked out this latest budget.
L.A. Weekly |
Jill Stewart |
07-31-2009 |
Politics
California Republicans Don't Really Care if the State Goes Bankruptnew
The Republicans largely carried the day because they had all the power: they could block any budget deal, they refused to raise any taxes, and they don't really care if the state goes bankrupt. In fact, Gov. Schwarzenegger was happy to draw the crisis out as long as necessary -- it helped his poll rating.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Editorial |
07-29-2009 |
Commentary
School Officials in Florida Conspired to Build $395M in Unnecessary Classroomsnew
It has become clear now that the madhouse construction of classroom additions and new schools in Broward County is coming to a crash that will rival that of crooked Wall Street banks. The School Board's irresponsible and possibly criminal actions have wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars and left the district awash in debt.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Bob Norman |
07-28-2009 |
Commentary
Why's the Detroit Mayoral Race Getting So Little Attention When So Much is On the Line?new
What's that you say? There's a mayor's race going on in Detroit? If this is news to you, or if you are vaguely aware that a mayoral primary will be held Aug. 4, but have no clue about the quintet of challengers vying to unseat newly elected incumbent Dave Bing, you can be forgiven.
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
07-28-2009 |
Politics
Warning Trend: The Climate Debate Goes Southnew
Here's the problem with the global-warming debate: A society that demands quick answers isn't good at solving problems decades in the making. And the highly deliberative scientific method -- which discovered the climate-change threat -- makes it hard to convince people to do anything about it.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Chris Potter |
07-27-2009 |
Commentary
The California Budget: Cuts, Theft and Accounting Gimmicksnew
I get the picture. Times are tough; everybody has to sacrifice. In this context, I can accept a serious shave and a haircut, even one with scalp burns. But a self-inflicted lobotomy? I don't think so.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Nick Welsh |
07-27-2009 |
Commentary
Hypocrisy 101: The Vetting of Judge Sonia Sotomayornew
Does Republican US Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have cotton in his brains? I was listening to the Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor and was gobsmacked to hear Graham's "lecture" about the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.
Pasadena Weekly |
Ellen Snortland |
07-27-2009 |
Commentary
Is Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels a Chicago-Style Bully?new
The idea of Nickels as a Daley wannabe is one of those ideas that has filtered down from the rhetoric of political insiders into general popular perception, even conventional wisdom. Trouble is, it's almost impossible to get any of Nickels' accusers to provide details about the mayor's supposedly Daleyesque behavior.
Seattle Weekly |
Laura Onstot |
07-27-2009 |
Politics
Matthew Falconer Shows How to Run a Campaign and Alienate Peoplenew
Developer, politician, everyman: Falconer bases his run for Orlando mayor on being in touch with the regular folk.
Orlando Weekly |
Billy Manes |
07-24-2009 |
Politics
Municipal Workers Are Copping a Comfy Retirement ... But At What Cost?new
Workers across the country -- particularly police and fire groups -- have been so good at politicking for increased pay and benefits that observers are starting to worry whether those successes could leave cities vulnerable to financial straits.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Jeff Prince |
07-24-2009 |
Politics
