Aurora over North America

Taken from the ISS... the Aurora over Aurora Illinois.

Welcome to Chicago - the Next Detroit

First the Cubs fall apart in April. Then Jay Cutler and the Bears fail to show up to their expectations, then Chicago loses the Olympics, and now all of its trade shows.

As for the last on that list, it's too easy and lazy to accuse union price gouging at exhibit halls as the only reason... ah that's been goin' on for decades. However, those shows heading for the exits has become a stampede.

The International Plastics Showcase, which has been exhibiting in Chicago since the 1970s, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society waved a giant single finger McCormick Place. And now the National Restaurant Show, a Chicago convention fixture for more than 50 years, is thinking about 86'ing the town as well.

When the food people come to town, they eat out - they spend a lot, and tip a lot. Bye bye.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Derrek Hull, a spokesman for the restaurant show, said, "I'm not aware of any discussion about moving the show as of right now."

"However, what I can tell you," said Hull, "is that we've been through this before ... and the association and all our exhibitors continue to be very vocal. They continue to be concerned about the costs of doing business in Chicago and at McCormick Place."

The association seriously contemplated a move in 2006, but chose to stay after the city wrested labor work-rule changes from unions that work at McCormick Place.

That was chump change. Meanwhile, a task force designed to turn things around for struggling Chicago's convention industry met today. The group is made of staff from several politicians, trade show leaders, hospitality executives, and unions. I love task forces and blue ribbon panels. They're the nice tablecloth that politicians drape over the broken, bloodstained wobbly tables.

Chicago is a loser. It's not just her sports - although Chicago sports are the gangrene of the a dying limb.

Chicago is expensive. Not having a show in Chicago might save you 20 million dollars... which is a number I heard floated around. 20 Million in savings by having a show in Orlando. And in Orlando, you can take the kids to DisneyWorld! But that's not all. How about the nickle-n-dimes that add up in every purchase? How about that damned 10.25% sales tax on all those nice folks coming to the windy city?

10.25% - still. And even after the Mighty Quinn changed the rules for the Cook County veto over the President "Toddler" Todd Stroger... they still can't roll it back, and that's less than 70 days before the Cook County Board Election - as if we won't notice.

Look, even if the Cook County rolled back the tax - it's too late. The damage is done and the collateral damage is everyone who depends on tourists coming into this stupid town to pay our bills, debts, truck scandals, lawsuits against the police, and overpriced parking meters.

Welcome to Chicago - the Next Detroit! Be sure to pull all the copper out of the walls before you leave.

UPDATE: And the toilet keeps flushing - Oprah might be leaving Chicago as well. I know for sure that she's ending her talk show.

The media mogul Oprah Winfrey will end her daytime talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," in 2011 as she prepares to start a cable channel of her own. Read More on Oprah. Okay, I'm only guessing that she'll leave -- but I can't

Government and the Fourth

Happy 233 Birthday America!

Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps we should reflect and try to remember why the American colonists made their decision to break away from the British Empire. The Declaration, in the enumerated grievances against the British Crown, makes it crystal clear that the cause was big government and taxes.

The crown violated the colonists’ personal and civil liberties, and denied them economic freedom through a series of commercial regulations, controls, and restrictions.

In addition, they were burdened with numerous additional taxes that ate away their wealth, and, worse, were imposed without their consent. "No taxation with out representation."

The king appointed various “czars” who were to control and command much of the people’s daily affairs of earning a living. Layer after layer of new bureaucracies were imposed over every facet of life.

“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance,” the Declaration explains.

In place of this oppressive system, the Founding Fathers declared the principles of a free people: every individual’s right to his life, liberty and the pursuit of his own happiness. The ground was laid for the noble experiment of a society of free men associating on the basis of voluntary consent and mutually beneficial exchange.

Just try not to remember that it was George Washington who started the French-Indian war, and all those 'new taxes' were the crown's attempt to recoup the expenses of that little excursion... moving on.

Let's zip forward a mere 233 years and we see a virtual return to a system of government controls and fiscal burdens that are far more oppressive than what the colonists revolted against. And we don't even have Single Payer Universal Healthcare - yet. One economist said in the grand scheme of time, little benefit will be seen from breaking with the crown. Whoa.

Those freedom-loving colonists rose up against a government that taxed a fraction of what the U.S. government, and Cook County, takes from the American taxpayer, today.

And the intrusive hand of government in our personal, social and economic affairs is far more pervasive today than anything those American colonists faced 233 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Now we have un-warranted wiretaps and google search.

This 4th of July, while you're throwing another hamburger on the coals, try to remind our fellow Americans about why the Founding Fathers led a revolution against the British government. Get into an argument with your brother and neighbor about why the government is far greater in 2009 than anything faced in 1776.

Because, when you're in that argument - you'll be playing a perfectly American game - politics. The Tories [loyalists to the crown] didn't want to split, and the Whigs - who were the hawkish, upset gun owners who picked a fight with the largest Empire on the planet.

Todd Explains Taxes

The subject was ever-increasing cigarette taxes, and the guest on WGN-AM 720 Wednesday morning was Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.

Host John Williams asked: Isn't it unfair to keep targeting smokers with tax increases?

"That is the American way," Stroger replied. "And the way that it's generally done is, you find some group that's small enough where they can't beat you up, and you tax them and you tell everybody else, 'See? We didn't tax you.' "

See?! And who's he coming for next? My guess? It'll be you folks getting drive-thru cheeseburgers.

If that's not enough, another serious threat facing the Cook County taxpayer: Todd is now gouging you for a $400 million-a-year windfall from its unneeded sales tax hike and also wants to increase your debt by more than a quarter-billion dollars.

As Bob from Cook County writes,

"What everyone has known all along; politicians at all levels in Illinois have a license to steal. No other county in America has a budget director as incompetent as Stroger's cousin. No other county in America employs as many dead beats as Cook County. No other county in America pays their budget director more than a doctor makes.

In most states the legislature would step in and threaten to cut off funding until the mess is fixed. Here? The speaker of the house would never do that given he needs the 8th ward vote to make his daughter senator or governor.

We are the next Detroit if this doesnt stop."

I completely agree with you "Bob." Last one out, please shut off the lights. Or, you could try this gathering I heard about. Be sure to gesture loudly expecting to make a stand on the issue.... (unlikely, but you'll feel like you did something for about 3 hours afterward.)