My hair is neatly combed these days, no longer the “rat’s nest” my mom affectionately called it when I was a child. But, as I enter Harold Washington Library on a recent autumn day, I still feel an affinity for the creature multiple mayors have identified as Chicago’s top public enemy. I’m here to look […]
Tag: Jane Byrne
Posted inOn Politics
Happy birthday, Harold
It was just unofficially Harold Washington week in Chicago as the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. That’s right—had Harold lived, he’d have been 100 years old on April 15. Everywhere I look I see articles proclaiming Harold’s greatness. Oh, if only he had so much support when he was mayor. Look, I […]
Posted inMusic
Sasha Daltonn, jazz singer and founder of the Chicago Gospel Music Festival
“We weren’t only honoring Professor Dorsey—this was a major event introduced by the first Black mayor of the city, and it needed to be outstanding.”
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Real Chicago
The scariest thing about our city is how our political system works.
Posted inMusic
Chicago punk was born queer
How three gay bars—La Mere Vipere, O’Banion’s, and Oz—became the cradle of the city’s punk scene
Posted inNews & Politics
From soldier to worker
Police unions were born of resistance to discipline for brutality. Do they belong in the labor movement?
Posted inColumns & Opinion
The ruling 35 percent
The vast majority of Chicago voters sit out another mayoral election.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Streets and San does a great job of clearing the roads—thanks to Chicago-style politics
A look at how exactly the city manages to clear the major streets so efficiently after a major snow event.
Posted inBlogs
White Sox and Cubs are both 2-0 for first time since 1951
Martin Kennelly was mayor the last time both clubs won their first pair in the same season, 65 years ago.
Posted inBlogs
Weekend shootings and recent homicide stats give Garcia an issue to exploit
Garcia continues Chicago’s political tradition of blaming the city’s crime rate on the incumbent.
Posted inBlogs
The mayoral race and the color of inequality in Chicago
If the city’s white unemployment rate were nearly triple the black rate, would the Tribune say fiscal policy was the only issue that mattered?
Posted inBlogs
The mayoral runoff is going to be a shitstorm
Having embarrassed Rahm in yesterday’s election, Chicago’s voters can expect the mayor to go negative and nasty against Chuy Garcia in the coming campaign.
Posted inBlogs
How many Chicago mayors have graduated from a Chicago public high school?
Our mayors’ experience with CPS has rarely been firsthand.
Posted inBlogs
Another taste of how Chicago was when Jane Byrne ran things
A 1980 article makes us wonder: “What was that all about?”
Posted inBlogs
That time in ’77 Jane Byrne and I were on TV together
As a young, mop-topped lad of 22, the Reader political columnist was on WTTW . . .