Back from Portugal. Little has changed.

Bacalhau

Well, vacationing in Portugal was nice but it's always great to be back home, sleeping in my own bed and getting back into the swing of things. Also, getting back to work. summer quarter starts next week and someone's got to pay for all that bacalhau and natas.

Glad to see nothing's changed much back home in the past week. Rahm's still the most hated man in town -- even the cops hate him. Too pushy? Maybe, but that's the least of it.

Two dead and 17 wounded in weekend shootings. Rham will probably say we're behind last year's schedule and declare another victory in the war on gangs.

The machine still has both ends covered with corrupt union leaders like John Coli, who runs the Teamsters like a family business. Just in case you're not sure how the City That Works works, Marty at the Red Line Tap lays it all out for my brother, Fred.

CTU's Jackson Potter

And CPS seems to be preparing to follow the lead of Supt. Hite in Philly, who just pink-slipped nearly 4,000 school employees, including hundreds of teachers.

“Seeing what happened in Philadelphia, we are definitely concerned,” said the CTU's Jackson Potter. 

“They’re going to threaten Armageddon and a disaster scenario where we have to raise class sizes to 40 and lay off thousands of teachers, and there are other options,” Potter said. “Why not take the TIF surplus and put it back where it belongs, in schools, parks and libraries?”  -- Sun-Times

It's alll part of BBB's 5-year plan which she announced to under-enthused staffers today.  The plan, which is very optimistic given the short tenure of BBB's last two predecessors, can be summed up in  just a few words: "It's for the kids." Right?

Actually, the whole idea of a 5-year plan sounds like something out of the Kremlin in the 50's. Hmmm.