SHORT STORIES

Sometimes I have topics to write about that don’t justify a full blog on their own. Today I am “cleaning up” some of the thoughts that have been festering in my brain and I am posting a few short stories.

(1) Has anyone thrown out the name of Jane Byrne as a potential Mayoral candidate? She was Chicago’s first and only female Mayor, she hired the city’s first African-American school superintendent and she was the first Chicago Mayor to recognize the gay community. That would give her three huge voting constituencies who might support her.

(2) The only competition for votes from those three groups could be former United States Senator Carol Mosley Braun, who has said she will run. Since her campaign coffers have a NEGATIVE balance of $262,358.00, she has problems! My friend Kelly Tarrant told me about Progress Illinois which has a great posting on their web site (www.progressillinois.com) with a spreadsheet of who is “In,” who is “Mulling” and who is “Out” for the Mayoral race. It also lists how much money any potential candidate already has. In the categories of “In” and “Mulling” the run away cash leader is Alderman Ed Burke with $4,420,582.58. Rahm Emanuel is a far away second with $1,175,763.00.


(3) Now that Mayor Daley is retiring, the bicyclists will lose their main cheerleader. Yeah! I mentioned that to Brian Steele, CDOT spokesperson, when I ran into him on Michigan Avenue the other day when I was walking with Shia Kapos of Crain's. He was not on a bike! When I told him how happy I was that maybe pedestrians and cars could take back the streets, he said to me that I probably would not be pleased at the new plans that the Department of Transportation already has for more bike lanes. In a sidebar of irony, the name of the four-time Olympian racing cyclist from Great Britain is Bryan Steel. Names spelled differently, but both like bikes!

(4) When someone does not pay a parking ticket, the collection of it gets turned over to various law firms Chicago has hired to muscle people for money. My good friend and radio personality Jake Hartford pointed out to me that legendary Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet has had an outstanding parking violation for $73.20 since September 15, 1998. Kupcinet was one of the most visible people in Chicago; how could the city not find him to dun him for the money? Kupcinet died on November 10, 2003, so the city had 5 years to locate him before he left us for a loftier home. The city’s web site still has the ticket listed and says that it has been referred to a collection agency or law firm. When I told Kupcinet’s son, Jerry, about this, he gave me an address that the city should send the bill to: Memorial Park, plot number 7632. Now the Department of Revenue knows where to find him to get their $73.20.


(5) I received one of the most cleverly designed invitations ever for a political fund raiser from State Representative Jack Franks’ campaign. The back of the invitation has a full color picture of a cell phone with lots of Apps on it. It listed how you could respond to the invite by Facebook, Telephone, YouTube, Online, Postal Service or e-mail. I twittered Jack. I know it was not one of the choices, but I wanted to see what happened. I have not heard back yet. Just proves how hard it is to connect with politicians! (Of course I am being facetious here because I don’t know how to Twitter.)

In conclusion, wouldn’t daily short stories make a fun radio show? Sort of like Paul Harvey used to do, but I would do it live for call ins. Maybe I can pitch some program directors when I am at the Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on November 6th. If you would like to attend the event, go to www.radiohof.org for more information.