Rahm Emanuel: C/D? (probably going to be a Chicago politics complaint thread too)

I agree, it's insane, but I'm expecting nothing but absolutely terrible moves from Rauner from here on out.

They'll fit right in with Forrest Claypool.

They don't want ppl w experience -- they want hawks :(

Rauner makes me feel so hopeless and depressed.

Me too

Me three

I guess it's possible these people could do a good job without any specific experience, Huberman didn't have any and he did good as CTA prez. But they are coming from Rauner.... so skepticism is warranted.

rauner is like walker in that he favors putting people on the boards of public assets that have open hostility for those assets

call it the margaret thatcher approach

Hey, we've tried it with people who cared. Let's give someone that does not give a fuck a chance. What's the worst that can happen?

BTW, that Senate Bill 1 is like the sword of Damocles hanging over every city, town, village and municipality. Everyone should call their rep and make sure that shit gets shut down

is there a link to an article that explains it well?

That's the pension reform bill, right? I figured it would anyway, since it seems unlikely that they can get around the whole "diminishment or impairment" thing.

I've been looking for something clear, but I understand it's a pretty complicated issue relating to pensions but also to cutting funding to school districts based on ... property values? Maybe I am thinking of SB16?

Maybe it lost already? I'm confused myself. Was at a school board election meeting last night, and at least the meat of the bill seemed very much a concern. Maybe the new Gov is bringing it back?

I'm sure he will keep trying to gut pensions in a way that will avoid being overturned.

Wtf is "soho house"!?

Oddly, I was actually there Sunday night. It's a private club (lol) that no doubt started in New York, but which opened up in Chicago not long back. The Chi version has a public component, because their research basically showed that Chicago would laugh a truly exclusive members-only club out of business. My understanding is that they recruit or attract hipsters/folks in the arts/cool people/whatevs. (I went with a member.). It's honestly a neat space, with a really cool gym, a great bar/space, some restaurants, a heated outdoor pool, etc. Very boho fancy-pants beardo chic. We had a few drinks after dinner somewhere else and then played ping pong. They had three really nice ping pong tables.

http://www.sohohousechicago.com/

https://twitter.com/moniquegarcia

covering IL supreme court and the pension bill

On wbez they keep playing this quote of a woman calling it a treehouse for adults that cost 44 million bucks and counts as neighborhood development acc to rahm.

when soho house first opened a lot of artists i know were offered membership in exchange for artwork, lol

Looooool

omg that soho house thing is so incredibly odious. I guess there are probably many worse things out there (like any suburban country club) but c'mon

It really wasn't as bad as I expected, but I was there during the off hours. I'm sure the fancy and well-scrubbed DBs come out during peak hours. For the record, I saw no treehouse, though it would be super cool if they did this in Chicago: http://www.citymuseum.org/ Which of course is one of the best places in the world stuck in the middle of one of the worst cities (imo) in America. But man would it liven things up here.

Actually, the lamest thing about Soho House is that on top of the membership, which is now ... $2000 a year?, you still have to pay for everything inside. Food, gym classes, drinks, etc. They apparently have good cultural programming, though. Speakers and bands and events and stuff. My friend said the hotel is great, too. In fact, if it was all free it would probably be the most hippest place in the city, but of course, gotta keep the hoi polloi in check. Plus, pay off that $44mil or whatever.

i don't say this much but that place can kiss my ass
neighborhood development? it's a private club that costs $2000 annually just to go there and stare at the wall. and they require a headshot and approval from a board!
fuck that place

i bet it is fun to swim and play ping pong there because it's fun to do those things but i can't stomach the idea of doing it myself

I went there for the first time a few weeks ago. They do have my dream ping-pong tables - pretty sure they're these ones.

The design is nice, and the service was much friendlier in the non-members area, on top of the same glass of wine being a buck cheaper in the public space.

Their L.A. outpost is really the most popular place for doing business in that city, in part because they don't allow cameras, have a relaxed private setup versus a public restaurant, etc.

There's lots of potential for something that is a private club without the old-money trappings but not being a fitness space either - kind of a city equivalent to King Spa. This gets there, but it didn't feel like I place I would pay to be a part of.

how did we start talking about this?

Also in LA/NY/London, it's a club built around artistic folks. Here, it had a new-tech/ad-agency feel to it, but was a fit for the West Loop in that way, especially once Google opens their big building right nearby. -xpost

xpost Everyone who's anyone is talking about Soho House.

my name is nobody, i guess

For $2000, you can be somebody.

exclusive clubs make me want to barf

i brought it up bc there was a radio segment that played like 8x today in which they detailed what qualified as "neighborhood development" acc to rahm emanuel. one of the developments that "helps to make Chicago livable for families" is this $44 million dollar private club, which was described by a member as "kind of like an adult treehouse" and they didn't say anything more about it, so while i was pumping gas into my car i asked wtf is soho house

like i'm sure the design is great! and the food and pingponging is delightful! i just really object to it being counted in "neighborhood development"

oh wow, that's almost too perfect.

it would be perfect-er if they used a closed public school to open a TIF-financed exclusive private club for which the monthly membership fee could be waived if you contributed to rahm's reelection campaign

actually i'm not positive that hasn't happened

(Totally agree with you, LL! I saw JiC's answer to your question but didn't get why you were asking until after posting.)

what's a DB?

Douchebag or Doobie Brother, not sure which.

same difference, really

i just went to their website and it made me want to go to the music room and make so much awful noise
they advertised "bespoke cocktails" and i have no idea what that means tbh

It means fancy/craft.

There's no way they'd let the Doobie Brothers in there.

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

http://www.the80sman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/michael_mcdonald_I_keep_forgettin_1982_the80sman.jpg

riff-raff

^^All of Tom Ford's tricks, right there.

the last hotel i worked at had three of its most talented managers poached by leave for jobs at SH

coincidentally all three happened to be stylish, attractive, and in their late 20s/early 30s

"Bespoke" has lately become a buzzword for luxury. It still sounds dumb/awkward to me when spplied to things like cocktails.

Well it successfully identified me as someone not in the club, so I guess it did its job!

I would love to see someone actually try to use the word bespoke in a real conversation.

technically all cocktails created by a bartender after you order them are bespoke

bespoke clothing is more of a rarity/luxury/fancypants/$$$ thing & i guess "craft" and "artisinal" (and even "luxury" in some cases!) are already worn-out so we've moved on to bespoke

btw this conversation is very relevant to this thread, mayor 1% etc

Speaking of 1%, when people insist Rahm's ultimate aspiration is president, I have to remind them that he is Jewish and at some point will hit a glass ceiling. I have no idea what Rahm's endgame is, though. Certainly not mayor. Probably back to Wall Street.

5 year stint as CEO of Haliburton followed by vice presidency