YOU MEAN HE WANTS TO TAX THE BETTER PEOPLE ?!?!

1/20/11

Here’s a note I sent to Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass in response to his 1/20/11 column regarding Emanuel’s mentioning taxes, largely out of a desire to never let any of his opponents get any breathing space:

1/20/11

Hey John,

Not only did Emanuel commit a campaign blunder by mentioning taxes, he compounded the error by proposing a tax on luxury services, such as dog grooming and tanning parlors. This is a tax that directly and substantially hits his base, what I like to call the “I know everything because I just moved here from the North Shore to bring knowledge and wisdom to the boondocks” crowd. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

On another note…

Do you ever get the impression that your colleagues in the media have already anointed Emanuel mayor because he is one of them—a dazzling self-styled urbanite who lives north of Congress and south of Lawrence within reasonable proximity to the lake, has never been to White Castle or Comiskey Park, and thinks that the outer reaches of the 5th Congressional district somehow perfectly characterize the “grittier” aspects of urban life? In Rahm, such types must think they have a champion, a fellow graduate of New Trier who can stand up to the tough guys from parts of the city they would never visit were it not for the occasional photo-op. As it turns out, though, if the fern bar and organic coffee crowd does see their simpatico standard-bearer on the Fifth Floor, he will wind up taking orders from guys who went to places like DeLaSalle and Ignatius and hiding from guys who went to places like Mt. Carmel, Quigley, St. Rita, Calumet, CVS, Brother Rice, St. Patrick, and Gordon Tech.

Just a thought.

Keep up the good work.