Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's budget hearing not exactly what he had in mind

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's budget hearing not exactly what he had in mind:

Rahm's budget hearing not exactly what he had in mind



Rahm finally meets with Dyett hunger strikers. But makes no commitments. Strike continues into Day 16. 
The Sun-Times  reporter Stefano Esposito keeps referring to last night's public response at Rahm's budget hearing, as a "gripe session". Strange, but not a surprising view of democracy.



The mayor says his current public meetings are "to discuss the City's current budget outlook and solicit savings, reform and revenue ideas from residents to assist in the preparation of the 2016 budget." But in reality, as David Vitale once told me, such meetings are really about "reining in" dissident community voices.



Well, that sure as hell didn't work yesterday. With the creditors and Moody'sbreathing down his neck and with Dyett hunger strikers now into a health and life-threatening 16 days without solid food, those voices were not about to be reined in. The budget meeting at Malcolm X College, was turned into a demand for Rahm to stop stonewalling the Dyett school process they themselves launched months ago, Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's budget hearing not exactly what he had in mind: