Mayoral Candidate Paul Vallas; Former Guv Pat Quinn; Lucille Ball’s Bestie and a Prosthetist on WGN Radio Night Side

You can’t possibly speak to a candiate for Mayor of Chicago without asking about crime, which I brought up to my first guest candidate Paul Vallas HERE on WGN Radio Night Side.

We begin by talking about the heroes – everyday day heroes that few ever speak about…but then we quickly get to crime. He points out, making matters worse, the Chicago Police Department isn’t solving these crimes to no fault of their own, it’s a manpower and resource issue.

We don’t have enough police officers on the street and budgeting via overtime – crazy overtime numbers. Is this any way to manage police to really enhance community safety? Police can’t do their jobs, he says, without the tools and equipment to do so. And we need 14,200 police offers. And a police officer in every school.

The Mayor also closed many mental health centers, a topic that does matter regarding crime.

Vallas points out Chicago is a tail of two cities in many ways, and offers ‘the other Michigan Avenue’ as an example. They don’t even have fast food places, never mind nice restaurants. From the gaping Grand Canyon pot holes to lack of employment, there are parts of Chicago which totally don’t resemble Lincoln Park but may resemble a third world nation somewhere.

Vallas notes that the city is losing property values, even up to 40 percent in some communities. For too many working families, the city is less affordable than ever. And it’s beyond property taxes, it’s also the crazy fees and fines. There are people ticketed daily who never paid their vehicle sticker. There have been 10,000 bankruptcies because of their inability to pay these fees and fines, and some have just given up and move away. The City’s budget shouldn’t be dependent on fining people. There’s a better way to do it, he says.

He adds that the red light cameras have got to go. They’re really there for revenue only. Of course, that’s not news to Chicagoans. Speed cameras in school zones are another issue, and that is a safety matter.

We discuss what may be misdirected construction in Chicago.

He also points out Mayor Emanuel’s promises may be smoke and mirrors, and not so real.

Learn more about Mr. Vallas’ ideas here.

with Gov. Pat Quinn

Former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn explains that he really can’t pardon people now, though I do ask him if he can pardon me. He doesn’t. But he concedes he too needs pardoning for swiping a napkin from the White House.

Gov. Quinn is supporting a referendum which will limit the Mayor of Chicago to two terms, which is consistent with most all other major cities across America. Under the constitution of Illinois – this option -is available by signing a petition, and with enough signatures a referendum then appears on the ballot. You can sign the petition, or better you can sign and you can also ask friends to sign it HERE.

Only three referendums can apparently be on a single ballot – so Mayor Rahm Emanuel is coming up with random ideas to cram the ballot, which Quinn says is “underhanded.” Maybe it’s desperate. But Quinn is determined that if the citizens of Chicago want term limits, it’s something that should happen. However, more signatures and your participation is still needed, and soon before times runs out.

Here’s a link to the website where petitions can be printed, or call 773-999-2016.

“Lucy Loved Me,” that’s the name of actress Paula Stewart’s book about her friendship with her best girlfriend, who happened to be Lucille Ball.

Paula explains how she first met Lucy. Paula asked Lucy if she needed help sing “Hey, Look Me Over.”

Paula and her then husband, the late comic Jack Carter, introduced Lucy to her second husband Gary Morton. We talk about Gary and what their relationship was like compared to her first husband, Desi Arnaz.

So, for decades, what was Lucy like to be a best pal? We talked about Lucy’s unwavering loyalty, particularly to her friends as well as her dogs. Paula even lived in Lucy’s guest house for a time.

Here’s an extra, from “Here’s Lucy” Paula Stewart plays quite the appealing and healing nurse, with Gale Gordon:

David Rotter

David Rotter of David Rotter Prosthetics in Joliet, IL makes prosthetics or artificial limbs. How is that he came to this profession?

David explains how the artificial limbs are made these days, a bit more technical than the peg leg pirates walked on in the very old movies; we’re talking about titanium and aluminum and more.

His clients primarily include veterans and both children and adults who have lost a limb or a part of one due to illness or an accident. Rotter has a particular interest at treating para athletes. For example, in Rio de Janeiro, he cheered on six para Olympic athletes. Clients also include Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and para Olympian Melissa Stockwell.

Rotter travels the world, particularly Guatemala, to help people who need an artificial limb.

Info@rotterprosthetics

#chicagoproud

Again – hear all these interviews HERE.