Boeing gives Chicago $10-million

On Oct 4, 6:30 am, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:21:03 -0400, Margy Natalie
wrote in :

ChicagoMUSEUMS notChicago.

Are you suggesting that the city ofChicagois not the de facto
owner[1] of the museums to which Boeing has given $10-million?

Although I personally would like to [see] the
Mayor tarred and feathered I don't think donating $$ to the museums in
the area to encourage science education is a bad thing.

Is it your naiveté or your museum employment that blinds you to the
irony of the world's largest _aircraft_ manufacturer contributing a
large sum of cash to Daley (however indirectly), who ordered the Meigs
runways bulldozed in the dead of night[2]?

It is only you questioning whether the millions of dollars will be
used for good or not. But beside the irony, given Daley's hubris and
the city ofChicago'sreputation for corruption[3] it is conceivable
that funds may be diverted from their intended recipients.

Beyond that, what do you think may be a reason Boeing choseChicago
(Boeing's corporate headquarters since 2001) museums instead of say
the Smithsonian? Given Boeing's recent history of revolving CEOs, the
Druyan criminal corruption exposé[4], and the questioning of Boeing's
ethics by one of their recently retired chief engineers[5], is it not
conceivable that this public display of corporate philanthropy may
belie collusion?

[1]
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/aboutus/index.shtml
The Adler Planetarium thanks the State of Illinois Public Museum
Capital Grants Program administered through the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois State Museum for
its continuing generous support of facility expansion and
improvement projects.

The Adler also gratefully acknowledges the generous support it
receives from theChicagoPark District on behalf of the citizens
ofChicago. [It was theChicagoPark District who bulldozed
Meigs.]

http://www.msichicago.org/info/vtm/about.html
The Museum of Science and Industry is supported in part through
the generosity of the people ofChicagothrough theChicagoPark
District.

[2]http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2003/03-1-157x.html
Mayor Daley bulldozesChicago'sMeigs Field

Update: Mar. 31, 2003 - Sneaking in under the cover of darkness,
city ofChicagoconstruction crews began tearing up the runway at
Meigs Field this morning at about 1:30 a.m. There was no advance
warning, not even to the FAA. Some 16 aircraft are stranded on the
field. A city source told theChicagomedia that the "airport is
closed for good" for "homeland security reasons."

"We are absolutely shocked and dismayed," said AOPA President Phil
Boyer. "Mayor Daley has no honor and his word has no value. The
sneaky way he did this shows that he knows it was wrong."

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...p?channel=busa...
The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered the city of
Chicagoto repay $1 million the agency claims was illegally
diverted to demolish Meigs Field and restore the land where the
airport formerly operated on the shore of Lake Michigan just
minutes away fromChicago'sbusiness district. In a settlement
reached Monday following years of legal action, FAA also fined the
city $33,000, the maximum possible, for failing to provide advance
notice of its plans to close the airport. As part of the
settlement, the city denies wrongdoing.

The city ofChicagopermanently closed the lakefront airport after
Mayor Richard Daley ordered in bulldozers to rip up the runway
without notice in the dark of night March 30, 2003 ...

Congress has since increased the applicable fines from $1,100 per
day to $10,000 per day, making it "much more painful for another
city to attempt a midnight airport raid." Congress also now
requires notice of proposed closures to be published in the
Federal Register.

[3]http://www.avweb.com/news/atis/181839-1.html
Did anyone happen to look at the staggeringly high level of
corruption inChicagocity government? Where other U.S. cities are
running surpluses,Chicagokeeps increasing its city taxes and
fees because of the kickbacks, payoffs and scams. Your employees
will rapidly discover that every city construction project costs
about 30 percent more than in other places because the contracts
only go to Mayor Daley's pals, whether they are low bidder or not.
You'll find that 20 inches of concrete for an expressway is really
15 inches, but you'll get to pay for 20 inches.

[4]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert...g-scandal-afte...
Both of the instances of Boeing's wrongdoing involved major
offenses against the U.S. government and U.S. taxpayers. They both
involved projects of considerable importance to Boeing. And in
both cases the company's conduct was extraordinarily egregious;
these were not failures to comply with arcane rules, but theft of
a competitor's proprietary data to facilitate bid-rigging and a
quid pro quo arrangement with a government contracting officer to
facilitate a massive government overpayment for a weapons system
of very questionable benefit.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/de...boeg-d17.shtml
Top officials in the Bush administration-including the president
himself-are implicated in the expanding scandal surrounding
airplane manufacturer and defense contractor Boeing. The case
provides a revealing glimpse into the extent to which US military
policy is subordinated to brazen profiteering by defense
contractors and the government officials who enjoy their
patronage.

[5]http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/09/17/2003889769.pdf

Baaa Waaa, Pampers are on sale at Target...JG
Ma-roonnn get over it already, use MDW

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:01:53 -0700, wrote in
. com:

get over it already,

So your solution to corruption, violation of laws by public servants,
and despotism is to fogetaboutit? How very cleaver of you. How long
did it take you to reach that insight? :-(

Unfortunately, it is the public's lack of recollection of past events
that enables this type of behavior. Connect the dots....

On Oct 20, 3:29 pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:01:53 -0700, wrote in
. com:

get over it already,

So your solution to corruption, violation of laws by public servants,
and despotism is to fogetaboutit? How very cleaver of you. How long
did it take you to reach that insight? :-(

Unfortunately, it is the public's lack of recollection of past events
that enables this type of behavior. Connect the dots....

The only despotism at Meigs could have been the cushy fire station
jobs and Aviation Dept.
loafers. Landing fees didn't cover it so MDW is the winner.

Bilandic lost when he screwed up the snow plowing and Jane Byrne got
in, so the public will act on important screw ups...JG

"Park officials have also launched a framework plan for the use of
Northerly Island, the site of a bird hospital and the Charter One
concert pavilion. They approved a nearly $400,000 contract for JJR
LLC, a Michigan planning and design firm that completed a harbor study
for the district, to design conceptual plans for the site.....

Mayor Daley on Monday ruled out Navy Pier, Northerly Island and the
area surrounding McCormick Place as possible sites for a Chicago
casino.
Ever since Daley came out swinging in the fight to build a children's
museum in Grant Park, rumors have been swirling that Daley wants the
Chicago Children's Museum out of Navy Pier to make way for a casino.

When downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) suggested Northerly Island as
an alternative site, the same casino speculation swirled around that
location.

On Monday, Daley attempted to put both rumors to rest.

"When we decided to do Navy Pier, people had rumors: 'Oh, there's
going to be a big gaming hall.' I don't know who's getting these
rumors out. This will never be a gaming facility. ... Navy Pier is for
families," Daley told a news conference at Navy Pier, where he is
hosting a "Hemispheric Forum" for mayors from North, Central and South
America."

wrote:
"Park officials have also launched a framework plan for the use of
Northerly Island, the site of a bird hospital SNIP

A bird hospital? Really? Now there's something that will make big money for
the city.

("Gig 601XL Builder" wrote)
A bird hospital? Really? Now there's something that will make big money
for the city.


I'm convinced the local popularity and national reputation of the Raptor
Center, at the U of M, made possible the establishment of the National Eagle
Center, on the Mississippi River (half-way, between the Twin Cities and the
Iowa border.)

Yup, $$$$ ....ecodollars.

http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/index.htm
National Eagle Center - Wabasha, MN

http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/raptor/about/home.html
The Raptor Center - University of Minnesota


Montblack

Montblack wrote:
("Gig 601XL Builder" wrote)
A bird hospital? Really? Now there's something that will make big
money for the city.


I'm convinced the local popularity and national reputation of the
Raptor Center, at the U of M, made possible the establishment of the
National Eagle Center, on the Mississippi River (half-way, between
the Twin Cities and the Iowa border.)

Yup, $$$$ ....ecodollars.

http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/index.htm
National Eagle Center - Wabasha, MN

http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/raptor/about/home.html
The Raptor Center - University of Minnesota


Montblack


Do they have a lot of birds of prey in the greater Chicago area?

("Gig 601XL Builder" wrote)
Do they have a lot of birds of prey in the greater Chicago area?


Blah, blah, blah, ...Chicago.

Back to the Twin Cities:

"BirdCam began in 1998, when NSP (now Xcel Energy) became one of the first
companies to place images from a peregrine nest box online. The original
BirdCam allowed visitors to watch Mae, the first falcon to nest at a power
plant, care for and feed her young."

http://www.raptorresource.org/nests.htm
Power plant BirdCams:

"In 1990, Xcel's King plant became the first power plant in the United
States to provide a home for nesting falcons. Its success has led to similar
installations at power plants around the world. In 2004, female baby
Goldstar Zipster became the 300th falcon to hatch from a power plant."

http://www.raptorresource.org/new.htm
Fun raptor BirdCam site - many links

5/01/2007 (YIKES. I never considered this possibility!)
"In sad news, the Xcel Energy Sherco nest box was destroyed by lightning.
Adult W/A was found dead, and bits of shell were also found on the catwalk.
This is the first time anything like this has happened here that I remember.
The incident was reported to USFWS and we'll be replacing the nestbox later
this summer."


Montblack

Do they have a lot of birds of prey in the greater Chicago area?

Lots of human birds of prey, but also a few peregrines - saw one on
top of a building across from my office window a number of years ago,
dining on fresh pigeon.

The bird hospital is for CFIT by birds into buildings - happens
frequently during migration season. Apparently birds often fly at
night and are blinded by the city lights.

On Oct 22, 8:42 am, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
wrote:
"Park officials have also launched a framework plan for the use of
Northerly Island, the site of a bird hospital SNIP

A bird hospital? Really? Now there's something that will make big money for
the city.

Likely non-profit, and dang funny..aviation remains on the island...JG

wrote:
On Oct 4, 6:30 am, Larry Dighera wrote:

On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:21:03 -0400, Margy Natalie
wrote in :


ChicagoMUSEUMS notChicago.

Are you suggesting that the city ofChicagois not the de facto
owner[1] of the museums to which Boeing has given $10-million?


Although I personally would like to [see] the
Mayor tarred and feathered I don't think donating $$ to the museums in
the area to encourage science education is a bad thing.

Is it your naiveté or your museum employment that blinds you to the
irony of the world's largest _aircraft_ manufacturer contributing a
large sum of cash to Daley (however indirectly), who ordered the Meigs
runways bulldozed in the dead of night[2]?

It is only you questioning whether the millions of dollars will be
used for good or not. But beside the irony, given Daley's hubris and
the city ofChicago'sreputation for corruption[3] it is conceivable
that funds may be diverted from their intended recipients.

Beyond that, what do you think may be a reason Boeing choseChicago
(Boeing's corporate headquarters since 2001) museums instead of say
the Smithsonian? Given Boeing's recent history of revolving CEOs, the
Druyan criminal corruption exposé[4], and the questioning of Boeing's
ethics by one of their recently retired chief engineers[5], is it not
conceivable that this public display of corporate philanthropy may
belie collusion?


The main aviation hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, NASM is now
known as the Boeing Aviation Hangar. Can you guess why? If I recall
correctly they gave the Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian, more than the
Chicago museums.
[1]
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/aboutus/index.shtml
The Adler Planetarium thanks the State of Illinois Public Museum
Capital Grants Program administered through the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois State Museum for
its continuing generous support of facility expansion and
improvement projects.

The Adler also gratefully acknowledges the generous support it
receives from theChicagoPark District on behalf of the citizens
ofChicago. [It was theChicagoPark District who bulldozed
Meigs.]

http://www.msichicago.org/info/vtm/about.html
The Museum of Science and Industry is supported in part through
the generosity of the people ofChicagothrough theChicagoPark
District.

[2]http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2003/03-1-157x.html
Mayor Daley bulldozesChicago'sMeigs Field

Update: Mar. 31, 2003 - Sneaking in under the cover of darkness,
city ofChicagoconstruction crews began tearing up the runway at
Meigs Field this morning at about 1:30 a.m. There was no advance
warning, not even to the FAA. Some 16 aircraft are stranded on the
field. A city source told theChicagomedia that the "airport is
closed for good" for "homeland security reasons."

"We are absolutely shocked and dismayed," said AOPA President Phil
Boyer. "Mayor Daley has no honor and his word has no value. The
sneaky way he did this shows that he knows it was wrong."

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...p?channel=busa...
The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered the city of
Chicagoto repay $1 million the agency claims was illegally
diverted to demolish Meigs Field and restore the land where the
airport formerly operated on the shore of Lake Michigan just
minutes away fromChicago'sbusiness district. In a settlement
reached Monday following years of legal action, FAA also fined the
city $33,000, the maximum possible, for failing to provide advance
notice of its plans to close the airport. As part of the
settlement, the city denies wrongdoing.

The city ofChicagopermanently closed the lakefront airport after
Mayor Richard Daley ordered in bulldozers to rip up the runway
without notice in the dark of night March 30, 2003 ...

Congress has since increased the applicable fines from $1,100 per
day to $10,000 per day, making it "much more painful for another
city to attempt a midnight airport raid." Congress also now
requires notice of proposed closures to be published in the
Federal Register.

[3]http://www.avweb.com/news/atis/181839-1.html
Did anyone happen to look at the staggeringly high level of
corruption inChicagocity government? Where other U.S. cities are
running surpluses,Chicagokeeps increasing its city taxes and
fees because of the kickbacks, payoffs and scams. Your employees
will rapidly discover that every city construction project costs
about 30 percent more than in other places because the contracts
only go to Mayor Daley's pals, whether they are low bidder or not.
You'll find that 20 inches of concrete for an expressway is really
15 inches, but you'll get to pay for 20 inches.

[4]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert...g-scandal-afte...
Both of the instances of Boeing's wrongdoing involved major
offenses against the U.S. government and U.S. taxpayers. They both
involved projects of considerable importance to Boeing. And in
both cases the company's conduct was extraordinarily egregious;
these were not failures to comply with arcane rules, but theft of
a competitor's proprietary data to facilitate bid-rigging and a
quid pro quo arrangement with a government contracting officer to
facilitate a massive government overpayment for a weapons system
of very questionable benefit.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/de...boeg-d17.shtml
Top officials in the Bush administration-including the president
himself-are implicated in the expanding scandal surrounding
airplane manufacturer and defense contractor Boeing. The case
provides a revealing glimpse into the extent to which US military
policy is subordinated to brazen profiteering by defense
contractors and the government officials who enjoy their
patronage.

[5]http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/09/17/2003889769.pdf


Baaa Waaa, Pampers are on sale at Target...JG
Ma-roonnn get over it already, use MDW