The meteoric rise of Barack Obama will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed. And it has people trying to better understand The Chicago Way.
Courtesy of the local CBS affiliate:
Retired “The Price is Right” game show host and animal activist Bob Barker is scheduled to testify Tuesday morning at City Hall in favor of legislation which would require all Chicago dog and cat owners to spay or neuter their pets once they reach the age of six months.
***
Aldermen Burke and Rugai introduced the measure last May after a pack of five pit bulls attacked a woman while she was walking in the 6600 block of South Richmond Avenue on the Southwest Side.
***
In addition, the aldermen said the proposal takes aim at Chicago gang members who operate dog-fighting rings. Under the legislation, individuals seeking an exemption to the sterilization requirement would be forced to apply for a breeder’s license, a step that would require a criminal background check.
“I don’t know of too many gang members that would be willing to subject themselves to this type of scrutiny by law enforcement authorities,” Burke said.
Put another way, while these dangerous dogs are bred and trained by humans, the mentality behind most gun control ordinances — the problem is the weapon, not the criminal – is put into the service of dog control. It is also consistent with the mentality that caused Reason magazine to rate the one-time City of Big Shoulders as the worst city for exercising personal freedom in the United States (and that was without considering that its record-high taxes coincide with yawning budget deficits).
Welcome to Chicago. This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide.  Jim Malone.
Which nicely explains why when legislation is to be debated, the City Council would bring in the legendary ex-host of The Price is Right.
Interesting idea.. Since Chicago is crime free these days it’ll give the cops something constructive to do to wile away the time.. They can do door to door spay and neuter checks.. instead of entertaining themselves by harassing innocent street people, drug dealers and thugs..
I like it…
It’s at least heartening to see the long term trend in Chicago population is downward, though it isn’t possible to tell from a quick glance that it’s due to rational flight rather than rational refusal to migrate in or newly static or decreasing birthrates or the like. I’ll just cling to the hopeyness in my assumption that people are walking away.
*guffaw* Chicago’s leaders think gang members are going to “seek exemptions” and “apply for permits”? Like they follow the handgun ban, right?
Um, you have to have a criminal background check to breed dogs? Wow.
10.25% sales tax in Chicago. 10 point 2 mutherlovin’ 5%.
This is what I tell the earnest young clipboard people, circulating Democratic nominating petitions, when they ask for my signature.
Again, I tell my wife all the time – if she dropped dead, I’d call the proper medical authorities first. And the realtor second, to get the house listed so I could skedaddle outta here.
So their girlfriends will get the licenses. Or their brothers. Or…
Aldermen Burke and Rugai introduced the measure last May after a pack of five pit bulls attacked a woman while she was walking in the 6600 block of South Richmond Avenue on the Southwest Side.
Would it have mattered if the dogs had been spayed and neutered?
It’s misguided to do this unilaterally. We should look to Europe for guidance I think. As written, these policies will have a disproportionate impact on minorities, and how can that not be troubling?
I’m sure those dog-fighting people have no idea how to drive over to Detroit to get their bred-to-fight pitbulls. GREAT PLAN.
Didn’t California try to get a similar plan? A PETA deal or something?
Of course, everyone knows that the surge of hormones is what makes the animals more aggressive. Plus, once the dogs are done tearing each other to pieces, there won’t be any more… Ah hell, the policies of the city council haven’t made sense since I’ve been here. Add that to the fois gras ban and the council’s deliberations on banning “big box” stores. And today I saw a newspaper headline that da mayor’s “former firm” locked in a city contract until 2040 (which is how long he’ll be mayor).
Can I have a little hope for some positive change?
Didn’t California try to get a similar plan? A PETA deal or something?
Ooh, I love my MLT served on a PETA. Where the tomato is ripe and the mutton is lean. They’re so perky.
Clint do the citizens of Chicago just see the D on the ballot and automatically check the box?
When you criminalize having a dog that has not been spayed/neutered, only criminals with have dogs that have not been spayed/neutered.
Seriously, how would this have prevented the incidenct that gave rise to this idiocy?
Won’t that encourage straw dog purchasers?
Mr. Pink – Dead people do not need to actually see the ballot.
It does kind of make you wonder why Barker’s game show never had a game with a huge dog scrotum hanging on stage and the contestant would be given a really big scalpel and would have to choose which dog-nut to cut out for cash and prizes. I mean, everyone is wondering that, right?
Aldermen Burke and Rugai introduced the measure last May after a pack of five pit bulls attacked a woman while she was walking in the 6600 block of South Richmond Avenue on the Southwest Side.
You are what you eat! Stay away from the Eukanuba!
LOLOLOLOLOL
Mr. Pink,
There are only Ds on the ballot – at least locally. There is no GOP in Northern Illinois. I mean, after Ryan’s senate campaign “imploded”, Alan Keyes??
I’ve heard that the Union bosses tell the workers which numbers to punch in the booth, even to the point of passing out cards with the approved candidates “numbers” on them. And that’s the not including the zombie constituents. Daley got something like 89% of the vote in the last election. I’ll bet most people couldn’t even name a challenger. I know I couldn’t have.
Clint – write in alpuccino next time.
Coming soon to Chicago, bug fights!!!111!!!
http://www.japanesebugfights.com/1.htm
JD – I dunno, SevenEleventy is currently in the lead for the write-in. al, however, has some good ideas. If only we could apply some of those ideas to the city council, things might actually get done for the better.
Thanks for the answer Clint. It sounds like politics in DC except for the dead people voting.
JD – I dunno, SevenEleventy is currently in the lead for the write-in. al, however, has some good ideas. If only we could apply some of those ideas to the city council, things might actually get done for the better.
Thank you. If elected I promise all dogs will be required to eat city certified inspected humans.
Put another way, while these dangerous dogs are bred and trained by humans, the mentality behind most gun control ordinances  the problem is the weapon, not the criminal – is put into the service of dog control.
Put another way, while this dangerous disease is spread by rats, the mentality behind most disease control ordinances, — the problem is the disease, not the carrier — is put into the service of rat control.
Oh, yes, now it makes so much sense.
My very favorite, from a cabbie dispatcher there: “Chicago Way? Is that a street or a business?”
==========================================
Most aggressive bulldog I ever saw was neutered. After that he was just mean. He ended up chewing the owners sister’s face up pretty good.
But it wasn’t the dogs fault that people had ruined him. These assholes have taken the nanny dog and just totally crewed them up. The dog will defend you. Its bred into them. It will defend is territory. Teach it well and train it well and you’ll have the best dog you ever owned. Try and make it mean, you’ll have a problem. A big one.
Put another way, while this dangerous disease is spread by rats, the mentality behind most disease control ordinances,  the problem is the disease, not the carrier  is put into the service of rat control.
People as rats metaphor. Yep, just the right amount of condescension at those who have problems with governments increasing interference in the lives of the people.
“Daley got something like 89% of the vote in the last election. I’ll bet most people couldn’t even name a challenger. I know I couldn’t have.”
It’s the quality of the opponents, too. One of the times Daley ran, I voted for some woman just out of pique (also realizing my vote counted for nothing). I later found out that said woman was bug-out crazy, and I mean worse than your normal frothing Chicago alderman. Which means that she probably is in an institution right now, doodling on the walls with her own feces.
So, you are f*cked, no matter what.
It’s all about the cockfighting anyway.
Dogs = disease? Interesting.
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter. Also, do you happen to know of a reputable, licensed rat breeder?
“Also, do you happen to know of a reputable, licensed rat breeder?”
Back in the day, this was a serious calling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fancy_rat
I once came across an old issue of “True,” which was a popular men’s magazine back in the ’60s, which ran a profile on a couple of 70-year-old Cockneys, one of whom actually held the title of Rat Catcher to the Crown or some such. They had bizarre, intricate methods of capturing specific rats, and even crazier theories (though somewhat believable in context) with regards to the capability of rats to learn even complex attributes of the human environment – how wires work, which ones may be chewed safely, etc.
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter. Also, do you happen to know of a reputable, licensed rat breeder?
Isn’t there a Washington Lobby Registry already?
Every time I come to this site today, I get a warning that my virus blocker has found the “Psyme” virus and quarantined it. What in the hamsandwich is that about?
Stray druglord designer dogs must be captured and euthanized since the people who breed and sell them don’t give a shit about them, their socialization, or use. And while gun rights are constitutionally guaranteed, constitutional dog ownership rights don’t exist.
Many druglord designed dogs are cast off if they don’t fight well, and once loosed prey upon whatever they find, including other dogs. To eliminate the profit center of druglord designer dogs, requiring spay/neuter is a good idea since it prevents both human and animal suffering.
#35: Lisa (and all)
AFAIK, there is a “tracker”-type “virus” that was seeded in text Dan copied and pasted in the “Dissention in the Bylines” post. So any time you hit the front page (while it’s there) or access that post, you’ll probably get a warning from your AV software. I presume it’s placed in text at MSM sites to help them either boost traffic or track who is quoting stories online. Beyond that, it looks benign and should be deleted by any reputable anti-virus software.
I have e-mailed Dan and showed him where it is so that he can remove it, but iirc, his computer access is more limited this week, so it may be a few hours before he checks his e-mail.
Should you wish to see where it appears yourself, you can use your browser’s “View Source” function then use your computer’s text searching function (Crtl+F for Windows PCs) for the string “wp-stats.” And if you are paranoid as to whether your computer has deleted it, you can search your browser cache for the same string and delete any remaining file manually.
Here’s a little more about Psyme, which also suggests that it’s just an annoyance until Dan can get that little piece of code deleted.
No problem here. It must only affect breasted liberals!
Network Solutions sez:
Domain ID:D22443415-LRMS
Domain Name:WP-STATS-PHP.INFO
Created On:22-Nov-2007 13:45:05 UTC
Last Updated On:14-Apr-2008 20:46:01 UTC
Expiration Date:22-Nov-2009 13:45:05 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com Inc. (R171-LRMS)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:GODA-043533946
Registrant Name:No
Registrant Organization:Ju Dehua
Registrant Street1:B1/4F., No. 211, Taigu Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Shanghai
Registrant State/Province:
Registrant Postal Code:10079
Registrant Country:CN
Registrant Phone:+86.2158681248
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:f8c8dcc929de0f8fe20d6926e463bf0c-903683@owner.gandi.net
Admin ID:GODA-243533946
Admin Name:Ju Dehua
Admin Organization:
Admin Street1:B1/4F., No. 211, Taigu Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade
Admin Street2:Zone
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Shanghai
Admin State/Province:
Admin Postal Code:10079
Admin Country:CN
Admin Phone:+86.2158681248
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:j_dehua@yahoo.com
Billing ID:GODA-343533946
Billing Name:CONTACT NOT AUTHORITATIVE see http://www.gandi.net/whois
Billing Organization:GANDI sarl
Billing Street1:see also whois.gandi.net
Billing Street2:
Billing Street3:
Billing City:Paris
Billing State/Province:
Billing Postal Code:F-75003
Billing Country:FR
Billing Phone:+33.1111111
Billing Phone Ext.:
Billing FAX:
Billing FAX Ext.:
Billing Email:support@gandi.net
Tech ID:GODA-143533946
Tech Name:CONTACT NOT AUTHORITATIVE see http://www.gandi.net/whois
Tech Organization:GANDI sarl
Tech Street1:see also whois.gandi.net
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Paris
Tech State/Province:
Tech Postal Code:F-75003
Tech Country:FR
Tech Phone:+33.1111111
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:support@gandi.net
Name Server:NS43.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server:NS44.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Another spammer with credentials from GoDaddy.
Regards,
Ric
Okay thanks Karl (and Ric).
Seven, lol.
Actually, i think the particular code here is IE specific, so FF browsers won’t ever see it.
O, oy. Oops. PIMF!
I hope Barker brings a Plinko board into court. That game is the tops! And the Cliffhanger game too! Not surprising that Chicago is “that kinda town.” Always heard good things about it from people who visited to check it out, but never really got any insight from residents. Sounds similar to one-party town Philly where the D primary is simply accepted as the de facto election for mayor and the Pravda media complies. Sounds similar in that it is a tax drenched crime ridden shithole in a lot of parts as well whose gov’t goes after easy targets.
I am just glad the virus is not coming from the japanese bugfight website I linked too; by the way if you ever want to know the answer to the age old question of who would win in a fight, a scorpion or a tarantula, that website answers it.
Clint,
I don’t know if you live in Chicago, but I’m guessing not. If you did — or asked people who do — you would know that the Cook County Board has long been the dumping ground for Machine cronies who do the Mayor’s dirtiest work in hopes that voters won’t blame him.
It worked for decades, but people are starting to catch on. The county tax if anything is a way for the city to appropriate funds to itself from the surrounding suburbs. Also, not mentioned in the linked article is that the very highest tax is reserved for restaurants, etc. in Chitown’s main business district.
OT, sort of.
To those of you in the know, what’s with the “Zedo” and “casalemedia” popups I get every now and then at certain websites, like the JPost.
Ric I’m not very good with com-pooters.
Although I do speak jive.
Anyway, seems like you could do some ‘William Gibson’ cyber kung fu (or target a Tomahawk or something) with all that jiber-jaber?
Karl, FireFox 2 detects it but doesn’t load it. My antivirus (AVG) blocks it and gives me a popup to tell me so.
The sons of bitches put in a numeric address instead of a URI, so it isn’t even possible to HOSTS it out.
Regards,
Ric
Karl,
Yeah, I live in Chicago and work at the same place (relatively speaking) as the “artist” Wafaa Bilal. Yeah, Stroger’s machine tries to keep itself separate from the Mayor’s office, but otherwise they’re practically interchangeable. (Stroger, the guy who was elected, had a stroke and refused to retire despite his doctor’s recommendations. IIRC)
Yeah, the restaurants are hit pretty hard. I remember a journo friend of mine a few years ago remarking that a 1 mile radius around McCormick Center was hit with an increase in tax to fund updates to the center, afterall, they’re the ones who benefit from it most…
However, catch on or not, there’s still no viable alternative to the electoral machine. Alderman using their spouses businesses to line their own pockets is just one of the many ways the corruption continues apace.
Clint,
We’re on the same page then — I thought you noted the county tax as somehow not reflective of Chicago, whn it clearly is. And you’re right about Stroger — of course the prior Bd prez was his Dad, who was hidden from the public for months after he was debilitated, much as they used to do at the Politburo.
No, Lamont, I can’t. There are people who could, but they don’t because of side effects.
Given free choice and (magical) means of doing so, the correct response would be to go to the site and:
1) Shoot the two best-dressed people there;
2) Require everybody else to strip and be body-searched for data recording media;
3) Destroy everything on the premises that looks like a computer or data storage; and,
4) Burn the building.
But that’s just me. My plans tend to ‘way outstrip my capacity for executing them.
Regards,
Ric
Hmmm … Scorched earth policy for the virus runners?
I like it, Ric. I’ll get my propane torches, sledgehammers and lighter fluid. You bring the guns. PAR-TAY!
Please consider this your OFFICIAL DENOUNCEMENT! for inciting others to violence against people you don’t like.
Guns? I got guns.
I used Adblock in Firefox 3.0.1 to stop the Psyme from making it far enough to be detected by my security software. Adblock Plus will block numeric IP domains.
CHICAGO PD!
THIS IS A NEUTER CHECK!
GET YOUR PAWS UP AGAINST THE WALL AND SPREAD ‘EM!!
Racists
Arsonists.
Sen Stevens, Karl? Just guessing. But an opportunity to cheer the impending downfall of yet another old scum, I mean bull, well………..sweet.
Stevens? Good riddance. See ya’.
Karl,
Well, not “distinct” from the city’s extra cut, but in addition to. You know, to pay for the roads and such… Because according to some accounts after a certain distance from the Loop, the roads are the domain of the county, not the city…
Clint,
True about the roads, but this assumes the framework that most people assume — of a county being a superior/ larger governmental unit than a city. That is generally true, but de facto untrue in this case, given Chicago’s dominance of the County Board. Roads outside the city are financed primarily to get commuters into the city (to pay taxes).
I know that is a problem. But to say that any law that has difficulty being enforced should not exist is patently stupid. Must laws forbidding murder be repealed because “we know how” murderers “have a long and well-establish respect for the law”? Sheesh. Conservativism doesn’t mean giving up the public safety in the name of unthinking libertarianism.
In our municipality, a stray pitbull is reported to SPCA which then attempts to pick it up. If SPCA succeeds, the dog is euthanized within 24 hours. In other words, if it can be caught, it is killed so it is no longer a threat to law-abiding citizens who had the beast foisted upon them by idiots. It also cannot be used as bait or ictim in illegal dog fights. The citizens are safe and needless animal suffering is averted.
If a pit bull is on leash and the citizen is stopped by police (all pit bulls are illegal in the city), the citizen is issued a warning and a field interview report records the citation. If the warning is repeated as verified by the field interview database, the SPCA is notified to confirm the breed; if the breed is verified, the dog is siezed and euthanized.
The same thing happens if the pit bull is harbored or confined to a yard.
Anyone can own a pitbull in the city, but they can lose it to euthanasia at any time.
JD: I just heard on Limbaugh about Stevens. Will the seat go Democrat? Will the governor appoint a repplacement? Is the term up this year or in two years?
that was a very shakey earthquake
It was. My windows were shaking.
Gov. Palin would ordinarily get to appoint a replacement, but the seat is up for election this year and I don’t think there was a Republican challenger fopr the upcoming primary. There should have been.
Just looked up the Stevens thing. For some reason I expected to read that he’d died, which would have made his re-election a lot more difficult than a mere criminal indictment. Worst case scenario for Republicans IMO is he does get re-elected.
This should be no problem. Surely Alaska’s rules are as flexible as New Jersey’s.
Moderately shaky earthquake, yes. 5.8 on the Richter scale.
Regards,
Ric
How ’bout we neuter the City Council instead?
70. Did Gov. McGreevey do his share to bring the pork to the Garden State?
#73: Jack, etc. That was evil and I hate myself for laughing at it.
Consider yourself denouned.
ARRRRRRGH! UHHHHHHH! ARRRRGHHHH! NUH! NUH! …
TOO … MANY … JOKES!!!!!
Was he the pitcher or catcher?
Alright, I denounce BJ.
74. I remember walking through South Philly past open windows when the Gov. came out and you would hear the reactions to the news in best Tony Soprano style: ” ‘olly fuck’n shit! tha’ govna new joizey’s a queeah!!”
77. Jack, etc.: My first apartment after college in ’78 was at 2nd and Lombard. I know exactly what you are saying.
One time I was getting a filet at the Italian Market and I asked the butcher to trim the fat. He gave me that low, South Philly, glare and said, “What are you, some kind of pussy? Burn it off like a man!”
I took it as is.
TheGeezer,
I never said laws that are hard to enforce shouldn’t be. I said that laws seeking to make behavior into criminal behavior is only a scheme to raise revenue for the city. In Chicago there are two (that I can think of) different parking/licensing schemes – a car owned by someone who resides in Chicago has to have a “city sticker” that is good for one year or else a ticket is issued. Additionally, many areas of the city are “permit only” parking. If your car doesn’t display the correct permit after a certain hour (usually 6 PM), there is another fine. What is the crime here – owning a car and living in Chicago and parking it legally on the street?
Define for me “public safety”. Particularly in the context of your example of fining citizens and killing their pets regardless of any other factors. You said “If a pit bull is on leash and the citizen is stopped by police (all pit bulls are illegal in the city), the citizen is issued a warning and a field interview report records the citation. If the warning is repeated as verified by the field interview database, the SPCA is notified to confirm the breed; if the breed is verified, the dog is siezed and euthanized.”
What is the crime? Owning a pit bull? What about Dobermans, German Shepherds, or any other breed with a reputation for aggressive behavior? (As an aside, the only time I was bitten by a dog was my childhood neighbors’ collie. The dog knocked me down and stood over me snapping at my face after biting my leg. Collies aren’t known for such behavior.)Once the animal is demonstrated as a harm to others, then it’s time for correction, not preemptively fining and killing animals for existing (irregardless of the conditions they exist in).
The point about spaying/neutering the animals will not stop the animals from being bred illegally (now), and used in fights. It will only create more revenue for a corrupt government to use and further the corruption. I think it’s well past time to stop accepting further intrusions in the name of “public safety”.
Karl,
I wasn’t totally aware of the full relationship between the city and county boards, but it makes complete sense now. I was told that at some point in the 80s or 90s the city increased the property taxes to the extent that businesses fled to the ‘burbs and with the county tax levels being what they are, those lost revenues are effectively recouped for the city. Devious.
Trackers are good. It means you have followers. How Obamaesque is that!
80. My first house I bought was at 13th and Tasker. Between that, West Philly, and Fishtown I will not be lectured to by any sniveling, progressive, lefty tool (like a significant amount of the population here in Austin) about anything having to do with race relations, urban life, or pretty much anything having to do with reality.
Sorry that was for BJ at #78.
You kids alright out there in Californialand?
Is anybody ever alright out there in Californialand?
#13
You do if you know what’s good for you.
I have known people who worked for the City in various departments, correction, buildings, sanitation, etc. who’s only job was , during election time, was to get out the vote. Organizing busses from senior homes, halfway houses, bars. Always with pockets stuffed with cash.
That was their only job. The rest of the year they did nothing.
Oh. Yeah. These ae the guys that are going to help Obama run the country. Gramps doesn’t look so bad after all.
Adblock Plus will block numeric IP domains.
NoScript will stop it, too, and is free.
I’m using Adblock Plus the Firefox extension. It’s free too.
Comment by Pablo on 7/29 @ 9:16 am #
“Um, you have to have a criminal background check to breed dogs? Wow.”
I think they are putting in an amendment that says you have to have a licence to pork your moose, too.
Bummer, man!
>blockquote …>It’s all about the cockfighting anyway.
Sounds like fun!
But I’ve never fought with my cock. How do you do that, anyway? Is it akin to cockslapping?
Jeebus! With my face still burning, I did it again!
Did you know that something like 90% of dog bites are from un-neutered dogs? And that the percentage of dog bites by pit bulls is much lower (although disproportionate to their population)? Which isn’t to say that it would have mattered in this case. Dog attacks are almost invariably related to the owner’s treatment of the animal (which includes choosing not to spay/neuter).
You know what else is interesting: mandatory spay/neuter has been found to be significantly less effective than voluntary campaigns. (The ASPCA, for example, opposes mandatory spay/neuter largely for that reason.)
As opposed to unthinking nanny-state-ism? “Difficulty being enforced” is just icing on the cake. These laws simply do not increase public safety.
Must laws forbidding murder be repealed because “we know how†murderers “have a long and well-establish respect for the law�
Did you know the vast majority of murders are by family members and loved ones? If we outlawed families and committed relationships we could cut the murder rate drastically.
The number of pit bull bite incidents in my city have been zero for many years. There were two or three incidents about ten years ago, with one fatality (an infant), motivated the ordinance. It may be due to aggressive enforcement or to an awareness that presence equals offense, but for whatever reasons, the public safety here has improved since there are very few pit bulls roaming loose.
Just for clarity’s sake, I am not arguing for mandatory spay/neuter of aggressive dogs, although that is beneficial generally for both genders in the long term. I am arguing that in some cases, regulation of breed(s) may be necessary.
Cite your evidence for this statement. I’d like to see the research you’ve done that supports the idea that “regulation of breed(s) may be necessary”.
I say this because research has been done to find out if these kinds of laws are effective, and they show that they are not effective on several levels.
For example:
And from the same source:
Now if you have better sources, by all means provide them. If pit bull bans actually did 1) work and 2) are even remotely cost effective, I’d be more inclined to support them. I don’t care about pit bulls one way or the other. But I’m not about to deprive others of their liberty to own their pets based on shoddy reasoning.