Myth of Daley as a "wonderful manager"

Andy Shaw on Chicago Tonight talking about the current city budget situation saying that is likely a good budget year because the mayor's wasteful spending and questionable funding are being scrutinized for the first time.

Watch it here.

VIA Progress Illinois.

Also city alderman take issue with the mayor spending on publicity for Chicago Breaking News:

In the first day of City Council hearings on Mayor Richard Daley 2009 budget proposal, several aldermen questioned why the administration spends millions of dollars to get out its message to the public.

The aldermen today cited a recent Tribune article detailing how City Hall spends $4.7 million on salaries for more than 50 public information officials and has paid millions of dollars more to public relations firms.

Ald. Michael Zalewski (23rd) noted that the city is laying off almost 1,000 laborers, tree trimmers and other employees to plug a $469 million budget deficit.

"When we are prioritizing these cuts, are these [public information] people that are being looked at, or are we just going after laborers and people that are out there getting dirty every day?" Zalewski asked Daley aides who testified on the proposed budget.

Daley's budget director, Bennett Johnson III, said the administration plans to reduce the ranks of its public information officers as part of an effort to merge nine existing City Hall departments into four new ones. Johnson said public information officials deal with inquiries from the media and Freedom of Information Act requests for government documents and also perform "outreach with the community."