Quick Hits

Bringing back an old favorite:

• Suzanne Marlatt's enthusiasm for her new scooter screeched to a halt when she parked at one of the city's privately run pay spaces.
  
  After processing her money, the kiosk ejected a receipt with no adhesive. As she looked at the flimsy piece of paper, she thought: I have no way to attach this to my scooter.
  
  [...] Her frustration is shared by scooter riders and bikers across the city, who are blasting Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private company that took over paid street parking in the city, for its decision last month to eliminate adhesive receipts.

The parking meter scandal - the gift that keeps on giving. Nothing like day after day after day of bad publicity. But don't worry, Avis Lavelle says the company is retrofitting the kiosks with little bins on the side to hold tape. Problem solved!

Next up, Mope-rah's favorite suburb:

• A 17-year-old from Maywood has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Maywood police officers Sunday afternoon.

  [..] He was charged with three counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one charge of aggravated use of a weapon, according to police.

  [...] Police responded, and Thompson allegedly shot at several officers. A foot chase then ensued with Thompson fleeing to the 200 block of North 3rd Avenue. Thompson then put the gun to his head and asked to speak to his family, police said.

  Police and family members convinced Thompson to put down the gun, ending the standoff without further incident.

Too bad the story didn't have a happy ending. We're sure Mope-rah will want to address the conditions in Maywood that make it so dangerous for police to actually patrol the streets without being shot at. Right?

And Daley continues to lose his marbles:

• Mayor Daley today accused unidentified media naysayers of trying to sandbag Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid by reporting testimony from people at neighborhood hearings who don’t want the Olympics.

  “You’re against it. You were against Millennium Park. You were against 911. You were against Soldiers Field. You were against Meigs Field. What else were you against? You’re against a lot. But, that’s freedom of speech,” Daley said.

  “Some people don’t want this. … That’s part of American democracy. They can stand up and say anything they want. … But, in the next five years, six years, tell me one [other] thing that can bring jobs and economic opportunities and, besides that, guarantee an investment by the federal government [of] billions of dollars in infrastructure. If you have something better, I’d love to see it.”

As we recall it, the media was against a park and assorted attached parking structures that ran over double the budgeted amount. Same thing with the 911 center - double or triple initial estimates and all the systems contained within aren't compatible with one another. Soldier Field is an eyesore now and shouldn't have involved the amount of taxpayer money it did. Meigs Field was a nighttime end-around FAA regulations that cost taxpayers a few hundred thousand bucks.

And that expected "federal government" money for improvements? This is from the same people who have stiffed the city for how much in related security costs? They aren't the ones signing away Chicago's future.