City is anti-business, grocer’s son says
Columnist John Kass addresses UBAM members
By Steve Metsch
John Kass, whose father and relatives built a grocery business with hard work, knows about the pressures facing business owners in Chicago.
The city is not doing enough to help small businesses, the former Chicago Tribune reporter and columnist recently told a gathering of Southwest Side business leaders.
Kass spent years covering City Hall. He knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak. He knows the inner workings of the fifth floor, also known as the mayor’s office.
Now self-employed, Kass is a shop owner of sorts.
But instead of selling prime cuts of meat as did his father, Kass weighs in on a favorite game – politics – on his “The Chicago Way” podcast and his columns at johnkassnews.com.
On March 9, Kass was guest speaker at a United Business Association of Midway luncheon at the Red Barrel Restaurant in Archer Heights.
Kass was asked what can be done to help businesses owners on the Southwest Side.
“I’m thinking as a shopkeeper like I was and am,” he said. “Get the government off businesses’ back. Cut their taxes. … How can you have a business with (such high) taxes?”
He dislikes the city coming down hard on businesses.
“Don’t sic inspectors on them every day. ‘Why don’t you have the third sink?’ Know what I mean? ‘I’ve been cutting vegetables in this sink for 20 years, now you tell me to get another sink?’ That kind of thing drives people crazy,” Kass said.
He sees Chicago’s rising crime rate as a deterrent to business.
“How do you have a business when your customers think they’re going to get shot on the way to your business?” Kass asked.
He was very disappointed with Mayor Lightfoot when she endorsed Kim Foxx for re-election as Cook County State’s Attorney in 2020.
Lightfoot, he said, had told him she’d never endorse Foxx. “Three weeks later, she endorsed Foxx.”
“What message is the Democratic Party sending?” Kass asked regarding crime.
“Gangbangers on ankle monitoring cap another person in the head. Gangbangers driving around, on electronic monitoring, but the monitor is plugged into the car.”
He said a person very familiar with politics told him “the Democratic Party is saying ‘get the blank out.’ It’s the truth.”
He will not support Lightfoot if she seeks re-election.
“Give me a law-and-order candidate,” he said. “You want a minority? Paul Vallas. Paul Vallas is a minority to me because Greeks are a minority. We weren’t even white until Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis.”
He recalled writing a column saying then-Mayor Richard J. Daley signed an executive order on the wedding day that Greeks were white. “People believed it. Satire is a bad thing,” Kass said smiling.
After the meeting, Steve Rosenbaum, president of Hoyne Savings Bank and a former Oak Lawn village trustee, said Kass was right about businesses.
“One of the biggest aspects we encounter is fees placed upon businesses, whether it be a driveway inspection fee, a sign inspection fee and the like,” Rosenbaum said “When he touched upon that, that’s what came to mind, fees added on with no service provided,”
“That’s why a business association such as UBAM serves as a real conduit to elected officials. We can have an exchange of ideas,” he said.
UBAM Executive Director Anita Cummings has been impressed by “the spirit of our people” battling crime and the pandemic.
“John re-emphasized the beginnings of success. Hard work,” Cummings said. “That’s how our businesses are. And, they’re in this organization to promote everybody’s economic development.”
In 2022, UBAM hopes to add more gardens, expand to Bedford Park and work with the city to beautify Cicero Avenue from the Stevenson Expressway to Midway, she said.
Local News
Baseball | Stagg tops Chicago Christian in season-opener
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Spring has a different set of challenges for high school sports compared to those played in the winter and fall. The most common and most unpredictable hurdle is the weather, without fail. The start of 2024 high school baseball season lucked out, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 60s and…
Hoops team featuring De La Salle players wins 2nd straight Unified Basketball state title
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent For the second consecutive season, the team comprising students from De La Salle and Southside Occupational Academy are IHSA/Special Olympics of Illinois Division II Unified Basketball state champions. The De La Salle-SOA unified team etched its name into the state annals via a 64-59 victory over St. Patrick-Vaughn Occupational…
Softball | Mother McAuley seeks to right ship
Spread the loveFrom Staff Reports The 2024 season is off to an uneven and somewhat rocky start for Mother McAuley. The Mighty Macs opened the spring with consecutive losses — 9-3 to Oak Forest on March 11 and 18-1 to Benet on March 13 — before getting off the schneid with an 18-1 win over…
Boys Basketball | Players from Evergreen Park and Brother Rice to ball at prospect showcase
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Five players from the area have been invited to play on the South Suburban Team at the Illinois Hoop Prospect Senior All-Star Games scheduled to be played March 24 at Joliet Junior College. Brother Rice’s Zavier Fitch and Ty Wooten join Evergreen Park’s Nolan Sexton, Marist’s Darshan Thomas and…
Girls Basketball | George Shimko takes reins for Mustangs
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent One longtime area basketball coach will succeed another at Evergreen Park. George Shimko, who brought success to the girls basketball programs at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, has been named the new girls hoops coach at Evergreen Park. He will succeed Bruce Scaduto, who retired after 27 years…
De La Salle tabs Harold Blackmon as next football coach
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent A pair of familiar coaches from the area have landed in new spots. Harold Blackmon, who has been head football coach at St. Laurence and Oak Lawn, has been named coach at De La Salle. George Shimko, a former girls basketball coach at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence,…
Red Stars, rugby will highlight big weekend at SeatGeek
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Things will get busy in Bridgeview this weekend. The Chicago Fire II will host its season opener against Toronto FC II at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22 at SeatGeek Stadium. The following day, the Chicago Red Stars make their 2024 home debut against Seattle at 3 p.m. Rugby invades…
Red Stars Report | Cooks provide recipe for success in Red Stars’ win over Utah
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Lorne Donaldson era is already Cook-ing. The new Chicago Red Stars coach enjoyed a victory in his debut with a 2-0 triumph over Utah in the NWSL season-opener for both teams on March 16 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The game was the first in franchise…
College Sports Wrap | Morton College OF Angelo Luna slugs two grand slams in one day
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college baseball sluggers had a grand time on March 16. Former St. Laurence standout Angelo Luna, a sophomore outfielder at Morton College, hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs over two games as the Panthers beat Highland, 7-3 and 18-5, in a doubleheader at home. Luna…
College Notebook | Ex-Mount Carmel wrestler Sergio Lemley takes fourth in Big Ten
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent One reason the Michigan wrestling team has been successful this season is freshman Sergio Lemley. At the Big Ten tournament, Lemley won three of his five matches to finish fourth at 141 pounds. The Wolverines placed second with 123.5 points behind conference champion Penn State (170.5). In the consolation…
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…
Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact. That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…
Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal
COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval. Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…
Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…
Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement. Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…