March 28, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

It takes courage to be a Catholic educator. In America's culture wars, abortion is the trump card of every moral discussion. Or so the righteous right requires us to believe.

At Notre Dame, the most Catho- lic of Catholic universities, a national protest is building over the decision by the school's president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, to invite President Obama to give the commencement address on May 17.
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Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin

Join Phil Ponce and Carol Marin on "Chicago Tonight" at 7PM to talk about the fury that's arisen from the city privatizing parking meters and hiking rates.
Channel 11 tonight at 7.
And then Marin reports "Meter Madness" for NBC5 at 10PM.

March 25, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

'Boycott' may not be too strong a word after all. I'm talking about Chicago parking meters and the fury out there right now about what the mayor and the City Council have done by selling off our meters to a private company for $1.2 billion. And the rage over what that company, formed by Morgan Stanley, and its subcontractor, LAZ Parking, have done by meteorically raising rates, blanketing cars with tickets and eliminating free Sunday parking. Adding insult to injury, these private contractors have done a rotten job of posting new rates and times on meters.

Governor Pat Quinn will talk with WTTW's Phil Ponce and Carol Marin for 30 minutes tonight at 7PM on Channel 11 about the battle for his budget, raising the state income tax and what that may or may not mean for reform, and what consequences this proposal will have for his own political future.

March 21, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

I spent last week staring at parking meters. And wondering if I was witnessing the beginnings of a boycott.

Boycott is probably too strong a term. Quiet rebellion may be more like it.
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Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin

March 18, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

Al Sanchez sat in the witness box Tuesday doing what defendants in federal corruption trials seldom do.

He testified.
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Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

Pat Quinn, our post-Blagojevich governor, is in the political fight of his populist life.

Without the all-powerful speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, Quinn will lose his admittedly joyless battle to increase the state income tax.

With Madigan on his side, he could win the tax battle and still be doomed, kissing his chance of remaining governor goodbye.

March 7, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

Todd Stroger hung up on Henry Feinberg. It was March 2008.

Feinberg says he was "sitting in my kitchen, in my robe, drinking tea and reading the paper."

The news that day was that the County Board, after a protracted fight, had hiked Cook County's sales tax to highest in the nation.

March 4, 2009

CAROL MARIN cmarin@suntimes.com

Who knew at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday that an earthquake was about to hit Chicago's Northwest Side?

Not Mike Quigley.