Mammoth Blog

this date 1862 Congress abolished slavery in the U.S. territories Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. source>>>

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, who apparently has passed on the USC job. USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett has always taken the pedestal-stance that if someone doesn't want to coach at his university, he'd find someone who does. Apparently, that does not apply to Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon.

A source familiar with the USC basketball program said that Dixon was approached for a second time and again said, "no, thanks." Dixon was contacted after Tim Floyd resigned, but talks went nowhere because he insisted on an out-clause in the event USC was placed on NCAA probation, another source familiar with the USC athletic department said earlier this week. USC officials were unwilling to grant it.

The NCAA is investigating USC's football and basketball programs.

The continuing pursuit of Dixon could further mar the basketball program, which had three players declare early for the NBA draft and also lost five recruits. Whoever is hired may now be perceived as second choice, at best.

USC interviewed Sacramento Kings' Coach Reggie Theus on Thursday and was also considering former Oklahoma City Thunder Coach P.J. Carlesimo as of Tuesday. source>>>

The U.S. Golf Association, facing a mini-public relations blowup, has now tweaked its policy for Thursday ticketholders a second time. Shortly after play was suspended Thursday at 10:15 a.m., the USGA said that tickets for that day would not be refunded or valid for admission to subsequent rounds. Earlier today, it amended the policy by making Thursday tickets valid for admission to Bethpage on Monday, should play extend to that day. Then, a few minutes ago, the association released an advisory saying that, should there be no Monday golf, Thursday ticket purchasers will be entitled to a 50% refund.

It also clarified the policy regarding Saturday and Sunday tickets. "If 90 minutes or more of golf are played on Saturday or Sunday, daily tickets for that day will not be refunded or exchanged," the advisory said. A hard rain is forecast for Saturday.

At a press conference this morning, USGA Executive Director David Fay explained convincingly why it was impossible simply to issue Thursday's 34,000 attendees a rain check. Calling the ticket policy "vague but rigid," he said that the course can accommodate a maximum of 55,000 people, including the 42,000 with tickets, the players and their associates, vendors, media, suppliers and security personnel. "That's what our operations people think you can get on this course without bursting it at the seams," he said.

Given that the spectator areas are a muddy swamp after Thursday's torrential rains, this judgment has the ring of truth. source>>>

College Football News has been answering a variety of questions over the last several weeks in a panel-type discussion among its various contributors.

Today's offering was what team in the nation is most overrated this season.

Surprisingly, at least for me, came when one panelist tabbed Texas as one of his choices.

Pete Fiutak of College Football News.com selected Mississippi as his No. 1 choice. His reasons were very clear why the Rebels might not reach the high preseason rankings many are picking for them this season.

Fiutak also selected Virginia Tech, Boise State and Ohio State as other teams he thought were overrated.

His fifth selection was Texas, which he still expects to finish as a top-five team but could be oversold by some heading into the season.

His comments were especially interesting.

"It's all relative. Everyone feels bad about what happened to the Longhorns last year so they're the automatic No. 2 pick over Oklahoma. I have a gut feeling that the Sooners, rebuilt O line and all, are better, and I have another gut feeling (or maybe it's the burrito I ate) that there will be at least two losses (OU and Oklahoma State). Again, it's all relative. Of course this is a top-five team.

Intriguing, thought-provoking comments, no doubt. And it also shows the dilemma facing Mack Brown this season.

I consider Brown to be on the spot more than any other coach in the Big 12 this season. That includes Texas A&M's Mike Sherman and Colorado's Dan Hawkins, who both might have to make bowl appearances to save their jobs.

But Brown is coming in this season in an unusual position as the favorite to win the South Division, the Big 12 and in most preseason polls, to advance to the national championship game.

The South Division will be as unforgiving as always this season. The Longhorns will be facing the traditional battle at the Cotton Bowl against an Oklahoma team that has won three-straight Big 12 titles, but lost to Texas in two of those seasons.

Texas later travels to Oklahoma State, which has lost excruciatingly close games to the Longhorns in each of the last two seasons. Texas has beaten the Cowboys in 11 straight games, including five straight in Stillwater. OSU has blown 19-point and 28-point advantages against the Longhorns in games during that streak. You would have to figure that the Cowboys' luck eventually will turn in the Texas series.

If the Longhorns lose either of those games, the season will be judged as a disappointment by many. And that's why the pressure is so intense on the Longhorns.

Texas must fill holes along the defensive line and find a featured running back. They desperately need to fight a productive tight end.

So I wouldn't necessarily include the Longhorns among the most overrated teams in the country.

Just the one that might be feeling the most pressure -- at least this side of defending national champion Florida. source>>>

Bowden could lose 14 victories: The NCAA infractions committee intends to uphold sanctions against Florida State that would take away wins in 10 sports, including as many as 14 by football coach Bobby Bowden.

After a public records lawsuit and intervention by Florida's attorney general, the NCAA allowed Florida State to release the committee's June 2 response to FSU's appeal of the NCAA punishment that would strip the school of the victories.

Though university officials had said earlier Thursday that there would be no comment from Florida State, president T.K. Wetherell denounced the NCAA's response.

"This committee is just wrong," Wetherell said. "The rationale for doing that isn't accurate."

Wetherell, a former Seminole football player, said the school would exhaust all appeal opportunities with the NCAA "before going anywhere else."

If the penalty sticks, Bowden would have little chance to stay abreast of Penn State's Joe Paterno in their competition to finish as major-college football's winningest coach. Paterno begins the 2009 season with 383 wins, one more than Bowden has entering his 34th season at Florida State. source>>>

NBC will go on the air four hours earlier than originally scheduled Saturday to accommodate the end of the second round of the U.S. Open.

The network originally was scheduled from 2 to 8 p.m. for the third round.

Nothing firm has been announced for Sunday and Monday, pending developments over the next couple of days.

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol told me fans can rest assured there will be golf coverage Monday if the Open extends to that day, but he would not comment on the particulars.

One thing is a fairly safe bet: NBC figures to be extremely reluctant to preempt the "Today" show, so the network is likely to wait until Monday afternoon for golf.

What about the morning?

Nothing firm on that, but ESPN presumably would be happy to help.

(If there is a playoff, ESPN has rights to the first two hours, then coverage shifts to NBC.)
source>>>

The Denver Broncos released five players Thursday, including 29-year-old linebacker Boss Bailey.

Bailey, brother of Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, played in only six games for Denver last season after spending his first five seasons with the Lions. Bailey recorded 40 tackles and battled an injury for most of the season.

The team also released linebacker Louis Green who played in 64 games with the club since 2003. He registered 43 total tackles in his time with the Broncos.

Also being released was safety Herana-Daze Jones. In addition, Denver waived running back Kestahn Moore and cornerback Rashod Moulton. source>>>

It appeared that the Giants were getting away easy. Coach Tom Coughlin had cut practice short Thursday on the last day of mandatory minicamp, and the team gathered for the last time before training camp begins the first week of August.
Skip to next paragraph

With teams preparing for the coming season, keep up with all the off-season news on the Times's pro football blog.
Go to The Fifth Down Blog »
N.F.L.

* Super Bowl XLIII Scoreboard
* Standings: A.F.C. | N.F.C.
* Teams | Statistics
* Injuries: A.F.C. | N.F.C.

Everybody got down on a knee, but stayed on that knee for more than 15 minutes as Coughlin talked -- and kept talking.

"I thought he spoke from the heart," the offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "I really did and I thought he addressed the things that needed to be said, and I kind of like it when he does that."

Coughlin said his speech was between the players and him, but said he touched upon what he expected before the Giants arrived at training camp.

Last year, the goal after mandatory minicamp was to "bridge from one year to the next," Coughlin said, since the Giants were trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The goal this season is to erase the disappointment from last season's home playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

"From last year until now, we were supposed to go out and be able to win two championships in a row," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "He drew it all up for us, showed us what was what. We looked at the situation, I mean, he's right."

To make sure that did not happen again, Coughlin said he told his team to look to the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the N.B.A. championship this season after losing in the finals a year ago.

"This year, what I'm saying is stop and think about the bitter bitterness of the January situation," Coughlin said. "And then realize that, as in, for example, the Laker team, you can focus on that as a primary motivational position to take and let that be something that you train for over the summer."

Coughlin was pleased that the Giants had perfect attendance at this year's three-day minicamp, although he was displeased by the number of injuries.

Several Giants watched practice from the sideline for all or part of the last three days, including receivers David Tyree (groin), Taye Biddle (finger) and Sinorice Moss (hamstring); cornerbacks Kevin Dockery and Corey Webster (shoulder); and defensive tackles Fred Robbins (knee) and Barry Cofield (knee).

"I'm disappointed in the number of injured guys," Coughlin said. "It's not their fault. I'm not pointing the finger at anybody. I'm just saying, for our team, to have that many guys standing around watching practice at training camp will be a real setback."

Even though the regular season does not begin until Sept. 13, injuries this early can hinder the development of rookies, like tight end Travis Beckum, who stood on the sideline with a hamstring injury.

"History shows if you don't go through this time period or you miss much of camp, it's hard to be ready and contribute during your first year," Gilbride said.

He added that injuries in minicamp had a detrimental effect on wide receivers Steve Smith and Mario Manningham in their rookie seasons.

Meanwhile, defensive end Osi Umenyiora took part in the minicamp after missing all of last season with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.

"Super quick, quick as a cat," the defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said of Umenyiora. "He looks like he has always looked. He is a dart."

EXTRA POINTS

Defensive end Justin Tuck and guard Chris Snee both missed minicamp Thursday because of personal reasons, Tom Coughlin said. source>>>

Yes, even Brett Favre realizes you're sick of hearing about him.

"I know people are fed up with it, for whatever reason. That's fine," Favre said. "But it's my life, and I'm trying to figure out what to do."

The future Vikings quarterback made his comments to a local TV crew the other day after throwing passes to high school receivers in Hattiesburg, Miss., and they were picked up by the much-interested St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press.

"I threw the ball OK, but OK is not good enough for the National Football League. At least it's not for me," Favre said. "So it's got to get better source>>>

Browns reciever Donte' Stallworth may have gotten off light this week with just a 30-day sentence after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter for killing a man in Miami this past March. However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell strongly implied he will be tougher than the courts. There are indications Stallworth could be suspended for the entire 2009 season.

Stallworth, who began serving his sentence Tuesday, was suspended indefinitely without pay Thursday by Goodell, who told Stallworth in a letter, "In due course, we will contact your representatives to schedule a meeting with you, after which I will make a final determination of discipline."

It's the same approach he took with Michael Vick, who was suspended indefinitely after his guilty plea in the dogfighting scandal two years ago. When Vick finishes his house arrest on July 20, Goodell will meet with him and decide when to end the suspension. He will meet with Stallworth when he gets out of jail.

Based on Goodell's approach, his strongly worded letter to Stallworth and another to the 32 clubs reminding them this kind of behavior will not be tolerated and that it applies to all club employees, Stallworth is not going to get off easy with the league.

"The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable," Goodell wrote to Stallworth. "While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL commissioner to determine appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL."

He told Stallworth that "the conduct that led to your conviction plainly violates both the Personal Conduct and Substances of Abuse policies." He wrote that either violation gives him the authority to discipline Stallworth. "In this case, there is ample evidence to warrant significant discipline under both policies."

Stallworth was given 30 days in jail for striking Mario Reyes, who was rushing to catch a bus, with his car at 7:15 a.m. on March 14. Stallworth was found to be over Florida's blood-alcohol limit, accepted full responsibility and showed remorse, which contributed to his favorable plea deal. He reached a financial settlement with Reyes' family. He will serve two years of house arrest and spend eight years on probation. The house arrest would still allow him to play. Now it's up to Goodell source>>>

Their careers were on parallel planes. Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf were possibly the best one-two quarterback punch ever to come out of college football.

Leaf was so perfect, he could have been created in a laboratory. He was tall, 6 feet 5, and strong, and could burn a hole through the Great Wall of China with his taut spiral.

Leaf's arm compared favorably with Manning's. In fact, his passes were prettier. There was a wobble to Manning's throws. They always seemed to find their receivers, but if a judge were awarding style points, Leaf's ball would win every time.

Chosen second, behind Manning, in the 1998 NFL draft, the world belonged to Leaf every bit as much as it did Manning. But Manning succeeded and Leaf failed. Manning still is having one of the most prolific careers in NFL history. He's still at the top of the game.

Leaf arguably is the most colossal bust in his sport's history. And now he's at the bottom of his world.

Some people will think this is a result of Leaf's bad karma. At Washington State and in the NFL, he treated most people the same way -- poorly. He was a jerk to many of his fellow WSU students. He had disdain for the sports writers who covered him, and he wasn't a particularly good teammate in the NFL.

Manning will be remembered for his Super Bowl ring, his playoff appearances and his multiple trips to the Pro Bowl. Leaf's NFL career will be remembered for one volcanic locker-room eruption.

While Manning is known for his easygoing grace and his pitch-perfect comedic timing, Leaf is known for that one temper tantrum that still is occasionally played on SportsCenter.

Manning is a star. Leaf is a cautionary tale. Manning is looking forward to another trip to the Super Bowl. Leaf is facing burglary and drug charges in Randall County, Texas.

Manning is grounded. Leaf has been ground up.

What happened to Ryan Leaf?

The easy answer? He left the womb-like comfort of Washington State and collapsed under the pressure of great expectations. He went to San Diego and thought he could take the easy route to stardom. He never put in the time, or did the heavy lifting it took, to get great.

advertising

And when the San Diego Chargers' fans unleashed their fury on him, he never knew what hit him.

Leaf played at San Diego, Tampa Bay and Dallas. He was undistinguished at all stops. He never fit in. He knew what people were saying about him. And he never found a way to deal with that disappointment.

In 2006, four years after he left the game, it appeared Leaf had found the ideal place and the ideal job, becoming an assistant football coach at tiny West Texas A&M, about as far from the spotlight as an All-American can get. He also was the golf coach.

He was doing something he loved, in a place that didn't judge him. Here he could escape the stories of his failed football career. Here he could avoid the nagging what-happened questions.

But apparently he couldn't hide from his real problem.

Leaf left West Texas A&M last November, after being investigated for drug crimes.

Subsequently, he was charged with a second-degree felony for allegedly breaking into the apartment of a West Texas A&M football player. He also was indicted on seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance.

Judging by those charges, Leaf is fighting a substance-abuse problem. Maybe that demon has been chasing him for years. Maybe that followed him from Pullman to San Diego to Randall County. Maybe that is what made him act irrationally in front of writers and fans and teammates.

His attorney, Bill Kelly, says Leaf has addressed his demons, successfully completing a rehabilitation program. But now Leaf has to address the fallout from his problems. He has to address the law.

At 33, he should be preparing for another NFL season. Instead he's preparing for court. This should be the prime of his life. Instead it is the dregs.

Ryan Leaf never was an easy guy to like. But knowing what we know now, all we can do is root for him, this one last time. Hope he stays clean. And hope he can find the kind of peace and fulfillment off the field that Peyton Manning has found in and out of the game. source>>>

A 32-year-old woman from Brainerd, Minn., owes $1.92 million in damages to recording companies for downloading their music, a federal jury in Minneapolis decided Thursday.

That amounts to $80,000 a song for the 24 songs Jammie Thomas-Rasset was accused of downloading.

The damages are eight times more than Thomas-Rasset, a mother of four, was ordered to pay the first time she faced six record companies in court on claims that she downloaded more than 1,700 songs. The judge granted a retrial after deciding that he had wrongly instructed the jury.

"The only thing I can say is, 'Good luck getting it from me,'" said Thomas-Rasset, who looked tearful immediately after hearing of the decision, but then appeared resolute.

Of the more than 30,000 suits brought by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against alleged file-sharers, Thomas-Rasset's is the only one to go to a jury trial, let alone two. For that reason, the case has received international attention.

While observers dispute the significance of the verdict, the recording industry saw a decisive victory in its battle against music-loving downloaders.

The industry claims file-sharers are to blame for a $6 billion loss in revenue in the past few years.

"We appreciate the jury's service and that they take this as seriously as we do," said Cara Duckworth, spokeswoman for the recording association. "Since Day 1 we have been willing to settle this case, and we remain willing to do so," she said, without specifying the terms under which the association might be willing to settle.

The jury took less than five hours to come to a decision, but the case itself has taken three years.

The industry group sued Thomas-Rasset, then a single mother of two, in 2006. In December 2007, a federal jury in Duluth found her liable for up to $220,000 for copyright infringement of the 24 songs the industry group focused on -- $9,250 per song. But U.S. District Judge Michael Davis granted a retrial because he said he gave the jurors the wrong instructions. He had instructed the jury that the "act of making copyrighted sound recordings available" violates the copyright "regardless of whether actual distribution has been shown." Thursday's instructions stressed that it is infringement to either reproduce or distribute copyrighted material, but that making something available does not constitute distribution.

"This is a battle won for the RIAA, but not the end of the war," said defense attorney Kiwi Camara, adding that the case won't directly affect others because jury trials don't set legal precedents.

Camara said the defense is contemplating seeking a settlement and/or appealing the verdict.

Different trial, similar ending

To come to its decision, the jury considered evidence that included screen shots of the online file-sharing network Kazaa, CDs with downloaded and legitimate music, and lists of Thomas-Rasset's personal CD collection.

During closing arguments, Timothy Reynolds, the plaintiff's lead attorney, told the jury that Thomas-Rasset gave copyrighted material to "millions on the Internet" through Kazaa.

One of Thomas-Rasset's defense attorneys argued that she didn't download anything. "There was better evidence brought against prospective jurors than there was against the defendant in this case," said attorney Joe Sibley, referring to instances when potential jurors admitted to illegally sharing music.

Thomas-Rasset testified that she hadn't even heard of Kazaa before the case. She said her children or ex-boyfriend could have downloaded songs without her knowledge. But the jury didn't buy it.

Contested significance

Thursday's $1.9 million verdict is the largest win for the recording industry in its litigation campaign against file-sharers, but authorities on media convergence and copyright law disagree about its significance.

Late last year, the industry ended the controversial campaign under which it had sued about 35,000 people, including Thomas, since 2003 for illegally downloading or sharing songs over the Internet. Instead, it is working with several major Internet service providers to address the issue. Industry officials also said the lawsuits educated the music-downloading public and statistics appear to indicate they slowed the increase in illegal file sharers, although other experts suggest illegal sharing is rising again.

The fallout from Thursday's verdict also might pose problems for the victors, said Ben Sheffner, a copyright lawyer who has represented music studios and record companies.

While deterring potential file-sharers, the jury's decision could have unintended public relations, legal and political implications for the Recording Industry group, Sheffner said.

Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune columnist and author of "Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music," said the verdict could hurt the recording industry more than help it. "I really think that punitive measures like this one, and the fact that this verdict is so eye-poppingly out of step with anybody's conception of what these songs might be worth, is only going to increase the ill will toward the record industry that has accrued over the last decade," he said.

Either way, the verdict hasn't changed Thomas-Rasset's response: For the second time in three years, surrounded by reporters after a crushing loss, she wished the recording companies good luck collecting their money.

"You can't squeeze blood from a turnip," she said. source>>>

Earlier today, some teenagers were walking down the street and giggling about PETA condemning Obama for killing a fly. As they walked, one said, "Wait, isn't PETA the something-something-something Animals? A fly is an insect."

This sparked a whole debate about PETA not having the right to speak up on the behalf of a fly, and that they should have to create an entire new organization dedicated solely to the protection of insects and arachnids before they can go on and on about a fly.

Furthermore, the teens decided that the cost of setting up a whole new organization, print material, administrative expenses, and advertising, not to mention the cost of hosting a demonstration and educational materials jam packed with statistics about how many microscopic parts of energy our arm could be creating to run third-world countries if we'd just harness it rather than using it for killing poor innocent bugs, would be better spent on feeding starving kids on the street. They were very specific, as if they knew what it would take.

"Besides," one fires off, "he did it like a ninja. I think he is a ninja!"

This inspired much talk of how cool our president was, who he could beat up, and whether or not he had super powers.

Talk further led to there not being enough money in this country to fund such a dumb organization, and that President Ninja Obama should have just used his flaming eye beams to fry the fly. That would warrant news stories about it.

"Humans first, flies last!" One yelled, shooting one arm into the air.

This became their new motto as they walked off in the distance out of earshot.

Kids are amazing. They should be CEO's. source>>>

The incidents involving two girls traveling as unaccompanied minors who ended up on the wrong planes may have parents worried about safe trips for kids traveling alone.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has an online guide called "When Kids Fly Alone" at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/publications/KidsAlone.pdf. Here is some advice from that booklet, along with other tips to make sure your child arrives without mishap.

-- Check airline policies on age. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines generally do not allow kids under 5 to fly alone. Most airlines also require children to be 8 before they can be booked on an itinerary with a connecting flight. Airline policies vary on when kids age out of unaccompanied-minor status. On some airlines, it's age 12; on others, it's age 15. Airline fees for unaccompanied minors can run $100 each way.

-- Book nonstop when possible so you don't have to worry about changing planes and missed connections. If you can't book a nonstop, the DOT says the next-best options are direct flights that may stop but will not require changing planes, or, if necessary, connecting flights on the same airline.

-- Book flights that depart early in the day. They are less likely to be cancelled or delayed than later flights, the DOT points out. Also, if your child must take a connecting flight, the earlier in the day the first
Advertisement
flight lands, the more opportunities there will be to rebook if the connection is missed. Airlines do not like to take unaccompanied minors on an itinerary that includes the last flight of the day, because if the child misses that connection, there will be no one to take custody of the child for the night.

-- Do what you can to get your child on the right flight. The DOT says many airlines will offer gate passes for unticketed parents; ask for one and escort your child through security to the gate. Ask that your child be allowed to preboard. Give your child a card or badge that clearly shows flight number and destination, and make sure he or she can state the name of the destination. Most airlines announce the destination before takeoff. Tell your child to listen for the announcement and ask for help if he or she is worried about being on the wrong plane.

-- Try to arrange cell phone communication options. Give the child a cell phone preprogrammed with your number and the number of the person doing pick-up. You'll have to provide the airline with the name of the adult meeting the child, and that person should try to be reachable by cell throughout the day in case you, the child or the airline needs to get in touch.
source>>>

The debate over privatizing the city's parking meters misses three essential points: The 75-year deal makes no sense regardless of its $1.5 billion price tag, it is possibly illegal, and the city's use of the proceeds was irresponsible.

Privatization proponents argue that when government is engaged in activities beyond its core mission -- airports for example -- it should lease those assets to a private company. However, traffic control and parking management is a core function of every city.

Chicago's traffic policy is now being held hostage to the lease agreement with Chicago Parking Meters LLC because the company must be compensated if the city, for example, wants to eliminate parking from a street to improve traffic flow. Quite possibly, this is an unlawful delegation of the city's authority to regulate public street safety. The U.S. Supreme Court has famously struck down delegations of such legislative power to private landowners.

Also, court decisions in other states suggest such a binding lease may not be extended many years beyond the terms of incumbent public officials unless it is reasonable. David Hoffman, Chicago's inspector general, suggested in a recent report that the parking-meter lease was neither fair nor reasonable. Conceivably, it could be voided beyond the term of Mayor Richard Daley and the current City Council.

Privatization proponents also argue that private business operates more efficiently with non-union labor receiving lower wages. However, according to the city, parking-meter revenue in 2007 was $24 million, while labor costs were $2.4 million.

Labor costs are such a small fraction of parking revenue that even if a private operator could cut labor costs in half, it would barely affect its cash flow. Virtually the entire value of the lease is a result of ceding the authority to increase prices.

The city claims it is replacing lost revenue by using a portion of the proceeds to establish a fund that will produce an equivalent amount of interest. However the fund will only provide $24 million a year, the amount lost this year. The replacement revenue has zero growth potential. In 75 years that $24 million will be petty cash.

City policymakers surely understand these issues. So why did they cede control over parking policy and parking revenue for nearly 19 mayoral terms?

The city's eagerness to enter into a flawed deal indicates how badly it needs money. The 2009 budget includes $150 million from the transaction. According to reports, the city plans to funnel at least $100 million into the operating budget through 2012.

In addition, it will spend $100 million on "human infrastructure" programs for the needy -- a dressed-up way of describing a program that should be financed on a pay-

as-you-go basis, not by one-shot income. When the money is spent, the needy will be as needy as

ever.

Chicago's budget problem predates the current fiscal crisis engulfing local governments. The

city has long been desperate for cash.

Like the state of Illinois, Chicago has a serious structural deficit. But its deficit gets less attention because it uses exotic methods that obfuscate the issues -- such as long-term leasing to balance its budget instead of seeking a tax increase.

A good way to make sense of long-term leases is to think of them like borrowing: A concessionaire gives the city a chunk of money right away and, in return, it cedes a revenue source to the concessionaire who acts as a lender.

At the end of a fixed term, the revenue source reverts to the city. But bonds sold in conventional borrowing schemes rarely have maturities over 30 years and never as long as 75 years.

At some point the cupboard will be bare. When there are no more assets to be sold, Chicago will be unable to delay making hard budgetary choices. The longer the choices are delayed, the harder they will be -- a sad situation to bequeath to our children, grandchildren and beyond. source>>>