My weekly radio show "Radio Chicagoland" is off the air, mainly because we lost a major sponsor who was with us for so long and we couldn't find a substitute in time to keep the show going. Regardless, I wanted to say thank you to all of the listeners who spent the past 9 months with me as we had so much fun, forst on WJJG AM Radioa nd later WCEV 1450 AM Radio. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to call my "radio friends."
We may or may not make it back ont he air. It all depends, so I will look at this as a brioef sabatical from on-air rboadcasting. Maybe find another radio station. Who knows.
But I did want to say thank you especially to Neha Mehra, our intern and Special Reporter on Youth News. She did a GREAT JOB! And so did Ali Ido, who provided special reports from the street in his "Street News" segments. What a great job they all did.
In the meantime, I will probably continue to podcast interviews that will be posted on both the Radio Chicagoland web site at www.RadioChicagoland.com, and also at the Southwest News-Herald web site at www.SWNewsHerald.com. Those interviews will be of general interest. I also plan to do some special interest interviews on the Middle East and Chicago's dysfunctional Arab American community in the hopes of shaking some sense into their senselessness. You can find those on Radio Chicagoland and also on my web site at www.Hanania.com.
Thanks and talk to you soon
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Radio Show may be at an end
Well, we had a great 9 month run on radio, first one show every Wednesday with WJJG and the great Joe Gentile beginning in September 2007, and then at WCEV 1450 AM Radio every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 until 6 PM with its stronger signal on the South and Southwest Side and Suburbs. But alas, it is all about sponsorship and while we enjoyed some strong support for the majority of the show, the media market is collapsing and advertising is weak.
So, I am not sure if I will be back on radio Tuesday at WCEV. The station needs a stronger signal, is too "ethnic" -- although that's the call letters of WCEV "Chicago;s Ethnic Voice." But the ethnic angle sure turned off a lot of listeners. Wow! The feedback on the content of the rest of the stationw as harsh.
Still, during our brief two hours every Tuesday and Thursday we had a blast, getting more call-ins from listeners than any other show during the week.
Radio Chicagoland, the only radio show giving Southwest Siders and Suburbanites a voice on local, regional, state, national and international issues will be back! :)
Thanks everyone for making it so much fun.
The past show segments are either online or podcast at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
In the event I don't come back to radio, I will continue to do radio interviews and podcast them through the web site.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
PS ... read my columns on the www.HuffingtonPost.com, the Internet's highest rated web page ... numero uno!
So, I am not sure if I will be back on radio Tuesday at WCEV. The station needs a stronger signal, is too "ethnic" -- although that's the call letters of WCEV "Chicago;s Ethnic Voice." But the ethnic angle sure turned off a lot of listeners. Wow! The feedback on the content of the rest of the stationw as harsh.
Still, during our brief two hours every Tuesday and Thursday we had a blast, getting more call-ins from listeners than any other show during the week.
Radio Chicagoland, the only radio show giving Southwest Siders and Suburbanites a voice on local, regional, state, national and international issues will be back! :)
Thanks everyone for making it so much fun.
The past show segments are either online or podcast at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
In the event I don't come back to radio, I will continue to do radio interviews and podcast them through the web site.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
PS ... read my columns on the www.HuffingtonPost.com, the Internet's highest rated web page ... numero uno!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday's radio show line up on WCEV 1450 AM Radio Chicagoland
Some of the guests scheduled for Thursdays edition of Radio Chicagoland, WCEV 1450 AM Radio, 4 to 6 PM (streaming live on the internet at www.WCEV1450.com):
4:05 PM: Authors of a new book"Hidden Letters," a true story of an 18 year old Dutch Jew's tale of the Holocaust while interned inside a forced labor camp in 1942. The annotators of Hidden Letters (Deborah Slier and Ian Shine, a 75 year old couple who commute on their bicycle built for 2 rom Central Park to Queens) discuss how the hidden letters from 1942 surfaced in the 1990’s, how they felt upon meeting the survivors of the Sobibor concentration camp uprising, and why this honest account of a young Jew trying to survive in an internment camp during the Holocaust is so moving. I'd be happy to ship you a review copy of the book. May 1 is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
5:05 PM: VOICES OF OUR SOLDIERS feature! First Sgt. Scott Maynard, is from the Southeast Side of Chicago, Illinois, talks about serving in Iraq. Maynard is currently now in Iraq at "FOB Hammer" near Sadr City and is expected to return to hsi wife and four children in June. He comes from a long line of War veterans with 12 of his family members having served in the military since World War II. (Pre-taped)
visit www.RadioChicagoland.com for more details on other guests
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
4:05 PM: Authors of a new book"Hidden Letters," a true story of an 18 year old Dutch Jew's tale of the Holocaust while interned inside a forced labor camp in 1942. The annotators of Hidden Letters (Deborah Slier and Ian Shine, a 75 year old couple who commute on their bicycle built for 2 rom Central Park to Queens) discuss how the hidden letters from 1942 surfaced in the 1990’s, how they felt upon meeting the survivors of the Sobibor concentration camp uprising, and why this honest account of a young Jew trying to survive in an internment camp during the Holocaust is so moving. I'd be happy to ship you a review copy of the book. May 1 is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
5:05 PM: VOICES OF OUR SOLDIERS feature! First Sgt. Scott Maynard, is from the Southeast Side of Chicago, Illinois, talks about serving in Iraq. Maynard is currently now in Iraq at "FOB Hammer" near Sadr City and is expected to return to hsi wife and four children in June. He comes from a long line of War veterans with 12 of his family members having served in the military since World War II. (Pre-taped)
visit www.RadioChicagoland.com for more details on other guests
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
When CIndy McCain says she loves and supports her country, what does she mean?
I saw Cindy McCain on The View, a great program to remind us that this isn't a man's world any more. It's just a world. (I love Whoppie Goldberg!).
But Cindy McCain said there and elsewhere that she loves and supports this country. What does that mean? Does it mean that she doesn't think there are things that need to be improved? Does she think it is perfect and that imperfections don't exist? Or, does she believe that there are problems, but it is "unpatriotic" to address those problems?
I think this country has problems. And I think the real American Patriot is the American who recognizes that this is a great country with problems and we must correct those problems. And the best way to correct those problems is to address them, using the very instrument that makes this the world's greatest Democracy, "Free Speech."
But when we try to say that we are better than someone else because we don't criticize our country, we remain silent in the face of wrongs, and injustice, then what we become is complicit in the problems.
Imagine if the response to those who championed civil rights was, "Hey, I love and support this country and you don't because you are criticizing its policies." If that were the case, African Americans would still be lynched on Patriotic American trees. African Americans would be slaves and African Americans would be denied the right to vote. In fact, women would be denied the right to vote, too, and would be oppressed and denied equal right.
No, I think loving this country is in fact about speaking out against its failings and speaking out in order to correct those failings.
But, when we respond to the discussion about how to improve this country by calling some people unpatriotic, then we are basically embracing the problems, hiding from the problems, and avoid the moral and principled responsibilities.
Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com
But Cindy McCain said there and elsewhere that she loves and supports this country. What does that mean? Does it mean that she doesn't think there are things that need to be improved? Does she think it is perfect and that imperfections don't exist? Or, does she believe that there are problems, but it is "unpatriotic" to address those problems?
I think this country has problems. And I think the real American Patriot is the American who recognizes that this is a great country with problems and we must correct those problems. And the best way to correct those problems is to address them, using the very instrument that makes this the world's greatest Democracy, "Free Speech."
But when we try to say that we are better than someone else because we don't criticize our country, we remain silent in the face of wrongs, and injustice, then what we become is complicit in the problems.
Imagine if the response to those who championed civil rights was, "Hey, I love and support this country and you don't because you are criticizing its policies." If that were the case, African Americans would still be lynched on Patriotic American trees. African Americans would be slaves and African Americans would be denied the right to vote. In fact, women would be denied the right to vote, too, and would be oppressed and denied equal right.
No, I think loving this country is in fact about speaking out against its failings and speaking out in order to correct those failings.
But, when we respond to the discussion about how to improve this country by calling some people unpatriotic, then we are basically embracing the problems, hiding from the problems, and avoid the moral and principled responsibilities.
Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
War-related corruption case building
The Rockford Trial of the Iraq war corruption case is continuing.
Here's a link to my story on First Kuwaiti and contractor Jeff Mazon:
http://swnewsherald.com/online_content/2008/04/041808rh_contract.php
Here's a link to the Washington Post which has not covered the Mazon trial but reported on the completion of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041703603.html?hpid=topnews
Here's a link to my story on First Kuwaiti and contractor Jeff Mazon:
http://swnewsherald.com/online_content/2008/04/041808rh_contract.php
Here's a link to the Washington Post which has not covered the Mazon trial but reported on the completion of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041703603.html?hpid=topnews
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce survey shows widespread public concern over increased taxes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2008
Contact: Justin DeJong (Chamber) 312-494-6725
Greg Durham (Ask IL) 217-899-7181
New poll shows widespread dissatisfaction with Chicagoland tax climate
Results indicate that taxpayers plan to hold elected officials accountable for
latest increases; pending 10.25% sales tax rate will cause consumers’ to
leave Cook County for purchases
CHICAGO – Even as many taxpayers scramble to pay their federal taxes, a new poll released today shows widespread dissatisfaction with the Chicagoland tax climate which has burdened the region’s taxpayers with more than $1.2 billion in higher city, county and state taxes in the past six months. Among the most astounding findings: more than 92 percent of Cook County residents polled said the latest tax increases will affect who they vote for in future elections, while nearly 76 percent said the pending 10.25 percent sales tax rate will change their purchasing behavior and cause them to travel outside of Cook County to avoid paying higher sales tax.
“This poll confirms that there is widespread anger and dissatisfaction about the current tax climate in our region and voters plan to hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper. “Despite raising taxes by $1.2 billion within the past six months, we continue to hear officials at every level of government threaten to raise taxes again, but we’re reaching a tipping point where our region’s economic competitiveness is at risk. Our elected officials must recognize that enough is enough.”
The Ask Illinois poll, commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, was completed on April 10 with 3,025 participants from throughout Cook County. The poll had a 1.78 percent margin of error. Complete poll results are available at www.chicagolandchamber.org.
Additional poll results show:
· Nearly 36 percent of those polled hold the Cook County Board most responsible for higher taxes, while 42 percent held the Chicago City Council, Cook County Board and Illinois General Assembly equally at fault.
· 95 percent of those polled felt the overall tax burden on Cook County resident was high, with nearly 82 percent who felt the burden was ‘extremely high.’
· The pollsters noted that there is growing dissatisfaction about the overall tax burden – up more than 24 percent over previous surveys.
“These results indicate a total lack of ambiguity in the opinions of Cook County residents concerning the region’s tax climate,” said Greg Durham, pollster for Ask Illinois. “There is across-the-board anger about recent tax increases, which transcend all geo-political differences and will impact both future voting and where purchases will be made.”
Within the past six months, elected officials at all levels of government have approved a flurry of tax increases which impact the economic climate of the region and state. These tax increases include:
Date
Jurisdiction
Amount
November 2007
The Chicago City Council passes record property tax increase and raises many fees for the 2008 budget
$270 million
January 2008
The Illinois General Assembly and Chicago City Council pass a .25% sales tax increase and real estate transfer tax increase to fund the RTA
$530 million
February 2008
The Cook County Board passes 1% sales tax increase, and hikes rate to 10.25% – the highest sales tax rate in the nation
$425 million
Total
$1.25 billion
About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce:
Since its founding in 1904 as the first regional chamber of commerce in the United States, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to make our region the most business-friendly region in America and enhance its members’ success through aggressive programs of advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information. The Chamber’s 2,600 members employ more than 1.2 million individuals in the region. Learn more by visiting www.chicagolandchamber.org.
About Ask Illinois:
Ask Illinois and its national division, We Ask America, have polled more than four million American households since its inception in 2005. A division of Xpress Professional Services, Ask Illinois specializes in large sample surveys on public policy issues. The company’s clients include both major political parties, non-profit trade associations and private businesses throughout the country.
###
Justin DeJong
Director of Communications
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-494-6725 (office)
312-636-7666 (cell)
jdejong@chicagolandchamber.org
***ACCREDITED AS A FIVE-STAR CHAMBER BY THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE***
Upcoming Special Events:
March 26: The Exchange, Hyatt Regency, 5-7pm
June 9: Annual Meeting of Membership, Sheraton Chicago, 7:45-9am
August 11: Annual Corporate Golf Outing, Beverly Country Club
Visit the Events Calendar on the Chamber’s website for additional information and to register for any of these events: www.chicagolandchamber.org/sub/events.asp
April 15, 2008
Contact: Justin DeJong (Chamber) 312-494-6725
Greg Durham (Ask IL) 217-899-7181
New poll shows widespread dissatisfaction with Chicagoland tax climate
Results indicate that taxpayers plan to hold elected officials accountable for
latest increases; pending 10.25% sales tax rate will cause consumers’ to
leave Cook County for purchases
CHICAGO – Even as many taxpayers scramble to pay their federal taxes, a new poll released today shows widespread dissatisfaction with the Chicagoland tax climate which has burdened the region’s taxpayers with more than $1.2 billion in higher city, county and state taxes in the past six months. Among the most astounding findings: more than 92 percent of Cook County residents polled said the latest tax increases will affect who they vote for in future elections, while nearly 76 percent said the pending 10.25 percent sales tax rate will change their purchasing behavior and cause them to travel outside of Cook County to avoid paying higher sales tax.
“This poll confirms that there is widespread anger and dissatisfaction about the current tax climate in our region and voters plan to hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper. “Despite raising taxes by $1.2 billion within the past six months, we continue to hear officials at every level of government threaten to raise taxes again, but we’re reaching a tipping point where our region’s economic competitiveness is at risk. Our elected officials must recognize that enough is enough.”
The Ask Illinois poll, commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, was completed on April 10 with 3,025 participants from throughout Cook County. The poll had a 1.78 percent margin of error. Complete poll results are available at www.chicagolandchamber.org.
Additional poll results show:
· Nearly 36 percent of those polled hold the Cook County Board most responsible for higher taxes, while 42 percent held the Chicago City Council, Cook County Board and Illinois General Assembly equally at fault.
· 95 percent of those polled felt the overall tax burden on Cook County resident was high, with nearly 82 percent who felt the burden was ‘extremely high.’
· The pollsters noted that there is growing dissatisfaction about the overall tax burden – up more than 24 percent over previous surveys.
“These results indicate a total lack of ambiguity in the opinions of Cook County residents concerning the region’s tax climate,” said Greg Durham, pollster for Ask Illinois. “There is across-the-board anger about recent tax increases, which transcend all geo-political differences and will impact both future voting and where purchases will be made.”
Within the past six months, elected officials at all levels of government have approved a flurry of tax increases which impact the economic climate of the region and state. These tax increases include:
Date
Jurisdiction
Amount
November 2007
The Chicago City Council passes record property tax increase and raises many fees for the 2008 budget
$270 million
January 2008
The Illinois General Assembly and Chicago City Council pass a .25% sales tax increase and real estate transfer tax increase to fund the RTA
$530 million
February 2008
The Cook County Board passes 1% sales tax increase, and hikes rate to 10.25% – the highest sales tax rate in the nation
$425 million
Total
$1.25 billion
About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce:
Since its founding in 1904 as the first regional chamber of commerce in the United States, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to make our region the most business-friendly region in America and enhance its members’ success through aggressive programs of advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information. The Chamber’s 2,600 members employ more than 1.2 million individuals in the region. Learn more by visiting www.chicagolandchamber.org.
About Ask Illinois:
Ask Illinois and its national division, We Ask America, have polled more than four million American households since its inception in 2005. A division of Xpress Professional Services, Ask Illinois specializes in large sample surveys on public policy issues. The company’s clients include both major political parties, non-profit trade associations and private businesses throughout the country.
###
Justin DeJong
Director of Communications
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-494-6725 (office)
312-636-7666 (cell)
jdejong@chicagolandchamber.org
***ACCREDITED AS A FIVE-STAR CHAMBER BY THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE***
Upcoming Special Events:
March 26: The Exchange, Hyatt Regency, 5-7pm
June 9: Annual Meeting of Membership, Sheraton Chicago, 7:45-9am
August 11: Annual Corporate Golf Outing, Beverly Country Club
Visit the Events Calendar on the Chamber’s website for additional information and to register for any of these events: www.chicagolandchamber.org/sub/events.asp
Monday, April 14, 2008
The biggest whiner in the world ... J.K. Rowling
What a real loser. J.K. Rowling, who has made millions on her "Harry Potter" book series is upset that someone had the nerve to take the pop culture her books have instilled around the world and put it in a companion book.
Rowling is crying that Steve Vander Ark's plans to publish an encyclopedia based on terms and prhases that have left Rowling's books and have become household words, violates her copyright. Vander Ark's genius idea has been to take the lexicon of Harry Potter -- which has become a language all its own in the world, and put it all down in an encyclopedia.
Hogwash! Someone should wave a wand and put Ms. Rowling in a 15th Century dungeon, and torture her back to reality. Rowling is an ungrateful author who eagerly cashes the checks from exploiting her readership audience, but wants to keep the most dedicated audience members from taking what they have learned from her books and interpreting them into a lexicon collection.
I am on the side of Vander Ark, a librarian who has spoken at Harry Potter conferences in several countries. Rowling counters she was planning to write her own lexicon and would donate the proceeds to a charity. She asserts she is anguished by Vander Ark's project
More Hogwash. Hogwarts. Hog is probably the best term yet. Add that to your lexicon Rowling witch!
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
Rowling is crying that Steve Vander Ark's plans to publish an encyclopedia based on terms and prhases that have left Rowling's books and have become household words, violates her copyright. Vander Ark's genius idea has been to take the lexicon of Harry Potter -- which has become a language all its own in the world, and put it all down in an encyclopedia.
Hogwash! Someone should wave a wand and put Ms. Rowling in a 15th Century dungeon, and torture her back to reality. Rowling is an ungrateful author who eagerly cashes the checks from exploiting her readership audience, but wants to keep the most dedicated audience members from taking what they have learned from her books and interpreting them into a lexicon collection.
I am on the side of Vander Ark, a librarian who has spoken at Harry Potter conferences in several countries. Rowling counters she was planning to write her own lexicon and would donate the proceeds to a charity. She asserts she is anguished by Vander Ark's project
More Hogwash. Hogwarts. Hog is probably the best term yet. Add that to your lexicon Rowling witch!
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
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