Rain, rain, go away!

We've just had two days of record rains in the Chicago area. There's been widespread flooding, road closures, and wet basements. The nearby Des Plaines river, usually a small creek, is about ten feet higher than normal. We drove past it yesterday, and it was quite impressive. I'd hate to have one of those homes right next to it. Luckily our house is high and dry.

Lake Street in River Forest (Note the trailer in street)

This is the bridge that my commuter train travels over. The water is usually ten feet below the bridge.

Meltdown

Boy, the financial industry appears in total meltdown right now. First Bear Stearns, then FannieMae and FreddieMac, now Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and AIG. Who knows what the future holds. It's all the horrible fallout from the real estate bubble, or as Atrios descriptively calls it, "the big s--tpile." The apparently worsening crisis fits well with my instinctual pessimism, so I can't say I'm shocked or surprised. I just hope Apple isn't hurt too badly.

More Transit Woes

Ridership on public transit in Chicago is up 10% this year thanks to high gas prices. Great news for the CTA right? Unfortunately, the increase in ridershp is only exacerbating the financial problems at the chronically underfunded agency. You'd think that now would be precisely the time for this city, state, and country to be investing in better public transit. You'd be wrong.

Our inept and corrupt political culture at the state and local level seems to know no limits. Our current governor, a Democrat, is largely ineffective, as well as likely a criminal. Our prior governor, a Republican, is a convicted criminal. Mayor Daley, much as there is to admire about him, presides over a system of graft and cronyism. Then add in the perpetual city versus suburb tug-of-war on top of everything else. Its a wonder that anything gets done.