TRUMP TOWER IN CHICAGO: STICKS AND STONES WILL BREAK MY BONES

By James Carlini

It looks like Donald Trump is the “go-to” guy when the Chicago Media wants to create a controversy to cover up other more important city issues.

The whole controversy of Trump putting his name on his building is so petty and such a waste of precious media time it scares me to think what are the real stories journalists are not putting the spotlight on?

Donald Trump went through complex channels to get the name approved and no one had an issue then. He also “contributed” to the Alderman’s campaign fund as well as to Rahm Emanuel’s campaign fund, so why wasn’t that reported as well when they complain about the name on the building?

In one article, Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn was not so pleased. “It burns, it offends that this swollen outsider has in effect lifted his leg to mark his territory on our skyline in such a prominent way,” he said.

Ohhh.. Please…..Hey Eric, get over it.

Trump is a brand – and a good brand. What is the difference in having his name on his building or other buildings that have had names on them in downtown Chicago for years? Let’s see, the Chicago Hilton, Palmer House, Drake Hotel, Hyatt, Playboy, Torco, and the list goes on.

Some of the editorials written by others also appear to focus on the wrong priorities when they go after Trump. Trump spent a huge amount of money to take a second-rate property and transform it into a first-class iconic building that adds to the Chicago skyline. Those who criticize it are maybe more jealous of Trump and his accomplishments than they are truly concerned about aesthetic values of architectural design.

NAMES WILL NEVER HURT ME

For several years, there has been a growing amount of crime happening in the Magnificent Mile area of Chicago (North Michigan Avenue) and the Chicago media has turned a blind eye on it.

It is funny they are nowhere to be found when it comes to reporting on all the attacks on people for their iPhones and other mass shopliftings and “wildings”, yet when it comes to Trump’s name on his own building – well, THAT is a crime of defacing the Chicago skyline. Let’s go out and interview people to get their opinion on Trump’s name on his building.

We need to stop this third-grader pettiness of some journalists and the amplification of “the-sky-is-falling” whiny journalism in Chicago when there are real issues to be addressed and acted upon.

Politicians creating political sideshows are bad enough, but when the media cannot discern priorities and start to act as star-glazed cheerleaders for politicians rather than objective journalists, it’s time to call them out on it.

Time to start being concise and politically accurate, instead of obtuse and politically correct. Start reporting on the real crimes around the Magnificent Mile instead of the egos because “names will never hurt me” – but criminals will.

Trump added to the economic viability of Chicago. He added construction jobs as well as residual jobs to maintain and operate a major building in the skyline. Be glad Chicago isn’t turning into a decaying Detroit.

CARLINI-ISM: “Don’t be Chicken Little. Journalism is about spotlighting real issues and not petty jealousies.”