Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 1-8

123456 8 CHICAGO METRO STATE they caught him. The Rapist. Or at least they caught somebody they think is The Rapist. Which rapist, wondering? Good question. hard to keep them straight.

This is The Rapist who sneaks into homes in the dead of night, attacks them in their beds, then forces them to wash themselves. different from The Rapist still out there somewhere in Chicago, the one who simply slams women to the sidewalk in the dark and exerts his manly power. This particular rape suspect is a 37- year-old self-employed Chicago painter suspected in at least nine attacks (so far charged with two) that range from Lincoln Park to suburban Lisle and Kenosha. been known to pocket a few of the belongings on his way out. relief in knowing that this time, unlike so many other times, The Rapist may have been caught.

a limited relief. Catch one rapist, another one comes along. Rapists are harder to exterminate than cockroaches. hard to permanently escape The Rapist. Year after year, the creep in the sketch tacked to the store windows and light poles, the one who somehow always looks the same even when the height, weight and skin tone vary.

the shadow lurking at the corner. the villain who keeps showing up on played by some guy eager to demonstrate what acting school taught him about getting in touch with his dark side. Too often The Rapist gets more publicity and less punishment than he deserves, and how much he gets of either depends too often on who his victims are. The Rapist is particularly interesting to the media when he preys on wealthy, white neighborhoods, and the breathless coverage too often makes it seem that The Rapist is everywhere all the time, when really not. good that rape is no longer a disregarded crime, but you help but suspect The Rapist feels that the limelight supersiz- es his power and his weapon.

I was in my 20s when I fully understood that The Rapist got around. That was when two of my friends were raped. This happened in different towns on opposite sides of the country. But it was the same guy. He had a gun once, a knife the other.

Both times, he was a bully. A coward. Sick, if not evil. Both times he got away. It was then that I realized that The Rapist commits two crimes when he rapes.

One is to violate a woman. The other is to violate all women by convincing them he has power over them. It then became apparent that one way to beat The with police really look for him, laws that would punish him, some therapy to help him and a culture that feed on rape as for women to refuse to live in fear. Whenever The Rapist makes a series of attacks, the police issue cautions, such as this recently published list: Walk, jog or ride your bike with a partner. Avoid dark areas and shortcuts.

Stay on busy, well-lighted streets. Hold your head up, looking around constantly and be aware of your surroundings. Walk with confidence. Try not to carry bulky purses and bags. Keep at least one hand free.

When alone, wear headphones. Avoid talking on your cell phone for long periods of time alone. If you take the bus alone at night, sit by the driver, stay awake and alert. Have someone meet you at the stop. Follow your instincts.

Which one of those suggestions seems out of place? Walk with confidence? tempting for women to become afraid of being alone. Of walking alone, jogging alone, living alone, sleeping alone, working alone. But to give up independence and free movement is to let The Rapist win. a fine line between being attentive and being terrified. Being the first without being the second is a skill, one most women have to learn.

the skill that comes from living with any terrorist threat. After years of listening to tales of The Rapist become less hopeful that ever be eliminated. But few threats ever are. The world is too big and wonderful to allow The Rapist to win by forcing women into terror and retreat. Walk with confidence.

Catching rapist a relief, but never last one Mary Schmich Year after year, The Rapist is the creep in the sketch who somehow always looks the same even when the height, weight and skin tone vary. Mary column appears in the Chicago Tribune Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and at chicagotribune.com/ schmich By Jon Hilkevitch Tribune transportation reporter Although federal approval to expand International Airport is still pending, Chicago is asking the government to pledge $300 million for construction of the first new runways, according to documents filed with the FAA. In requesting a commitment from the Federal Aviation Administration to help fund expansion, the city offered to put up $55.8 million, mostly from future ticket taxes, to help pay for the first phase of reconfiguring the airport. But critics said the limited federal airport-improvement funding available nationally makes it unlikely the FAA would give Chicago the amounts it is seeking. believe the request is said Rosemarie Andolino, executive director of the expansion project.

at the discretion and we will await their approval. But we are one step closer to modernizing The initial phase of the project, accounting for $2.9 billion of the $6.6 billion plan to reduce flight delays and improve safety, includes building one new runway, extending another runway and relocating a third. The $300 million sought from the FAA would cover roughly 10 percent of the first cost. Release of the $300 over 10 hinges on the FAA approving the modernization, which grows to $14.8 billion when factoring in two new terminals now postponed and other capital improvements to support the new runways. know we must wait for arecord of decision from the FAA before getting the money.

But we want to let the FAA know early what we said Roderick Drew, spokes- man for the Modernization Program office. None of the money would go to pay for more than $3 billion in improvements that Mayor Richard Daley proposed to win suburban support of the expansion. They include western access to a north-south bypass highway from Interstate Highway 90 to Interstate Highway 294 and other road and mass-transit changes to accommodate nearly twice as many flights. Though the aggressive timetable calls for opening the first new runway on the north end in 2007, the FAA is months away from deciding whether to approve, modify or reject the Daley overhaul. The consultant has yet to complete computer modeling that simulates how the proposed design would work with higher air traffic through 2018.

officials must also submit a study comparing the costs and benefits to get the letter-of-intent agreement for funds. expansion critics contend the Daley plan is economically unfeasible for the airlines and taxpayers, as well as unsafe. The level of FAA airport-improvement funds has remained constant at about $500 million a year. The city plans to ask the FAA for more funds during the second phase. plan seeks $300 million U.S.

is asked to fund first runways By Glenn Jeffers Tribune staff reporter Responding to comments by fire union President James McNally that black firefighters might have been behind the recent racist radio broadcasts, black and Hispanic firefighters gathered in force outside Local 2 headquarters Tuesday and called for resignation. Standing in the parking lot of the offices at 440 W. 43rd Battalion Chief Nick Russell announced a petition that was circulating through firehouses across the city calling for ouster. Supporting Russell were more than 150 current and retired black and Hispanic firefighters, Alds. Ricardo (22nd) and Rey Colon (35th), clergy and residents.

Some carried signs that read: stop blaming the and accusations will not be are people who have indicated by their presence that this has to Russell said. growing feeling is that we have confidence in him. no tracking of him bringing us together. only a tracking of his The call for resignation came after the union leader told the Chicago Sun- Times that those outraged by the recent slurs have something to do with these radio Rev. Marshall Hatch of said resignation was needed to restore trust in the Fire Department in black communities.

presents the wrong face of the Fire Hatch said of McNally, who was elected president of the Chicago Fire Fighters Union in April 2002. we move into the summer, none of us needs this higher racial tension between the African-American community and the Fire McNally declined to comment on his past statements. But in a statement he released Tuesday, McNally denounced the racist broadcasts as well as in the media political circles who seek to portray me personally, or Local 2 collectively, as inherently Black firefighters were upset over insinuation that their colleagues were behind the statements made in February and early March over fire radio frequencies. was outraged a said Lt. Barry A.

Mitchell, a 17-year veteran who is black. almost like a female being assaulted and the accuser saying her Many black firefighters also criticized past insensitivity to black firefighters, which included showing up in the late 1980s at afirehouse in blackface to protest affirmative action. Many also denounced the use of the member dues, including those from black firefighters, to pay for lawsuits that fight affirmative-action promotions. going to use my money against me, you should take some of my money and put it in escrow so I can use it to sue said Lt. Annette Nance-Holt, 39, a 13-year veteran who is black.

Protest targets fire union president Minorities blast doubt over radio slurs Tribune photo by Milbert O. Brown growing feeling is that we have confidence in Battalion Chief Nick Russell said Tuesday. By Ray Long and Molly Parker Tribune staff reporters a strong rebuke, Auditor General William Holland lashed out at the Blagojevich administration Tuesday for improperly launching work on a $25 million contract with a politically connected venture to review state assets before the agreement is signed. Holland has been critical of the way state government manages property it owns and leases, but he complained that the haste has made it impossible to monitor howGov. Rod Blagojevich is spendingmoney to address the problem.

know exactly what is going to be performed, and what those services are that are being provided at this point, nobody really knows, except for complained Holland, referring to the Central Management ServicesDepart- ment, which oversees most state property. Holland maintained the size of the proposed contract makes it even more important that the details are finished before work commences. law provides for to be in place, Holland said. quarrel with the intention, but there is a lot at risk Michael Rumman, the director of CMS, defended the deal with a consortium of five firms for a three-year review of state assets, ranging from an examination of state leases to whetherstate-owned properties are being put to their best use. The asset management consortium includes Mesirow Stein Development Services which is affiliated with Mesirow Financial whose lobbyists have included William Filan, the cousin of Blagojevich budget director John Filan.

A brother of Comptroller Dan Hynes also works at Mesirow. Rumman said the decision was made to choose the Mesirow consortium in late De- cemberand the company is proceeding at its own risk. He said he expected thewritten contract to be ready in two weeks and that he did not want to waste precious days of by waiting to finish the details. believe what we are doing is the appropriate set of Rumman said. But Holland said his office has not assessed the contract because the contract exist, which is The auditor all but predicted he would cite the agency for failing to have a contract in place.

Holland said five firms bid on the deal after requests for companies to offer proposals were sent in September and the proposal selected for the work has yet to be seen by in the Becky Carroll, a spokeswoman for both the offices of Rumman and John Filan, said Filan bases his budget decisions on what is best for taxpayers. Rummansaid he was unaware of any political connections until after he had chosen the consortium. Governor criticized on state assets study Tribune photo by Phil Velasquez Heart of the matter Laura Bush (second from left) shares a light moment with heart disease survivors Jody Knack (from left), Melodee Church and Kathy Cunningham after speaking Tuesday at the Building about heart disease risks. By Ray Long and Molly Parker Tribune staff reporters Rod Blagojevich proposed accelerating $200 million in road construction projects in order to put people to work faster as part of his capital spending plan unveiled Tuesday. The administration rolled out most of the capital program with a focus on building schools and roads but also with projects ranging from buying state police cars to pumping $29 million into a new shooting and archery complex in Downstate Sparta.

Budget chief John Filan also predicted the administration would not spend more than $450 million on pet legislative projects left over from former Gov. George Ryan. Blagojevich decided last year he would pay for no more than $450 million in projects even though he estimated more than $1billion worth were in the pipeline from the Ryan years. Filan gave little hope to lawmakers that Blagojevich would exceed the $450 million plateau. think the member intitia- tive project program was capped at $450 and where going to Filan said.

To date, Blagojevich has spent about $162.2 millionof the $450 million. Along with $1.75 billion in road construction for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the public transportation component includes money to reha- bilitatethe Brown and Blue Lines. For Metra, money would be used to improve the North Central Service, Union Pacific West Line and South- West Service Line. Blagojevich seeks revved-up roadwork.