We’re pleased to have Chicago Reporter Editor Kimbriell Kelly and Sun Times Columnist Mark Brown in the Chicago Newsroom this week.  Mark admits that he actually spent some time reading the entire Office Of Federal Housing Enterprise Authority Dec. 2003 Report of the Special Examination Of Freddie Mac. He did that so we wouldn’t have to, and we’re extremely grateful.

He concludes that the report doesn’t blame Rahm Emanuel for precipitating the housing collapse, as certain of his opponents have implied.  But the likely next Mayor of Chicago did make $320,000 for his 14 months of service on the Freddie Mac Board, and that work involved as few as nine meetings, Brown says.

Kimbriell expands on several pieces the Reporter has done recently, including a chilling story about what the actual jobless rate is among men in Chicago’s African American communities.

Our conversation today reignites the rhetorical question – why would anyone actually want to be Mayor right now?

We also salute our partners at the ReBuilding Exchange, who built our fine new table using salvaged lumber from recently-demolished Chicago houses.