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Police State

Unless something unusual happens at Wednesday's Chicago City Council meeting, the Police are going to play two concerts at Wrigley Field on July 5 and 6, both at night, while the Cubs are on a road trip to Washington and Pittsburgh.

A City Council committee approved the Cubs' request for these shows yesterday and the full Council is expected to give the OK tomorrow.

The Cubs agreed to give up one night game this year in return, playing 29 instead of the maximum 30 allowed by the 2002 ordinance increasing the previous maximum of 18.

It is, of course, all about money:

The motivation for the concert series is money that would not fall under Major League Baseball's revenue-sharing umbrella.

For every dollar the Cubs earn on game days, 34 cents must be shared with other teams. For every dollar raked in at a concert, the Cubs get to keep 100 percent.

And buried in that article is another note on an issue that got glossed over this offseason:

[44th Ward Alderman Tom] Tunney also intends to hold the Cubs' feet to the fire on construction of the stalled 400-space parking garage that was supposed to follow a 1,790-seat bleacher expansion. "I've told them they've got to commit to building this building," he said.

That building was part of the deal which allowed the Cubs to construct the new bleachers -- they had agreed to provide at least one new parking space for every ten new seats. The 400-space garage would have easily satisfied that requirement. If Tunney gets his way, expect that building to be built next offseason.