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If there was any hope that changes in the City Council would led to more independence, it was squelched by a series of comments offered by alderman Carrie Austin of the 34th Ward.
In an interview with Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman, Austin made no secret of her desire to replace former alderman William Beavers (Seventh Ward) as the head of the council's budget committee, a position her late husband, former alderman Lemuel Austin, also held.
Among her credentials Austin, the new head of the council's black caucus, cited her "longevity and loyalty to this administration."
Trouble is, the City Council's supposed to be the check that balances the mayor. If Austin had any backbone she'd be lining up the aldermanic votes she needs to be budget chair with or without Daley's blessing. And then she'd use her chairmanship powers to act as fiscal watchdog on how the city spends billions of property tax dollars.
In reality, of course, chairing the budget committee is a plum position not because of its fiscal oversight but because of the jobs the chair gets to fill in exchange for staying blindly loyal to Daley.
Come to think of it, we don't even need the budget committee, considering there's already a finance committee chaired by another mayoral loyalist, alderman Edward Burke (14th). If you recall, the budget committee emerged out of Council Wars, as former Reader staff writer Gary Rivlin explains in Fire on the Prairie, his book about Mayor Harold Washington. In 1986 black aldermen wanted Burke removed from the chair of finance because, as alderman Dorothy Tillman put it, "Why show a racist like Burke an ounce of sympathy or respect?" But 48th Ward alderman Marion Volini countered by insisting that Burke keep his chairmanship on the grounds that in her lakefront community he "is seen as the only thing between Washington, tax increases, and widespread cronyism."
So now we have two rubber-stamp committees looking the other way while Daley does what he wants. And of course lakefront voters--out of apathy, idiocy, and all-around cluelessness--rewarded Daley with more than 70 percent of the vote in February's municipal election, even as the CTA collapses. I guess Volini had it wrong: lakefront voters really don't care about tax hikes and cronyism (PDF)--not to mention essential city services--so long as it's Daley and not Washington who's mayor.
Ben, I think you're being unfair to 'little Richie'; you've consistently given him ALL the credit for the morass, (as in more-ass), of corruption, back-room wheeling and dealing, kickbacks, pay-offs, and the despicably brilliant and profitable schemes which have been perpetrated and imposed upon the citizens of this almost great city.
He's had A LOT OF HELP.
So, let's give credit where credit is due.
I read the Sun-Times article linked above and, while doing so, the proverbial 'light bulb' illuminated brightly!
== "I can say, then, that I have truly walked in his footsteps. And because this is my fourth term, that I have surpassed him," said Austin, who added that she wants the job "as much as I need the next breath."
"My longevity and my loyalty to this administration, as well as to my constituents [justify my appointment to] the position." ===
Notice how Austin's loyalty to her constituents comes AFTER her loyalty to '"this administration", almost as an afterthought.
Almost as an After-Thought.
Beeeeery Interrrresting!
Then the other shoe dropped, to wit:
=== The person in that job presides over annual city budget hearings and pushes through Mayor Daley's annual spending plan. ===
The plot thickens.
Could it be that there are a significant number of 'African-Americans' actively participating in 'Da Chicago Way' protocols?
African-Americans who have been applying these protocols for several decades, imposing upon their fellow citizens the very cold-hearted measures that work so well in depressing an areas property values, (thru the systematic neglect of that areas' basic repair and maintenance needs, as well as it's safety needs)?
Deliberate neglect which discourages the investment of private capitol in the area(s)?
Deliberate denial of any significant investment of 'public capitol', public-money investment that could vastly improve the living conditions of the residents of the area(s)?
Let's review these protocols and see if anyone else's 'light bulbs' illuminate.
=== Da Chicago Way
Let's step back a bit, and look at things from an historical perspective.
Immense wealth can be gained from the manipulation of real estate values.
Here's how it's been done in Chicago:
1) determine which areas have the potential of being attractive to those blessed with high incomes and ample financial resources.
(Transportation facilities, classic architecture, established parks and recreation facilities, proximity to the Loop, etc. are all pluses.)
2) Neglect the chosen target areas for as long as possible, for the purpose of depreciating property values by, among other means, decreasing safety related activities, (or encourage the perception of same), neglecting the infrastructure, pandering to prejudices, harassing individual, cloutless homeowners thru punitive building code citations, etc..
3) Buy up, thru dummy corporations and such, properties of those fleeing the neglected area, then neglect and milk said properties or demolish same.
4) Continue accumulating properties, with or without buildings on them and continue to neglect the areas' remaining residents' basic needs, as property prices drop even further.
5) Entice the ever optimistic and gutsy 'urban pioneers', with dirt cheap rentals and a few reasonably priced building sales, (tho still making you double-to-triple on what you paid for them)
6) Watch and Wait, while the 'urban pioneers' do all your work for you.
7) As the time to cash in approaches, stimulate the progress of the process by beginning the work of repairing and improving those past neglected infrastructures and increasing the activities effective in increasing the safety of residents, (or the perception of same).
8) Raise rents on all your previously neglected and milked properties, thus forcing out any remaining 'undesirables'. (and remember NOT to thank them for their past contributions relative to depressing property values)
9) Cash in, BIG TIME, when those previously mentioned individuals with high incomes and ample resources now flock to the new 'hot' neighborhood.
10) Oh, don't forget to juice the builders and contractors who'll also be gathering at your doorstep, begging for the chance to build on those vacant lots you've been sitting on or buy them for 20 to 50 times what you got them for.
and
DATS DA CHICAGO WAY ===
Thought-provoking, isn't it?
Here's more to ponder:
=== Austin said the first order of business is to support the six incumbent black aldermen fighting for their political lives in April 17 runoffs. They are Aldermen Madeline Haithcock (2nd), Dorothy Tillman (3rd), Shirley Coleman (16th), Lona Lane (18th), Howard Brookins (21st) and Michael Chandler (24th). ===
I wonder what would be found, if some curious journalists compiled an inventory of the individuals and business entities who own the huge number of vacant lots and boarded-up buildings on the city's West and South sides, especially those properties located within the boundries of the 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 18th, 21st and 24th wards.
And an inventory of the amounts of public capitol invested, over the past few decades, for the repair, maintenance and improvement of those wards.
And an inventory of the owners and operators of city-contracted work doled out during the same period, a period that, strangely, coincides with little Richie's time in office.
A lot of work, you say?
Certainly.
A lot of 'beeery interrrresting' information?
Oh yeah.
Dig deep, dedicated journalists.
They always bury the bodies where it's tough to find them.
Then again maybe those readers are just as/more inclined to be lulled into complacency and indifference as everyone else.
Anyway, thank you and keep it up!
All those sub-human beings who lust for wealth, and the power to gain same, are of like mind.
The only color they see is GREEN, and I don't mean the color of grass.
These crooks don't have to 'caucus', they all KNOW what the agendas are.
As for the 'frosh', ie. newly elected virgins, they'll be feeling 'involved' soon enough.
Those 'frosh' who are truly interested in serving all the citizens of their ward will be 'feeling the love' and would be well advised to stock up on Preparation H and Depends.
Those who are on the same page as 'da machine' already are 'involved', up to their ears in it.
Don't waste your time and heart in writing letters to the major media, they are also of 'like mind'.
Understand, ALL the powers-that-be EVER do is pay lip service to the ideals they purport to uphold.
That's the rule, tho there are few-and-far-between exceptions.
I applaud all the honest journalists who continue to do their best to expose the rascals, but it's a sad commentary on the way things are that their efforts require 'courage'.
For 'Freedom of Speech' to be a reality, not simply an under-achieved ideal, there must be an avenue for that speech to travel.
The Chicago Reader's wisdom and integrity in providing this road for discussion is a beginning.
I ask all who avail themselves of this avenue to spread the word and encourage your friends and family to participate.
The Reader's chosen format for this forum is perfect for the free and contemporaneous exchange of ideas and opinions we so desperately need.
I wish more members of the press would provide such a service to their readers. In exactly the same format.
At the very least, boys and girls of the 'minor' press, it will stimulate the sales of your newspapers and increase the interest in your editorial musings.
try it, you'll like it.
and so will we.
"lakefront voters--out of apathy, idiocy, and all-around cluelessness--rewarded Daley with more than 70 percent of the vote in February's municipal election"
did so AS a reward for services rendered.
Who do you think are some of the active participants in the myriad of lucrative schemes, so deftly engaged in by 'da maya' and his associates?
And where do many of these participants live?
Bingo! Da Lake Front!!
thinking that those lake-front voters are apathetic, clueless idiots is giving them too much credit.
Understanding that many are active participants in all of the 'machine's shenanigans is, while distasteful, much more close to the truth.
After all, it's pretty expensive to live in or around the 'Gold Coast' and where do you think a significant part of the wealth needed comes from?
Things coming into focus now?
The Mayor would be wise to think twice about appointing her Chairman of the Budget Committee.
"Carrie Austin has some serious baggage. A questionable business relationship with Chester Wilson regarding property owned and leased back to the City; some Hired Truck program relationships; personal bankruptcies; etc.
The Mayor would be wise to think twice about appointing her Chairman of the Budget Committee."
You can be sure that 'The Mayor' and his 'associates' think a lot more than just twice about EVERY move they make.
If Austin gets this appointment, it will be ONLY because she poses minimal risk of bringing significant 'heat' to the 'machine'.
She's a proven 'player' and her 'serious baggage' only confirms this.
The fact that she's been less than discrete about her 'baggage', and yet has not been indicted, may be less important to some, than her proven willingness to 'play the game'.
To think that 'The Mayor' is concerned about anything other than the APPEARANCE of impropriety is to be exceedingly naive.
DEPENDABLE 'rubber stamps' are not as plentiful as one might think.
Especially from the 'Black Caucus' side of town.
While it may be a calculated risk to appoint Austin, we can be sure that those calculations will be thoroughly made.
For all the usual reasons and by all the usual suspects.
Other than Preckwinkle and sometimes Brookins, the Black "Caucus" is the most dependable and pliable group in the council. Only the threats from the Union regarding Big Box scared some of them off of massa's injun reservation.
I do not think Daley would want to put a Carrie Austin in that spot knowing that she could be the next councilman on Patrick Fitzgerald's press conference.
Carrie wants the job for the additional staff she would get and the car and bodyguard/driver that comes with the position.
There is nothing in her background that would indicate her being qualified for that position.
That way, fitzgerald can hold that press conference all that much sooner. :)
If you do so, you may find that in your first reading of it, you failed to grasp it's meaning.
I say this because of:
"There is nothing in her background that would indicate her being qualified for that position."
Think about ALL that this position requires of it's holder and you'll 'begin to see the light'.
In other words, if I were a hiring manager looking for someone to be in charge of overseeing and crafting a $5 billion dollar budget and her resume came across my desk, it would promptly be deposited in the circular file, notwithstanding her ability as a loyal "yes man".
Or do you think that the mayor, and his many associates, are much more interested in putting someone in that position who is "a loyal 'yes-man'."?
As for what you refer to as my "tongue in cheek approach to this topic", if you can't keep at least a little sense of the absurdity we tolerate as 'good government', you discard one aspect of human discourse that most people find amusing.
And as has been seen, the many potential voters, who don't register and/or don't bother to vote, typically are turned-off by the very lack of humanity that the humorless among us impose upon the political process.
If, as it appears, you are interested in participating in efforts to encourage the citizens of our almost-great city to involve themselves in the political process, I suggest you re-assess your perspective of your fellow human beings and learn to communicate in a more 'entertaining' manner.
After all, inspiring the many non-voters to think about and be involved in their own governance is the only way to achieve changes for the betterment of all of us, not just the chosen few.
You are interested in encouraging greater citizen participation, aren't you?
IF things were as really as bad as you and your believers would believe, people would be lining up outside of the polling place before 6:00am to turn the rascals out.
Instead of pleading despair, have you ever thought that people are content (except for those in the media that love a good cat fight, and other malcontents who just like to bitch) and see no need to storm the Bastille ?
Incumbents are not bullet proof (see Dan Walker, Jimmy Carter, George Bush I, Jane Byrne, etc.).
Don't sell the people short.
http://www.amazon.com/Rogues-Rebels-Rubberstamps-C...
Rogues, Rebels, and Rubberstamps: The Story of Chicago City Council from the Civil War to the Third Millennium (Paperback)
And anyone who expresses an opinion to the contrary is "not giving the masses enough credit for knowing what is or is not good for them"?
So, why all this fuss about Austin being appointed to head the city's budget committee?
I suppose 'orion' disagrees with the following:
"Sometimes I wonder if those who don't vote or don't register to vote understand how much of their hard earned income is wasted by the gross mismanagement and misuse of the tax dollars we all are forced to 'pony up'.
Property Taxes, (part of your rent, if you don't own property AND part of the price you pay for everything you buy, goods and services, 'cause the businesses you buy from pay the same or greater taxes than you do.)
Sales taxes of all kinds.
Income taxes, both state and federal.
Licenses, Fees, Fines, Permits, etc. (also passed on to the consumers)
Utility taxes, in addition to the sales taxes, which juice your utility bills.
Mystery taxes you may or may not see, and couldn't know what they're for anyway.
What's the calculation now, something like 40% - 45% of our GROSS income is taken from us in taxes.
Every year we work from January 1st until mid May and ALL of our income earned during that time goes directly into the pockets of some government agency.
Granted, many things that government uses our tax dollars for are beneficial to us all.
Many, however, are not.
Yet, year after year, decade after decade, there still seems to be a steady 70% - 80% of our fellow citizens who either don't vote or don't even bother to register.
Our 'elected officials' pay lip service to 'getting more people to register', and only make efforts to do so that benefit their particular political party.
WAKE UP, WAKE UP, SLEEPY VOTERS!
Our fates are in our own hands."
Or this:
"Let's step back a bit, and look at things from an historical perspective.
Immense wealth can be gained from the manipulation of real estate values.
Here's how it's been done in Chicago:
1) determine which areas have the potential of being attractive to those blessed with high incomes and ample financial resources.
(Transportation facilities, classic architecture, established parks and recreation facilities, proximity to the Loop, etc. are all pluses.)
2) Neglect the chosen target areas for as long as possible, for the purpose of depreciating property values by, among other means, decreasing safety related activities, (or encourage the perception of same), neglecting the infrastructure, pandering to prejudices, harassing individual, cloutless homeowners thru punitive building code citations, etc..
3) Buy up, thru dummy corporations and such, properties of those fleeing the neglected area, then neglect and milk said properties or demolish same.
4) Continue accumulating properties, with or without buildings on them and continue to neglect the areas' remaining residents' basic needs, as property prices drop even further.
5) Entice the ever optomistic and gutsy 'urban pioneers', with dirt cheap rentals and a few reasonably priced building sales, (tho still making you double to triple on what you paid for them)
6) Watch and Wait, while the 'urban pioneers' do all your work for you.
7) As the time to cash in approaches, stimulate the progress of the process by beginning the work of repairing and improving those past neglected infrastructures and increasing the activities effective in increasing the safety of residents, or the perception of same.
8) Raise rents on all your previously neglected and milked properties, thus forcing out any remaining 'undesirables'. (and remember NOT to thank them for their past contributions relative to depressing property values)
9) Cash in, BIG TIME, when those previously mentioned individuals with high incomes and ample resources now flock to the new 'hot' neighborhood.
10) Oh, don't forget to juice the builders and contractors who'll also be gathering at your doorstep, begging for the chance to build on those vacant lots you've been sitting on or buy them for 20 to 50 times what you got them for.
and
DATS DA CHICAGO WAY"
Or this:
"It's good to see that a few honest individuals have managed to stimulate enough interest, in the minority of citizens who have registered and bothered to vote this election cycle, to garner enough votes to get elected.
The problems, however, remain the same.
1) Of all citizens who qualify to vote in a given electoral area, (city, township, county, state, federal, etc.), what percentage are registered to vote?
2) Of those registered, what percentage actually vote?
3) Of those who do vote, what percentage cast their vote strictly by political party?
4) Of those who do vote, what percentage cast their vote for clearly arbitrary or capricious reasons?
5) Of those who do vote, what percentage cast their vote as a result of believing political 'propaganda', ie., campaign advertising?
6) Of those who do vote, what percentage cast their vote as a result of the desire to work toward eliminating corruption in government?
7) Of those who vote, what percentage cast their vote for substantially self-interested reasons? (clout job, clout contract, clout influence, etc.)
As is obvious, the vital element needed, for meaningful and effective change, is maximum voter registration and participation.
Until the vast majority of citizen-taxpayers realize fully how costly corruption is, we will not likely see the participation of enough voters to overcome the core numbers loyal to 'politics-as-usual'."
Or this:
"Greetings,
Thank you for your response. It was not my destiny to be a whistleblower. I did not choose it. The Daley Administration made the choice. I was only a simple employee of the monster created by the Daley family between 1956 and 2000 that continues to manipulate, steal, give away and extort revenue from the citizens of Chicago.
I am only one voice standing up against a herd of Goliaths without even a sling shot. For anything significant to happen with the whistleblowing about the corruption in the Water Department an independent press will have to evolve in Chicago and the Federal Attorney's Office and FBI will have to purge the obstructionists that are able to continue to protect the Daley Administration from serious investigation. Senator Peter Fitzgerald's appointment, Patrick Fitzgerald has put some serious dents in the armor of the Daley Mob, but they seem to have tunnel vision in their investigations and interests.
I offered information and documentation from the inside of the municipal government of Richard M. Daley with copies of Certified Mail letters informing him of the theft of revenue, corruption and cover-up. Additionally my information about corruption, theft of revenue, and fraud for the benefit of friends, family and personal gain is documented in many City of Chicago Documents. Daley, the FBI, and Federal Attorney's Office have something in common: They are all attempting to ignore the theft of municipal revenue, fraud that allowed the theft, and violations of Federal Law to cover up the corruption.
In addition to repeated Certified Mailings to Daley and Patrick Fitzgerald the Federal Attorney I have also sent a letter to all 50 Chicago Aldermen. Not one of them chose to respond to my letter. My complaints against Alexander Vroustouris the former Inspector General and Richard A. Rice the former Commissioner of the Water Department were not acknowleged, but with the departures of Vroustouris and Rice I can believe that I am at least partially responsible for their departure. Of course others may claim that Vroustouris and Rice were only eliminated as a result of the Inspector General's probe of the time card scandal of Commissioner John Daley's brother-in-law, John Briatta.
Moving Briatta out is the modus operandi of the Daley Administration. He was getting heat for the administration. It was also the case with Vroustouris and Richard A. Rice. I would believe that all three will be gainfully employed through their relationship to the Administration. It probably has happened already. They will surface in other public sector or private sector jobs probably for more money than they were receiving in Chicago employment. That is also the modus operandi of the Daley Mob. Examples of this type of transfer of employees bringing heat to the Administration are Dominic Longo, grandson of Bruno the Bomber Roti and Joseph Carioscia. In the case of Dominic Longo, it was Vroustouris that thought that he should repeatedly investigate Longo's movements. John Kass could not figure out how Longo kept resigning from jobs when Vroustouris's army of suburban waitresses kept doing things on the street not related to his job, such as going to the bath room, taking coffee breaks, and eating lunch and occasionally stopping at a business. The Vroustouris people were big on minor violations and used to cover up major corruption on a daily basis. Their reports were falsified as dictated by the administration. Dominic Longo also was protected by his family relationship to the mobbed up union bosses from the Caruso family. It was not prudent for Vroustouris to embarrass the Daley Mob by following one of their VIPs in this case Dominic Longo. The second example that I am citing Joseph Carioscia is from a Taylor Street family with incredible family relationships. The Carioscia family of Anthony Carioscia own a prominent chain of Italian restaurants called Leona's Pizza, Inc. The exact inclusion of family members in the corporation is unknown. Joseph Carioscia and Anthony Carioscia are grandsons of Leona the founder. She introduced both of her grandsons, Joey and Tony to me about 1971 at her restaurant L and L Pizza on Addison Avenue. I did not remember the relationship until much later and long after I was called from the street by a Water Meter Reader telling me that he was walking by a restaurant on Taylor Street that had no metered water service. It was later learned that there were 3 properties in this one block that were owned by the Carioscia family that had irregularities with water service. At the time Joseph Carioscia was head of Customer Service in the basement of the DePaul Center. When the Carioscia name was tied to the property at 1419 W. Taylor Street he was immediately given another job only 100 feet away from Judy Rice the Commissioner of the Water Department and placed in charge of Water Department Personnel records. His family was discovered stealing water revenue. He was promoted up and out by the Daley Mob. Later he surfaced as Director of Personnel for the Water Department where he was placed in an obscure office on the 4th floor of the DePaul Center with a high paying job. His name appears on the Sorrich Clout List with Tim Degnan and the 36th Ward as his sponsors. Adding to his clout is the fact that the Carioscia family is a family allied to the D'Arco family from the Old First Ward and their allied families of Briatta, Daley, Roti, and even serve as an allied family connecting the genealogies of the D'Arco, Daley, Roti, Andriacchi, Mariote, and Capone families.
When I sent the Plumbing Inspector and Field Assessor to 1419 W. Taylor Street to investigate the water revenue steal, I was told, "Don't you know who owns that? You will be fired or killed." In retrospect I did not know who owned the property stealing water revenue. Now, I know. I also know how the family name of the owners tie to the families listed above including Daley and Capone which I have in the same genealogy database. It is really amazing how the Daley boys are able to litterally keep it in the "FAMILY".
I recently sent another letter to Richard M. Daley congratulating him for his success in covering up the corruption in his administration. I also sent another complaint to Patrick Fitzgerald complaining about his office and the FBI continuing to cover up a substantial portion of Daley Mob corruption. I really believe that my Certified Mailings alone should be enough to generate numerous investigations and indictments. Perhaps the Presidential Birthday Party in Chicago where George Bush chose to eat his birthday cake with Richard M. Daley can help to explain how Daley has evaded indictment for so long. I am convinced that the cover up on my information will continue unless their is significant media coverage. Judging by the endorsements that Daley received from the Editors of the Chicago Sun Times and The Chicago Tribune and their editors refusing to allow Reporter Ray Gibson to continue with his story about my information after working on it for more than 6 months, documenting the information on each of about 40 properties that I provided to him including some major water thieves, I will probably not receive appropriate press coverage or inquiry from the two major Chicago newspapers. Their may be an exception however since David Jackson, a Pulitzer Prize Winner has expressed interest and has a fresh list of properties stealing water revenue that the Administration has not been able to manipulate and cover up yet. One block in this group alone should be enough to generate national headlines. In fact it may be a substantial portion of the reason that the Daley Administration chose to come after me instead of collecting the stolen water revenue.
Additionally I gave more than 300 pages of bound information to the Chicago Inspector General David Hoffmann who moved over from the Federal Attorney's Office. I wanted to see if they would pursue my complaints. One particular clerk in room 510 of the DePaul Center promptly retired. I expect that she was forced to resign by the Inspector General's Office to keep from being prosecuted. It is another tactic employed by the City of Chicago to cover up corruption. This clerk made fraudulent adjustments to a number of the high profile water theft accounts after their discovery. I expect her to retire from the City of Chicago and then be placed in a high paying job some other place. I do not expect that the office of David Hoffmann will do anything except continue the cover up of municipal theft of revenue, fraud, and racketeering used to cover it up by the former Inspector General Alexander Vroustouris.
Thank You for your e-mail.
PS Neither of Richard M. Daley's challengers chose to use my information to get media time to aid their campaigns against the "Most Corrupt Public Administration in American History". The list of important people that have ignored my information is itself a story worth writing."
I find it much more likely that the "masses" are just too damned busy working their butts off, so they can keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables, to realize just how much of their hard-earned incomes are wasted by their so-called 'public servants', rather than that they are 'contented'.
"Don't sell the people short."?
If anyone is doing so, it's orion and those of like mind.
As for the rest of your rant, you might want to spend the energy you use typing your manifesto on seeking employment because the City is not going to hire you back.
This site really needs to be moderated................
Orion must have a cushy clout job, to think it unlikely that "anyone is THAT busy".
Many people actually work more than a couple of hours a day, twice a week, to make ends meet.
After all, there's only so many clout jobs to go around.
And, as difficult as it may be for orion to believe, I wouldn't accept a job from this city's or county's clout monkeys.
I guess in orion's book, that makes me a chump loser.
That's what a certain type of mind thinks of most all of us.
The economy is booming, if the train left you at the station,that is your fault.
And if I were the moderator, I would keep topics on task, not let you and others of your ilk hijack them with your insane theories.
The economy is 'booming' for orion.
The 'downtrodden' spend their few schekels on lottery tickets.
And orion wants us all to stay 'on task'!
Could orion be one of our alderman's psychiatrist?
Naw.
Aldermen ain't got no mental health problems.
"
well, I have to agree with this. if everyone who bitched about politics voted we'd have a 99% turnout rate, instead of the sorry-ass 34% we got (or whatever it was).
some people around the world are still willing to DIE for the right to vote, here, it's treated like a major inconvenience, and a martyr's action to do it.
so to all those who "can't be bothered" a hearty UP YOURS.
Until such time as we, the people, force them to do so in a responsible and honest manner, they will continue to do so.
The ONLY force we have is our votes on election days.
The ONLY application of that force that the incumbents understand is when we, the people, fire them.
The only way to fire them is to VOTE THEM OUT.
One of the better reasons to do so is:
"Sometimes I wonder if those who don't vote or don't register to vote understand how much of their hard earned income is wasted by the gross mismanagement and misuse of the tax dollars we all are forced to 'pony up'.
Property Taxes, (part of your rent, if you don't own property AND part of the price you pay for everything you buy, goods and services, 'cause the businesses you buy from pay the same or greater taxes than you do.)
Sales taxes of all kinds.
Income taxes, both state and federal.
Licenses, Fees, Fines, Permits, etc. (also passed on to the consumers)
Utility taxes, in addition to the sales taxes, which juice your utility bills.
Mystery taxes you may or may not see, and couldn't know what they're for anyway.
What's the calculation now, something like 40% - 45% of our GROSS income is taken from us in taxes.
Every year we work from January 1st until mid May and ALL of our income earned during that time goes directly into the pockets of some government agency.
Granted, many things that government uses our tax dollars for are beneficial to us all.
Many, however, are not.
Yet, year after year, decade after decade, there still seems to be a steady 70% - 80% of our fellow citizens who either don't vote or don't even bother to register.
Our 'elected officials' pay lip service to 'getting more people to register', and only make efforts to do so that benefit their particular political party.
WAKE UP, WAKE UP, SLEEPY VOTERS!
Our fates are in our own hands."
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who's responsible for picking our pockets.
Nor to figure out what to do about it.
WHEN IN DOUBT, VOTE THEM OUT.
He/she just needs to stir up shit to get his/her rocks off.
To each his/her own.
They have already been given the City Clerk's job, one of the Board seats for the Board of Election Commissioners, the Chairmanship of the Cook County Democratic Party, new schools for the hordes of illegals that come here and spawn once here, driver's licenses for illegals, etc. - - power far in excess of their VOTING numbers.
When is the madness going to end ?
Because, as is obvious to all, you haven't lived long enough, or experienced life enough, to understand the simple and essential values of being fair, honest, compassionate, and humble.
Try imagining things from the other person's perspective, not just to figure out how to screw them over, but to understand the truth, that everybody has a right to be respected and treated fairly, you know, 'Do Unto Others As You'd Have Done Unto You'.
This isn't a concept that is new to you, is it?
This is a friggin blog, for entertainment, not a Harkness table.
It also confirms that, despite your opinion to the contrary, you are still incredibly ignorant of the many facets of life you'll need to learn about, if you are to add to the world, instead of subtract from same.
There are more than enough knuckleheads for you to keep company with, spare those interested in intelligent conversation from your under-developed thoughts, as there are those who aren't still nuzzling at the nipple, who have to work for a living and who would like to make an intelligent decision in the April 17th run-off election.
courtesy of the Chicago Reader.
I, for one, appreciate your sharing your opinions and ideas, as your doing so provides ample opportunity for all who avail themselves of this venue to 'hear' what you have to 'say'.
That is what people do, in a democratic environment.
"1) If telling the truth HELPS you, tell the truth. (however rarely this is true for an incumbent)
2) If telling the truth HURTS you, tell a lie, particularly a lie that is impossible to prove is a lie.
3) When lying, coat your lies with as much truth as possible, so the lie APPEARS to be true.
4) When confronted with your lies, vigorously assert that you're NOT lying and accuse those who say you are of LYING.
5) avoid lying about things that can be PROVEN to be lies, tho, you can ALWAYS challenge the honesty of those who present the proof of your lies.
6) Do your very best to keep some sort of track of your lies, so you don't waste energy lying when you are confronted with conflicting lies.
7) Whenever possible, always have OTHERS lie for you, so you can denounce them, if and when they are caught lying.
8) When caught in a lie, change the subject and focus on telling those lies that have, so far, not been proven to be lies.
9) Tell the truth sparingly, as, if the truth were helpful to you, you wouldn't have to tell so many lies in the first place."
There's a lot more stuff in the Political Hack's Playbook, but I think this is enough for now, don't you?
Don't you want honest people in government?
Don't you want an end or a reduction in the wasteful and criminally fraudulent manner in which our hard-earned tax dollars are spent?
Don't you want honest people representing you and all of us?
The citizens of our once great country will not be honestly
served by their 'public servants' until such time as there are no political parties.
When the voting public participates at a much higher rate than the present 15% - 20% of those eligible to vote, that will be the time when the citizens will treat their employees, the aforementioned servants of the public, as employees are treated in the 'private' sector, ie. if your job performance is unsatisfactory, you get fired.
The catalyst for change begins with firing all incumbents, the 'flush the toilet and start with a fresh bowl' method.
Newly elected public servants will then have to earn the privilege of continuing to remain employed as same.
The selective, party-prejudiced efforts to register only those citizens whose party loyalty agrees with ones own is the primary cause of the high levels of unregistered non-voters.
Voter apathy can be overcome by a united commitment to voting out all incumbents.
The effect of seeing a successful firing of even a small number of incumbents will encourage the newly registered voter to repeat the experience, until those seeking public office get the message.
All that is required is that the effort be made by enough of those currently not participating in the election process to overcome those staunch supporters of 'business-as-usual' governance.
WHEN IN DOUBT, VOTE THEM OUT
Use the following formula to maximize the effectiveness of your vote:
1) The voter MUST know who the INCUMBENTS are.
2) NEVER VOTE FOR THE INCUMBENT.
3) If there is only ONE CHALLENGER, vote for that candidate.
4) If there are two or more challengers, then:
a) If the incumbent is listed FIRST, then vote for the candidate who is listed LAST.
b) If the incumbent is not listed first, then vote for the candidate who IS LISTED FIRST.
Should you sincerely like an incumbent candidate, by all means vote for him / her.
Remember, however, that those who have been in power for decades have been able to do so by being unified in their support of the party chosen.
To counter this unity-of-purpose, the common citizen must have the same strength of unity, albeit, one focused on ousting the incumbents.
The above is a strategy that will be the most effective at achieving this goal.
So, a strategy to inspire the many discouraged non-voters to participate and regain control of their so-called 'public servants' doesn't matter?
So, a strategy that can be a catalyst for beneficial changes in the way our political system functions doesn't matter?
So you say.
I disagree.
What's the problem, that this strategy just might upset those few who have control over our lives and pocketbooks and succeed in returning accountability to all of our citizens?
AN EX-CHICAGOAN & ILLINOIAN & DAMN PROUD OF IT!