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It was a typical year in Chicago. There were the giants who did the stepping and the ants who got stepped on. Here's a look at some of the winners and losers in 2007. --Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
Winner: Photoshop. With the help of the photo editing program, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. extended his political reach without having to miss any karate sessions at his favorite dojo. One and the same picture of him was used on billboard and campaign literature for each candidate he endorsed -- his wife Sandi included. When asked why Jackson didn't just pose with his wife, whom he presumably sees now and then, a congressional aide said: "That's the winning formula, the winning strategy."
Loser: Cook County commissioner William Beavers. The self-proclaimed "hog with the big nuts" thought his daughter Darcel's election as Seventh Ward alderman was in the bag. Then he realized that Jackson had secured every billboard around, saturating the south side. Sandi Jackson went on to trounce Darcel Beavers.
Winners: Ducks and geese. Critics of alderman Joe Moore’s foie gras ban vowed to overturn it, but the legislation never advanced. As a result, animal rights advocates say, fewer fowl have iron rods thrust down their throats in force-feeding.
Losers: Lovers of foie gras and haters of Moore’s ordinance, including Mayor Daley, aldermen Berny Stone and Tom Tunney, and Moore’s 49th Ward opponent Don Gordon, who mostly succeeded in inspiring animal rights activists to rally support for the ban across the city.
Winners: Service-sector unions, which became major players in the City Council by helping bankroll the victories of self-proclaimed reformers and independents such as Bob Fioretti, Pat Dowell, Sandi Jackson, Toni Foulkes, Joann Thompson, Brendan Reilly, and Joe Moore.
Losers: Service-sector unions, who watched while many of those "independents" sank into the comfy cushions of their City Council seats and voted for TIFs, higher taxes, eminent domain deals, and other Daley administration initiatives.
Winners: Mayor Daley, who was able to enjoy a bike ride around Paris; Governor Blagojevich, who chilled at a Blackhawks game; Michael Madigan, who continued to bring home big bucks as a property tax appeal lawyer; and Emil Jones, who kept dreaming of new casinos in Illinois ... while CTA bailout plans crashed in the general assembly.
Losers: CTA riders, at least some of whom are wondering if they should choose the more efficient option of skateboarding to work.
Winner: Former 42nd Ward alderman Burt Natarus. By losing his reelection battle to Brendan Reilly, Natarus no longer has to put up with ceaseless whining from Gold Coast constituents.
Loser: Brendan Reilly. Since he’s had the job, Mayor Daley’s all but called him a bigot for opposing the move of the Chicago Children’s Museum to Grant Park and a kid hater for asking questions about plans by Children’s Memorial Hospital to move to the Gold Coast. Plus he has to answer all those calls that used to go to Natarus.
Winners: The boys and girls soccer teams from the Latin School, one of the city's wealthiest and most exclusive private schools. The Park District gave them (as in for free) prime lakefront park property to build a soccer field.
Losers: Pretty much all of the public high school soccer teams, who have to play on lumpy, potholed, precariously uneven fields.
Winners: Elite athletes from around the world. Mayor Daley is planning to spend untold billions building them state-of-the-art track, swimming, field hockey, and equestrian facilities for the 2016 Olympics.
Losers: Chicagoans, who don't have, among other things, consistent access to swimming pools, well-lit gyms, unslippery basketball courts, or a single indoor running track.
Winner: Congressman Luis Gutierrez, who in exchange for obsequiously endorsing Daley for reelection won a pledge from the mayor not to use any public money for the 2016 Olympics.
Loser: Congressman Gutierrez. Once safely reelected, Daley broke his promise and got the council to commit $500 million for the Olympics.
Winner: Mayor Daley. Thanks to TIFs, Daley's getting well over $500 million a year in off-the-books property taxes that he's pretty much free to dish out to favored developers, businesses, cronies, and friends.
Losers: Voters, who reelected Daley with more than 70 percent of the ballots, seemingly on the grounds that Chicago's not as bad as Gary or Detroit. In the words of a one-time civil rights activist who's now a key Daley ally, "But don't those flowers look nice?"
"But don't those flowers look nice?"
Pretty flowers = $500,000.00
Clueless citizens = priceless
Losers: Service-sector unions, who watched while many of those "independents" sank into the comfy cushions of their City Council seats and voted for TIFs, higher taxes, eminent domain deals, and other Daley administration initiatives."
Also, I believe that $900,000 is far from free. That is what Latin paid TO USE the land for which THEY are paying to build a soccer field for certain times of the year. It is open to the public all other times. The media is trying to make this a haves vs the have nots. That is not the case. Media types are jealous and trying to stir the pot.
Mick and Ben also said we were "winners" first. I guess you missede that part. I believe that Mick and Ben are a bit disappointed that the new alderman have not "faced off" with the Mayor during their first few months in office. We are not as concerned. We think it is a better strategy to build the Progressive Caucus as a viable political alternative to the Mayor's entrenched political structure. The Freshmen are learning how to get things done for their constituents and that is the most important task they must master. Wait and see. These new aldermen will not kowtow to the Mayor like City Councils of past years. Change takes time and we are quite happy with the pace of it. We are positioning ourselves for the next big political fight not trying to win some short-term points with our friends in the media. It is always better to be underestimated in the world of politics "T". Political reallignment is a marathon not a sprint. We will see who is there in the end.
Winners- Daley and everyone outside of Chicago
Losers- Chicagoans
Will anyone attempt to audit any of the money?
Uh, nipplehead, it's "Your Fucking Nuts If..." you think you're accomplishing anything posting your rants here, other than giving everyone the impression that you're not just a honky hack looking to fool the blacks one more time.
'They' got it together twice, remember Harold Washington?
If they pull their heads out of their asses, they can do it again.
They just gotta see how badly they've been sold out and fucked over by their 'reverends'.
PATRICK DALEY !
Like father ,like son.
Thats the Daley motto.
Chris Kozicki,Enrico Mirabelli,Fred Barbara,Frank Caruso,Skip Saviano,Patrick Daley,Peter Silvestri and Jerry Joyce !
Thats todays Mob in Chicago!
it's pretty clear you can keep that up for a couple few terms
that's a funny way of building a "progressive caucus", delivering a mindless unbroken series of pro-administration votes
don't worry about the media
worry about constituents
You clearly have no idea how to run an opposition party. If you really want to get ready for the next political fight, what you need to do is get the aldermen on record. Give the next batch of challengers something to run on.
Introduce an ordinance expanding the IG to aldermen. Or ban contributions from developers seeking zoning changes, AND their attorneys and lobbyists. Increase the notification radius on zoning changes from 250' to 500', and publish the lists. Require re-notification of neighbors when a hearing is re-scheduled. Mandate neighborhood meetings. Etc. Etc.
Doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING vaguely progressive is indistinguishable from complete co-option.
Why does a dumb guy like me have to come up with these ideas?
then you are in great shape
oh, yeah?
any idea when we might see them make their move?
From the SCC blog's comment board:
"Business in Chicago:
Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the Mayors house in Chicago.
One from Lincoln Park, another from Rogers Park and the third, from Marquette Park.
They go with an official from the Mayor's staff to examine the fence.
The Lincoln Park contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil.
'Well', he says, 'I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'
The Rogers Park contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says,
'I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'
The Marquette Park contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the Mayor's young staff member and whispers,
'$2,700'
The inexperienced idiot, incredulous, says, 'You didn't even measure like the other guys!
How did you come up with such a high figure?'
The Marquette Park(Southside) contractor whispers back,
'$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Rogers Park to fix the fence.'
'Done!', replies the official from the Mayor's staff!
And that, my friends, is how business is done in Chicago !!!"
Add as many decimal points as you please, it's all the same mentality.
"From the SCC blog's comment board:"
Go try posting your shit on SSC, and hold your breath until your comment appears.
I noticed you didn't have the balls to claim the 'joke' isn't an accurate reflection of the mentality you and yours possess, said mentality in no way limited to those of Irish descent.
Watcher, your just another reason why Daley is in power.Great ideas lost on FEAR!
I'm sure Frank appreciates all this anonymous attention he's getting, as the more these, shall we say, indiscrete, brainiacs comment, the more well-known Frank will become.
And not in the way said brainiacs intended.
As for others giving out their names, now Frank, haven't you ever heard of the silent majority?
And what might very well happen, should this silent, and actual, majority, decide to, without significant prior warnings:
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE ON ELECTION DAY
and........ wait for it.......
HAVE NO DOUBT and VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
As the immortal Gomer Pyle was wont to say, "Surprise, Surprise!!!"
Just be ready, Frankie, when opportunity comes knocking on the door.
As if we taxing paying citizens aren't in hell already, being bled through our pocketbooks to pay for a few greedy fucks' lavish lifestyles.
But you are correct, when you fear a hellish outcome, as in, it'll be hell for you and your flunky buddies to find work, after you are dismissed, with prejudice, for being the dishonest, lazy political hacks you are.
And what makes you think that the jj jr.'s of this world won't also be in for a surprise?
"Political reallignment is a marathon not a sprint"
that sounds more like an excuse, than a strategy.
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr used to say those exact words , before he sold out to the Daley Crew! The DEAL?
The endorsement of O'Mama !!!!
I'm with you, all the way!
keep up the good work!!!!!
Losers, those without internet.
"....one of the fallen comrades."?
Sounds like someone, 39th and Iron, to be specific, thinks he, or she, is living in China, or the former USSR.
Perhaps that's because he, or she, is very comfortable being a part, however small, of an effective collective dictatorship.
Maybe this dictatorship should change it's name from the Democratic Party of Illinois to the Dictatorship Party of Illinois.
This is beeeeeeery interesting:
"Daley should love the reformers who got the legislature to drop the petition signature requirement from 25,000 to 12,500.
Without that change in the law Daley would not have been on the ballot at all.
He only presented 19,000+ signature in the post Sorich conviction era.
And the challenge brought his number down to 14,000.
If we had had the money and people to continue challenging his petitions, he probably would have NOT been on the ballot at all.
I was there for the challenge and I saw bad signatures approved by the Board of Elections employees who were doing their best to drag the process on and keep da mare in power.
Posted by: MACK | December 31, 2007 10:29 AM"
from ChicagoClout, courtesy of MACK and Patrick McDonough.
Are all the honest citizens beginning to see the light?
CALIFORNIA: I would like to make this statement before San Francisco County meets to discuss the purchase of Sequoia Voting Systems equipment. This meeting is to be held December 5th 2007.
My Name is Gerard Gonzalez, Visalia CA.
I worked as a WinEDS support, training and prelate expert working in many states.
My opinion is that San Francisco CA and every other State and County should not purchase WinEDS Election Management software because of non disclosure of a critical piece of software used by the Vendor and misleading statements in contracts when describing the functionality of WinEDS Election Management software.
The reason is all instruction manuals seem to describe the election creation process as a simple and quick process using only the WinEDS Election Management software.
The contracts do not mention Sequoia’s need to use a (tool) which imports the basic ballot data (text, contests, and candidates). But also at the same time processes all other calculations necessary to create a DRE image of a paper ballot. This software used by Sequoia (the tool) does not work and has never been certified or disclosed to the public. Major changes where made to the code of this software (the tool) after the completion of the databases for the Primary 2006 elections. These changes affected every database in every state for the General 2006 elections. What this means is Sequoia completed work for counties and delivered data with major errors. Sequoia then had to make changes to correct theses errors and reinstall data over and over again before beginning the 2006 General Elections. We also replaced final sets of data without the customer knowing of our actions. The prior sets of data had major errors.
The situation I’m describing, could have been a disaster in many states.
My experience is with the state of NV. All Counties in NV had to reinstall data and prelate (setup) their machines as many as three times before the data was correct in order to begin the General 2006 Elections in that State.
I would like to speak more in detail as to what type of errors would have occurred because of this uncertified piece of software used by Sequoia. Sequoia also sells this product (the tool) to counties that produce their ballots in house.
I feel since this (tool) is sold openly to Counties, that we would have the right to review the source code and it no longer would be considered a secret proprietary piece of property.
-Gerard Gonzalez
Visalia CA
Chicago Association of Realtors
Decades of methodical investment in purchasing the seats of elected representatives in Chicago and Springfield pays off with the continued amassing of a slush fund which immunizes their industry from the worst effects of the most severe downturn in generations, and is completely off the table in civic discussions of education, transportation, and tax fairness.
Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens
Big business used Daley's First Congressional District Victory Fund to show that they could, in a few days, without breathing hard, raise & spend more campaign cash than Chicago's working folk could in many months of organizing.
http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosur...
Daley
Showed he knows how to hoave his cake & eat it, how to use a PAC to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to prop up his control of the legislative branch while all the while touting his self-imposed ban on accepting campaign contributions from those seeking favors from the City.
Losers:
.... Those whose ARM matured in year five, and have to take on second or third jobs
... Riders of the CTA
... Writers and designers for the Reader
Winners
... Creative Loafing, it purchased a great "product"
... The buyers of 11 E. Illinois
... Debt collectors, who have no shortage of business in the new economy, which is held afloat only by shuffling debt around
With your suitcase full of cash, no doubt.
Citizens interested in exercising their Right to Vote can find important information here:
http://www.chicagoelections.com/voterinfo/default....