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Did you know you can dig a huge hole in Lincoln Park without a permit?
That's just one of the revelations that came out of Friday's opening hearing in the lawsuit filed by the Committee to Keep Lincoln Park Public, a group of north-side residents looking to keep the Latin School from building a soccer field just east of the zoo.
The residents say there are many reasons to oppose the soccer field deal the Park District struck with Latin back in October 2006. But on Friday they asked Cook County Circuit Court judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird to issue a temporary restraining order to block further construction on the grounds that the Park District never got a building permit to construct the field.
When the judge asked why, a lawyer for the Park District explained, "The city takes the position that whatever they are doing here now is OK. In the future they will file for a permit."
I assume this means that once they get around to installing artificial turf and bleachers, they'll seek a permit--though Judge Kinnaird moved on to other issues without asking the lawyer to get more specific.
Keep in mind we're not talking about some minor addition to a back porch. Construction on the field has been under way since last October--they've created a divot about the size of a football field. They've fenced it off and begun installing drainage pipes. The project's consumed a fairly significant chunk of Lincoln Park.
I understand how the city would think a permit is just a formality--something only the little people have to worry about--on a project approved by Mayor Daley. Still, shouldn't they follow the law just, you know, to keep up appearances?
Thomas Ramsdell, the lead lawyer for the residents, also said that the Park District hasn't taken the project before the Chicago Plan Commission, whose approval is supposedly needed before any construction along the lakefront can begin. Oops.
I was really eager to hear the lawyers argue their way out of this one, but Judge Kinnaird cut off discussion in the interest of time before issuing any rulings.
No big deal--they'll all be back in Judge Kinnaird's chambers Wednesday at 11 AM. That gives the lawyers a couple of days to come up with some sort of response to Ramsdell's charge about the plan commission. I can't wait to hear how they worm their way out of this one.
A: D-A-L-E-Y
the private school will get its field and nothing will stop it.
Q: How to rid ourselves of the Incumbent rascals?
A: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Q: How?
A: Easy.
1. REGISTER TO VOTE
2. VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION,
(both Primary & General)
3. NEVER VOTE FOR INCUMBENTS
4. In Primary Elections:
If the Incumbent is listed
1st, vote for whoever is
listed LAST
OR
If the Incumbent is NOT
listed 1st, vote for whoever
IS listed 1st
5. In General Elections:
If there are only 2
candidates, vote for whoever
is NOT the Incumbent,
regardless of party
affiliation
OR
If there are 3 candidates, a
Republican, a Democrat and
any other candidate, vote
for the OTHER candidate
OR
If there are more than 3
candidates, apply the above
formula for Primaries
Concentrate your votes for single challengers, with the goal being to deny reelection to the Incumbents.
Scatter these Incumbent rascals like so many bowling pins, then it won't matter what they do, they won't be doing it with the powers and authorities to pick your pockets.
I have a life, and it's not about being a liar, thief and manipulator of my fellow human beings.
The same can't be said by the Incumbents, at least not without them doing what they do best, as in lying.
As for 'it' not working in real life, it's never been tried.
'It' is mathematically foolproof.
'It' is based on the same, basic functions that computers are based on, as in, 'If THIS, then THAT'.
'It' is the only effective beginning of a solution to dishonesty in government.
'It' encompasses all the things lacking in our Democracy, namely, citizen participation, an effectively open political playing field, and the efficient use of the voter's individual voice/vote.
The Incumbent politicians depend upon the citizens having your warped and defective perspective, that being "....but it doesn't work in real life. Now, get over it and get a life.".
What people like you need, to continue to misuse and abuse the powers and authorities entrusted to you by the citizens, is to successfully promote the fiction that "...but it doesn't work in real life.".
"It" can work, "It" can efficiently boot Incumbents, be they Executive, Legislative or Judicial, out of office, every election, every time, over and over and over, until those elected fear the power of the voters, as the Founding Fathers of OUR Democracy intended.
What irks the liars, cheaters, manipulators and thieves is the possibility that enough citizens will 'Just Do It':
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
But thanks, anyway, for sharing your 2 cents worth of wisdom.
I guess the saying 'Ya can't teach an old dog new tricks' IS true.
Ya see, Frank, the traditional thinking concerning voting in elections is what's been so effectively manipulated and exploited.
You know that.
Your 1 out of 100 victories just doesn't impress me.
That's because I, for one, understand exactly how futile at best, and self-promoting at worst, your loyalty to politics as usual is.
Politics as usual being the promoting of candidates to be elected, rather than the promoting of Incumbents to NOT be REELECTED.
Which would you prefer, to be understood as someone who really thinks that trying to clean up a shit pile one spoonful at a time will ever result in getting rid of that shit pile, or as someone who wants to replace one spoonful of shit with another, that other spoonful being yourself, however less a piece of shit you consider yourself to be?
It's the Challengers all touting themselves that allows the Incumbents to continue to be reelected, to watch as the dissatisfied split their votes amongst all the many 'pick me' egomaniacs trying to unseat them.
The voters have to first realize that they have been, and are expected to continue to be, easily manipulated chumps, by the observable phenomenon of most people thinking that the Challengers are the ones who have to prove themselves worthy of being elected, rather than thinking that it's the INCUMBENTS who have to prove THEMSELVES worthy of being REELECTED.
How many people have had the experience of finding that the person they've hired to do some useful work for them has proven to be less than satisfying in their work product?
And how many people, having realized that that person they've hired, being less than satisfactory, decide to FIRE that less useful person?
Why should our elected officials, as OUR employees, be held to any less a standard than we hold those we hire in the private sector to?
We insist on getting our money's worth when we purchase goods and services from private business, why don't we think of our elected officials in the same way?
You and I both know the answer.
It's because people have been conditioned into believing that there is an essential difference between a public service, paid for by taxes, and a private service, paid for by the consumer choosing to purchase said service.
There isn't.
When we determine that we haven't gotten our 'money's worth' from a private sector transaction, we rarely repeat that transaction with the same business or individual.
Why don't we act the same when it comes to our 'public sector' employees?
We should and we can.
That's why I suggest that every citizen does the following:
REGISTER TO VOTE
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
So, Frank, when I propose a change in the way the citizens think concerning voting, a change that will, if understood, appreciated, and acted on, will result in actual improvements to our former Democracy, even you should be able to understand that I am actually helping 'somebody', as in 'everybody', rather than a specific 'somebody' trying to clean up that pile of shit one spoonful at a time.
When the Incumbents have lost their stranglehold on the election process, when the citizens apply the suggested voting strategies, when NO Incumbent is confident of more than a single term in office, that's when the people will have succeeded in reclaiming both their birthrights and responsibilities concerning living in, and being an active part of, a true Democracy.
If that's not a goal to your liking, so what.
After all, you're only one person, remember?
The only 'confidence' the citizens need is to understand that their votes will be counted, will matter, will make a difference, and will compel change, IF those votes are cast wisely, with a strategy to deny Incumbents reelection and in great enough numbers.
How many residents of this city and county, respectively, meet the requirements to register to vote?
(Those requirements being citizenship, residence and age.)
Of that number, how many are registered?
Of that number, how many actually vote? In the Democratic Primary for city offices? In the Democratic Primary for county offices? In the General Elections for city and county offices?
Elections are, first and foremost, the counting of numbers, those numbers being the votes cast by those citizens who are registered and who do vote.
The question of what motivates those citizens who are not registered, or, being registered, do not vote, is the most relevant one to be answered, IF you really want to restore Democracy and, presumably, honest government to this city and county, let alone this state.
The things the 'Daley people' thrive on are rooted in preventing the citizens from 'thinking outside of the box'; thus the citizens, both registered and not registered, are encouraged to believe that the 'machine' is substantially unbeatable, are encouraged to believe that the only reason to vote at all is to vote FOR a candidate and are, thus, discouraged from bothering to vote at all.
For every authentic challenger, the 'machine' will run at least one shill candidate, usually more than one; your loses have all been the result of the splitting of the votes of the dissatisfied.
The fact that you find my proposals not to your liking leads me to believe you are not truly interested in honest government, merely in your own self-interests.
Hell, Frank, for all we know, your purpose in running IS to 'get beat up', with every vote cast for you being one more wasted vote not affecting the contest's outcome.
You could very well be one of those shill candidates, albeit a shill wearing an honest challenger's skin.
Funny how your responses to my suggestions avoid entirely addressing the specifics of my strategy and the concepts they are based on, and are only about you.
Self-promoting?
Shit, Frank, you are the definition of self-promotion.
Political change depends entirely on the will of the majority of citizens.
By applying the above strategy when voting, the will of the citizens can remove the dishonest from their currently held positions of authority.
The 'Vote For Me' efforts of the non-machine candidates have proven to be ineffective at successfully compelling change.
A common goal is necessary to effectively compel change.
That common goal, the denying of reelection to predominantly machine Incumbents, can be achieved efficiently by applying the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT strategies.
When the greater number of citizens of this city and county realize the power that they have, the power to vote out dishonest and incompetent Incumbents, we may see that honest and truly democratic government we claim we want.
As for me standing up and being counted, I do so every election, by voting according to the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT protocols.
When enough citizens do the same, then you'll see how effective this different perspective on voting can be.
Thank you!
Actually, Tommy, Frank has yet to 'converse' with me, as he seems to prefer to offer only blanket contempt for any idea outside of the box that is his head.
Traditional promotion of individual candidates, in individual contests for city and county offices, be they Executive, Legislative or Judicial, dependably hit that thick, brick wall of 'da machine'.
That's why a strategy completely contrary to the 'common' political wisdom can be so effective.
Whether Frank understands this or not, is, perhaps, interesting, but not relevant to the 'conversation'.
The point you agree with me on, said point being "...vote em out..." leads to asking the question "How?".
If you have the time, and the inclination, feel free to share any opinion you may have on the proposed HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT strategies, being as specific and thoughtful as you choose.
Frank will likely have nothing of substance to bring to this conversation, so we may expect him to post comments touting himself, dismissing any who disagree with him and, generally, avoiding thoughtful commentary entirely, as is his custom.
He does bring one thing of some value to the discussion, that thing being to remind us of the many reasons why voting out the Incumbents is so desirable a goal.
Thank you for that, Frank.
It is racist.
The Park District lies.
Tim Mitchell is a hack with a patronage army like Danny Katalanic or Dominic Longo or HDO.
Tim Mitchell trhoug HDO and Al Sanchez dealth with drug dealers, murderers,felons, and gangbangers like Larry Diaz, Gil Valadez, and many others.
The Chicago Park District is expensive, inaccesible, meant for rich white people, does whatever they want.
The Park District employs 11th and 19th ward racist hacks, precinct captains, members of the Coalition for Honest Government of Longos and Callichios and many ohter questionable groups including LIDO, Pope, Mannion.
The contracts are something else too including tthe millenium park, vendors, restaruants, and security.
Mitchell (Slim Tim as some call him) has no real qualifications.
The police and secrurity should be looked into.
Janet McDonough, dead kids, sexual harrassment, and possible underage drinking, drugs and sex are all at the Parks plus all sorts of other problems including perjury and trying to set people up.
Who was Janet McDonough the driver too?
Did anyone die on Janet McDonough's watch?
Renting out Park property? Freebies?
Don't make fun of Tim Mitchell he had the operation that Jesse James Jackson had and he got lipoed with our Chicago Park District taxpayer money and the stomach staple.
Tim Mitchell is a fat slob. He is a really disgusting corrupt hack.
Lupe Calderone is HDO.
Tim Mitchell used to like Nuevo Leon with his skinny lying sleazoid Gregg Goldsner (is Highland Park bald lying Greg (who also is a drug user with him and his friends just like fellow Highland Parker Stuart Levine) still have Resolute consulting or is he still in business with Maya Solis who he bragged about a conquest with--nothing to brag about Gregg--not as good as Al Sanchez and Maria Nino--not not gossip it is called a sexually hostile environment in the work place and sex for jobs)
Greg Goldsner will end up like his Highland Park buddy Stu Levine (not Stuy from Family guy) Stuart Levine and Greg Goldsner (nicknamed Happy Hannakuah by some HDO operatives)'s own sex and drugs will come out.
Goldsner will rat all over Victor Reyes and alderman.
Remember the 2003 election of Cardenas vs. Ray Frian???!!!!
City services going through a campaign office?
More trees cut down than policy?
Illegal tickets--abuse of process?
Promising (and sometimes getting and sometimes lying about jobs?)
Virginia Reyes in Senior Citizen homes? or Maria Nino at challenges?
or lots of cash going around, overtime promised
and Al Sanchez everpresent
lots of lies?
Lots of illegal action!!!!!?????
Some people remember and don't forget
Dr. Evil is Al Sanchez
Mini Me is Aaron DelValle
The Hog is Victor Reyes also known as FBBB (Fat Buddha Bald Bitch)
or as Pinnochio
Al Sanchez is also known as the troll
Tim Mitchell is known as fairy Timothy, Slim Tim, fat ass Tim, Monstrous Mitchell, Meteor Mitchell, fat slob Timothy
http://news.aol.com/health/story/_a/feds-probe-lea...
"The city takes the position that whatever they are doing here now is OK. In the future they will file for a permit."
Kind of forgot he was working for the Park District there, didn't he?
As an aside, if a regular mope started building something on his own property, without a permit or with the wrong permit - much less public property - the City would shut him faster than you can say: "Ritchie Daley flunked the Bar Exam twice."