Chicagoist: An Unnamed Public Official

Disgusted

Sun, 27 May 2007 09:24:25 -0600

The only way to cure corruption in politics is to vote the bastards out. Constantly voting in the same old tired politicians, city, state and federal has led to their "divine right" attitude and our discontent. Stop voting for incumbents! Milarod, Daley, Stroger, and certainly Emil are all examples of persons who believe their own press and their own mothers who told them they were wonderful at the age of 2. I hope Fitz takes them all down. And the state workers who couldn't open their mouths about the corruption in their own departments for fear of their jobs, are now starting to filter info to the Feds. Milarod's use of state funds and resources in his reelection campaign should be very interesting reading, and probably approaches a billion.

Patrick McDonough

Fri, 25 May 2007 18:52:50 -0600

Many of the workers at the Chicago Department of Water Management had a laugh about Blago, we think Fitzgerald is heading back to Chicago to get Mayor Daley and John Daley. Too much dirt to sweep under the rug.

thundercougarfalconbird

Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:02 -0600

Hey Nut Goggles, Assuming you're digging at me, I was born and raised within an hour of the city, and while I was in Nevada for college, I majored in American History and used my 200 and 400 level research credits on the 1893 World's Fair and the 1968 Democratic Convention respectively. So even when I'm not in the Chicago area, I was still spending a lot more time researching the city's history than you probably ever did. To quote former mayor Anton Cermak: "I didn't come over on the Mayflower, but I came as soon as I could." And the inclusion of athletes on the list is because they tend to stick around the cities they had the most impact, invest locally where they're the most well known (restaurants, car dealerships, marketing opportunities, real estate), and even have local landmarks based on them (Walter Payton Prep High School, the Ernie Banks and Michael Jordan statues, Ditka's Steakhouse).

Ferdy

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:59:03 -0600

PS - I'm constantly being put down as a suburbanite. Yes, I live in the burbs, but I was born in the city and lived here for more than 20 years, attending a city university and getting involved in ward politics. I wanted a less hectic lifestyle and lower cost of living, so I moved. But I'm only a 10-minute drive from the border and work in the city. I care very much about what goes on here.

Ferdy

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:55:44 -0600

Chuck - In fact, people are as mobile today as they were before, primarily through further immigration and job opportunities. I listed several current contributors to Chicago, such as Barbara Gaines and Mary Zimmerman, and even New Yorker Martha Plimpton, who prefers to act at Steppenwolf. This is still a country where people can move around; hopefully, it will always be thus and we can go where we feel best and contribute to that community. Perhaps it is the longtime natives such as myself who aren't so awed by the cosmetic changes and don't find gentrification an uncontested good. I've lived under two Daleys and watched blatant power plays and racist ruin what could have been a successful mayoralty of Harold Washington. It's hard to forgive and forget that the regular Dems decided to exercise their legally mandated muscle under Washington, but roll over and show their bellies to Daley. NO government is good that is unduly swayed by the wishes of a monolithic organization or head of government. Democracy is not well served this way. Democracy is messy. Straight lines are for soldiers.

Nut Goggles

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:50:00 -0600

vise77 - No. What's really annoying are the people who moved here from afar five years ago into gentrified neighborhoods well after Daley became mayor, and then act like they know what the fuck they're talking about when it comes to Chicago's past. Sound like anyone you know?

woodlawnchuck

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:44:26 -0600

Ferdy, Also remember that a great deal of the people that are on that list came at a time when people were migrating throughout the country (often starting in New York), and generally heading West - that's right, it's called the turn of the 19th Century into the 21st. The digs we "hicks" take at people aren't from here is just like someone else said: people who are here for a very short time and had nothing to do with Chicago, or knew very little about its history or politics prior to coming here suddenly become experts on its leaders. Vise77: I am not a fan of what is being done to the CHA right now. It's a band-aid. My point was that Daley isn't up and displacing people of other races, as some allege. Personally, I feel that the experiment isn't going to work, and in ten or so years, when the 66% who actually buying units on the former sites of high-rises can't sell because of the criminal element, those places will end up mirroring what we were trying to get rid of in the first place, with the exception being that the old buildings were about eight stories taller. Further, all of those places where the new CHA developments were going are, for the most part, in the path of at least some gentrification (out near Garfield and the Dan Ryan is very debateable). American Pharoah is a good book Vise77, but it fails to explain a lot of what Daley Sr. really was. Sure, he did a lot to make Chicago an International City, but those that followed him couldn't keep that up. I also think he was mistaken in basically allowing Chicago's core to become what it did - vast pools of inner city waste. Then again, White Flight had as much to do with that as anything. But, during Daley Sr's reign, Chicago became more like Detroit than the city became like New York or Boston under Daley Jr's reign. The bitching about the CTA is all a lot of people have on their side. I agree with it, but as I've stated before, the CTA is underfunded at the state and national levels and the system was allowed to deteriorate to the state it as because people in this city became TOO RELIANT ON CARS. This cannot be fixed overnight and if cooler heads down in Springfield can't put personal grudges aside, we're in a lot more trouble. One simple solution to the problem is this: Chicago gets the Olympics. If Chicago gets the Olympics then the money will come pouring in. If not, we're in trouble. Lastly, I hear a lot of criticism of Daley, which is fine, but how do you people propose to fix things? What are your solutions? What do you propose? When you get past the part of rampant bitching, then we natives will get past the rampant Michigan-bashing. Otherwise, we're only giving you what you gave us.

Jeffrey

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:27:56 -0600

@ Kevin regarding Patrick Fitzgerald... When Sen. Fitzgerald appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to Ill he knew he was getting a no-nonsense "stick it to the bad guys" kind of guy... He also knew he was signing his own death warrant with Ill’s Republican Party (hence seeking a second term) ...to which he and his gang of five are not exactly the best of pals last time I checked.... So this whole notion of a contrived partisan plan to kick some democrat’s asses in ILL by the Bush administration is complete lunacy… I’m sorry but I don’t quite sense any irony in this.

vise77

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:25:07 -0600

What's really annoying is the old "nativist" attitude that says people who weren't not born in Chicago should just shut up. This is, in fact, a rather small town attitude, more in tune with hick views of the world than anyplace that pretends to be world-class. As well, what's really annoying is not understanding that all great cities--ancient Rome, for instance, to modern-day London--absorb the energies and ideas of newcomers, who often make a greater impression of the city's culture than the natives. How can you not see this? Are you even trying? MIkey: Some cities no doubt had strong leaders, while others did not. That said, the whole point was Daley has taken more than his share of credit for the generally good economy of the 1990s, and the nationwide change in attitudes toward urban areas. You put too much faith in strong leadership--yes, it certainly helps, but other factors are at work. If you cared to research, or read a little history, perhaps you would understand that. I must ask: Do you really think Daley is so vital to the health of Chicago? If so, what happens when he is gone? How will you deal with it? I think such an attitude doesn't give enough credit to the overall strength and potential of this city and its people.

Ferdy

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:23:33 -0600

These posts were only designed to show that you don't have to be from Chicago proper to have a stake or make a contribution to the city. It's this native chauvinism that is incredibly annoying and pointless. All the digs at "suburbanites" is aggressive, rude, and stupid.

Nut Goggles

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:13:59 -0600

That list of non-native "Chicagoans" is pretty lame and pointless. Chicago wasn't even founded until 1833, after many of those people were born. Furthermore, it would be many years after that before it would become the type of place you would actually want to start a family. And listing professional athletes of Chicago sports lore? Please! Everyone knows that athletes go to the highest-bidding cities, rarely sticking around once their contracts or careers are over. And listing people born in neighboring suburbs? My great-grandparents immigrated to Chicago from Italy over 100 years ago, with both my grandparents and my mother born and raised in the city. They moved to Skokie as part of the "white flight" during the fifties when their once safe Italian and Irish neighborhood went to shit. I certainly don't feel any less "Chicago" for being born and raised a mile from the city limits. What's really annoying are the people who moved here from out of state five years ago and think they know everything.

Mikey

Fri, 25 May 2007 08:55:05 -0600

How did such improvements happen if Daley wasn't mayor of NYC or these other cities? Could it be that they had good mayors as well? If I cared enough to do the research, I could probably come up with an exhaustive list of cites that went into decline during that same period...

vise77

Fri, 25 May 2007 08:44:34 -0600

Wood: Life in NYC sucked in the 70s and 80s, and now it's better: Safer, cleaner, though, like Chicago, much more expensive. Population is increasing in NYC, too, as more people move in and more people stay longer. And the MTA is no longer the shithole it was. Miami is better. Even Philly is coming back a bit, and, allah be praised, people are moving back into downtown St Louis (though the city still has yet to make any significant population gains, and the North Side, for all the improvements, remains pretty much a bombed-out zone). How did such improvements happen if Daley wasn't mayor of NYC or these other cities? I mean, you seem to make out Daley as some urban revival messiah. Yes, he has done some good things, and I do think he loves Chicago--though he likes being mayor more, which is a different thing. But he benefited from the 1990s boom, much as Bill Clinton did (another overrated leader whose best talent was presenting the image of real progressive leadership). Sorry, but I don't buy the propaganda about "we ain't Detroit, baby." Get a new sales pitch. Actually, it was old man Daley, not the munchkin, who did the most to save us from Detroit's fate, according to "American Pharoah" and some other research. And I doubt the CHA mixed-income experiment is as rosy as you imply. Perhaps you would do well to read the Chicago Reporter or even some of the reports coming from people with CHA living experience.

Ferdy

Fri, 25 May 2007 08:30:19 -0600

Dancer Katherine Dunham - Joliet, IL Reformer Florence Kelley - Philadelphia, PA Gossip columnists Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers - Sioux City, IA Dancer Maria Tallchief -- Fairfax, OK Community organizer Ngoan Le - Vietnam Playwright/Director/Teacher Mary Zimmerman - Lincoln, NE Actress Laurie Metcalf - Carbondale, IL Actress Martha Plimpton - New York, NY Aviator Bessie Coleman - Atlanta, TX Poet Gwendolyne Brooks - Topeka, KS Chgo Shakespeare Theatre Founder Barbara Gaines - Lawrence, KS

Cletus Warhol

Thu, 24 May 2007 21:05:13 -0600

Jane Adams was from Rockford, wasn't she? And this is more toward the infamous, but I believe the Everleigh Sisters were from Kentucky. I'll keep thinking...Edna Ferber was from Indiana?

thundercougarfalconbird

Thu, 24 May 2007 19:59:25 -0600

@Ferdy: Damn, you're absolutely right. I need help with that. But let's see... Jane Byrne is born and raised here. Ditto Linda and Penny Pritzker. Virgina Halas McCaskey, Mary Fitzbutler Waring, Mary C. Bryon, Carol Mosely Braun, Bonnie Hunt are all also natives. Kittihawa: Green Bay, WI Watseka: Kankakee, IL Bertha Honore Palmer: Louisville, KY. Jenny Finch: La Mirada, CA. Candace Dupree: Oklahoma City, OK Mary Livermore: Charlestown, MA Ida B. Wells: Holly Springs, MS Hillary Rodham Clinton: Evanston, IL Gayle King: Chevy Chase, MD Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini: Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy Tina Fey: Upper Darby, PA Rachel Dratch: Lexington, MA Gilda Radner: Detroit, MI Julia Louis-Dreyfus: New York, NY Elaine May: Philadelphia, PA Julia Foster Porter: Racine, WI Gwendolyn Brooks: Topeka, KS Esther "Eppie" Friedman Lederer (aka- "Ann Landers"): Sioux City, IA Ruth Page: Indianapolis, IN Teofila Samolinska: Krakow, Poland Ellen Gates Starr: Laona, IL Alice Hamilton: Ft. Wayne, IN Sara Paretsky: Ames, IA I could do better with a little more time...

Skaterina

Thu, 24 May 2007 19:30:49 -0600

@Revealing Your Suburban Status: if you think all native Chicagoans must love Daley, you must not be a native Chicagoan because you are wrong. I am a third-generation born and raised Chicagoan and I have more than a few problems with him. I also know many old-time Chicago lifers who don't like him. Many born and bred Chicagoans dislike Daley because they feel he sold out the working class. He has neglected their neighborhoods, their parks and their schools while beautifying the playgrounds of the tourists and the yuppies. These old-timers stayed loyal to their old neighborhoods while friends and family members left for the big homes and big yards of the suburbs. Were they rewarded for their loyalty with improvements to their neighborhoods as the city's fortunes grew? No. All the spoils went to neighborhoods filled with yuppies who grew up in Hinsdale and to downtown. If you are such an authentic Chicagoan, why can't you understand their point of view? You are entitled to your opinion but speak for yourself and yourself alone.

prescott

Thu, 24 May 2007 19:25:09 -0600

Say what you will about his ethics and his methods, but you cannot deny that the man loves this city every bit as much as we all do... Right, like the Spilatro brothers loved Vegas. Why wouldn't the king love his kingdom? Hitler loved Germany, too. (Godwin's Law invoked, I win!)

thundercougarfalconbird

Thu, 24 May 2007 19:11:44 -0600

@Woodlawnchuck: I'd go with William Butler Ogden (The first mayor) as the guy that did more for the city than anyone else, but no one else was around to really judge. Under his leadership: - Maintained a constant state of real estate boom during the first couple of years of Chicago's incorporation. - He designed the first swing bridge over the Chicago River. - Helped found Rush Presbyterian Hospital. - Completed the Illinois and Michigan Canal, allowing Chicago to be the nexus between the interior and the East Coast. - And when St. Louis and New Orleans threatened to cut into Chicago's shipping empire, Ogden immediately started building the first railroads in and out of the city, thus making Chicago the dominant transportation, shipping, and commerce hub in the Midwest since then. - Formed the Water and Sanitation committee which would try for decades to bring clean water to the city and keep influenza and cholera outbreaks to a minimum. Not bad for ONE term. After he left office, he donated money to the fledgling Republican Party which helped put Abraham Lincoln in office, then, as a board member of Union Pacific, he helped build the Transcontinental Railroad after he left office. And Daley's dad built McCormick Place to drive the convention and tourism industry, expanded O'Hare so it could become the busiest airport in the world, founded UIC , overhauled the snow removal system, fixed the 1960 election for JFK, as one of the most powerful democrats in the country he lobbied hard for LBJ to scale back on Vietnam long before it was fashionable, and brought two major political conventions (OK, one of them sort of ended badly) to town. So (and I'm ignoring Carter Harrison, Sr.) I'd put Richard M. Daley third in terms of mayors having a major historical impact on Chicago. But it's early yet.

Ferdy

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:52:18 -0600

Thunder - You've got exactly 3 women on that list. For shame.

woodlawnchuck

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:36:23 -0600

I'm with Mikey. And to the majority of you, say, Vise77 for instance, I have something to compare your vision of Chicago to: life in Chicago before Daley took office. So where were you when Harold Washington was in office? How about Byrne, or Bilandic? How about Daley Sr.? I would say none of those Mayors was very good for this city. Note that I include our current Mayor's father. No one has done for this city what the current Mayor has done. And I have about 31 years of experience that predates your last 10. It's from those years of actually living here and watching the city fall apart that I can compare. One thing that really kills me is housing. Yeah, prices in this city have gone up and a lot of people have had to pack up and leave. But what the hell, did Daley pick them up and throw them out with one magical puff, just like a dragon? I thought not. Keep in mind that if Daley were such a piece of garbage who was out trying to displace people, he would have fought tooth and nail to make sure that the replacement housing going into the CHA sites wasn't mixed-income. No, if he were that bad and evil, he would have made sure that all of the housing was expensive condos, townhomes and single family houses. He wouldn't have a council of blacks, whites and hispanics getting along like they did, say, back during Harold's tenure (see: Council Wars).

thundercougarfalconbird

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:19:36 -0600

@Revealing your Suburb Status: Fuck you. Everytime someone drops the "You people aren't from Chicago and you couldn't possibly understand Chicago at all" bomb, I'm just going to rerun "the list" (which I keep adding to). Apparently none of these folks had anything positive to contribute to our city and no effect on it in any way, shape, or form... Alphonse Gabriel Capone: Brooklyn, NY Michael Jordan: Brooklyn, NY Oprah Winfrey: Kosciusko, MS Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable: Haiti Louis Jolliet: Quebec, Canada Jacques Marquette: Laon, France René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle: Rouen, France John Kinzie: Quebec, Canada Gurdon Hubbard: Windsor, VT Jean Baptiste Beaubien: Montreal, Quebec William Butler Ogden: Walton, NY Marshall Field: Conway, MA Potter Palmer: Albany County, NY George Pullman: Brocton, NY Samuel Insull: London, UK Cyrus McCormick: Rockbridge County, VA Jane Addams: Cedarville, IL Daniel Burnham: Henderson, NY John Wellborn Root: Lumpkin, GA Joseph Medill: St. John, New Brunswick Carter Harrison, Sr.: Lexington, KY Anton Joseph Cermak: Kladno, Bohemia Catherine O'Leary: Cork County, Ireland Carl Sandburg: Galesburg, IL Philip Danforth Armour: Stockbridge, NY John Davison Rockefeller, Sr.: Richford, NY Gustavus Franklin Swift: Sagamore, MA Richard Warren Sears: Stewartville, MN Alvah Curtis Roebuck: Lafayette, IN Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Aachen, Germany Frank Lloyd Wright: Richland Center, WI Louis Sullivan: Boston, MA Samuel Carson: Kerry, Ireland Helmut Jahn: Nuremburg, Germany Max Adler: Elgin, IL John G. Shedd: Alstead, NH Giovanni "Papa Johnny" Torrio: Irsina, Italy William "Big Bill" Hale Thompson: Boston, MA Vincenzo "Machine Gun Jack" Antonio Gibaldi: Licata, Sicily George Clarence "Bugs" Moran: St. Paul, MN Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti: Sicily, Italy John Herbert Dillinger: Brightwood, IN Larry Hoover: Jackson, MS Bobby Rush: Albany, GA Barack Obama: Honolulu, HI Jesse Jackson: Greenville, SC Jesse Jackson, Jr.: Greenville, SC Bob Newhart: Evanston, IL John Belushi: Wheaton, IL Bill Murray: Wilmette, IL Walter Payton: Columbia, MS Jim McMahon: Jersey City, NJ Dan Hampton: Oklahoma City, OK Mike Singletary: Houston, TX Mike Ditka: Carnegie, PA Red Grange: Forksville, PA Brian Urlacher: Pasco, WA Lovie Smith: Gladewater, TX Scottie Pippen: Hamburg, AR Dennis Rodman: Trenton, NJ Phil Jackson: Deer Lodge, MT Norm Van Lier: East Liverpool, OH Jerry Reinsdorf: Brooklyn, NY Horace Grant: Augusta, GA Tony Esposito: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Denis Savard: Pointe Gatineau, Quebec Stan Mikita: Sokolče, Slovakia Bobby Hull: Pointe Anne, Ontario Jeremy Roenick: Boston, MA Ed Belfour: Carman, Manitoba Harry Caray: St. Louis, MO Jack Brickhouse: Peoria, IL Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown: Nyesville, IN Gabby Hartnett: Woonsocket, RI Hack Wilson: Ellwood City, PA Ernie Banks: Dallas, TX Ferguson Jenkins: Chatham, Ontario Billy Williams: Whistler, AL Leon Durham: Cincinnati, OH Rick Sutcliffe: Independence, MO Greg Maddux: Las Vegas, NV Ryne Sandberg: Spokane, WA Sammy Sosa: San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic Mark Prior: San Diego, CA Bill Veeck: Hinsdale, IL Shoeless Joe Jackson: Pickens County, SC Eddie Collins: Millerton, NY Luke Appling: High Point, NC Minnie Miñoso: Havana, Cuba Luis Aparicio: Maracaibo, Venezuela Billy Pierce: Detroit, MI Dick Allen: Wampum, PA Carlton Fisk: Bellows Falls, VT Oswaldo José Guillén: Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson: Woodruff, SC Frank Thomas: Columbus, GA Jack McDowell: Van Nuys, CA Robin Ventura: Santa Maria, CA Paul Konerko: Providence, RI José Contreras: San Juan y Martinez, Cuba Tadahito Iguchi: Tokyo, Japan Mark Buehrle: St. Charles, MO Steve Dahl: Riverside, CA Jonathon Brandmeier: Fond Du Lac, WI Erich "Mancow" Muller: Kansas City, MO Ira Glass: Baltimore, MD Carl Kasell: Goldsboro, NC Jeff Tweedy: Belleville, IL Steve Albini: Missoula, MT Billy Corgan: Elk Grove Village, IL Muddy Waters: Issaquena County, MS Robert Johnson: Hazelhurst, MS Junior Wells: Memphis, TN Koko Taylor: Memphis, TN Buddy Guy: Lettsworth, LA John Lee Hooker: Clarksdale, MS Chester "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett: White Station, MS Willie Dixon: Vicksburg, MS B.B. King: Itta Bena, MS Bo Diddley: McComb, MS Frankie Knuckles: Bronx, NY Felix "Da Housecat" Stallings: Detroit, MI Paul Johnson: Topeka, KS Jeremy Piven: New York, NY Joan Cusack: New York, NY John Cusack: Evanston, IL John Malkovich: Christopher, IL Gary Sinise: Blue Island, IL William Peterson: Evanston, IL Gary Cole: Park Ridge, IL Del Close: Manhattan, KS Andrew Alexander: Toronto, Ontario Jay Mariotti: Pittsburgh, PA Jim DeRogatis: Jersey City, NJ Richard Roeper: Dolton, IL Roger Ebert: Urbana, IL Rick Telander: Peoria, IL Bob Novak: Joliet, IL Neil Steinberg: Cleveland, OH Bob Greene: Bexley, OH Sam Smith: Brooklyn, NY Chris Ware: Omaha, NE Ivan Brunetti: Italy Ernest Hemingway: Oak Park, IL Nelson Algren: Detroit, MI Jerry Springer: London, UK And the State of New York has produced almost the same number of Chicago mayors as the State of Illinois. Apparently transplants somehow end up leading the city too. Sucks for you "nativists".

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:14:45 -0600

I can only speak for myself, but corrupt or not, I support Daley because I like the changes (not all, but most) that I have seen in this city since he came to power, and not because I'm a wimp or a frightened villager. Those terms would apply to the 2/3 of the voting populace who stay at home on election day and then whine and complain about the Daley Machine the other 364 days of the year. Say what you will about his ethics and his methods, but you cannot deny that the man loves this city every bit as much as we all do... As someone else pointed out, "Daley is corrupt and I'm not" is simply not a good enough reason to vote for someone else. Now if and when another challenger comes along who exudes the same vision, passion and ability to get things done as Daley has, then I will give serious consideration to casting my vote for that person... But until that happens though, I'd rather focus my energies on turning the White House blue. Compared to the country as a whole, I think Chicago is in pretty decent shape, the CTA notwithstanding. I'm always proud to say I'm a Chicagoan--I can't always say the same about being an American...

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 16:49:21 -0600

God some people have a real sucky life on here and had to work there asses off. Wow I can see now why they hate Daley.

sparky

Thu, 24 May 2007 16:21:58 -0600

Revealing: Can't say I came from a suburban Schaumburg, or anywhere in Illinois for that matter. Grew up in a very working class, blue collar home from parents that never went to college. Grew up paycheck-to-paycheck. Mommy and Daddy didn't pay for my college. Why do people think that anyone critical of the city is suburban, or, elite, or should go back to the suburbs? Assholes like you give those that are born in Chicago a bad name. I care about this city, that why I want to see this shit changed.

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 16:21:53 -0600

Amazing reasoning, #35, in that I hate Daley, didn't come from the 'burbs, and made it through state schools with my own money and hard work. Are all Daley backers this stupid? I am starting to think so. Actually, test scores do lie, dumb-ass, especially when they are rigged. Do you actually keep up with current events? Don't you have a pothole to fill? Get to work, you lazy bum.

Revealing your Suburb Status

Thu, 24 May 2007 16:03:39 -0600

All of the Daley haters clearly reveal their suburban transplant status through their hatred of him. Clearly you all were making your way through Schaumburg Public or whatever elite university your parents paid for prior to his being elected before you got an easy office job and moved here. This place was on its way to becoming a big Detroit in the late 80's, and Daley's pro-business, pro-school (test scores don't lie), and pro development policies turned this city into a place which you were willing (and did) re-locate. Those hipster locales where you hang out and feel superior? About 90% of them weren't here before 1989. There is a reason Chicago-ist exists, and not St. Louis-ist, Detroit-ist, Cleveland-ist, or Indy-ist. That reason is strong mayoral leadership.

Doomsday

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:53:10 -0600

I have a doomsday scenario of my own for you. All you people have to get jobs where you can't blog on the internet all day! It's my doomsday scenario too.

Kevin

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:47:23 -0600

Jeffery: An independent prosecutor came to Illinois via the presidency. Sen. Patrick Fitzgerald made sure that the prosecutor appointed was independent enough to go after all the corruption, not just what was convenient for the White House. That's why Bush found him so mediocre. This prosecutor was supposed to take out only Democrats, thereby destroying the bluish nature of the state, and giving the Republicans a deeper foothold in the Midwest. Unfortunately for the Bushies and their myopic vision for America, Patrick Fitzgerald the prosecutor has been unwaveringly equitable, going after everyone, including Republicans. Irony, if ever there was.

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:41:54 -0600

vise77 how you win is you find good candidates and then you support them financially and help them put a good machine of their own together. So far no one running against Daley has ever brought anything constructive to the table like lot of you besides saying he is corrupt, I am not so vote for me. Right now name for me a person you would like to see run next time for mayor against Daley?

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:35:34 -0600

Gay marches, Ross? Huh? I don't know what you are getting at, as most gay marches don't really seem like civil disobience, but rather great entertainments, much like the ethnic parades. Well, then, what do you suggest? Trying to run candidates in a rigged system? Bitching and bitching on a blog? Sitting out the elections? Moving away? Snarky comments that amount to "love it or leave it"? And yeah, civil disobience has never worked. Ever. Granted, it faces long odds in Daleyland, but it's better than sitting around and allowing tyrants small and large to rule you. Wouldn't you rather fight, really fight? Or do you like being ruled by a munckin dictator? You talk about freaks and extremists, but I see people like you as the freaks and extremists. You are willing to accept corruption and a certain level of tyranny for the image and feelings of safety and security and progress. Perhaps that is the normal human condition, but it doesn't make you a fully realized human being, and that's what odd and sad about the whole thing.

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:23:25 -0600

Blago goes down first is my bet.

spook

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:18:59 -0600

Ross: You're right, Vise Beer 77 has been just dreaming about all those head lines, the arrests, sentencing, and jail terms of Daley underlying for illegal corruption. But the reason why the feds are working their way up the Daley administration food chain is because once at the top, they want to give him and all the people they met along the way, a big kiss

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:15:20 -0600

I say we have an all-out war against the local and state politicians--not like in Iraq, with bombs and guns--but with massive civil disobedience--marches in the Loop, actions at politicians' offices and houses. That always works. Kind like with the gay marches all you ever notice is the freaks out in front then immediately the message is a bunch of freaks and extremist.

jeffrey

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:02:06 -0600

"About the only irony left in this state is the fact that it took a corrupt president, hell-bent on erasing the 22 electoral votes of a generally blue state, to put a dent in the crooked politics of a midwestern prairie state that was all but built on back-room deals. Patrick Fitzgerald came to Ill via Sen. Patrick Fitzgerald not President Bush... But getting back to Blago... massive scumbag

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:00:30 -0600

How can you run a viable candidate when the Machine and its direct and indirect allies control the election laws, the election judges and the election process? Wake the fuck up. Daley is an elected dictator. Yes, people can still run, but it makes it all the harder, and probably turns away some great candidates. Why are you wimps so afraid of a Chicago without Daley? It's like you are afraid mommy won't be around to tuck you in. I love how you people wrap yourselves up in this Chicago macho attitude, though. That's entertaining. I say we have an all-out war against the local and state politicians--not like in Iraq, with bombs and guns--but with massive civil disobedience--marches in the Loop, actions at politicians' offices and houses. Let the CTA collapse and the chances of that happening are greatly increased. That and an exodus of professionals from the city and Chicago's resumed decline. Kevin may be a realist, but I admit I am a Daley hater. That's how I am with tyrants both large and small.

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:55:21 -0600

The process is flawed that is for sure. We need full transparency. Just like with the courts. All court documents should be public and free for anyone to access. But the lawyers don't want that then you won't need them. And I bet Kevin if you were in office you would help your friends and family out too. That happens in private and public corporations as well. In fact once you get that point Mayor or elected official everyone you have ever met is your friend. You can't call something corrupt unless you can find where they broke the law. You can say the process or system needs fixed. But to have corruption you have to take a payoff break the law or cover somethign up. And I don't remember or I don't recall isn't covering up or breaking the law.

rich

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:43:16 -0600

Illinois has 21 electoral votes not 22 electoral votes but expect that to go down after 2010.

spook

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:32:17 -0600

and least we forget what Daley is doing to the school system closing down open door public and replacing them with charter schools that selects students. Which means children being forced out of a community, so that you kid can attend a "neighborhood" School. And Ross the ballot thing with Stroger was just as ethical as Lisa Madigan's Father creating a Senate district for his daughter by forcing two long term incumbents into one district and letting them fight it out, while his daughter didn't even have an opponent. Of course I didn't here any protest over that. I think she is a great official and person, but still what about the process?

Kevin

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:25:33 -0600

ross: I'm not going to play chapter and verse with the law books. Corruption is a much more profound concept than simply the law. Using public office, and the trust that inherently comes with such a position for private gain is corruption. Did Daley break the law? I dunno. I'm not a lawyer, or a federal prosecutor. I'll let Amy St. Eve sort that out. But I do know that Da Mare has used that office for private gain, often at the expense of regular Chicagoans. Yeah, the parks are nice, and the streets are clean, and the bike lanes are pretty. But the CTA is a mess, the schools are horrible and the budget is fucked. I suppose it's all a matter of priorities in this case.

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:15:41 -0600

to: Kevin and the rest So find a legitimate candidate to run for Mayor next time. As far as taking control I vote in every election for the best candidate for job. So do tell me how bitching about Daley is going to help things? This isn’t Iraq or the middle east where we just have all out war against politicians we don’t like so why bitch all the time about it. Also Kevin you classify a lot of things that are done here with corruption such old man Stroger being on the ballot when he was about dead. The way the laws are they did not break any laws by keeping him on the ballot. Should the laws be changed YES I think so. Was it corrupt no but it probably was unethical. There is a difference between ethics and corruption. You make these blanked statements Daley is corrupt Stroger Jr. is corrupt but you can not pick up a law book and show me what laws they violated can you? I am sure with all the indictments if they really had good evidence against Daley they would jump at the chance to indict him. Then Fitzgerald could run for Mayor. Also no matter who is Mayor they have to word with a lot of people. I think Daley has done a pretty damn good job working with all ethnic races. And I am not at all upset what ran the low lifes in the projects out of town. 99% of the people that are there because they have no desire to better themselves. Vise77 you probably do have more than me good for you.

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:13:09 -0600

Kevin - I never espoused a "love it or leave it" mentality. And if the city's finances are in terrible shape, I think that may be at least partially symtomatic of the country as a whole--a cooling economy and a cooling housing market with less federal dollars coming in under the debacle that is Bush and his neo-cons (how many billions have been spent on an unnecessary and un-winnable war that could have been injected into our communities?). How do Chicago's finances compare with other major American cities? I don't know, which is why I am asking... We all know what this city was like before Daley...which is all we have to compare it to. Conjecture as to what Chicago could have been without the tenure of Daley is purely academic, whether one is pro or con. Is it time for Daley to move on and to inject fresh blood into the system? Perhaps. But I still wouldn't want to roll the dice and trade away the last 18 years...

Kevin

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:49:48 -0600

Jeffery, Mikey, ross et al: I'm really sick of the love it or leave it mentality of all the Daley supporters around here. The whole "what would Chicago be without Daley" arguement is totally false. Who knows what the city would have been like had he not been mayor. What if Harold Washington had lived another 15 years? What would Chicago look like then? According to his detractors, it would have been a desolate city full of drug dealers and rapists. If you were to ask his supporters, it would have been a vibrant community of different ethnicities and economic strata. I suppose the answer to those questions depends on where you are trying to answer them from. What I want to know is when we will stop acting like a bunch of terrified. helpless villagers, and take some control over our own destiny. The question isn't what Chicago might have been with or without Daley; it's what Chicago can be. And as long as the city's finances are in terrible shape and the CTA is near collapse, I'm unhappy with his tenure. Those are unaccpetable conditions for the second largest city in the nation, and yes, the mayor should be held accountable. I've yet to hear a good reason why the city's finances are in such terrible shape. You'd have to be brain dead to think that it was anything other than the city leadership's fault. I'm not a "Daley hater", I'm a realist.

sparky

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:35:55 -0600

I love how so many can justify corruption. "In a nutshell (which I would expect even you to be able to understand), Daley produces results, Stroger doesn't..." Like the CTA, which just released it's doomsday scenario. That's a fucking result. And Ross, don't worry. If things like the CTA doomsday scenario come true, I will leave.

sparky

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:25:30 -0600

"So can someone please explain to me when and where Daley used his magical muscles to forcefully "cleanse" Chicago's neighborhoods." It's not crazy. For one, according to an article in the NY Times, the Chicago Housing Authority had to be taken over by the Federal Government in 1995 because the CHA had too many problems. And Daley was in charge of the city at the time. Granted, Washington was also involved prior to Daley, but the mayor appoints the board members. The great thing about the article is the comment from an NWU professor who said that the move to privatization would primarily benefit friends and allies of the Mayor. Where do you think all of the poor have to go when the housing is boarded up or privatized and sold for upper class condos in Chicago? The burbs. There doesn't have to be force to cleanse the Chicago neighborhoods. Believe me, it can be done just as easily with money and politics.

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:17:28 -0600

Ross, don't know if you are joking or not, but I have a gut feeling I can afford this city better than you can. Yet I still want income, alone with ethnic, diversity here. Funny thing about cities--one of the main attractions is diversity. I find it hard to believe you are really so stupid. So I won't.

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:08:12 -0600

Hey, if you can't afford the city leave. Those of us that can and want to stay will all be better off.

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:04:23 -0600

Gotta love the “Mikey contradiction”, in one baited[sic] breath he says “Daley has undeniably been good for the city of Chicago” Then when pressed he says Stroger needs to be indicted “because he comes from the same political school as Daley” Explain to me, wise spook, how that is a contradiction? Affirming that a mayor is "good for the city" and acknowledging that a mayor is "corrupt" and comes from a "political school" based on machine politics are not each mutually exclusive of the other (i.e. corruption that delivers). In a nutshell (which I would expect even you to be able to understand), Daley produces results, Stroger doesn't...

thundercougarfalconbird

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:55:25 -0600

Blago = Doomed. Stroger = Half of Daley's wileyness * Twice the arrogance And Daley has been coasting on this wave of gentrification for too long. It's tapering off because as spook pointed out, he's already made the city unaffordable and thus the poor are all in Dolton or Maywood. So with no where else to build $700,000 condos (for now...) he's selling assets to pay things. It's getting nuts. And someone mentioned Bloomberg wants to run for president? Ewww... As long as the world wants to kill us for supporting Isreal, I would never vote for a Jewish guy in White House. A black guy? A woman? A Chicano? A Mormon? Yes, yes, yes, and maybe, but 9/11 would be a weekly occurance if Lieberman or Bloomberg got elected.

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:54:29 -0600

Wow, we have green roofs. Too bad we don't have reliable mass transit, or an agency that doesn't need to produce a doomsday scenario every year. Wow, we have more bike lanes. Too bad we don't have more express bus lanes. Wow, we have Mil Park. Too bad we don't do a better job preserving what what we already had, our world famous architecture, among the best in the world, and certainly the best in the Americas. Wow, we have more tourists. Too bad the continuing delays at O'Hare, and the ongoing screw-ups on this Daley project (along with the FAA of course) will serve to further hamper air travel here for tourists and businessmen alike. Wow, a guy from Toronto said our corruption delivers. Well, I guess if you are close to the Daleys, it does. What I would like to know about Toronto is why that city, nearly as diverse and exciting as Chicago, can be so clean and efficienty run without Daley corruption.

Jeffrey

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:51:50 -0600

"Daley gets a pass for ethnically and lower economically cleansing whole neighborhoods" So can someone please explain to me when and where Daley used his magical muscles to forcefully "cleanse" Chicago's neighborhoods. Did he send in riot cops overnight to close whole business districts and deport residents to the "south suburbs"? I find it amazing that for as much as people say Daley hasn't done enough for this city...they can always come up with crazy crap like this...

spook

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:35:04 -0600

Thanks for the light Joey Gotta love the “Mikey contradiction”, in one baited breath he says “Daley has undeniably been good for the city of Chicago” Then when pressed he says Stroger needs to be indicted “because he comes from the same political school as Daley”. So “you wouldn't have too drill down to deep to find the same level of corruption and illegal activity” Needless to say I know that Mikey would wilt under questioning about Stroger’s “illegal activity” compared to Daley’s illegal scandals. And I love the double standard. People like Mikey spew forth, about Stroger slashing essential county services and departments left and right, while Daley gets a pass for ethnically and lower economically cleansing whole neighborhoods, yet he is a good Mayor! I met some chick two nights ago who went on and on about Stroger closing down health clinics in poor Chicago communities. Finally I told her, perhaps if Daley hadn’t been for the last 20 years, cleansing these neighborhood of poor folks,- some places by 40 percent, -the clinics might have remained open. Now these former city residents are moving to the desolate and isolated South Suburbs because it’s the only place they can find housing, which is now where a lot of the county dollars are going to deal with this growing population. Maybe Stroger should change the color of his tie and then all the Daley Stooges who hate Stroger would love him, just like they love Da Mayor And screw you vise beer 77! This State Legislature has done A LOT! If you don’t believe a Spook look at the Tribune article about the new royal top of the line urinals installed in the new state senate and house bathrooms! The French chandeliers, the 27 exquisite brass door knobs at $405 a pop, so stop acting like those fine men and women who represent us don’t know what time it is, because they also brought a shiny new clock for $38,000! But Lincoln who I think said some thing to the tune of “No persons life, liberty, or property are safe when the legislature is in session.” Might agree with you! But what did he know?

ross

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:25:51 -0600

I think Kevin has something personal against Daley. Love him or hate him he keeps winning elections so he must have a lot of supporters in Chicago.

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:01:12 -0600

I deny the undeniable. Though Daley certainly has done some good, I think he has kept alive an old-style way of governing that will come back to hurt us in the long run. As Kevin wisely points out, the city is is horrible financial shape if you read between the lines. Don't believe him? Bone up on city finances. Talk to bond and other debt experts (you do understand the role public debt plays in daily civic life, don't you?). Talk to infrastructure experts. Talk to more residents, too, not just those with city jobs or contracts. Look at NYC: Bloomberg, for all his faults, is actually helping to spark serious thinking about where that city will be in 20 years, and serious thinking about how green that city should and perhaps can be. Sure, he's not doing enough to keep the city afforbable, and he's having a hard time with schools, and he wants some headlines for his possible presidential run, but he is doing more bold forward thinking than our little munchkin, who ignored the CTA for so long, for instance, but had a knee-jerk conversion to the questionable glory that is the Olympics--a conversion that involved little public input, and which still isn't fully explained financially. You Daley backers keep asking the wrong question when you ask, "How bad would this city have been without Daley?" The better question is, "How much better would this city have been without almost two decades of this munchkin on the fifth floor?" Seriously, US Attn Fitzgerald is the best thing to happen to this city and state in at least 20 years. God help us when he is gone. I doubt he will ever get Daley--he's too smart--but Rod isn't exactly the sharpest tool, as this legislative session is proving yet again. What are you Daley people going to do after he's gone? Move to Naperville?

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 11:56:21 -0600

Kevin - Would Millenium Park have been built without Daley? Are you willing to concede the amount of international attention and tourism which that has attracted? Would Chicago have taken the "green" steps that it has without Daley? Again, (despite the woeful recycling program which is in the process of being fixed), Chicago has consistently been upheld as a city moving in the right direction in this regard, with far more "green" roofs than any other city in the world, as one example... Would the city of Chicago be as bike-friendly as it is without Daley, a biking enthusiast, and the initiatives he pushed through? If Daley has been so bad for the city, why was he honored as the best mayor in North America a couple years back, with one Toronto newspaper editor writing (I'm paraphrasing slightly here), "If he is corrupt, at least it's corruption that delivers..."? While still in need of much improvement, the Chicago Public School system is doing considerably since Daley seized the reins... Without a doubt, he is not without sin, but if the Daley boosters in general seem blind to his transgressions, then the Daley detractors are equally blind to his achievements... There has not been one viable candidate to step forward in the last 20 years who could have done nearly a good of job as Daley has, and 70% of the voting population consistently seem to agree. And to credit all of the success of Chicago on the thriving economy in general (i.e. he was in the right place at the right time) is simply irresponsible and ridiculous...

Kevin

Thu, 24 May 2007 11:19:18 -0600

Love him or hate him, Daley has undeniably been good for the city of Chicago... No, Mikey, Daley hasn't been undeniably good for Chicago. In fact, if you look at how succesful other US cities of comparable size have done in the last 15 years, you have to wonder why we're still having so many of the problems we are. I'm really skeptical of people that insist on glorifing Daley for the "success" of Chicago. I mean, the city is in a horrible financial state. The saddest thing about all of this is that it's taken a federal prosecutor to get the rest of us thinking about a solution to corruption here.

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 11:15:44 -0600

Why should Todd Stroger be indicted? He comes from the same political school as Daley and Blago. I guarantee you wouldn't have too drill down to deep to find the same level of corruption and illegal activity. He's just taken it to a new level of arrogance not even surpassed by Daley himself...

prescott

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:53:28 -0600

My first thought was not "Oh no", but rather, "Oh, YES!" Looks like those that were saying "Blago '06, Quinn '07" might have been right on.

Joe

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:25:51 -0600

Why should Todd Stroger be indicted? He isn't exactly a beacon for competent, responsible government but what has he done that is illegal? Charges should not be brought based on how popular a political leader is. With the Feds probing deeper into State and City governments Blago and Daley have much more to fear than Stroger. All it takes is for a few underlings to say "screw this falling on the sword stuff" and point their fingers at the men at the top.

Mikey

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:08:38 -0600

Let's hope that each step the feds take closer to a pol in Chicago, they get closer to the truth. We imagine that Daley's sweating a little harder on the fifth floor right now. I would be much more worried about Stroger. Love him or hate him, Daley has undeniably been good for the city of Chicago... The aforementioned little arrogant and smug prick, on the other hand, is slashing essential county services and departments left and right while seemingly filling every six-figure county position with family and friends. And I have yet to see a single positive achievement he's done on behalf of the county or the people at large, nor do I ever expect to...

vise77

Thu, 24 May 2007 09:53:35 -0600

You should read the Daily Herald article today about the apparent "bunker mentality" of the hair-do in chief. Any bets/odds yet on how long the state leg session goes in the summer, and how much gets left behind because lawmakers lack the balls to raise taxes even a little bit, or tackle waste? (No, I don't support the GRT, but I do support cutting existing loopholes and raising income taxes and gas taxes a bit, and cutting as much waste and patronage as possible.) What's really sad is this gov has Dem control of the House and Senate, but it such a self-defeating tool that he still can't get anything done. And he apparently never learned that Springfield, for better or worse, is the capital.