Friday, April 6, 2007
News / Clout City Colon v. Colom, round XXXV
Posted by Ben Joravsky on Fri, Apr 6, 2007 at 3:53 PM
The contentious 35th Ward aldermanic runoff is moving from the streets to the hearing room.
On Tuesday lawyers for alderman Rey Colon will square off against lawyers for Vilma Colom, his challenger, in a legal sideshow.
Colon has filed a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections accusing Colom of being behind the slick attack flyers mailed out the past few weeks accusing him of a host of crimes. Colom has denied having any involvement with them.
Hovering over this legal fight is the most powerful politician in the area: 33rd Ward alderman Dick Mell. Colon's lawyer is Rich Means, an election-law expert who's had a bitter rivalry with Mell for years. Colom's represented by Frank Avila, who's close to Mell in part because Mell was the only northwest-side alderman who supported Avila's father in his bid for a seat on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
Colom, the former 35th Ward alderman who Colon ousted in 2003, is Mell's protege. He slated her to run for alderman in 1995, after the 35th was redrawn to include precincts from his old 33rd Ward. He strongly backed her when she defeated Colon in 1999. Four years ago Colom lost in part because Mell was unable to send in his usual battalion of precinct workers.
In that campaign Mell was preoccupied with a campaign against Deb Gordils, a political unknown. Mell had tried to knock Gordils off of the ballot by challenging the validity of her nominating petitions. But Gordils survived the challenge, thanks to the legal work of--you guessed it--Means.
Now, of course, Mell has no race to divert his attention--he ran unopposed in the February 27 municipal election--and he's been bringing in troops and money to exact his revenge on Colon.
Comments (195)
Showing 1-50 of 195
For those citizens who have long since abandoned any hope of rational, civilized and honest campaigning, who have determined that elections are now a 'sport', akin to the Roman gladiator contests, this race should be entertaining. If I were inclined to gamble, I'd be wondering what the line is on this one. Any bookies out there willing to post the odds?
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Colon beat Colom 58% to 42%. How exactly would Mell's troops have been able to swing a 16 point deficit, without outright fraud?
I agree. If Mell was THAT distracted and extended by a political unknown in his race to the extent he could not help his protege, he has bigger problems.
The 35th ward already voted out Mell as the mouthpiece for the ward in '03. In '07 Vilma fared no better. I believe '07-take-2 will reflect the neighborhood's disgust with the Vilma routine. Her campaign has been an erratic disaster. I take that back...the only thing not erratic about it is that it has been consistently dirty and shady. She really hasn't proposed any tangible ideas...wait, does she have ideas??? Or does she have robot circuitry that is programmed by slimy Uncle Mell? She was thoroughly unimpressive as an alderman before, routinely frustrating her constituents by her flat out NASTY attitude. Time has not been kind to her as her mean streak is alive and well.
tmc makes the common assumptions that ALL those who voted for Rey will show up and vote the same, no additional voters will choose to vote, or if they do, there will not be enough of them, should they vote for the challenger, to keep the incumbent from being retained. It's a one-on-one election and, while one can draw some probabilities from the general election's results, they, by no means, assure the results of this election. If run-offs were, as implied by tmc, a waste of time, they wouldn't be required, by law, to be held.
Rey Colon lied to and betrayed many of the people who brought him to the dance. That is why he could lose. Nothing to do with Mell or Avila or anyone else. Rey Colon does not keep his word, he goes out of his way to hurt people, and his 03 supporters are now against him in the primary with Sotomayor or with Vilma Colom now or staying out. Vilma Colom is farrrrrr from perfect, but she is much more sincere than Colon. Colon is not a great alderman, and he is controlled by the wrong few developers and there is a money trail
Where to start? Alito said: "[Colon's] 03 supporters are now against him in the primary with Sotomayor or with Vilma Colom now or staying out." Yes, some of his '03 supporters are. Many aren't, including some who were on the steering committee and "brought him to the dance." Please don't stretch the truth. It certainly doesn't help your case. Is it really "betrayal" when Rey didn't give the Bruces, Kevin Lamm, etc. the control they wanted? The power they demanded for helping to get him elected? IIRC, they weren't elected alderman. And Rey didn't make any promised to them. Isn't it possible they had unreasonable expectations? "Rey Colon... goes out of way to hurt people." Specific examples, please.
If you think Rey Colon betrayed the people who brought him to the dance--Manny Flores makes Rey Colon look like the most loyal person. I am surprised there hasn't been anything written on all the people that Manny Flores lied to, betrayed, and screwed over.
If you think Rey Colon betrayed the people who brought him to the dance--Manny Flores makes Rey Colon look like the most loyal person. I am surprised there hasn't been anything written on all the people that Manny Flores lied to, betrayed, and screwed over.
Rey Colon does not go out of his way to hurt people. All politicians hurt people at times. Manny "liar,liar" Flores really hurt a lot of people. Rey Colon is not bad--the only reason he is in a race is the big shadow of neighbor Dick Mell, who is not bad either, but he can be a bully and likes Vilma.
Okaaaaaay. Three are three traitors Bruce Embrey, Bruce Anderson and Kevin Lamm. They go around saying they are activist. In 2003 they hated Vilma. Now in 2006 they hate Rey. They betrayed their own ideals and went with Mell to support Sotomayor who ran as a spoiler to hurt Rey Colon. And now, they are supporting Vilma. They are not activist they are hypocrites in search of power. If they want power they should run for office. These guys have no integrity or loyalty. It also seems like they don't have much clout. Even when combined with Mell, otherwise Sotomayor would have done alot better then a miserable 19%. That is an embarrassing result. Who are these idiots? They didn't do Sotomayor any good. Therefore, Rey Colon winning in 2003 had nothing to do with these three stooges. Sounds more like a strategy of voting against the person in office. To change leadership in every election would only slow down any progress. Successful long-term planning takes more than four years to accomplish. Chicago would be in a time warp. It would look like 1965. These lazy hippies need to stop smoking the dope their smoking and get a life. They also need a class on integrity. What kind of an activist would be working with Mell and supporting HDO - Vilma? The Bruces' and Kevin Lamm what traitors you are, you are evil, cynical and miserable people with no pride. You should hide your face when you leave your house. You are an embarrasment to the community.
Rey Colon is with the insidious HDO, being supported by the scandal facing embarassment Sen Iris Martinez and her thug hack Mickey Mantilla.
Interpreter made a good point: Why don't the Bruces, Kevin Lamm and other "activists" just run for office? Maybe there's a contradiction between their stated faith in the democratic process and the realization that "the people" wouldn't go for what they want. If they were truthful, that is. In any case, I'm pretty sure Kevin Lamm ran for State Rep a few years ago. The people spoke. He lost.
You know I read all of the bull most of you talk about and i wonder how it is that you live. First let me tell you, I have lived in Logan Square since 1975. I have lived through some good and bad thigs in the neighborhood but the last four years have really bothered me. I was a Vilma supporter who voted for Rey because i thought he might make changes for the better. Now four years later all I see is long time neighbors who have moved because they cant afford to live here anymore. Next to me there have been 5 buildings that have gone condo. I walk around and all i see is constructiona and more and more condos. All i can say is that I will be supporting Vilma this time around. At least vilma was rude but she took care of problems and was around. She didnt only care about what happens on the bouleverad like Rey Colon does. I see my neighborhood turning into th next buck town or lincoln park and I dont like it. Regarding Rey, I would like to ask him why he lied to all of us on the letter he sent out back in February. Why didnt he just say, hey I made mistakes and I have corrected them. There ws no need to lie and say it wasnt him. I take that very serious. I am all for forgiving the sins of the past and judging people only by what they do after fixing their lives but a liar I will not tolerate. My last point is this. Rey Colon promised to be a man of the people and for the people. If you look at Rey Colon and see the type of people (developers, realastate people and unions) that sorround him you hae to ask yourself if you are one of the people he is for. The little man gets hit again.
why are you instigating so much hatred in our community against Vilma Colom? She just wants to look after our best well being. She is inclusive, not exclusive. Vilma will work hard for all of us! Vilma is a teacher an edutator while Rey Colon..Criminal Record speaks loud and clear.. THIS IS THE RECORD REY COLON STANDS ON: November 18, 1984-charged with Possession of controlled Substance case# 84-1-1704092,IR#725000 TWO REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR REY COLON: DOES NOT PAY BILLS UNTIL JUDGEMENT IS PUT ON HIS HOUSE Case#89-M-176755/Dental Bills Case#-MI-100725/Hospital Bills Case#95-MI109976/Gas Bill Case#90-MI-168014/Rent January 18, 1985-Charged with thef case#85-111-130001 January 2,1987-Charged with DUI/Alcohol ticket#5320914 June 13,1990 charge with Mob Action Case #90-131-0773 June 2 1992 Charge with Possesion of Cannabis-6/29/92 Bond Forfeiture, defendant rearrested 8/4/93, 9/15/93 Bond Forfeiture defebdant rearrested 1998 December 1995- Charged with Statury Summary Suspension a.k.a An administrative procedure after a driver arrested for DUI who fails testing or who refuses to submit to fails to complete testing-Ticket#121792 September 28,1996-His license was revoked until July 9,1997 rey was arrested eight times driving on a suspended license and has numerous sppeding tickets on his driving record. HE DIDN'T PAY CHILD SUPPORT UNTIL HIS WAGES WERE GARNISHED. HIS WIFE WAS GRANTED CUSTODY OF THEIR DAUGHTER AND HE WAS SUBJECT TO REASONABLE VISITATION CASE#93-D-4219 THIS IS REY'S TRUE RECORD!DO YOU WANT AN ALDERMAN WITH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND? REY DOESN'T OBEY THE LAW...SO HOW CAN HE REPRESENT THE LAW
Say butt nut, its obvious to me that these three should have that class on integrity. I think we should get our other reps, Toni Berrios and Iris Martinez to teach it along with Mr. Intergrity himself, Rey Colon. Maybe Ed Nedza can sub if those three can't make it.
The story of Ray Rolon, a retired Maniac Latin Disciples leader, is a classic example of how the system works. Over the years, Rolon has worked in elections for Colom; Ald. Richard F. Mell (33rd), and Gutierrez in 1986, when he became 26th Ward alderman. Rolon would assign gang members fluent in English and Spanish to do door-to-door work. They'd canvass the neighborhood to see how many residents supported their candidate. Those residents were counted as "plus votes." On Election Day, his crew of gang members--a dozen per precinct--would descend on buildings with the most plus votes and urge the residents to go to the polls. If an elderly or disabled person needed a ride, it would be arranged. Rolon paid his workers $75 to $100 for the day and made them dress respectably in white oxford shirts and ties. "Larry Hoover liked that," Rolon said of the imprisoned Gangster Disciples chairman. "The Gangster Disciples started passing out shirts and ties to their guys on the South Side." Not that Rolon's workers always behaved respectably. They weren't above such minor dirty tricks as tearing down opposing candidates' signs. That work was often left to "shorties"--very young gang members who wouldn't be missed if they were picked up by the police. "I learned it from the mob," Rolon said of politics, "and then I used it for the Spanish aldermen. . . . In gang neighborhoods, a precinct guy's got to be connected to the gangs or have a gang member or leader working under him. That's the only way you're going to win your precinct in a hotly contested gang neighborhood. If the gangs don't work for you, they work against you."
Alderman Vilma Colom of the 35th ward was repeatedly cited in our interviews as a politician who is indifferent or even adversarial to the concerns of particular constituents, many of whom happen to be affiliated with LSNA. She informed us that she was elected to bring business to her ward and that inviting development is one way to stimulate businesses. While she respects LSNA for its work in schools, as she told us in an interview in the July 2001, she has a different opinion about LSNA's work on housing. She seemed unaware of LSNA's history of work on homeownership and its current collaborative work with Bickerdike and Chicago Mutual Housing on developing coops.
The garish off red and yellow (maybe it was supposed to be gold) signs were everywhere in my neighborhood. Touting the candidacy of incumbent 35th ward Alderman Vilma Colom, they were a testament to the power of a regular Democratic organization. Although Colom was a first term alderman, she appeared to have an extremely large and disciplined organization. Maybe she had some help? Honoring a fine old political tradition, the Alderman and Committeeman of the 33rd Richard Mell had pursued an expansionist policy. Colom was said to be a mere puppet of Mell. I can't say whether that is true, but they are very close. One of the many pieces of literature that was on the street featured Governor Rod Blagojevich (Mells son in law) asking the residents of the ward to vote for Vilma. Interesting that the governor of the state would take such an interest in minor (relatively) local race. The troops were out on election day, they were passing palm cards, checking who had not yet voted and running to try and persuade those who didn't, to come out to punch a hole in the ballot for Vilma. In addition to the Demo regulars, the redoubtable Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO) was out in force to support the seemingly unbeatable Colom. Despite the best of efforts, the mighty 33rd struck out. Showing a refreshing new streak of independence the majority Hispanic ward sent Mell's surrogate packing. Rey Colon a community activist and former superintendent of Humbolt Park walloped Vilma by a 12% margin. What makes the result even more interesting is the fact that Chicago was bitterly cold that day. This is when the machine is supposed to do its best work. They bring their people to the polls – no matter what the weather. The times may in fact be changing.
She doesn't respect her own personal financial situation, so how can we expect her to handle 35th ward finances??? DEBTOR: COLOM; VILMA 1636 N FRANCISCO CHICAGO, IL 60647 CASE NAME: MCCLURG COURT CENTR V COLOM CASE NUMBER: 90M1 0120366 FILING DATE: 8/28/90 TYPE: SATISFIED JUDGMENT ORIGINAL JUDGMENT DATE: 7/9/90 AMOUNT: $ 640.00 ATTORNEY: SPARACIO & ALLEN
She refuses to pay her own bills, how can we expect her generate grants & funding for our neighborhood??? COUNTY: COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS - 1ST MUNICIPAL DISTRICT DEBTOR: COLOM, VILMA 1636 N FRANCISCO CHGO, IL 60647 CASE NAME: COLOM, VILMA CASE NUMBER: 90M1 0120366 FILING DATE: 4/24/90 TYPE: JUDGMENT AMOUNT: $ 1,640.00 ATTORNEY: SPARACIO & ALLEN
She refuses to pay other companies for their work, how can we expect her to help out 35th ward businesses? DEBTOR: COLOM; VILMA 222 W ONTARIO CHICAGO, IL 60610-3621 Doing Business As COLOM INTERNATIONAL 222 W ONTARIO CHICAGO, IL 60610-3621 CASE NAME: FUSION INT'L V COLOM CASE NUMBER: 90M1 0195681 FILING DATE: 9/17/92 TYPE: SATISFIED JUDGMENT ORIGINAL JUDGMENT DATE: 6/26/91 AMOUNT: $ 3,200.00 ATTORNEY: L.S. KAHN
Like this is all the info we need to understand the specific circumstances involved. Pretty lame attempt to attack Vilma. Debts in dispute are routinely taken to court, try watching 'The People's Court' once in awhile.
I guess Vilma can't be all that tough on crime if the cops aren't on her side. Neighbors for Rey Colon Chicago Police Sergeants' Association 1616 W Pershing Rd Chicago, IL 60609-2301 $500.00 4/4/2007 1A
I totally agree with you, which makes Vilma's mailers that attack Rey all that much more dubious.
When are criminal charges, DUI suspensions, potentially criminal failure-to-pay child support charges and forfeiture-of-bond arrest warrants equal to a civil, small claims court judgment? When it serves a political purpose to claim they are equal.
I wish I only had the debt that Vilma Colom had. Someone mentioned Ed Nezda--why don't we bring back Judge Figueroa. Rolon sounds like a smart political operative.
I think Ray is still around. In retrospect he wasn't that bad of an alderman, especially when you compare him to the guy he replaced.
The sad thing about Vilma with the Home Depot is that she was unwittingly not only doing the bid for Mayor Daley's City of Chicago Planning Department BUT the land on which Home Depot was built--not only got sped through with Zoning and permits but was owned by Rod Blagojevich's own ANTOIN "TONY" RESKO and SENATOR JAMES "JIMMY D THE GREYLORD BAG MAN" DELEO also the lawyers were none other than MICHAEL DALEY (the brother of the Mayor) and JACK GEORGE of DALEY AND GEORGE Vilma was used and abused like a PR hooker on North Avenue. Mell knew all about it which is why he feels bad today because the Home Depot and Vilma's arrogance lost her the last election. I am just glad that Tony Rezko and Jimmy D and Mikey Daley all made money. They don't have congestion, traffic, crime and parking problems in their neighborhoods. Tony Resko can go live with the Sultan of Oman or hide out in the Christian villages in the mountains of Syria. Jimmy D can go to Aruba or his block long home with his Bentleys or Mercedez or Cadillacs or couple of million dollars worth of cars from, well you know were from. (Start singing the Godfather theme song and remember Greylord and Currency Exchanges and a car thief with money in the freezer) Michael Daley--should we even go there? Remember you can't talk about the Daleys--they are bigger gangsters than the DeLeo patrons. Throw in PATTI MELL, the ice queen, more arrogant than Vilma, did she make money off that real estate deal too? At least Dicky Mell feels bad and is trying to make it up to Vilma. Col Smedley wrote WAR IS A RACKET wel...Political war is a RACKET TOO Vilma and Rey are just two stupid PR pawns in a money game that is bigger than both of them. HDO has supported both of them at different times.
I have been reading this blog from the joint with Frankie (Calabrese) Jimmy( Marcella)and we are really starting to get MAD! When Jimmy Deleo gives money to Candidates like Matlak and Colom, thats are money! When Jimmy Deleo gives jobs away to his Goomod Tanya, like the one she has controlling hiring at Navy Pier....thats us giving him the muscle. When Jimmy DeLeo tells that have utfray Governor what to do, thats us "THE BOYS!" So in the future get it straight, we are Jimmy DeLeo!
That's MARCELLO, you fag, and don't misspell it again. Thanks, T & T, for setting the record straight. We gots our reps to keep up.
I just want to put my 2 cents in about Senator DeLeo, He is a man of great substance. Senator DeLeo has been a great leader in Springfield, He makes Senate President Emil Jones look good, He does not showboat, He gets the job done for the Democrats. Senator DeLeo is an associate member of the Children's Special Olympics and has been a friend of the union working people, He also received the prestigious Justinian Society of Lawyers "Award of Excellence" in 2001. I think some of the people taking shots at him are jealous because is will take over when Senate President Jones retires after his next term, Senator Deleo has been a voice of reason with all the craziness going on in Springfield. He would make a great Governor.
Dat's right, Al baby, you tell 'em. (uh, come by the club for your envelope later, wink-wink)
No jobs for the precinct workers. But plenty of great jobs for the mistresses and girlfriends. Although, the girls from Florida still remember the Helicopter ride, the main one got mad. Vilma and Rey, if either are alderman, aren't in charge of nuthin, just puppets on the strings of the money people in a hot real estate ward.
I just have to point out the Aqua Teen Hunger Force ad with 'Click our colon' printed above it. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it sure is hilarious.
Zina Murray, who has worked for Alderman Colon and > who submitted a > development proposal to the City for the MegaMall > has challenged the > nominating petitions of Esteban Burgoa and James > Villalpando. > > > > Campaigns and free speech are a fundamental of our > democracy, why is > Alderman Colon afraid of letting these 2 citizens > campaign? In the ETHICS section is the question: Who are your top 5 contributors and how much has each contributed to your campaign? Rey Colon's answer: 1. Armitage Produce $2,500 2. Zina Murray $2,500 3. Debit Connections $2,500 4. Balcor $2,500 5. Star Auto Group $2,500 Well Rey, that's a flat out lie. Developer Mark Fishman and his directly controlled property LLC's are Rey Colon's biggest recent contributions. On Nov 4, 2006, Colon received almost $7,000 in that single day from Mr. Fishman and his LLC's. Indisputable fact on IL Board of Election website D-2's. Mark Fishman and Fishman LLC contributions in 2006 1530 Kedzie LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 1832 N. Humboldt L.L.C. 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2114 Spaulding LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 2118 N. Whipple L.L.C. 3240 West Fullerton Avenue Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2134 Concord LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2142 Concord LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 2319 N. Kedzie L.P. 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2330 N. Spaulding Ltd. 3240 West Fullerton Avenue Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2418 N. Sawyer L.L.C. 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2515 Milwaukee LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 2516 N. Kedzie L.P. 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 2700 N. Spaulding 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 3000 N. Whipple LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 3240 W. Fullerton Condo Association 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 3500 Green Bay LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 4715 N. Sheridan Rd 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 7500 SSD LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 E K W LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $1,500.00 11/4/2006 ----- Stoofy's Doo LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $220.00 11/4/2006 Westgate Acquisitions LLC 3240 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60647 $225.00 11/4/2006 ----- M. Fishman & Co 3240 West Fullerton Avenue Chicago, IL 60647 $1,500.00 11/4/2006 M. Fishman & Co 3240 West Fullerton Avenue Chicago, IL 60647 $1,500.00 7/27/2006 Rey, care to amend your IVI-IPO filing, or do you stick to this significant misrepresentation to public? Next- Rey's campaign manager is officially listed as Martha Ramos, his fiance since before the last election. Ms. Ramos is also the 35th Ward Chief of Staff, a full time City of Chicago position. Ms. Ramos is also realtor and President of Realty World Teemar, Inc in LSq on W. Fullerton. A person can indeed wear several hats at once. However, the potential for at least appearance of possible conflicts is obvious. Last- the flyer of allegations mailed regarding Alderman Colon's past was first attributed to challenger Vilma Colom and then to Mr. Burgoa. Since it exists, and so many have vented about accountability and candor recently and in the past, including inference of the crime of corruption against one of the current candidates expressed in 2005 by the current nonpartisan director of IVI-IPO
Hey Albert, this is a discussion about the 35th ward race, why are you stroking your mob pal Deleo here, He is a great guy....Not. read a bit more about him here http://z14.invisionfree.com/GangstersInc/index.php?showtopic=113 Eto testified against top mobster Ernest Rocco Infelice in 1991, telling jurors how he paid protection money to him. In another case, Eto regaled a courtroom with how he allegedly bribed state legislator James DeLeo with $900 to fix parking tickets in traffic court in Chicago. DeLeo, though, was not convicted of any significant charges in the case. Also the fix was in on his case, they let him off with a slap on the wrist Deleo, James A.State Rep. �� 1-filing false statement http://www.angelfire.com/sc/Centner/Greylord.html As far as your buddy becoming State Senate Prez after Emil Jones...it will never happen
Rey seems to have a credibility problem. He 'fessed up to getting arrested for DUIs in the Sun Times. That makes , given the legal actions given their timing, a publicity stunt. What integrity!
Has anyone figured out why Jesse Ruben Juarez, one of Manny Flores' main political guys, is working so hard on Vilma's campaign? I would think Manny would be with Rey?
Manny is with both, or with one or the other, or neither, or all whatever is the user Manny Flores benefit. Manny Flores does nothing but lie and use people. With those credentials he probably will be the next Congressman.
"He 'fessed up to getting arrested for DUIs in the Sun Times." he isn't a school bus driver, you know. sad (and telling) that all complaints about him are just smears that have nothing to do with the JOB.
Show Us the Money TIF districts are siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars away from schools and other city services, and nobody even has to tell us why. By Ben Joravsky February 4, 2005 The Fullerton/Milwaukee Tax Increment Financing district is raking in so much in property taxes that city officials have managed to spend only half the money. Yet they now want to expand the district and rake in even more. "How can they take more money if they haven't spent the money they have?" asks Carter O'Brien, who lives in Logan Square just outside the district. Good question. O'Brien's also wondering where the new money would be spent. As he and other city residents are learning, TIFs have generated huge sums, yet it's difficult to find out how much money's in a given TIF fund, much less how it's being spent. Jason Hardy, a researcher for the Center for Economic Policy Analysis, has spent years studying TIFs and probably knows as much about them as anyone. He doesn't like them. "They're very difficult to regulate," he says. TIFs were designed to fund development within their boundaries. The Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF district runs roughly from Belmont to Armitage along Milwaukee, darting several blocks west along Fullerton and Armitage. The TIF was set up by the City Council to start on February 16, 2000, and won't end until 2023. For 23 years the amount of property taxes the city gets from the area for schools, parks, police, and other services is frozen at the amount it was getting on February 15, 2000. Any increase in property taxes from then until 2023 (the "increment") goes to the TIF. Of course since taxes will rise if the value of property in the area rises, property owners will see their taxes go up just as they would have without the TIF. According to the county clerk's office, which keeps track of these things, the area that's covered by the Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF district generated about $4.1 million in property taxes in 2000. It generated $6.7 million in 2003, so $4.1 million went to schools, etc, and the extra $2.6 million went into the TIF fund. Over the past four years a total of about $6 million has gone into the TIF--money that would otherwise have gone to fund schools, etc. What did the planning department, the main body deciding what TIF funds get spent on, do with the $6 million? According to city documents analyzed by the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, a not-for-profit watchdog, the department set aside about $700,000 for grants to unnamed merchants who wanted to fix up their properties, and it earmarked another $2.45 million for the construction of a shopping strip at California and Armitage (there's no indication whether that was in loans or grants). It's not clear what, if anything, has happened to the remaining $3 million. In fact, it's not clear what happens to a lot of TIF money. There are now 131 TIF districts in Chicago, encompassing roughly 30 percent of the city's geographical area. According to the clerk's office, they siphoned off about $287 million in property taxes in 2003. To find out what I did about TIF spending I had to go to four different public agencies (the county treasurer, the county assessor, the county clerk, and the planning department) and two private ones (the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group and the Center for Economic Policy Analysis), then piece together the information. There's no overall TIF budget that has to be approved by the City Council, though the aldermen have to sign off on the regular city budget every year. There's no annual public hearing at which planning commissioner Denise Casalino lays out how her department intends to spend TIF money, though every year the department lays out for the public how it intends to spend its other funds. City, county, CTA, Park District, and Board of Education annual budgets are all openly scrutinized at public hearings, but not the TIF budgets. What's more, itemized tax bills sent to property owners in TIF districts state that the TIF receives none of their tax dollars (as I explained in my December 10 column). That's simply not true--if you own property in a TIF district, the TIF is getting some, or all, of your tax dollars, no matter what your bill says. If you want to know how much goes to the TIF, you have to do some complicated math using information collected by an obscure section of the county clerk's office--information that as far as I can see isn't available in any printed document or on the county's Web site. City and county officials say they don't have the computer technology to break out TIF expenditures on tax bills, but you have to wonder whether someone simply doesn't want taxpayers to know that TIFs are getting so much money at a time when schools are laying off teachers, the CTA's cutting service, and potholes aren't getting filled. Now, I don't want to suggest there's no oversight. The City Council, the Community Development Commission, the Chicago Plan Commission, and the Joint Review Board all have to approve the creation of a TIF district. But no proposed TIF has ever been scotched. All of the people sitting on the two commissions and the board are mayoral appointees or appointed by mayoral appointees, and they generally give the planning department whatever it asks for. When it comes to spending TIF funds, the board and the commissions pretty much drop out of the picture. The Plan Commission has to approve major projects but not their funding. The aldermen do have some say in how TIF funds are spent in their wards, but according to the ones I talked to, they often don't know what money's available or what it's being spent on. And when TIF districts cross ward boundaries they probably know even less. In short, the planning department seems to be handing a lot of taxpayer money to developers, architects, planners, consultants, and lawyers with very little oversight. Many activists think TIFs generate nothing more than a giant slush fund. When the state created the TIF program back in the 80s it enacted very specific guidelines. TIFs were intended only for "poor and blighted" communities that weren't going to get much private investment without one. Municipalities that set them up had to be very specific about what the money they took in was funding, and the state had to approve the projects. But state legislators and administrators long ago diluted those rules. A TIF district no longer needs to be poor and blighted--there are now TIFs in some of the city's wealthiest areas, including Lincoln Park and the Loop. There's no longer any requirement that the city reveal exactly how it plans to spend TIF money or that the state approve a project. When the Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF was created it was championed by the planning department and Alderman Vilma Colom, whose 35th Ward contained most of the district. The stated purpose of the TIF was to spruce up the community. It never got any more specific than that. At a public hearing in 2000 the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, a prominent community group, gave the TIF its qualified support. Speaking for the association, Kathy Tholin asked the city to create a citizens' advisory committee to oversee the TIF and make sure funds weren't used to "create upscale housing," arguing that money that went to housing should be for affordable housing only. She also urged that TIF money be used to support three local public schools and "to expand job opportunities for local residents." In the five years since the TIF was created Colom has been voted out of office. No citizens' advisory board has been created, and it would be hard to create one because the TIF district now runs through five different wards, thanks to the 2001 redistricting. According to planning department documents, none of the money that's poured into the TIF has gone to local schools and none has been used for affordable housing. Yet Milwaukee Avenue looks much as it did five years ago. Planning department officials say they have no specific projects in mind in the area covered by the proposed TIF expansion, which would be primarily west along Belmont to Tripp and filling in along Milwaukee. But few of the activists believe them. "The city won't say what they're doing," says one, "so everyone's wondering what's really going on." He notes that the expanded TIF district will include the Mega Mall, a big, bargain-priced shopping center at 2500 N. Milwaukee that was left out of the original TIF district. He and other residents suspect the city wants to use TIF funds to replace the mall with a high-end retailer. They also worry that TIF funds could be used to finance upscale condos near Belmont and Pulaski. "There's a lot of speculation," says the activist. As with most TIF-related matters, the city only fuels such speculation by shrouding its plans in secrecy. Pete Scales, the planning department's press spokesman, didn't return calls for comment. On January 3 the department held a public meeting on the expansion. About 50 people showed up and barraged officials with questions. "They kept telling us that this was really a matter of just correcting the TIF, just putting in properties that should have been included in the first place--as if that was going to reassure us," says O'Brien. "From their perspective, the whole city should have been included in that first TIF. I kept asking, 'Why are you expanding the TIF if you don't know what you're doing with the old one?'" He was told the department was still looking at ideas.
...and who set up the TIF again without having any plan as to how the funds would be spent? oh, right - Vilma Colom.
Did Vilma flunk her new mission? http://mesh.medill.northwestern.edu/mnschicago/archives/2003/02/fortythree_of_4.html Colom could not be reached for comment Wednesday but on election night (2003) was quoted as saying that "God has another mission for me. I have to accept that reality."
What Would Vilma (have) Done? http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2868045 Two families may lose homes after developer violates zoning laws Homeowners turn to alderman for help Ron Magers March 14, 2005 - It's a homeowner's worst nightmare. Two Chicago families say they may lose their homes because the developer who built their condos violated city zoning laws. Now, the city of Chicago is suing the homeowners for the developer's mistake. Those homeowners hope their city alderman can help. "We love where we live. We want to start a family here and we don't want to be kicked out of our house," said Jeff Craven. Craven and his wife thought their basement condominium unit in Logan Square would be the perfect place to settle down. But now they may be kicked out of their own home. "It's hard to think about starting a family when you don't even know where you will raise the family," said Craven. Craven says when he bought the condo in 1999 he crossed his T's and dotted his I's with a real estate attorney. What he says he didn't know is that his condo unit is not a legal place to live. The city of Chicago says the developer, Virgil Tiran, never received the proper zoning. Now, the city is suing the developer, the condo association and Craven. The city says the same thing happened to another homeowner who bought from Virgil Tiran. "The developer was able to build a couple of extra illegal units and somehow sell them to victims and now they risk having the American dream ripped from underneath their feet," said Colon. Alderman Rey Colon says he will consider helping both families keep their homes by changing the zoning ordinance. He is, however, concerned that if he makes an exception, it will send the wrong message. "Making a zoning change decision helps the family in the short term but maybe putting other families in harms way in the long term," said Colon. Craven says the city should only be going after the developer, not suing him. The city's law department says Craven is listed as a defendant for legal proposes. A city spokesperson says the city believes that Craven had no idea he was buying an illegal unit. Alderman Colon will meet with residents Monday night and could make a decision on whether he will change the zoning ordinance by Tuesday. Experts say potential home buyers should check with the city's building department to find out how many units the property is zoned to sell.
HOMEOWNERS LOOK OUT! ZENA MURRAY WANTS TIF MONEY FOR THE MEGA MALL GUESS WHO WILL PAY THE BILL. YOU THE TAXPAYER. There was speculation a professional phone survey of Ward 35 voters was linked to Vilma Colom or Alderman Dick Mell, and big labor. Only last part appears correct, despite well informed assumptions including logansquare yahoo listserv Moderator. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoganSquare/message/12835 The plot thickens >>>Moderator's comment: I got the same call this evening. Given the surveyor's difficulty with pronouncing "Colom," I believe this genuinely was a hired survey research firm. The question at the end summarizing the candidates' positions and background seemed somewhat biased in favor of Vilma, so i suspect thats who's paying big bucks for this.<<< From IL Board of elections filing, this was paid for by SEIU on behalf of Rey Colon campaign. SEIU Illinois Council PAC 111 E Wacker Dr Suite 2500 Chicago, IL 60601-4200 $ 8,400.00 3/27/2007 In-Kind Contribution Neighbors for Rey Colon polling: Bennett Petts & Normington 1010 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 208 Washington, DC 20007 35th Ward election seems less about issues and instead rhetoric and misinformation from supporters of both candidates. A prime example is the City MegaMall TIF Redevelopment RFP. Rey Colon suppressed the Park Center plan supported by diverse coalition of community groups including voted support by business chambers of commerce, and The Center for Neighhborhood Technology, Friends of the Parks, State Rep. Toni Berrios..., plus thousands of LSq residents who voted overwhelming 75% support FOR a park opportunity. Rey Colon arrogantly ignored all that. Won't even hold a public meeting to get ideas and input. Instead, Colon is on record in full support of the City's continuing TIF mandate to seize the reopened MegaMall using eminent domain on behalf of private developer(s) who contributed $$$$ to him. Nov. 23, 2006 Tribune article on MegaMall http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoganSquare/message/11333 Follow the money: 35th Ward election http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoganSquare/message/12141 Nov 2006 "public meeting" about City TIF enabled redevelopment of the Morris B Sachs (Payless Shoes) Building at Milwaukee / Diversey / Kimball was forced on Colon by public outcry against his and City's "done deal" plan for very expensive taxpayer funded retrofit as affordable housing / homeless SRO. City supportive housing SRO plan and Colon's Letter of Support is public record in Minutes of 9/26/2006 TIF Community Development Commission Meeting which approved City TIF purchase. Rey Colon stated to LSq community at his October "State of the Ward" address he decided to do this and "did not need a community meeting for all his decisions." Outcry and intense protest quickly changed Rey's public position. I do commend the Alderman for responding to the outcry and for seeing TIF as a tool to facilitate something with the long vacant Sachs Building. The SRO plan finally had public discussion and he sought other ideas for the Sachs Building. A few of us have urged Rey to include derelict Kimball/Dawson site into the TIF and the Sachs Building opportunity. Letter published in Chicago Journal about Sachs Building and 11/2006 public meeting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoganSquare/message/11512 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoganSquare/message/11514 Chicago Journal's coverage on Sachs Building / TIF redevelopment How about candidates' debate / discussion of ISSUES?! A City Council Alderman is not only local coordinator and "Godfather" for City services / zoning / development; but also is supposed to provde legislative oversight of Mayor and City Budget, out of control TIFs, CTA problems, spiraling real estate tax assessments (just wait til late summer 2nd half Cook County Property Tax Bills when ALL of the recent assessment increase hits property owners).....
I'd say she has done remarkably well in her mission: God intended for her to be ushered into a nice job on the Cook County payroll where she can boil & toil and assemble a nice group of questionable hacks to operate her next failed attempt.
""Show Us the Money TIF districts are siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars away from schools and other city services, and nobody even has to tell us why. By Ben Joravsky February 4, 2005 The Fullerton/Milwaukee Tax Increment Financing district is raking in so much in property taxes that city officials have managed to spend only half the money. Yet they now want to expand the district and rake in even more. "How can they take more money if they haven't spent the money they have?" asks Carter O'Brien, who lives in Logan Square just outside the district. Good question. O'Brien's also wondering where the new money would be spent. As he and other city residents are learning, TIFs have generated huge sums, yet it's difficult to find out how much money's in a given TIF fund, much less how it's being spent. Jason Hardy, a researcher for the Center for Economic Policy Analysis, has spent years studying TIFs and probably knows as much about them as anyone. He doesn't like them. "They're very difficult to regulate," he says. TIFs were designed to fund development within their boundaries. The Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF district runs roughly from Belmont to Armitage along Milwaukee, darting several blocks west along Fullerton and Armitage. The TIF was set up by the City Council to start on February 16, 2000, and won't end until 2023. For 23 years the amount of property taxes the city gets from the area for schools, parks, police, and other services is frozen at the amount it was getting on February 15, 2000. Any increase in property taxes from then until 2023 (the "increment") goes to the TIF. Of course since taxes will rise if the value of property in the area rises, property owners will see their taxes go up just as they would have without the TIF. According to the county clerk's office, which keeps track of these things, the area that's covered by the Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF district generated about $4.1 million in property taxes in 2000. It generated $6.7 million in 2003, so $4.1 million went to schools, etc, and the extra $2.6 million went into the TIF fund. Over the past four years a total of about $6 million has gone into the TIF--money that would otherwise have gone to fund schools, etc. What did the planning department, the main body deciding what TIF funds get spent on, do with the $6 million? According to city documents analyzed by the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, a not-for-profit watchdog, the department set aside about $700,000 for grants to unnamed merchants who wanted to fix up their properties, and it earmarked another $2.45 million for the construction of a shopping strip at California and Armitage (there's no indication whether that was in loans or grants). It's not clear what, if anything, has happened to the remaining $3 million. In fact, it's not clear what happens to a lot of TIF money. There are now 131 TIF districts in Chicago, encompassing roughly 30 percent of the city's geographical area. According to the clerk's office, they siphoned off about $287 million in property taxes in 2003. To find out what I did about TIF spending I had to go to four different public agencies (the county treasurer, the county assessor, the county clerk, and the planning department) and two private ones (the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group and the Center for Economic Policy Analysis), then piece together the information. There's no overall TIF budget that has to be approved by the City Council, though the aldermen have to sign off on the regular city budget every year. There's no annual public hearing at which planning commissioner Denise Casalino lays out how her department intends to spend TIF money, though every year the department lays out for the public how it intends to spend its other funds. City, county, CTA, Park District, and Board of Education annual budgets are all openly scrutinized at public hearings, but not the TIF budgets. What's more, itemized tax bills sent to property owners in TIF districts state that the TIF receives none of their tax dollars (as I explained in my December 10 column). That's simply not true--if you own property in a TIF district, the TIF is getting some, or all, of your tax dollars, no matter what your bill says. If you want to know how much goes to the TIF, you have to do some complicated math using information collected by an obscure section of the county clerk's office, information that as far as I can see isn't available in any printed document or on the county's Web site. City and county officials say they don't have the computer technology to break out TIF expenditures on tax bills, but you have to wonder whether someone simply doesn't want taxpayers to know that TIFs are getting so much money at a time when schools are laying off teachers, the CTA's cutting service, and potholes aren't getting filled. Now, I don't want to suggest there's no oversight. The City Council, the Community Development Commission, the Chicago Plan Commission, and the Joint Review Board all have to approve the creation of a TIF district. But no proposed TIF has ever been scotched. All of the people sitting on the two commissions and the board are mayoral appointees or appointed by mayoral appointees, and they generally give the planning department whatever it asks for. When it comes to spending TIF funds, the board and the commissions pretty much drop out of the picture. The Plan Commission has to approve major projects but not their funding. The aldermen do have some say in how TIF funds are spent in their wards, but according to the ones I talked to, they often don't know what money's available or what it's being spent on. And when TIF districts cross ward boundaries they probably know even less. In short, the planning department seems to be handing a lot of taxpayer money to developers, architects, planners, consultants, and lawyers with very little oversight. Many activists think TIFs generate nothing more than a giant slush fund. When the state created the TIF program back in the 80s it enacted very specific guidelines. TIFs were intended only for "poor and blighted" communities that weren't going to get much private investment without one. Municipalities that set them up had to be very specific about what the money they took in was funding, and the state had to approve the projects. But state legislators and administrators long ago diluted those rules. A TIF district no longer needs to be poor and blighted--there are now TIFs in some of the city's wealthiest areas, including Lincoln Park and the Loop. There's no longer any requirement that the city reveal exactly how it plans to spend TIF money or that the state approve a project. When the Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF was created it was championed by the planning department and Alderman Vilma Colom, whose 35th Ward contained most of the district. The stated purpose of the TIF was to spruce up the community. It never got any more specific than that. At a public hearing in 2000, the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, a prominent community group, gave the TIF its qualified support. Speaking for the association, Kathy Tholin asked the city to create a citizens' advisory committee to oversee the TIF and make sure funds weren't used to "create upscale housing," arguing that money that went to housing should be for affordable housing only. She also urged that TIF money be used to support three local public schools and "to expand job opportunities for local residents." In the five years since the TIF was created Colom has been voted out of office. No citizens' advisory board has been created, and it would be hard to create one because the TIF district now runs through five different wards, thanks to the 2001 redistricting. According to planning department documents, none of the money that's poured into the TIF has gone to local schools and none has been used for affordable housing. Yet Milwaukee Avenue looks much as it did five years ago. Planning department officials say they have no specific projects in mind in the area covered by the proposed TIF expansion, which would be primarily west along Belmont to Tripp and filling in along Milwaukee. But few of the activists believe them. "The city won't say what they're doing," says one, "so everyone's wondering what's really going on." He notes that the expanded TIF district will include the Mega Mall, a big, bargain-priced shopping center at 2500 N. Milwaukee that was left out of the original TIF district. He and other residents suspect the city wants to use TIF funds to replace the mall with a high-end retailer. They also worry that TIF funds could be used to finance upscale condos near Belmont and Pulaski. "There's a lot of speculation," says the activist. As with most TIF-related matters, the city only fuels such speculation by shrouding its plans in secrecy. Pete Scales, the planning department's press spokesman, didn't return calls for comment. On January 3 the department held a public meeting on the expansion. About 50 people showed up and barraged officials with questions. "They kept telling us that this was really a matter of just correcting the TIF, just putting in properties that should have been included in the first place--as if that was going to reassure us," says O'Brien. "From their perspective, the whole city should have been included in that first TIF. I kept asking, 'Why are you expanding the TIF if you don't know what you're doing with the old one?'" He was told the department was still looking at ideas."" Does anyone, with a brain that works, think that TIFs are anything other than a SLUSH FUND for political favors? Does anyone, with a brain that works, fail to understand that this is what we get when we continually allow the incumbents to engage in their 'long-term-planning'? Does anyone, with a brain that works, truly believe that our 'public servants' are acting in OUR 'best interests'? EVER? "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."
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