Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Alderman Week / Chicagoland / Politics Good old Joe
Posted by Kate Schmidt on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 8:00 AM
My then boyfriend, whom I'll call Dick Move, threw a fit, accusing Joe of putting the moves on me. "Don't be ridiculous," I told him. "He's my alderman!" But Dick Move was adamant that I cancel. Embarrassed, I called Joe and explained the situation. He ended up inviting the dick. Good guy. Nondick.
Citywide, Joe's probably best known for introducing the infamous ordinance that banned foie gras and was subsequently overturned as Daley sandbagged Moore. But in the ward he's known for participatory budgeting, which allows residents to weigh in on how he should use his discretionary funds. The results have been something of a mixed bag. On one hand, we have bike paths now. On the other, we have hideous street art:
I began editing politics a couple years after starting here, so I haven't been able to volunteer again. And to tell you the truth, though I like him personally, I'm a little dismayed by Joe's machine politics. The scuttlebutt is that he's eyeing a state EPA post, with his wife, Barbara, a possible replacement as alderman. And he's endorsed Kelly Cassidy, who's backed by the shameless Joe Berrios, for state rep. This is Chicago, after all, the city that doesn't work.
Read more from Alderman Week:
"My mixed luck with aldermen," by Steve Bogira
"Alderman Ed Burke acknowledges the existence of a mere mortal," by Mick Dumke
"Chicago's 50 wards—the jigsaw version," by Ben Joravsky
"Oh, to have those fighting independents back," by Steve Bogira
Comments (43)
Showing 1-43 of 43
I can't find a source for this now, which may be simply because it dates back to . . . 1999? 1998?, but my favorite Joe Moore story is from a time when he saw a man peeing in an alley in his ward, stopped to tell the man he couldn't do that, and got punched in the face. I suspect that's kind of what being an alderman feels like most days.
Levi Stahl
Uptown
like
dislikeI can't find a source for this now, which may be simply because it dates back to . . . 1999? 1998?, but my favorite Joe Moore story is from a time when he saw a man peeing in an alley in his ward, stopped to tell the man he couldn't do that, and got punched in the face. I suspect that's kind of what being an alderman feels like most days.
Moore did a good job of outlasting his reactionary Internet critics.
http://whenmorsehellholesays.blogspot.com/
while you're deciding how dismayed to be don't forget relatives on the payroll, elected office as family business, campaigns funded by zoning changes for developers, far & away a reliable vote for whatever mayor is in office, add it up you get yet another mostly unremarkable back bench career Chicago pol
@Levi: Back in the day when I lived on Touhy, I was on my way to work when I saw a guy taking a crap in the alley right behind Joe's office. Good morning! (On the positive side, I also found a primo pair of vintage Levi 401s near Jarvis. My brother was appalled that I would wear them, even after thorough washing.) But I just got punched in the face by, with apologies, a crack whore wearing a ring that gave me my first and only black eye. I'd been to the gas station on Touhy and Sheridan and was walking back less than half a block to my apartment, and had just given her $5. The Indian guys at the Citgo were supernice and concerned when they saw me next. As I've said before, why I love my hood, part infinity.
@Hugh: Yeah, so much for Chicago "independents" and "progressives." And would that City Council debates were worthy of the back bench. Still gotta love the Glenwood Sunday Market, though.
Hi Kate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to weigh in and correct a few misstatements. First, the artwork. Of course art, hideous or otherwise, is always in the eye of the beholder. But regardless of your feelings about the street art you refer to in your post, it is not funded through our participatory budgeting initiative. "PB" as it is known, has funded an art project--the beautiful murals that grace a number of our once dingy CTA and Metra underpasses--but it has not funded any of the art work on Sheridan Road and Morse Avenue.
Second, "machine politics?" Now I know the journalistic standards for blogs are, shall I say, lax, but don't you think reliance on "scuttlebutt" to support your assertion I've gone "machine" is a bit unfair. Yes, I'm under consideration for a possible appointment as the Director of the Illinois EPA (I hope you don't consider that "machine politics"), but the Governor hasn't formally nominated me and my chances of confirmation by the Illinois State Senate if that nomination were made are far from certain, given some of the controversial (i.e., anti-machine) legislation I've sponsored over the years. So talk of a possible successor is way premature.
Third, Kelly Cassidy as the "machine candidate?" Let's see . . . in her first six months on the job she bucked the Senate and House leadership to vote against the tax break for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. She also voted against legislation to restrict collective bargaining rights and she voted against the Com Ed bill. Hardly the mark of an owned and operated legislator.
Yes, Joe Berrios endorsed her, but so have political reformers David Orr and Jan Schakowsky and progressive organizations, such as IVI-IPO, SEIU, and AFSCME. And just last night Kelly won with 92% of the vote the endorsement of the 49th Ward Democratic Party, who's membership, as you know, consists largely of progressive activists. What progressive organizations and elected officials have supported her opponent? Zero.
Finally, and perhaps most egregiously, you revealed that this unreconstructed Cubs fan took you to a Sox game. Yes, I admit it's true, but I thought we had agreed to keep it between us (and the old boyfriend).
I think it's hilarious a 6 term alderman has to come on here and explain himself. Well done Kate :)
You're certainly correct, alderman, that you are not a machine politician. You are a lot of things but that isn't one of them. Anybody just has to remember the ordeal the city went through with the near passage of the big box ordinance (which would have eventually resulted in the almost complete destruction of the city) to know that.
Dear Joe,
I'm sorry--I must have miscommunicated. I think you're a good alderman. To the normal extent.
I take it the street art appearing after the initial PD ballot including "street art" wasn't part of the plan? Where did these things come from then?
"Scuttlebutt," I concede, is a vulgar word, but the link goes to a December Trib story.
"Machine politics"? Yes, sir. You're on board with the Osterman/Berrios camp and actually haven't raised much of a fuss since you guys got shot down over the big-box ordinance. What has your "progressive" posse done lately?
As for Joe Berrios, well, he's good at job production when it comes it comes to his family.
You guys seem all to be true Chicago pols: just out for your own.
But we're agreed that my ex-boyfriend is a dick.
Best,
Kate
"you get yet another mostly unremarkable back bench career Chicago pol"
Says the man who volunteered in Cappleman's campaign office on a daily basis and acted as an apologist for the future alderman's apparent hiring of gang members to do precinct work.
"As for Joe Berrios, well, he's good at job production when it comes it comes to his family."
I'm not a big fan of Berrios as a politician, but his office appears to be fairly well run compared to some others. Moore's mentor David Orr also does an excellent job.
Kate, you clearly struck a nerve with Joe "Foie Gras" Moore, who, in the opinion of most, is about as Old School as a Chicago politician can be. Remember when he loudly proclaimed he would no longer accept "campaign donations" from developers, only to renege on that promise when he determined he couldn't keep his job without them? Or how about the 16-year stretch when he literally did nothing to earn his pay because his elections were unchallenged? And when half of his constituents decided to throw the bum out and a candidate with virtually no campaign funds whipped his pants and forced him into a runoff, Mr. Progressive was miraculously well versed in every slimey Old School political trick needed to barely stay employed. Since then, he's figured out that he can still get away with doing nothing of real value for his ward if he lets Rogers Park residents vote on pretty murals.
Please Joe, for the good of your ward, the city council and foie gras lovers everywhere, figure out some dirty trick to ensure you get the EPA job.
The fact that Joe is still trying to sell himself as "progressive" after all his years as part of the machine (albeit a totally ineffective part) is more laughable every year. It's a bit like all his finger waving about constantly challenging Mayor Daley, which I always viewed as a bit like boasting that he was working hard to hold back the tide with a broom. He was never bright enough (nor respected enough) for it to have an impact, but it sure was nifty that he could write about it in his campaign materials every four years.
Thank you, Kate.
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under things to consider while weighing dismay-ageness may I suggest adding an unattractive penchant for stunt legislating over substance, treating your elected duty as a game
when you count so-called "participatory budgeting" in the plus column recognize you can't do so without tacitly endorsing one of the primary mechanisms the executive uses to turn our elected representatives into sheeple: the so-called "aldermanic menu" in which the nominal mayor pushes 7 figures of scarse public money across the table so a legislator can live out his fantasy of being a mini-mayor
a December Trib story with extremely dubious sourcing; "no comment" from Moore & Quinn spokesperson, also mention in the article are Barabara Moore and David Fagus, hmm...
"I know the journalistic standards for blogs are, shall I say, lax .... I'm under consideration for a possible appointment as the Director of the Illinois EPA"
you'll confirm in a blog comment but not to a veteran MSM reporter? maybe cause if you tried to confirm to MSM, MSM would have followed up with, ok, who can I call to confirm?
See, Kate, I told you Joe was hitting on you. But that's not why you think I'm a dick. I wish you would have been honest and published the REAL reason.
Don't worry, Joe, Hugh Devlin can be bought for a price of a falafel sandwich. Good luck with the EPA position, I'm sure that you'll do a fine job.
Kate,
I see the Reader comments section continues to have it's usual compliment of people who lack meaningful lives, so I'll refrain from any further comments on your post. But I did want to respond to your question about the street art. The art is produced by a local artist, Andy Delarosa, and is paid for with funds from the Morse/Glenwood SSA.
just a drive-by to get your IEPA scuttlebutt out there? well done! how social media savvy!
The Illinois EPA is a cabinet-level, state-wide, multi-location, organization of 1200 professionals. Check it:
http://www.epa.state.il.us/about/or…
What exactly in Moore's background qualifies him to direct such an organization? Moore's career hi h2o mark in terms of headcount is about a handfull, and the only way we can get that high is if we are generous and admit a chief of staff, two legislative aides, friends, immediate family, Democratic Party of 49th Ward flunkies, Citizens for Joe Moore PAC employees, and local CDC/campaign staff. The considerable overlap of these categories depresses the absolute maximum.
Moore did not even have committee staff to manage, until very recently; 6 terms, two decades in the legislature and no committee chair until 2011. Moore was remarkable in that no other alderman with the same or similar tenure had no committee chair or co-chair experience.
Moore as IEPA director is absurd even by Illinois standards. As much as I love Rogers Park, I love Illinois and the outdoors, sorry Rogers Park. I'm horrified at this possiblity.
The staff at IEPA must be flabbergast to read Moore's scuttlebutt. Quinn should appoint Betsy LONG before he appoints Moore, and he shouldn't appoint Betsy, either - there's GOT to be someone better qualified within or without IEPA for this critical leadersip role in our home state. Hi Gov. Quinn, you a Reader reader?
Moore is pulling a Carol Ronen. Moore started with the City 1984, he is fully vested 2014. That automatic, no-additional vote required, annual cost-of-living increase he voted for himself must seem pathetic to him as he nears retirement age - the next two years will contribute only a paltry few bucks to his retirement annuity. His only hope of installing himself on the pension train at the level he desires is via one of the big bucks offices in Springfield. Even if he only lasts a short while before he is run out of town, it will pay off for the rest of his natural life.
Quick, someone get a quote from Moore on pension abuse in Illinois.
Hugh, it must be frustrating for you as a Postdoctorate Fellow that your fellow Moore-bashers crashed and burned so badly, but at least we'll always have Uptown. I know that you're probably on a budget, so check out those daily Groupon deals for I Dream of Falafel!
Kathleen,
I think the fact that you were wearing the fishnet stockings closes my case. You were wearing those stockings the night we met, and, as your friend put it, I only had eyes for you. I couldn't blame the alderman for hitting on you -- as far as I was concerned, any red-blooded male with a pair of eyes and ears would have -- but this was only a few years after the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, so I was suspicious of a politician's attentions. I felt I'd met someone special, and didn't want an alderman horning in.
Joe was single then, of course. He has since remarried, to a very nice woman who has made him as happy and energetic as I've ever seen him.
Be advised. If you dare criticize Joe Moore it's because your life is meaningless. It has nothing to do with Joe not being very good at his job or failing to earn his paycheck. All of you are wrong. And your lives are meaningless.
Joe has spoken.
(But you can still send a campaign contribution)
support for Berrios is an excellent barometer of machine-ousity
luv to get a gander at Moore's cover letter, wonder what Chicago environmental success stories he will pledge to bring state-wide
* a coal-burning power plant in every residential neighborhood in the state
* recycling for some: almost as good as recycling
Hugh, do you have any insight on why Tom Mannis turned against Cappleman last time? You guys all used to be so close!
http://rogersparkbench.blogspot.com/2007/0…
Hat tip to Hugh Devlin at 24/7 North of Howard Watchers for this one: Moore-supported downtown CTA project $150M over budget
---
Quite a scoop! And what's great is that another one of your right-wing buddies goes off the rails over the project in your comments section.
http://howardwatchers.blogspot.com/2007/09…
As though the thing doesn't cost enough to begin with- a total of over $240MM was budgeted for this project.
We could have had another rail line with that money. We could have totally replaced the decrepit Red Line with that money.
---
Really?
http://james46.org/news/135-million-to-reb…
November 3, 2011 (CHICAGO) – 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman stood this morning with Governor Quinn, Mayor Emanuel, and CTA President Claypool to announce $135 Million in funding to rebuild the Wilson L Red Line station.
"You're on board with the Osterman/Berrios camp"
I didn't even know that Osterman was part of the Osterman/Berrios camp. Am I missing something here?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-09…
On Wednesday, though, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky became the third Illinois Democrat in Congress (with Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Michael Quigley) to endorse Claypool. Other Dems who want no part of Berrios and his raging conflicts of interest on Cook County's property tax appeals board: ....Harry Osterman, and Chicago Alderm[a]n.... Joe Moore
why not holla at James J. Banks, tell him to buy you lunch? he's in your rol-o-dex under Official Zoning Attorney of the 49th Ward, or maybe Top All Time Citizens for Joe Moore Rainmakers, whatever. ask him how a guy goes about getting one of them cushy board appointments like he got for himself with the Tollway Authority. there's a million of 'em in Illinois, that's what they're there for. Salary, benefits, pays into the same pension fund. think about it. but please, god, no, not IEPA.
you're a sportsman - horse racing is the sport of kings! how about the racing Board? wouldn't that be fun?
how many cubs games did you have to take Dardick to to get "IEPA" and "Moore" in the same article without attribution?
Now you remind me of Lorraine Swanson sending drunken messages to Richard M. Daley on her secondary Twitter account.
http://twitter.com/laswansong
Commissioner of baseball! think about it! it's perfect! why not send MLB a resume? what do you have to lose? you are at least as qualified to be commissioner of baseball as you are director of the IEPA. I will write you a letter of rec for commissioner of baseball.
I'm sure that Old Joe will write you a letter of recommendation for this!
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/sof/2825…
The Cook County Clerk's office is seeking a highly motivated and skilled applications programmer/analyst. If you are an energetic, creative IT professional looking for a chance to exercise your skills in a challenging complex environment that is moving aggressively to modernize its technology, we have a spot for you.
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