The Blog

Smart move by these new alderman. I for one wouldn't follow Moore, Munoz or Preckwinkle down a path paved in gold. The gold path will lead you to your death as you fall off a cliff.

Always the threats. It's the carrot or the stick with these guys. And we are all considered jackasses, to be bribed or beaten. All incumbents pretending to oppose corruption will, according to plan, always be a day late and a dollar short. As long as corrupt incumbents inhabit our governments, no amount of minor league, quasi-independent actions will effect the ongoing business-as-usual activities. Are the voters truly 'dumb'? Every election provides the opportunity to see if they are, or are not, TRULY dumb. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

Leaders of the City Council's Independent [sic] Caucus are still talking crazy

I told you people months ago that the so-called independent, union funded rookie alderman would be back on the reservation post haste. We flipped Pat Dowell and Joanne Thompson on the budget (rather easily I might add). The rest will soon fall in line. Things are never gonna change. Yes, there may be a hiccup here and there, but ultimately and on things that matter, we are still in charge. Life is beautiful, NEXT !

Yeah Orion, and when they figure out they aren't getting the libraries the mayor promised, maybe they flip back. The problem with halfwits like you is the 1960's black and white world you still live in. Sooner or later the future catches up to you and you can't even run to Afghanistan to hide. duh, next.

Progress, maybe. But a yet-to-be-fully funded independent group to more or less police those that have enough clout to get away with anthing anyway...? Call me in jaded, but this seems good in theory, a pipe dream in practice.

Oh, that was "Call me jaded." (Patsy had a bit too much of the vino and should be policing her own blogs better.)

"Librarian": Don't hold your breath waiting for the future to catch up. By that time I will be collecting my fat 6 figure pension, Patrick Daley will be Mayor and we will still be in charge. Life is beautiful, NEXT !

Is this all you care about, your six-figure pension? And on whose backs was this built? "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell

"....a yet-to-be-fully funded independent group to more or less police those that have enough clout to get away with anything anyway...?" So, solve the varmint problem by eliminating the varmints. In every election, vote out incumbent hacks and there won't be anyone left to 'police'. REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT In the upcoming Primary Election, be you a die-hard Democrat, a resolute Republican, an intelligent Independent, or just a newly registered novice voter, try casting your votes according to this strategy: 1) Make a list of every incumbent NOT PROVEN, to your satisfaction, to be an honest, ethical, intelligent and genuine human being. 2) Bring your list of incumbents UNWORTHY of reelection with you when you go to vote. 3) DO NOT vote for anyone on your list. 4) In any given contest, if the incumbent has only 1 challenger, vote for that challenger. 5) If the incumbent has 2 or more challengers, then: If the INCUMBENT's name is listed FIRST, then vote for the CHALLENGER whose name is listed LAST. or If the INCUMBENT's name is NOT listed first, then vote for the CHALLENGER whose name IS LISTED FIRST. (In a contest with 2 or more candidates challenging an incumbent, voting by Ballot Name Position will concentrate the most votes for a single challenger, thus increasing the likelihood that the incumbent will lose.) 6) Whenever you are given the choice to RETAIN or NOT RETAIN an incumbent, vote to NOT RETAIN. 7) Vote with the main desire to deny reelection to as many incumbent hacks as possible, reelecting only those incumbents you are convinced DESERVE to be reelected. Don't waste your time and energy seeking to reform those who have no interest in being reformed. Don't waste your efforts on hoping that the few reasonably honest people who manage to get elected can ever hope to prevent the many crooked incumbents from doing what they do best, that is, be the worst that they can be. Don't hold your breath waiting for honest people to rescue you from the incumbent bad guys and gals. Do realize that all the power necessary to rid ourselves of corrupt governments is already ours to wield, namely, our Right to Vote. All we need do is use it wisely. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT Just Do It.

Anyone been up to Joe Moore's 49th Ward in Rogers Park lately? Aside from being a great place to buy crack and get mugged, it's a slum! Joe Moore would be wise to spend more time in his ward, except for the fact that he's simply too inept to make a difference. That guy needs to step down and let someone take a real shot at making a difference.

Reformer Sleeper Cell It's the Sleeper Cell theory of reform in Chicago City Council. For years we were told the Revolution would commence, as soon as we get enough reformers in City Council to actually do anything. Meanwhile we will develop deep cover by delivering an overwhelming string of pro-Machine votes, if we are successful we may at times seem virtually indistinguishable from the most die-hard machine hack aldermen you can think of, but don't be fooled, we're still here! The latest excuse for inaction: Sorry about that property tax increase thingy, we're hiring staff, we'll get 'em next time!

2007 was Preckwinkle's 17th budget. 2007 was Moore's 17th budget. 2007 was Munoz's 15th budget. Just now their noticing, golly gosh, this stuff is CONFUSING! We need to hire someone to read this to us and tell us what it means!

"And now they say they're close to hiring a staffer to help them out." The month AFTER the property tax increase? Wouldn't this have been a grand idea in say, oh, I don't know, June? Were they surprised when the annual budget popped up on the agenda AGAIN, like it does every fall?

City Council is nothing but dumb fuck, high priced, City Workers with the title of Alderman. Just ask Mike Wocjik and Mark Fary.

Yep, Hugh, so fucking obvious it boggles the mind. Yet, this is what we get, when we, as citizen/voters, permit our precious Right to Vote to whither and atrophy. There are many 'reasons' why our electoral processes have resulted in such lackluster 'representation'. One glaring reason has been the general publics' confusing the electing of our public officials, be they of the Executive, Legislative or Judicial branches, with a popularity contest, akin to the many 'talent' shows on TV as of late. Another is the glaring fact that far too many citizens do not vote, nor even register to vote. Still another is the sad reality that too many citizens who do vote rarely give any significant thought to who they are voting for, and why, beyond considering the merest superficialities. In addition, way too many citizens cast their votes for purely cynical, personal aggrandizement reasons. With approximately 50% of all qualified voters being un-registered, and, thus, impotent, and with about half of those registered to vote not bothering to show up on election day, to cast their votes, a meager 25% of all citizens who could be voting actually are voting. With incumbent candidates needing, at most, a bare majority of those actually voting to vote for them, it's clear that, at best, a pathetic 13% of all possible voters are determining who gets elected, or reelected. Is this really what our fellow citizens want? To allow, by their inactions, at most a lousy 1 out of 5 of their fellow citizens to determine who our elected, and thus empowered, officials will continue to be? Empowered to tax us. (as in pick our pockets) Empowered to make laws and impose same onto all of us? (with themselves being the exceptions) Empowered to interpret and adjudicate said laws? (all too often in ways that favor the few, at the expense of the many) Empowered to, in effect, control us? (even if we don't 'feel' said control) Is this really what the citizens of this city, county and state want? Well, is it?

Orion spouting off again about flipping Dowell and Thompson. You idiots didn't flip anybody. Joe Moore is right. This is an important first step by the City COuncil Progressives albeit too slow in coming. Change doesn't happen overnight. Orion is completely unable to see what is coming.....the end of the Daley era is near. Progressives are preparing for the inevitable fight over leadership. The Washington Coalition is coming back together and your days in the Hall are numbered brother. Wake up and smell the coffee...or don't. It really doesn't matter because either way change will come and you will be gone. Bye, bye Orion.

Laborpol has been smoking too much crack in rp with the homies.

Laborpol is upset that the millions of hard earned union dues from the lowest rung of the union ladder (SEIU - the bedpan cleaners, laundry workers, etc) was spent to elect new alderman that we so easily flipped. Keep deluding yourself buddy, you may get a change in about 2027, but by then Patrick Daley will be Mayor. Life is beautiful, NEXT !

And your lips will be firmly affixed to his ample posterior.

And you will still be on the outside looking in, cursing the darkness instead of lighting a candle.

Fraudulent claims, arrogant patter, obscene insults and consistent immoral, unethical, dishonest and patently criminal activities are all these creatures have. That's why there has never been a serious attempt, by any of them, to prove, with truth, that they are not what we see that they are. Because crap is all they've got, crap is all they have to throw. Have we, the 'common' citizens, had enough of their crap? I know I have. And then some. Have you? HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

He's learned quite well how to scam money off the city without proper disclosure. No doubt that boy's a Daley. Light all the candles you want. I'll be enjoying the sunlight when Daley's miserable, crooked, incompetent reign ends.

Please, we get it. D you live on this board to repeat yourself day in and day out. You are the one that forces me to give up on politics. Please Stop, we get it. Rest your mantra. It's tired.

re: 7:47pm comment Please, you don't get it. Will the machine hacks and their trained minions "...give up on politics..." or "...Stop..." posting their lies and obscenities? Will the machine hacks, and their trained minions, be disappointed that you have apparently chosen to "...give up on politics."? Shit, pal, that's exactly what they want you to do. Give up. Surrender. Do nothing. Pay up and shut up. If you're tired, don't blame anyone but yourself. If you 'get it', if you truly understand it, then spread the word. If you really want honest government, you'll have to get off your ass and fight for it, do the work required, overcome all your professed weariness and, yes, HAVE NO DOUBT and VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT. If, on the other hand, your view of politics is one of being something to entertain you, to amuse you, to give you something to bitch about, to feel victimized by, or, if your view of politics is as a means to gain wealth and power, the power to gain wealth and the power to tell others what to do and what not to do, then you don't get it. In any case, if you really expect the clout minions to stop posting their crap and give their shit a rest, than you'll post a comment asking them to "Stop, we get it.". I'll give you 3 guesses as to what their responses will be. And the first 2 guesses don't count.

"Light all the candles you want. I'll be enjoying the sunlight when Daley's miserable, crooked, incompetent reign ends. " That will be many, many, many moons from now. And we will pick the successor, so there ! Life is beautiful, NEXT !

Hey,Orion......How much would you like to bet that your esteemed Mayor cuts a deal with US in the next few months? I would be happy to meet you after work sometime (presuming you ever truly work) and I could lay the deal out for you so you recognize it when it happens. Anytime, anyplace brother. Just let me know.

You may very well have to get in line for that deal-cutting, as Richie may be busy, soon, trying to cut a deal with the U.S.A., as in United State's Attorney.........

To the person who leaves the same comment over and over. Please seek help before you meltdown. This is why I live far from the city. If it bothers you to have such sad neighbors, move buddy. But not near me.

Isn't Ricky Munoz the independent who was busted with cocaine and guns? What is going on with the case against Ricky Munoz's father.

"To the person who leaves the same comment over and over. Please seek help before you meltdown. This is why I live far from the city. If it bothers you to have such sad neighbors, move buddy. But not near me." How far? Apparently, not far enough. Maybe you should check out the real estate for sale in, say, Siberia. Then you wouldn't have to worry about what goes on in Chicago. Or on blogs concerning Chicago. Which you seem to have an interest in, despite living far from Chicago.

49 years of Chicago budget experience between them in the brain trust of the self-appointed "reform" posse and they still need to hire help.

Well, Hugh, at least these 'rocket-scientists' know there limitations.......

Reform in Chicago is in good hands.

Preckwinkle, Moore, and Munoz: 100% Rubber Stamp Rating on TIF Expansion 6/13/07: LITTLE VILLAGE TIF Preckwinkle - AYE! Moore - AYE! Munoz - AYE! CJP 2532 http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/journals/061307meeting/02Finance/pgs2490-2539.pdf#page=43 7/19/07: ELSTON/ARMSTRONG TIF Preckwinkle - AYE! Moore - AYE! Munoz - AYE! CJP 4077 http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/journals/071907meeting/02Finance/pgs4052-4101.pdf#page=26 9/5/07 PERSHING/KING TIF Preckwinkle - AYE! Moore - AYE! Munoz - AYE! CJP 6320 http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/journals/090507meeting/02Finance/pgs6294-6343.pdf#page=27 9/27/07: AUSTIN/ COMMERCIAL TIF Preckwinkle - AYE! Moore - AYE! Munoz - AYE! CJP 8863 http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/journals/092707meeting/02Finance/pgs8858-8907.pdf#page=6 11/7/07: Hollywood/Sheridan TIF Preckwinkle - AYE! Moore - AYE! Munoz - AYE! CJP 13771 http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/journals/110707meeting/02Finance/pgs13722-13771.pdf#page=4 And that's just THIS TERM. TIF reform proposals introduced by Preckwinkle, Moore, and Munoz during the same period: 0

They may be self-pronounced "progressives", but they are loyal Democrats first, and their only conception of reform is expanding government. Instead of "trying" to hire someone, why doesn't our self-appointed "Progressive" leadership do something SIMPLE, something that won't require underwriting, like, VOTE LIKE PROGRESSIVES, see who joins them. Start TODAY.

If they have funding and they want to hire someone, the only 1st step that makes any sense is to hire a law firm to challenge Daley's budget documents in court, defend our right under state law to an accurate portrayal of our fiscal situation, use discovery to get to the bottom of the off-the-books headcount, among many other serious misrepresentations.

Moore: " ... we think the City Council is actually a separate branch of government and needs some independent information." The City Council's budget committee has an annual budget of $536,024, $484,534 of which is headcount. They work a couple few months every fall. No one is sure what they do the rest of the year. http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/04_100_Corporate_Fund.pdf#page=25

Wat yu talkin' 'bout, JoMo!!!!??? Whose chain do you think you're pulling here? "...we THINK the City Council is actually a separate branch of government..."?????? Gee Willikers, Batman, JoMo's THINKING!!!!!! Holy Guacamole!!!! What NEXT???!!!??? Tune in next week, for the continuing saga of "JoMO has a Thought".

hey, back off of joe moore, you fascist pigs! at least he's trying. rp is the greatest and the heartland cafe coolest place in the world. it has a broken rocket decorating the facade and the owners are cool and they really care about reform. so put that in your pipe, hugh.

People who dare eat at the Heartland Cafe will soon have health concerns. I've eaten at the Heartland and I'd invite the health inspectors to check that place out. I was sick for a week after food from this shithole. plus the owners are gubby looking slops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who you callin' a fascist???

Moore, Preckwinkle, and Munoz just can't stop campaigning. They are much better candidates than they are legislators. The election has been over for 8 months but they can't get a handle on the City budget until they do some fund-raising first.

Moore: " ... we think the City Council is actually a separate branch of government and needs some independent information." If Moore, Preckwinkle, and Munoz are upset that they can't get information on the City budget independent of Daley, maybe they should hold a joint press conference: "Know Your Budget Committee Staff" Click off a PowerPoint presentation of each of the beneficiaries of the $484,534 of taxpayer money going to Budget Committee staff. For each staffer, explain whose nephew or niece or precinct captain they are. For extra credit, explain what they do from Dec-Oct every year. Alderman may have prohibited our City's Inspector General from investigating our City Council and their staffs, but aldermen can still investigate aldermen.

Why, oh why, do these 'obviously' gifted, talented, honest, sincere, dedicated and highly intelligent representatives of their constituents need to receive instructions from Hugh, or any other 'commoner', on how to conduct the honest business of being "...actually a separate branch of government..."? And yet, they, just as obviously, do. One can only conclude that these folks either don't really want to act as "...a separate branch of government..." or, as likely, are, in fact, NOT the "...gifted, talented, honest, sincere, dedicated and highly intelligent representatives of their constituents..." that they portray themselves to be. Either way, their 'actions' and 'inactions' make them no better than the incumbent hacks they claim to oppose. Which means that they are no more worthy of being reelected than every other political hack incumbent. If these goofs don't pull their heads out of their asses soon, they'll be just as deserving of being ousted as every other bullshit artist infesting our city, county and state governments. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

I'd like to learn from our elected representatives more about the backgrounds & qualifications of the Budget Committee staff. I wonder if there is anyone in that $485K with a background in public finance (other than serving as a Budget Committee staffer), let alone maybe an MBA in a related field, or if they are ALL friends & family.

The HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT voting strategy, being designed primarily as an efficient means to oust incumbents, is the first step in restoring Authentic Democracy. The next step, which should be taken in concert with the first one, is for the citizen/voters to require that a means be provided by which they can have access to the following information: 1) Each and every publicly elected office has specific legal responsibilities, duties, activities, authorities, functions and practical day-to-day operations. What are they? Specifically. 2) Each publicly elected office holder is 'theoretically' qualified to perform the above duties of said office. What, specifically, do the voters typically require, of candidates for any given publicly elected office, in the way of proof that a given candidate, be they incumbent or challenger, is qualified to effectively and satisfactorily perform said duties? 3) What specific effects do these publicly elected governmental offices have on the living experiences of the citizens, as these offices are currently being operated, as they are required, by law, to be operated and as they are commonly expected, by said citizens, to be operated? By 'required' I mean in the sense that competition, akin to the economic free market, will motivate the producing of said information and the wide-spread access to same. Those citizen/voters who find the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT suggestions to be interesting enough to act on, may also appreciate, and understand, the benefits that can be gained, by truly honest candidates for publicly elected offices, were said candidates to provide this information to those they seek to vote for them. Most people wouldn't buy the proverbial 'pig in a poke', ie., anything they haven't examined, inspected and proved to themselves to be what they bargained for, so, why should the voters not insist that the same standards of proof-of-quality be provided to them by candidates for public office, be they incumbents or challengers, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, other political parties or just some guy named Joe who needs a job? We think of ourselves as 'smart shoppers' when we hit the mall, why do we turn into dumb chumps when we cast our votes, which is essentially buying our publicly elected servants, said 'public servants' bringing with them a crowd of appointees, employees and contractors? Voters need to be as sharp in their shopping for public servants as they believe they are in shopping for consumer goods and services.

http://www.suzanneelder.org/index.html

I will be looking at the moonlight wondering how I got suckered in by Daley after the Chicago people leave and my pension is stolen by Daley. Life is beautiful, NEXT !

If Moore, Preckwinkle, and Munoz held a press conference, and released to the press copies of their correspondence with the City Council Budget Committee staff, documenting their numerous reasonable requests over the last few months for answers to questions, proposed analyses and studies of the fiscal state of the City of Chicago, and explained to the press that they got no response, then I would have to agree that maybe there IS an independent, progressive, sometime-opposition bloc in the Chicago City Council.

http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/preview/8UdVcVY1e2tOZPbRucviUwTR

Another poster on a past thread once asked when does Hugh run for office and face voters himself. Instead we get hugh continuing to serial post lies ,smears, distortions on as many blogs as he can about as many officials as he can. Hugh,Hugh, Hugh,and than more Hugh on most of the referenced blogs.

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

Run,Hugh,quit hiding in your electronic Sniper's Nest and face the Voters yourself. You'll actually have to explain yourself and be ACCOUNTABLE,instead of taking HALLUCINOGENIC shots at those with the courage to put themselves at the public's service!

"...courage to put themselves at the public's service..."? COURAGE? Does it take 'courage' to be part of a gang of criminal co-conspirators, a decades old, firmly established, immensely wealthy, incestuously intertwined and entrenched city, county and state-wide organization, commonly known as the Democratic Party of Illinois? Does it take 'courage' to bribe, to intimidate, to extort and to commit frauds, (too numerous, complex and varied for the average citizen to imagine, let alone understand)? Does it take 'courage' to lie to the very public which provides the financial resources, as in paying taxes, that have enabled this generational, criminal organization to continue to extort, to intimidate and to defraud them? Gall? Definitely. Courage? Not so much. "Daley, and his ilk, know the rules very well. They couldn't be so successful at breaking the rules, without getting caught, if they didn't. Even these guys don't dare to eliminate the rules entirely, as having rules, to not get caught at breaking, is how they've been able to appear to be following them. And we seem to be buying into this, obvious to some, scam. At least we can be proud of the fact that we've got really talented crooks. Civic pride at it's finest."

" ... aldermen say that getting an independent/progressive/sometime-opposition bloc together has been slow and tough--or at least slower and tougher than initially expected. Call them smart or write them off as wusses, but several aldermen who've worked with Moore, Preckwinkle, and Munoz on particular issues, such as police accountability or affordable housing, have shown only tepid interest in appearing to join ..." In 2 decades in City Council, the only alderman Moore has been able to convince to bow down before him and accept him as Leader has been Little Ricky Munoz. Munoz has been a freshman alderman since 1993. For most aldermen, joining the same club as Moore does not have appeal that Moore imagines. Most aldermen probably think they already have enough useless waste of time meetings on their schedule with Council meeting every month. I dunno, maybe the building a progressive caucus as a cult of personality is not the way to go. Hey, I've got an idea, why not take it by cases, draft some progressive-sounding legislation, put it in the hopper, walk it around, see who signs up. Maybe it would help if the self-anointed progressives had an actual, you know, agenda or something. Off the top of my head, gosh, I don't know, new restrictions on pay-to-play zoning, more transparency in contracting, expand IG role to introduce accountability into City Council committee staffs, rules changes to require roll calls on expenditures and taxes, meet more than once a month to increase opportunities for discourse, internet publishing of transcripts, whatever, I'm sure the so-called progressives read the same papers we do. Of course, I'm not a professional politician like them, what do I know, I'm just a dumb guy with a computer.

JUST AN ANARCHIST,LIAR,SLANDERER, DISTORTER,AND CHARACTER ASSASSIN WITH A COMPUTER!

I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I?

HAHAHA-YOU'RE HUGH AND YOU'RE ALL OF THE ABOVE!

Why are Moore, Preckwinkle, and Munoz so reluctant to criticize the half-mil per year Budget Committee staff as not responsive to aldermen? I mean, it's not as if they fear retaliation against their own committee staffs