Wednesday, April 18, 2007

It's Vi's Victory

Well, Vi's victory last night was clearly decisive. No doubt about it. While her fellow incumbents fell to their spirited opponents or clung to their seats by a thread, Vi was way out ahead of Michele Smith. Clearly, voters felt her leadership and track record were worthy of her keeping her job.

She raked in 4,347 votes to Smith's 3,798 with 98.31% of the vote in. (These numbers from the Trib here.)

Congratulations to Vi and Michele for an important campaign that percolated a needed discussion throughout our community. I do hope we'll continue to see Smith, Zelchenko, Goodstein, and Egan engaged and present in this community.

The other interesting fact was that the number of voters who turned out was down just about 900 or so from the February election. 9143 voters turned out in February (unofficially). With 98% of the votes in, 8145 turned out for the run-off.

Meanwhile, here at our ranch, our contract fell through yesterday on the house we were hoping to buy in what is now Scott Waguespack's ward. Sigh.

I'm also signing off for a while. I need to re-group.

Happiness and peace to you and yours.

73 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ignorance and apathy has allowed incompetence and corruption to continue. The election was basically bought using the $700,000 Vi raised for this campaign. Voters didn’t vote for Vi based on her record, they voted based on the mountain of misleading literature Vi poured on the ward and her swift-boating of Michele Smith. Lord help the 43rd over the next 4 years.

Anonymous said...

Vi got spanked hard. $700k, ouch. How embarrassing. And that was in spite of being up against the pathetic Michelle Smith -Marty Oberman. Let's hope they all disappear within 4 years.

Anonymous said...

Vi earned it. Matlak is embarrassed.
Michele, Tim, Rachael and Marty might
stay involved on issues they say they care about. So should we all. The next four years are
exactly what we make them. We've got an Alderman who can work with anyone.
The operative word here is "work."
You can't just phone it in folks. Or show up tardy screaming and then run away with your toys.
Local politics is a contact sport...not for the
uninvolved.
Jennifer, sorry you are burned out. love the blog.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer. Thanks for your coverage of the February election and the runoff. And I hope that no matter whihc ward you wind up living in, the 43rd or a different one, that you continue you intelligent blog about The place where we live.
Rachel Goodstein

Anonymous said...

Lets keep an eye out for the deal that was made between Egan and Daley.
Any thoughts? Job? Donation to the Irish Brotherhood?

Anonymous said...

The deal is that we in Ward 43 are not stuck with
a totally unqualified novice who had never gotten
active til he wanted something new to do. And
even then he couldn't decide which Ward to run in.
Vi Daley owes him nothin, nada, zip. He lost.
But he likely wanted to keep looking for the next opportunity and so he stuck around.
Nice guy but never had the ability. The way this
town works we'll see him again no doubt.

43rd Ward United said...

Since Jennifer is going to take a much deserved break and I have become fascinated by the blog give-and-take, I decided to start the 43rd Ward United Blog:

http://43rdwardunited.blogspot.com

Hope you'll visit and please remember, I am not the pro yet that our friend Jennifer is so it will be continuously updated.

Hope to hear from you all - including the conspiracy theorists.

Tim Egan

Anonymous said...

You don't need a crystal ball to see that Kevin Waco has already been anointed as next 43rd Ward alderman.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Waco? Is this John Kass checking in again. Shouldn't you be at Gene & Georgetti's looking for Al Capone?

Anonymous said...

From the NYT re robocalls:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/us/politics/25calls.html?ex=1335240000&en=7b

Anonymous said...

Last election proves no one is going to
be annointed in 43 again. Next up -43 needs to
get a new Committeeman. Peg Roth
has got to go. She backed Todd Stroger
for County Board Pres. That says it all.
Michele Smith should consider the job.

Anonymous said...

Vi wastes no time rewarding her contributors. April 25th. 600 block of Belden. Longstreet Development open house complete with harpist. Vi provided "No Parking, Moving Van, 43rd Ward" street signs to reserve about 100' of scarce parking for her "client" from 4-9 PM. Even a security guard & a cop are there to make sure the neighbors aren't tempted to block the mythical van. Drive by and see for yourself.

Can't say the alderman's office doesn't provide service. Too bad we don't have term limits around here. Oh, is that what elections are for?

If you're tired of this crap, call her and the Corporation Counsel tomorrow and complain. If you don't live on that block & could care less, just do nothing.

Anonymous said...

If you live on that block or nearby, call your
community group, who ever that is, and complain.
Your group can go on record being against such
"service" if that is what really happened. Fix the blame or fix the problem...
Maybe neighbors blessed this.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Waco is a rude ignorant man. I hope he finds a wonderful job opportunity that takes him far away from the 43rd ward.

Anonymous said...

No citizen is required to be a member of a any kind of community group for his or her opinion to be valid. I wish some group would find a way to litigate or legislate to take away the power of these neighborhood groups that require dues. Its kinda like having a poll tax.

Anonymous said...

Michele should not be the next committeeman. That takes someone with real political understanding. Let's face it Michelle is a political neophyte at best and was a well financed puppet of Marty O. She was out of work and was looking for a new life. She stretched the truth just like Vi. Time to move on in the 43rd ward.

Anonymous said...

Michele Smith? Committeeman? HAH!! Considering she pissed off 53% of the voters in the ward, and practically accused all aldermen of being crooks, she doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell to run for commiteeman. As a former U.S. prosecutor who SINGLEHANDEDLY put over 400 con men behind bars I think she is more qualified to run for Cook County Sheriff than committeeman.

Michele Smith: Does NOT play nice with others.

Anonymous said...

Committeemen don't wield as much power as they used to. Also, did you ever think that the reason that Peg Roth backed Todd Stroger was because the higher ups in the Democratic Party wanted her to back Stroger?
Peg Roth couldn't organize her sock drawer, that is why Todd Stroger got crushed in the 43rd against Claypool, AND against REPUBLICAN Tony Peraica. Considering there is only a small number of declared republicans in this ward (roughly 15%) that is an embarassment to the democratic party and to Peg Roth.

I doubt Michele Smith would want that job anyways. It is UNPAID.

Anonymous said...

My guess is that you won't see Michele Smith around the 43rd Ward anymore. She'll sell the condo she moved into just in time to be considered a 43rd Ward resident again, and go back to whatever rock she crawled out from under.

Of the two choices we had, Vi was definitely the lesser of two evils. Do you really think Smith could have been able to be nice to enough aldermen to pass any type of ordinance? I doubt it. She was an abrasive, fake, and deceitful woman.

Hopefully Vi Daley will become the Alderman she should have been the last 4 years. One who responds to her constituents (not just the ones in neighborhood associations). Through all of this, at least she finally updated her website.

Anonymous said...

It's a good thing Tim Egan decided to throw his weight behind Vi Daley. Sure the vote difference was 645 votes(7.76%) between the two, but Smith would have only needed to get 323(3.88%) of those votes to unseat Vi. She might not owe Tim anything, except her victory over Michele Smith.

Anonymous said...

Peg Roth is a total puppet of City Hall.
Kass has inidcated in Tribune, she's a machine
tool. She fully supported Stroger just like all
the other little brainless Ward puppets. We can clean up the sewer that is County government. Committeeman is the next change.
Peg Roth has GOT TO GO.
All you Aldermanic Candidates or wannabes with backbone, time to step up.

Communitee groups are voluntary.
Join, don't join. Whatever.
At least they do more than gripe,

Anonymous said...

As the campaign wore on Tim was exposed
as a nice guy who is clueless about the 43rd
Ward and local politics. Posing in front of fire engines and handing out back packs only goes
so far. No one can seriously think he carried water
for Vi. Michele lost votes all on her own. Smith made some big blunders. Smith's lack of depth, like Egan's, became obvious

Anonymous said...

"Communitee groups are voluntary.
Join, don't join. Whatever.
At least they do more than gripe,"

That's true. They engage in all the activities one expects from ignorant intrusive busy bodies with personal agendas.
Remember Gladys Kravitz from bewitched? No doubt she was active.

Anonymous said...

Just as Darrin Stephens was played by two different actors, Gladys Kravitz was played by two different actresses. Coincidence? I think not...

Anonymous said...

I believe Michele was only renting the condo at 2626.

Anonymous said...

I love it. Those who have done nothing
for a neighborhood, except profit off it, call
volunteers childish names. Art fairs and events,
charitiable donations, traffic safety, parks,
nightlife, crime and development are the 30-year
"agendas" of community groups. Oh, there it is ...
"development," "Flippers" and developers
hate people taking a longterm interest in where they live. It gets in their way. Slows them down.
These people want us to shut up or sell.
We are not selling and we are not shutting up.
Overpriced mistakes sit unsold for years. Now we see a host of "recently built" resales..after 2 years.
People like Jenmifer have been priced out. But
hold on Jennifer, prices are dropping. It is so bad
they have to hire a harpist and serve booze
to try to push the inventory.
Residents will always organize to protect their investment and fight short term "agendas."

Anonymous said...

COME ON!!!! Michele was not NICE enough?
You thinkAldermen are nice, Like they play well together and have tea parties. That group is about
how to keep power and how to use power.
Ald. Burke and Banks chew up nice mice.
43 keeps getting hosed.

Anonymous said...

maybe we can get a real rematch for committeeman--Tim Egan, Marty Oberman, Peter Zelchenko & Peg Roth. Or maybe the Hynes clan will see what a loser Roth is and make Vi or someone from her camp step up. I'm sure Michele Smith's lease has already expired and she's packing, maybe she's moving in w/granny in Winnetka or whoever gave her that $100 grand.

Anonymous said...

I can't see Vi as committeeman, but maybe we would get some constituent-responsive political respresenatation, unlike Roth who was trying push a comatose Stroger over Claypool and Hynes over Obama. Not really sure the importance of the committeman anyway. Do the Republicans have one?

Anonymous said...

Committeeman is important enough for
a power struggle in 32... even a fight
over the Republican Committeeman.
Kent Griffiths was just ousted without warning.
He was not enough of a team player. Watch for
Waguespack to challenge longtime powerbroker
Gabinski. If Vi doesn't take it she should look and
decide who can best serve 43.
Once in a while it matters bigtime.
Like when Todd Stroeger is voted in
and protected by that brilliant crowd. Disgusting.
Wonder what else has old Peg Roth has
done that results in picking the deep pockets of 43. Worth looking into. Rachel, are you interested?

Anonymous said...

"Art fairs and events,
charitiable donations, traffic safety, parks,
nightlife, crime and development are the 30-year
"agendas" of community groups."

This is the fundamental problem with neighborhood associations. They mask their intense politics with positive volunteerism and then pretend that everything they do is above reproach. The associations are primitive, dysfunctional forums for political discourse. Truly charitable people tend to engage in good works quietly and anonymously, and have no desire to get all defensive.

Anonymous said...

" Truly" spoken by someone who has never volunteered, organized, donated or done squat
for their neighborhood other than cash in.
Sold any houses lately? How 'bout those resales?
You killed the cow . Get a harp.
Or try 32nd Ward, ummm, no, they tossed out
Matlak. Old Town Triangle Association
is here to stay as are all the others.
.

Anonymous said...

Once again I want to thank Jennifer for the opportunity to discuss the 43rd Ward political climate.

To continue the talk, debate, and venting 43rd Ward United has been updated to allow anyone to visit and leave a comment. Please stop by.


http://43rdwardunited.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I suspect it's true that the Old Town Triangle Association is here to stay. They say the art fair revenues are lining the pockets of certain residents. It's a powerful incentive to hang on.

Anonymous said...

"They" say Art Fair volunteers are also harboring WMDs. And "everybody knows" that the
Farmers Markets are taliban. "There's talk" we need to keep an eye on those Garden folks...
who really work for ComEd.

Go ahead and "bring "value" "unlock your
personal wealth" in other neighborhoods.
A few haven't wised up. "Many believe" this party is over.

Anonymous said...

Your sarcasm does nothing to erase concerns about the flow of the art fair revenues into residents' pockets. What's preventing a detailed public accounting?

Anonymous said...

Your motives are as transparent as your tactics.
Talk about lining pockets. (B)etter (D)evise
(C)leaner (G)oals. Or, better still why don't you
try a (C)hange of (G)eogragphy,

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:53 your comments are right on target. Maybe some of the Vi Daley supporters here can have her post the financials of the Old Town Triangle Association, Old Town Merchants and Residents Association and any other Associations that use public streets for their festivals. Local residents are inconvenienced for these festivals; don't they have a right to know how all the money raised is spent? This should also include the budgets for the festivals.

Anonymous said...

Attacking decades old art fairs isn't going to topple a community group. Members know the budget. Are you a member?
If you want to comment on what is going on in
your neighborhood try talking to your
neighbors and join them. Instead of complaining about a once-a-year fest talk let's about real
inconvenience. All that stuff they are building down North & Clybourn is going to be a mess and
create inconvenience 365 days a year.

Anonymous said...

I hate those commerical beer festivals on
North Halsted, Lincoln Avenue and Weed St.
There is no connection to the community.
Our Old Town Art show is as grass roots as you get. It is one of the oldest local fests and we are
proud of it.

Agree that Driving North Ave. is awful.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:02am
Good to know your Old Town Art Fair is totally fair and honest. Publish the financials. Why is it a secret?

Anonymous said...

Why don't you just join the community and
be a part of the event if you are so interested?

But that's not what this is about. Is it?
You can't to topple a community
group with a bogus issue over an event people
support so you can fire up the wrecking ball.

correction to the well-meaning earlier blogger-
you probably meant to write (B)(C)(D)(G).
we get it.

Anonymous said...

The defensiveness, paranoia, and talk about some illusive boogey man all raise a HUGE red flag. If you're going to use public property for your fest, there needs to be transparency. Are the administrative expenses going to legitimate vendors of goods and services or filling the purse of a resident crook? It's not necessary to pay membership dues and take a loyalty oath to ask the question.

Anonymous said...

Oh, cut the crap. How 'bout thinking
about big issues and not just one weekend that bothers your little world. Or move.

Over and out on this topic.

Anonymous said...

The thing is, it's not about a weekend, and you know it. It's about money, and it relates to the topic of the blog -Vi's victory.
Here's an excerpt from the Old Town Triangle Association's web site. "Congratulations to friend and neighbor ...Vi Daley ...we thank her for ...she is an alderman who cares."
Vi Daley probably doesn't have her own fingers in the cookie jar, but she has every incentive to protect the person that does.

Anonymous said...

Is this a joke? They congratulate Vi, an Old
Town resident, for winning and that is a
problem? Let's pay attention to property taxes, shifting TIF dollars and no-bid city contracts.
A local art fair ? Gimme a break.

Anonymous said...

You're right. There's bigger crimes out there. Someone filling their purse with a significant chunk of the $400,000 of art fair revenue is a mere petty crime. Besides, it's Chicago. Everyone's doing it.

Anonymous said...

Mr./Mrs. Anonymous,
Do provide us with facts.
From where I sit you've proven nothing and
obviously you have some ax to grind with the
community. It may be best for you to join up
or ship out or quityerbitchin. Get out of the
shadows and let's see what you have.

Anonymous said...

The suggestion is that there should be perfect 100% transparency. Post the books on the internet. If resident Jane Doe gets reimbursed five dollars for paper plates, then post it. That’s what they would do in Mayberry, and that’s what should be done here. Then we can all spend a year observing the cash flows, and any needed reforms will be clear.
This group lost any claim to the benefit of the doubt long ago. It’s become politicized to the extreme, and is in violation of the spirit and possibly letter of the laws about tax exempt stature and paid lobbyist registration.
Membership has dropped like a rock for a reason. Here’s another quote from their web site’s newsletter: “…I have faith that our current malaise is just an aberration.”

Anonymous said...

anonymous 5:51 "Let's pay attention to property taxes, shifting TIF dollars and no-bid city contracts."

You are correct, too bad these are all the issues that Vi does nothing about. The art fairs and statues in parks are just about all she can handle.

Anonymous said...

The way you change a community group is
to join it. Show up. Ask questions. Sorry,
they don't owe you an internet posting.
If you are too busy to squeeze in a meeting try
cutting down on blogging.

Anonymous said...

I believe the so called community groups' records are supposed be available to the public for inspection if they are formally 501 (c)(3) organizations. I do think these groups should be considered the voice of only their members not the community denoted by the name of the organization. Those of us who chose to not spend money on dues to these organizations still are citizens with the right to speak and be heard and listened to by elected officials. While the festival in my neighborhood, the Sheffield Garden Walk used to enjoyable to me when the 'hood was not so affluent and the event really focused on gardens and garage sales and its mostly a nuisance-fundraiser focused on beer and beer and more beer and the noise all that beer drinking engenders. All summer long a certain demographic moves from neighborhood to neighborhood to get drunk at these festivals so money gets raised to go to schools, etc. Just as long as we all realize that legal drugs sales (the alcohol) are providing the bulk of the money the neighborhood organizations seem to raise.

Anonymous said...

Take some time to attend a community meeting or contact your group and give your opinion. Blogging is easy, instant gratification
and often enlightening, but it is not collaborative.
If you want internet postings or some other
form of disclosure, volunteer to do it.
Want a different kind of fundraiser? Then put your
two cents in and offer new ideas. It is easy
to gripe, complain and yell from the sidelines.
Supporting a community means you help
keep the car running and not just pop up to
borrow the keys and return it empty. Grow Up.
Your complaints are valid but so are the opinions
of people living next door who may disagree.
Work it out. Take responsibility. Not one
community group I know prohibits participation
if you are not a dues paying member. Over
decades these groups have proven they are not
out to make profit at the expense of residents.
Developers hate community groups and I believe
the blogger on this site is a well known developer
who lives in Old Town who tried to get around
zoning on a house he bought.

This is a great blog but not a substitute for sitting
eyeball to eyeball with your neighbor, taking a
stand and then staying around to work for the
common good even if you don't get your way.
I will not anonymously praise or constructively
critique in blogspace the merits of a community
group. My comments go directly to my group.
I encourage others to do the same. An Alderman is
one person and commuinity groups are one advisory resource, just like individual constituents.

Anonymous said...

Sure, meet face to face, hash out differences, reach consensus; and if all goes well, at the end of the day, what have you got? -a political party.
That's fine, but it just doesn't belong under the same umbrella as a group that raises funds for community needs.

Anonymous said...

Block issues bring red and blue together-
Dog park or no dog park, speed bump vs stop signs, how to handle all thie traffic,
Children's, Finkl, Clyborn Avenue, loss of green
sidewalk plantings. Enormous tax money flows out of 43. A select few are making a fortune off of 43. That will never change. But we need balance.
Community groups help preserve a quality of
life for us and the next generation of residents.
Join, don't join. Talk to your Alderman directly.
In 32 Matlak didn't listen to his constituents.
We don't have that problem.
My guess is you do not belong to a group and
never will. That is your right. But it sounds like
you have strong opinions and energy to voice
them and that is too bad.

Anonymous said...

43 doesn't have that problem? Are you kidding me? Vi Daley barely won reelection from a two bit puppet of Marty Oberman. Now I agree she is better than the fake red head, but she definitely has a lot of people that are pissed off at her, otherwise she wouldn't have been in the runoff in the first place.

Anonymous said...

You are sadly mistaken in your failed attempts to analize politics... take it from someone who knows... Vi wasn't in a runoff by any fault of her own. If her campaign would have had its act together she would never have been in the runoff to begin with. Furthermore, give me a break about the community groups... Do you do anything but complain about them? Have you ever gone to a meeting and taken an active role in your community? I haven't been around the 43rd long but I know people like you, i.e. the loudest ones, usually aren't involved or even vote... For example, Michele sure had a lot of critcism for someone who didn't vote... Thankfully she voted this time or she might have lost both times by a larger margin... What you forget is Vi didn't lose!!! Either election. If you want to talk about runoffs, fine lets, she was in a 5 way race, wasn't first on the ballot, and wasn't being bankrolled by the unions and still beat every other person on the ticket. As for April, she handledly beat a candidate with outside support(100k from wilmette), a campaign staff four times as large as hers, and the "anti-incumbent" fever that swept the nation in '06. Yeah change is a great word cause the media and political groups spent millions of dollars to make it that way. She beat her opponent, who is probably packing up her rented condo as we speak/type, by more than 650 votes... If Joe Moore can call less than 150 votes a mandate than Vi can afford to call it a landslide! Those who don't participate have no right to complain end of story... And if you don't like your community group, start your own. I'll help you! I almost forgot if you want to see that disclosure statement from old town so bad why not just ask them and if they refuse it is a tax form and I am pretty sure a matter of public record(this is what you call laziness folks) I don't blame ignorance on the people that spout it off, I blame it on their parents, government teachers, and their overall appathy.

Anonymous said...

Well, if we did decide to offer folks an alternative political party, er excuse me, I meant "association", we would of course have to fund it with a street fest. For that, I would really like to have the rights to the streets of Old Town on the first weekend of June. Would the city be willing to auction off that time and location, or would they somehow manage to call it a vested entitlement? Would the city instead allow us to use the same streets on the last weekend of May?

Who decides these things? Vi Daley?

Anonymous said...

I am active in the community, but it’s very hard if you don't belong to the inner circle of vi's friends in the community groups. (It’s also very hard to even learn about what is going on in the ward unless you are on the right committee in the association.) The point is all of these associations represent a minority of the community. We didn’t elect them to be our representatives. Why are a very few individuals making decisions for the entire ward and doing vi’s job? Why does vi ignore anyone not in a community group?

Yes vi won but she had to spend about $700,000 to do it. And most of her money was from outside the ward (over 60%) with huge strings attached. She has lots of IOU's to repay over the next 4 years. Only 28% of her contributions came from individuals, i.e. real people and not business interests.

Yes Ms. Smith accepted $100,000 from a friend in Wilmette; someone that has no business or land interests in the 43rd. No strings attached.

And I'm amused by the people that accuse Ms. Smith of running a negative campaign but say nothing about the false and dirty campaign vi was running. As a long time resident I was shocked at the outright lies vi's campaign spouted on a daily basis and its smear campaign against Ms. Smith by vi and her loyal henchmen. It was a very “Karl-Rove-ian” campaign where you repeat the lies often enough and people will believe them. I’m surprised vi didn’t claim to have found a cure for cancer and global warming. She claimed credit for everything else that happened in the ward. Not to mention the private homes and businesses with Michele Smith signs that were visited by city inspectors and threatened or actually given tickets for peeling paint.

Vi has graduated from “the nice lady that worked her way into this office” to a “typical politician willing to lie about anything to anybody, in order to get their vote or contribution.” Congratulations!! Are we sure she isn’t a republican?

You can get the tax forms of the associations at http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php but you can’t get an explanation of who is benefiting from their festivals that use public streets.

And I agree with your statements that if you don't participate you don't get to complain. But unlike most of the people in this ward I do my own research to back up the claims of the candidates or of residents spreading lies.

Anonymous said...

Research? A link is research?
Then there is the ubiquitous "...residents spreading lies...." how productive.
What are you for? What are your goals? To kill
an art fest? Kill a community group? Then what?
Plan to stay around longer than it takes to
sell your house and move to the burbs?
If yes, then get started on building up your
community. Negativism may feel smart... it leaves a big cynical void. It creates apathy. Goal
accomplished.

Anonymous said...

First day of the new council and Ms. Vi has gone on vacation.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and the rest of us are relaxing and watching you implode with great amusement. Good bye Don Quixote and good luck with the windmills!

Anonymous said...

I am amazed that a person who does "their own research" didn't stumble upon all the lies spouted off by Michele Smith's smear campaign... Vi may have been on vacation for a week or so but all is quiet on the Michele Smith front... Guess we'll here about all the things she pretended to in the next election. Good luck to you! If you want to talk about Republicans why don't you ask Ms Smith which of the cook county commisioners endorsed her and sent out a letter begging for contributions. I mean if you are going to complain about one candidate for something that the other did too then maybe you should move to China or Cuba then you won't even have to worry about it! Until then grow up or move out of the ward... I am hoping you move cause with people like you here maybe I will

Anonymous said...

Hey last “anonymous,” how about specifics instead of mindless ranting.

Yes, apparently Smith received the endorsement from several reform minded Commissioners, one of them a republican; nothing dishonest about that fundraising. However, accepting huge contributions from businesses and developers you are supposed to monitor? $26,000 from Finkl Steel alone. The residents of the ward were sold out and Daley has lots of IOU’s to fill. Lots of money from outside the ward was spent to ensure a compliant simpleton is kept in office.

Anonymous said...

A compliant simpleton... I guess that would be you! Vi has neve sold residents down the river. And she is quoted as saying,"I don't care how much they give me, I am not going to do what they want." I have worked with Vi on countless occasions. I don't always agree with her but she is fair. She does this thankless job because she has been here for 40 years and raised a family here... Her neighbors are like family to her. Sad that people like you are probably agree for one reason... because she didn't give in to will of the few! Last I checked Vi won the majority of both elections.... Think about for a second... You complain because she is not a representative of the people... Strange that she hasn't lost an election! So now, go and crawl back under your rock and maybe we'll here from you again in 4 years... For the ward's sake I hope not!

Anonymous said...

Do not try to infer that voter apathy and ignorance equates to Vi’s competence.

The vast majority of the people in this ward are ignored by Vi and never hear anything from her or asked to participate in any decisions. She sells out the residents of this ward every day. If you are not a contributor or friend, Vi says a lot but does nothing. I would have to guess by your post that you’re a friend of hers and get special treatment. Too bad her propaganda doesn’t match her actions for the rest of the ward.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the mental capacity to challenge developers, city hall, or other alderman to do what is needed for the ward. She relies on a tiny percent of the population to give her cover for her inane decisions. Some of these people support her because Vi gives them control over their neighborhood and they like the power. Others give her cover because they are dependant on her for permit approval or other “favors” she does for them.

An alderman is supposed to represent the entire ward, not just the people she likes.

Anonymous said...

The saddest thing about your posts is that you are so jaded! You are right, what you see depends on where you stand. But I disagree that Vi is only open to "contributors" or "friends". Vi is no friend of mine and the two times I have come to her with something we have butted heads majorly. But don't you see what the true problem here was? The candidates in this past election were jokes. Vi was the only sensible candidate. I was standing at my polling place La Salle and a woman said to me better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Wise up! If you don't like it then you run in four years

Anonymous said...

Well the last post clearly illustrated how Vi was re-elected, simple minds, simple thoughts, zero vision. They drank Vi’s kool-aid.

Another clue was the poling place, La Salle school, right in the middle of “Vi country.” The residents in this area like the fact their alderman lives a few blocks away. She’ll protect their neighborhood and who cares if the rest of the ward goes to pot. I can’t wait to see what they say when it takes them 45 minutes to get to the Kennedy because of all the unchecked development that Vi will claim she couldn’t do anything about, she didn’t know about, or that some nebulous, un-named “community group” okayed.

Hey “Anonymous” we all know why you preferred Vi, what exactly made the other candidates “jokes”?

Anonymous said...

michele moved back into the district just to run and if you can honestly say she had any real community experience I will kiss your ass on Michigan Ave, peter was insane, rachel only cared about migs field, and Tim Eagan...well do I really need to say anything about that idiot?

Vi was the best choice out of everyone! I would love to show you a simple mind, you pin head! It is people like you who bitch the loudest and are usually so duplicitous that you tell Vi you will vote for her and then do the same with her opponents.

Look how corrupt 2 of the other candidates were... Michele, a former federal prosecutor, tried to buy votes with beer and if you want to read some good fiction check out Tim Eagan's election D2s! I heard he didn't even pay his campaign manager her last pay check... Oh and good news Tim is running for committeeman because he thinks it will help him run for alderman in 4 years. He told his supporters after he endorsed Vi "a vote for Vi now is a vote for Tim in 4 years"

How bout Michele? Haven't seen her doing anything since April... She busy with family problems again? Glad to see she could at least make it to the polls this year! She did it twice, but that means she'll probably sit out the next four...

I am so sick of hearing about overdevelopment! You were probably once one of those people who developed in the area! This didn't happen overnight. You act as if the past 40 years of development have been Vi's fault. Ask Marty Oberman(an avid Michele supporter) who zoned the lakefront. Better yet look it up! Cause he'll probably lie like she did about the beer special. To prove my point did you know he showed up at the bar with Michele that day? Don't believe me? I know why Forest Claypool's guy"the inexperienced staffer" only worked on Michele's race for about a week... BTW this guy also worked for Doody down in the 2nd ward and worked for Forest's failed race against Stroger... see a pattern? Hopefully you aren't too simple to put the dots together.

I digress...this is a never ending battle! I wish you luck and one day hope you can identify your ass from that hole in the ground.

Anonymous said...

Wow, someone really drank the Kool-Aid. Apparently you didn't look any further then Vi's fabricated campaign literature or you have a vested interest in keeping the lies of the campaign going. A typical "quality" Vi supporter: “Don’t confuse me with the facts; I’ve made up my mind.”

Is this Chuck? Sounds just like the classless tirade he would spew. Typical of an office that demonstrates the “Peter Principle” every single day.

Anonymous said...

This isn't Chuck, but you are an idiot! There is nothing false or fabricated about what I posted before. Ask Eagan yourself about his former campaign manager. And did you see his joke of an email about the positive experience he had on the campaign trail? Now he is running for committeeman, I wouldn't let him organize my sock drawer. Talk about a real loser...

And what has Michele done? Nothing

What did I say that was false or fabricated?

What a fool!

Don't just launch baseless claims back up your arguments!

Anonymous said...

"Don't just launch baseless claims back up your arguments!"

Sounds like you don't take your own advice. Nice rant. I'm sure Vi appreciates having fanatics like yourself believe everything her campaign spewed.

Anonymous said...

Hey Tim! How is the race for committeeman going? Bet you get less votes than you did for alderman