Chicago Sun-Times Article

GOP could increase members on City Council - Chicago Sun-Times

Any thoughts?

Will Either Candidate in the 41st Ward Seek Assistance from Rahm?

Council Hopefuls Seek Emanuel’s Help Early And Often

Will Rahm reach out to either of the 41st Ward Candidates?

Will either of the candidates want Rahm's help?

Moving On: What Do We Want From the Two Run-Off Candidates

Update on 2/27/2011

Questions so far:

1.  How will the candidates proceed with seeing to the 41st wards' interests and concerns regarding the O'Hare Expansion Project?

2.  Are the candidates in favor of a "living wage ordinance" and the "employee free choice act"?

3.  Articulate a housing plan for the 41st ward's future.  How do the candidates plan to develop or not develop housing stock in the ward? 

4.  Communication plan:  how will each candidate improve communication and transparency with ward constituents?

Ok Everyone, we have had time to process the election, vent, decompress and go over the results.  Time to move on to next steps - the Run-Off.

Take a few minutes to send a comment about what you want to see from the candidates.  Now is the time. Let's get it all out there.  What are the issues and services you want addressed...in detail.  Let the candidates know what you really want for this community.  Don't hold back a thing....

Reaction to the 41st Aldermanic Race Results

Well, It looks like an O'Connor - Gavin Run-off........

Rahm Won

What do you think about the results of tonight's 41st Ward Aldermanic Race and the Mayoral Race?

Election Day

If you haven't voted yet, and want information about the candidates, take a few minutes to look through the candidates' editorial board questionnaires posted on this blog.

~ The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. ~

   John F. Kennedy

Post your election day voting experiences and thoughts here. 

The Aldermanic Candidates Choice for Mayor

"A Third Rail Question for the Candidates"

Well, a reader suggests we need to look into who the aldermanic candidates are supporting for Mayor. 

Successful Recycling Program

This recycling program has been so successful, it has paid for its own recycling truck.

Lake Forest's recycling program continues to grow -- sometimes to hearty applause :: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Lake Forester

Mayoral Race

Ok, so who do you want to see as your next Mayor?


Chicago Tribune Election Center: Mayor of Chicago

Comments from the Harlem-Foster Homeowner's Association Aldermanic Forum

Great Job Harlem-Foster Homeowners Association.

Each candidate was allowed time for a presentation, and then answered three (3) questions formulated by the Harlem-Foster Homeowners Association.  The three questions asked were in to regards to if the candidate would be a full time alderman, their business/economic plan for the ward, and if they would keep the zoning advisory board intact.

Candidates who attended:  John Quinn, Maurita Gavin, Barbara Ateca, Richard Gonzalez, Thomas Patrick Murphey, Mary O'Connor, Brock Merck.

Candidates who were not in attendance:  George Banna, James Schamne, Daniel Lapinski, and Jim Mullens.

Attendance:  100+

If you attended the Harlem-Foster Homeowners Association Aldermanic Panel, post your comments here:

Streets and Sanitation Department Moves to the "Grid" System Part 2

See a previous post from a few days ago to read about the move to a "Grid" system for Streets and Sanitation Services.  The change is expected to save taxpayers approximately $64,000,000 the first two years and the grid system is the system used to collect garbage in almost every large city across the country. 

A few of the aldermen, including our own current alderman, have concerns about the change:

• A city wide grid system takes away local control of how garbage is picked up and streets are cleaned/plowed.
• Personalized clean -up after block parties and other events will cease.

How will we be notified about the change?  Will the alderman post something on his website?  Will he call a meeting to educate the community?  Will he send out a letter?  Most likely he will leave this to the next alderman to deal with. 

Here is an article with quotes from our current Alderman about his concerns with the change. 

City beats candidates in move away from ward-based trash and street services

The City Budget Crisis: What No One is Talking About

Take a look at this everyone. The Civic Federation of Chicago has put out an alarming report about the city's budget crisis. And this morning's Chicago Tribune editorial talks about the vagueness in which the mayoral candidates speak about the city's lack of long term financial stability, extremely serious budget problems, and how they will deal with it.

The Civic Federation of Chicago Report:

http://civicfed.org/sites/default/files/financial%20challenges%20for%20the%20new%20mayor.pdf

Short-Term Recommendations:

1. Develop and publish multi-year financial forecasts that allow the mayor and other stakeholders to
project the effects that short-term actions will have on the City’s long-term fiscal health.
2. Implement immediate expenditure reductions in order to close the budget gap and begin to
address the structural deficit.
3. Adopt an asset lease reserves withdrawal policy that will protect the remaining reserves even
when economically-sensitive revenues begin to recover.
4. Adopt a fund balance policy that will build up Corporate Fund reserves as revenues recover.
5. Pursue alternative service delivery opportunities that will reduce costs and ensure quality service
provision.
6. Improve transparency in Tax Increment Financing reporting to better inform public debate over
the proper use of TIF revenues.

Long-Term Recommendations:

1. Develop a long-term financial plan in the first year in order to engage all stakeholders in the
difficult choices about taxation and service provision that are needed to regain fiscal balance and
sustain critical services in the future.
2. Stabilize the City’s critically underfunded pensions by implementing pension reforms, such as
increased contributions and reduced benefits.
3. Pursue creation of a separate retiree health care trust fund as the current retiree health care
agreement expires in 2013.

Those of us who have attended the aldermanic candidate forums around the ward, too, have noted how the aldermanic candidates avoid talk about the city budget (all but one candidate - Murphey addressed the city's budget deficit at every forum).

The city's budget deficit is the most critical issue facing every level of municipal government..it must be dealt with. Which one of the aldermanic candidates will work with the new mayor and city council to come up with a common sense corrective action plan?

Chicago Tribune Editorial:

Clueless in Chicago - chicagotribune.com

Green Corp

If your Block Club or Community Organization is looking to start an Community 
Action Project.
Green Corp is a place to start.
sign Up at:
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/doe/provdrs/nat_res/svcs/greencorps_chicago.html 

Green Corp Plant Distribution Days 2011

This is the dates for distribution this year:
 
Seeds – Saturday, March 12 – A lot of the seeds are for vegetables does a local 
school or community org in our area use these?   
 
Vegetables – Saturday, May 21
Annuals – Saturday, June 25 
Great Perennial Divide – Saturday, September 24  
Bulbs – Saturday, October 22  

Should City Workers be Required to Live in the City?

Should city workers be required to live in the city is an important question put to the mayoral candidates recently.  Many good reasons to keep the residency rule and also to eliminate it.  The 41st Ward has many city workers living here...  what do you think?

Metra's dirty air problems even worse than previously thought. - chicagotribune.com

Metra Riders in the 41st Ward Read This

Metra: Metra's dirty air problems even worse than previously thought. - chicagotribune.com

Public Safety in the 41st Ward

Public Safety is an important issue in this Aldermanic election for a number of reasons.  A few of the concerns I have heard at the forums and from the comments received:

1.  Police Redeployment from the 16th police district to other high crime areas in the city.

2.  Strategies to place more police officers on the street.

3.  We have three (3) aldermanic candidates on the ballot who are/were police officers.  How can these candidates assure the voters that they will avoid (and this is a quote from one of the comments) turning the ward into a "police state".  In  other words, will not overemphasize ticketing, use of red light cameras etc...?  And what are the possible benefits an Alderman/police officer might bring to the office?

Ok everyone, weigh in..

The Inspector General's Office - Take a Look at the Quarterly Report

The City of Chicago's Inspector General's Office is an independent office dedicated to ensuring honesty and integrity in City government by rooting out corruption, fraud, other misconduct, and waste.  Joseph M. Ferguson is the Inspector General and took over the office about one year ago, after David Hoffman left (David Hoffman developed and built the office).

Check out the January 2011 Quarterly Report:  http://www.chicagoinspectorgeneral.org/pdf/IGO-2010%20Q4%20Report%20Final.pdf

If you read the report, you can see how hard this division works. The IG reports "continued difficulty in exercising independent authority to operate and manage the office".  The barrier:  the Mayor.

Other aspects of the report:

• A particularly interesting section (page 22), "Aviation Overtime Audit" reveals that millions of dollars of overtime was spent on Aviation Security and Laborers & Motor Truck Drivers, when developing full time positions would have been more cost effective, and potentially could have saved about $1.4 million and created about 74 new full time positions.
• An investigation about a products-management firm working with the O'Hare Modernization Project (page 5).
• Update re: "Operation Crooked Code" (page 16).
• "Budget Options" section, (pages 26 - 27),  "The IGO estimated the total savings and increased revenues of these options to be approximately $244 million.  Take a look at the Mayor's response, and see for yourself why the city has no money.

The IGO needs support from citizens through their aldermen to do their job, so they can protect and save taxpayers money.   We need corruption, fiscal mismanagement, fraud, and waste out of city government once and for all.

Ward-By-Ward Garbage Collection to be Replaced by Grid System

The 'Grid System" is a money savings move to a more cost effective way to collecting garbage.  According to this article, the Grid System could save the city $64,000,000 in the first two years.

In some parts of the city recyclables are already collected by a Grid System.

Someday soon lets hope the 41st Ward becomes a part of the city's recycling program.

Ward-By-Ward Garbage Collection to be Replaced by Grid System Early And Often

Candidate Panel Sponsored by the Harlem - Foster Homeowners Association

The Harlem - Foster Homeowners Association is sponsoring an Aldermanic Candidate Panel event on Thursday, February 17, 2011 starting at 7pm at St. Monica Church, Beyenka Hall located at the SE corner of Montclare and Carmen streets.

Candidate presentations followed by an opportunity to talk to the candidates individually.

Do We Want Casinos in the 41st Ward/Chicago?

At the forum the other night, a few of the candidates mentioned building casinos as a means to generate funds for the city budget...

What if someone proposed building a casino near the airport in the 41st Ward?

What are your thoughts?

Murphey Receives Tribune Endorsement!

Congratulations Pat, well done.

The Chicago Tribune continues endorsements in contested races for City Council - chicagotribune.com

Sustainable Communities Building Blocks | Smart Growth | US EPA

Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Smart Growth US EPA

Comments about the Wildwood Local School Council Forum

Very well run forum.   Great job Wildwood Local School Council and students.

Candidates present: 
Barbara Ateca, Maurita Gavin, Richard Gonzalez, Daniel Lapinski, Brock Merck, Thomas Patrick Murphey, Mary O'Connor, John Quinn, Jim Mullens.

Candidates absent: 
George Banna and James Schamne

Audience:  Approximately 225 people.

Highlights: 

• Students developed and asked the questions.  Great job!
• Moderator inserted informaton about the school's history, activities and programs in between questions.
• Polished presentations by all the candidates.  Good to see Jim Mullens (I enjoyed his quick wit).

Post your comments here about the Wildwood School Local School Council Forum

Community/Economic Development for the 41st Ward

What plans would you like to see put forth to further develop the 41st Ward? 

How should the Ward look in 5 years, 10 years or longer?

Where should community development take place?

Who should be involved in the development plans?

Why should the Ward be developed, or perhaps, not developed?

Ethics

These are some of the questions in regards to ethics that came up at a recent mayoral debate.  What are your thoughts and how would you like our next alderman to vote on these matters?

1.  Should the City of Chicago's Inspector General's Office have the authority to investigate alderman or should the current system of the City Council investigating its own members continue?

2.  Should there be a review of current systems regarding competitive bidding for city contracts?  Ending no-bid city contracts?

3. Should there be city council approval of legislation requiring aldermen and city employees who participate in zoning approval to publicly reveal any personal conflicts of interest as well as those of family members?

Communication in the 41st Ward

Smoke Signals from the 41st Ward

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas about communication in the 41st Ward?

Transportation in the 41st Ward

This is an excellent question that came through the comments,  I thought it deserved its own post and thread of thoughts from the community....

"I have not heard any mention of transportation related issues on the candidates' websites. Chicago was recently deemed the "most congested city in America" by the Texas Transportation Institute (http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_report_2010.pdf). Given the location of the 41st Ward, it's likely that residents spend significant time commuting on the Kennedy, the CTA Blue Line, the Metra and city streets.
Does anyone else feel that this is a serious quality of life issue? What about the impact on our ability to be a truly environmentally sustainable city?

What do you think we can or should do to improve this situation? Is this an issue that an alderman should help to tackle?"

Here Comes the Money

Check out Mary O'Connor's State Board of Elections Financial Disclosure Documents. Her D2s, A1s and other forms for the 2011 Aldermanic Election are filed under Office of Ward Committeeman, not Office of Alderman.

Money is gushing into the O'Connor campaign from SEIU PAC, the Democrats, Business...

The cash is starting to flow into the 41st Ward aldermanic race from special interests, the unions and the political party. Will money buy the aldermanic seat in the 41st Ward or will the voters send a different message?



Keep an eye on the money


Candidate Disclosure Search