"It's Never to Late to Rise up Against Tyrants

SUSANA MENDOZA FOR MAYOR IN 2015

It is never too soon to rise up against a tyrant, so why not float the names of potential candidates to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015?  An excellent candidate would be current City Clerk Susana Mendoza.  Yesterday, Ms. Mendoza held a press gathering addressing the lack of registration of Chicago’s estimated 500,000 dogs.  Mendoza proposes a carrot and stick approach – the carrot being a raffle of all those who register their canines in the next few weeks being eligible to win a $2,000 dog tag.  And if dog owners fail to register after the 90-day window closes, they will face a fine of between $30 and $200.00 dollars.

I watched her press conference and found it to be refreshing, given what we’ve had to endure from Emanuel’s scripted and tight-fisted press stunts.  Mendoza was relaxed and informative, with just a couple of staffers assisting her with displays.  How starkly that compares to Emanuel’s’ press stunts. Emanuel usually places his pack of department heads behind him, as if this were North Korea.  And those thought bubbles over the department heads could be read by a blind man – "God, make this stop" or  "I’ve got to upgrade my resume".

Most notably, Mendoza’s proposal would generate much needed revenue from those who should have no gripe about paying.  Her proposal is well thought out and fair for everyone involved.  Mendoza does not break a campaign promise, as Emanuel did when he promised not to raise taxes, only to do so 5 minutes after unlocking the door for the first time at City Hall. And, Ms. Mendoza has clearly shown she can walk and chew gum at the same time.  The same can’t be said for Emanuel, who is now making the hilarious claim he made a “mistake” when he told the press his proposal to restrict protest at the upcoming G8/NATO event  was temporary, when in fact his proposals have no expiration dates.

And we would not have to explain obnoxious behavior to our sons and daughters if Ms. Mendoza were mayor, like we have to now.  Can anyone help but wonder how many students in our city asked their parents a few months back, "Mom, why did our mayor cuss out the teacher while she was in his office"?  Maybe next year one of our students will draw Mayor Emanuel sneering down at the city from atop his gargoyle perch at City Hall, and enter that drawing in the annual vehicle sticker contest.  Now that is one fee increase I would not mind paying.

Yep, it’s never too late to rise up against tyrants.