I wonder where our tax dollars are going too... Downtown, the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park and other tourist locations? Why aren't tax dollars going into NEIGHBORHOOD infrastructure, public safety and basic amenities? True we have had couple of 120+ year old sewers replaced, a few 19th century arterial streets repaved, watched a few family movies in the park and the Seniors have had a grand time at their holiday parties.
Where is the new high school? Major upgrades to the parks, including a hockey rink, repaved sidestreets, etc, etc, etc...
Here is the letter and the RESPONSE from the alderman's office:
Bellow is a letter I wrote to the 41'st wards office. Bellow is the letter is their arrogant response.
Hello,
I am writing in regards to the constant airplane noise flying overhead my house at....Newcastle Ave. Ever since the flight patterns were changed we hear loud noise day and night. This has really become a quality of life issue and something needs to be done about this.
I very much agree that the airport is vital to our economy in the 41st ward, however I've seen little in terms of return. Our street, and surrounding ones, are crater like roadblocks that needed to be resurfaced many years ago. Additionally, our light posts and fire hydrants are rusted/totally faded, and needed to be painted years ago. In essence our streets have been forgotten, almost left in a time warp.
Under your leadership, virtually nothing has been accomplished. Property values continue to plunge and the once great neighborhood is definitely changing for the worse.
As I expect nothing to be done about the airplane noise, streets, and dilapidated look of our light posts and hydrants, it will be my pleasure to quickly vacate the city and start a new life in the suburbs where the tax dollars work for the community.
Kind regards,
The office's response:
I'm sorry you feel that way. Best of luck in the suburbs.
Regards,
41st Ward Service Office
6107 N Northwest Highway
Office: (773) 594-8341
Fax: (773) 594-8345
Email: ward41@cityofchicago.org
Click here to sign up for our 41st Ward Newsletter
We'll get new street lights when the rust gives way and one lands on top of someone. Hang in there people; Last night Boston elected a pro-union candidate over a "school reform" Rahmulite. The people are waking up. You are next, Rahm, you one-term punk.
ReplyDeleteTime for a new alderman. Someone needs to tell O'Conner the city lost 200,000 citizens in the last decade and we can't afford to lose anyone else who actually pays taxes. That said, just a crappy way to answer a letter.
ReplyDeleteI just heard our idiot mayor rave about crime percentages dropping over the last decade. Yeah right. He failed to mention there are 10% less people in the city today than in 2004
DeleteSomeone needs to forward this post to a reporter (hint, hint)
ReplyDeleteForget the reporter, forward to Rahm
DeleteThere isn't anything off point about this letter deserving of such an obnoxious answer. Just look around. Whoever wrote the letter could have been living on my block. If we have to be subjected to extra noise living in the 41st ward, we should be compensated with the basic bare bones services. I would like to see a cop drive down the street once every few years, have a decent park for my kids to play in with basic sports equipment and staff (an indoor ice rink - long overdue). All we get in the 41st ward are taxes to pay, fines and fees everytime we turn around.
ReplyDeleteand I forgot...my kid's school is way overcrowded. when do we get a few new schools?
DeleteThe least Mary O'Connor could have done is send a corned beef on rye, with a pickle of course.
ReplyDeleteNoise sucks, Mary, start negotiating with the Mayor - GET SOMETHING FROM HIM!
ReplyDeleteThis is Rahm. At ease. Oh how I love this blog. I find your whiny, petty complaints that challenge my supremacy so amusing. That's not to say I'm not inspired by them. On the contrary. For example; I've decided to move the annual lakefront air and water show to - wait for it -the skies above the 41st ward!
DeleteYes, next August the Blue Angels, along with a few B-52 and B-1 bombers will scream over your fricken heads for 3 straight days. And why not? By then you'll be so deaf from the added O'Hare runway your ears will be bleeding. Besides, my friends on the Gold Coast, as well as Lincoln Park, are growing tired of the noise.
Now, what's this about your alderman? "Get something" from me? Bless your hearts.
Now get back to work.
That response is probably from the punk kid in her office, I find it hard to believe a politician would've cost a vote that way
ReplyDeleteNo, I think it was her Chief of Staff.
DeleteI was the original poster, and the one who wrote the letter of concern. Besides the embarrassing grammar in my original post (don't write when you are upset and frustrated), I agree that my note did not warrant a response such as this.
ReplyDeleteTo her credit, Ms. O'Connor responded with a lengthy letter. First apologizing for the response I received (as I suspected it was from someone in her office in which she promises to address), and then detailing her thoughts regarding my points in the letter. It's too lengthy to post, and although I don't agree with her reasoning, I do commend her on the response letter she wrote.
Staff reflect their boss. No matter who from the office sent the original response, the disrespect and tone of the letter is a reflection of the alderman. I'm happy the frustrated neighbor finally got the answer he/she deserved, but look what had to happen for that to happen - in the 41st ward, to get heard by the alderman, you have to post your letters on a blog?!!!.
ReplyDeleteWe need an alderman willing to fight for our fair share of tax dollars. A significant percentage of the revenue collected from airport taxes should be directly reinvested into surrounding communities whose members are most adversely effected by airport noise. Fair is fair, and the lack of reinvestment into this ward is inexcusable.
ReplyDeleteSaw this posted on the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board facebook page, and didn't know about the problems gong on up there. You people living in the 41st ward really need to find an alderman who has some control over her staff and the mayor. There is no reason for a letter like this to ever be sent to a constituent. Furthermore, you need someone who knows how to leverage some power and negotiate on your behalf. I live in a ward across town and I have to say, there have been upgrades here. It can be done.
ReplyDeleteright back at you alderman O'Conner. "I'm sorry you feel that way" and I won't be voting for you again.
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday night Seattle voters approved a referendum mandating a $15.00 dollar an hour minimum wage for workers at their main airport. We need the same minimum wage for workers at O'Hare. It won't lower the jet noise, but it would take money from welfare queens like United and Boeing, and put where it will do some good. Alderman O'Conner, it is time to show you are not the total Chamber of Commerce hack you've been all of your professional life, and submit a 15.00 buck an hour wage ordinance for a council vote. Yes, our investment banker- turned- mayor will f-bomb you like he would a rookie teacher on her first day, but you'll live.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. She should do that. The airport is in her ward. Many people working the airport live in the 41st. If you re reading this alderman, know this- If you don't propose some kind of living wage at the next meeting, we will organize the workers the workers in your deli.
DeleteOrganizer
I rented for SEVERAL years, waiting for home prices to normalize, and I lived @ NW HWY & Devon. However, when it came time to buy a home, I never once considered buying in Edison Park despite it being less than 2 miles from work, close to family and convenient shopping & restaurants in EP & PR. I loved living there but I saw how things were changing and knew property taxes would just increase while services would continue to decrease. I can appreciate why the original poster said they would relocate to the ‘burbs. I’m sorry about this “new” airport noise, but reading this post reminds me how fortunate I was to get out when I did (June 2013).
ReplyDeleteThank you Democrats you officially screwed up the last nice neighborhood in Chicago !!!
ReplyDeleteAfter O'Connor stood by and did nothing as the ward lost the 90N, 64 and 56A CTA buses, I went ahead and sent FOIA requests about communications between the CTA officials and her office, which were flatly denied. This happened after O'Connor assured 41st Ward residents would have alternatives to reductions in CTA service and that she was in communication with CTA officials. I sent the same request to Alderman Arena, he actually had the decency to reply and search through his office's records regarding conversations between CTA officials and his office. Despite O'Connor saying there would be transit "alternatives", I did not receive any information from her office. I learned Pace would be operating along the 90N route and be accepting CTA transit passes before the Ventra debacle because I contacted our Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky, about the transit cuts. Her office had the decency to communicate with me regarding reductions in transit service. I requested FOIA documents from the CTA and obtained them through actions of the office of Lisa Madigan which outlined how the service cuts to the 41st Ward were planned far in advance and based on the CTA projecting declines in ridership as the means to eliminate routes. I am not sure how a world class transit agency could plan for the 21st century on the basis of decreasing ridership, but that's what the CTA and O'Connor agreed on. O'Connor and the CTA said the 41st Ward would have increased train service, service on the O'Hare Blue Line has not increased and in fact slow zones have reduced service. The CTA blamed 41st Ward residents for not defending CTA service at budget hearings, but they were held in the evening in Garfield Park, miles from the 41st Ward. I am sharing all of this because I attended a forum on TIFs in the City of Chicago. There are not TIFs in the 41st Ward, yet all taxpayers in the ward get TIF dollars siphoned to pay for improvements in other neighborhoods, namely the Loop. Why are the buses being cut in the 41st Ward? Why are police patrolling less frequently? Why is the infrastructure rusting, property values declining and taxes increasing? The money is going places, just not to the overcrowded schools, public transit or public safety. The time for new representation for the 41st Ward is now.
ReplyDeleteThis community doesn't have the balls to elect a legit non democrat/RINO.
ReplyDelete