Friday, September 16, 2011

Still The Fighting 47th

Still some post-election friction in the 47th Ward:

People in the 47th Ward could be forgiven for wondering if the change in their alderman’s office earlier this year was just a dream. Judging by an e-mail that their former alderman, Eugene Schulter, sent across the North Side ward, it seems Schulter himself is not eager to yield to his successor.

In the message, Schulter urged residents to come to his Democratic committeeman’s office for help in receiving the sort of government services that aldermen customarily provide. The newly elected alderman, Ameya Pawar, accused Schulter of trying to usurp his position.

“I saw the e-mail that the former alderman is running a shadow operation,” said Pawar, who beat Schulter’s handpicked successor in the February city election. “I think someone should remind him that he isn’t the alderman any more.”


Read the rest of "Months After Vote, Pawar Still Wrestling Power from Schulter" in Chicago News Coop.

7 comments:

  1. Just a reminder that the people of the 47th made the right decision.

    Schulter needs to step aside and let Ameya do the job he, not Gene, was elected to do.

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  2. This may or may not be related....

    My mother was in grade school with Schulter at LeMoyne (Waveland and Fremont Av,)way back when.

    She said he was a bossy kid who talked all the time....Mr. Popular who loves to be liked.

    He had a good career...this only makes him look disrespectful if not petty.

    Alderman Pewar is a smart guy...he can handle this.

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  3. This actually amuses me.

    Stranger things have happened, but this is almost downright bizzare.

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  4. I like Mr. Pawar a lot; I am glad he won and really hope he succeeds. But he should not be expecting someone to remind Mr.Schulter who won the election, he should be stepping up his constituent services so the people in his ward don't feel any need to turn to Mr. Schulter.

    I have a couple of friends in the 47th who say Pawar's office is still not good about returning phone calls, and he has not become a regular presence on the streets of the ward. They say there is an increasing concern that Mr. Pawar is passionate about challenging big picture issues like city-wide budgets (and maybe becoming a media darling), and not particularly interested in aldermanic mundanery such as pot holes.

    I say Mr. Pawar is a very bright guy, and no one should be judged by the first 6 months of their very first term. But this is a wake up call. The best response to Mr. Schulter's email is not public shaming, it's making sure that the residents of the 47th ward do not feel the need to turn to Mr. Schulter's offer of assistance in the absence of assistance from Mr. Pawar.

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  5. Ald. Pawar and his staff have worked very hard to serve his constituents. I always get a response to my emails. He sends out a regular email newsletter, goes to ward events, has a Facebook page, posts to Everyblock, and even answers questions posed to him on those sites. He also takes a consensus of his constituents before voting on issues, such as the casino issue. Ald. Pawar does not need a wake up call. His outreach has been great, in my opinion.

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  6. Since it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day I refuse to hyperlink below.

    Copy and paste ye lazy land lubbers. Nevermind, it's my day so I'll be niceish.

    Schulter got his butt kicked by Pawar. The "Fighting 47th" has been slowly gentrifying since at least the 70's and the newer folks don't like machine politics.

    In the 70's the ward was largely working class/middle class Germans and Ayerish with a smattering of some eastern Europeans and Mexican immigrants.

    Those folks are still there, but in smaller numbers as they've been replaced by the gentrifying hordes. Such as are new Mare Rahmbo Emmanuel.

    Read from the Book of Joravasky and enlighten thyselves.

    Then turn to another chapter in the Holy Book and see how da fighting 47th has changed.

    The times they are a changin' and Gene Schulter refuses to see that. The O'Donnell campaign was a case study in how to lose an election. Too much machine politics too little independence or hard work.

    Pawar can't expect a Schulter backed candidate to run agin' him in 2015. I would guess Schulter will look for someone youngish with an Irish name. Don't expect Pawar to lose.

    The Machine Always Strikes Back, but they often lose.

    As for Pawar I like his focusing on both ward issues and larger citywide funding issues. Aldermen need to be more than glorified pothole fixers. We need oversight at the citywide level.

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  7. Happy "International Talk Like a Pirate Day " everybody!

    The race in the 47th was actually a lot nastier then our beloved 46th.

    A lot of drama below the radar, nasty feelings in the Schulter camp in some key precincts. Not the handful of 47th in Uptown. No need to get into it.

    In a nutshell, here is the buzz....(from LAU sources)....(typewriter sounds)......

    Schulter made a bad pick and his people didn't buy into O'Donnell so they didn't work the doors and the lines.

    The machine is still there like IrishPirate said, re-booting you might say but fundamentally the same as 4 years ago.. They have NOT and likely WILL NOT reconcile with Alderman Pewar.

    I think Alderman Pewar has a tough row to hoe, I wouldn't be calling the 2015 election yet....

    Besides the "ir-reconcilable's" his supporters are a fickle bunch....

    Alderman James has a better chance at re-election, because his opposition are actually a bunch nice sweet people! Don't y'all agree?

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