A reader writes: "Just received this via email after sending a link from UU about the crazy behavior at Shiller’s office:
Hello. Thank you for your recent request regarding tomorrow's Political Forum program.. Alderman Shiller's appearance is being rescheduled for a date TBD in the future."
This either means that she's going to attend tomorrow night's meeting, or that she's a complete and utter wuss.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving odds on the latter.
I certainly hope she comes to her neighborhoods town hall meeting. As a n elected official it is her responsibility. I know that I would love the chance to talk to her there, and about the actions of her staff.
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath, there, killer.
ReplyDeleteShe abhors confrontation just as much as she detests those who pay the salary of her and her staff.
Unfortunately, I'll be on a plane, tomorrow night and will miss out, either way.
If you see her, give her a big ol' kiss for me, wouldja'?
Shiller won't come. She is a SOCIOPATH, so she will avoid the possibility of ever having to accept any responsibility for her actions (or lack of actions). What is in it for her? Nothing. She does not care one bit about the good citizens that would take an interest in such an event, as she knows they are not going to vote for her regardless. She would be much more invested in making sure a heroin addict doesn't die or go to prison before an election year.
ReplyDeleteThere's no way she'll be at tomorrow's meeting.....
ReplyDeletehow much does this loser get paid? Over 100k?
It's one thing to be a 'glassy eyed hippy'...it's another
thing to be a corrupt, subversive, myopic, idiot-presence in the community.
And it sounds like, per prior comments, her 'staff' is equally as hideous.
She's not a hippy. She was a hippy. Then she got a taste of power and threw away whatever ideals she once had. From what people tell me, she was a pretty cool person 30 years ago. And thats lovely and all, but its not 1978.
ReplyDeleteShe won't show, no way. But I would not rule out a disruptive appearance by the COURAJ gang. This seems like exactly the type of meeting they don't want to see happen.
Helen's one myopic focus -- to the exclusion of EVERYTHING ELSE -- is more low-income housing.
ReplyDeleteShe opposed Truman College being built because it might displace the poor.
She opposed Pegasus Theatre having a permanent home because the space should be used for low-income housing.
Her ONE goal at this point is to get Wilson Yard built. Not the theatres, not Target, not the "small business incubator" -- just the housing.
Then she can leave office feeling she's done her job.
All the complaints about crime, about gangs, about trash, about safety -- she just - plain - doesn't - care.
ALL she cares about is getting those low-income towers of housing built. The rest is background noise and irritation to her.
'Trumansquare' is correct......she's just concerned
ReplyDeleteabout building future slums.
Like Dante's Inferno meets Robert Taylor Homes.
Nothing about how this impacts Uptown.
I wish I could provide more solutions....but the only apparent solution, is getting rid of Shiller's misguided
policies.
Storming like crazy out! Is it a Shakespearean omen of things to come tomorrow? Let's hope!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure our esteemed Ald. Shiller will not attend the meeting, but I hope so; we can only hope she will see the light (blight) of her Uptown friends!
As for COURAJ or anyone else who might disrupt, let's remind ourselves this is a CIVIL event, and while emotions obviously will run hight, let's all remember we are adults and fighting and name-calling never solved anything.
GO UPTOWN!
And of course the new towers will be up just in time for the next election. New supporters!
ReplyDeleteThat woman better get her arse to the town hall meeting. Period.
ReplyDeleteI think she will come, and come with a posse (or gang if you prefer).
ReplyDeleteThis was by far our busiest day ever for readership at Uptown Update. It is 11:08pm, not even midnight, and we have had almost 6,800 hits today. That is a new record. Thank you to our readers who continually spread the word, which is now undoubtedly out.
ReplyDeleteThat is great, Uptown Updater. This was a rare day when I only checked in a few times! Go figure. Anyway, I am really excited that readership is up and that so many people want to get involved in making their neighborhood a great place for all. As Andy says, GO UPTOWN!
ReplyDeleteI have turned on several of my friends to this website, none of which live in Uptown, many of whom live right outside our boarders.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many times my friends bring up something they read on UU and ask me if I have any more info since I live here. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't but the amazing thing is that I know people who don't live in Uptown that are just as concerned about what is going on here as those who do.
BTW, Stef, I applaud you for doing what you did today and letting the world know what your experience was like. The more people who become involved in this community the more pressure there will be on those in power to make things right for everyone. Safety is #1.
Tomorrows meeting is going to be very interesting. let us hope that it is incredibly productive. Let us pray that if Shiller does come to this meeting that she spends the night coming up with ways to help the community instead of ways to discount our experiences.
"Man on the Street" called it nearly a month ago on July 2nd...
ReplyDeleteBelieve it when you hear it...
"We were supposed to have Ald. Helen Shiller on with us tonight, but due to unforseen circumstances involving a sudden chill in her foot area, we present instead The Guy Who Sells Stuff On The Sidewalk At Wilson And Broadway. So tell us, Guy Who Sells Stuff, how did you get your start?..."
I just got home and found the same email in my inbox. I'm so angry right now.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I guess I need to stop drinking beer, or any liquids for that matter, while reading UU. I need to get my computer some kind of Spittake protection. "Honey where are the computer wipes at?"
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few of us from the northern part of the 44th ward who watch this site closely. Don't think that your problems are going unnoticed by others outside your ward. I often bring up things I read on here with my neighbors so that they know what is going on just a few blocks away from us.
ReplyDeleteI would be interested to know what Tunney's thoughts on are the issues in Uptown. I am sure he doesn't want to step on Shiller's toes, but I think it would be naive for him to ignore the problems occurring just outside his ward.
I'm new to this board and have learned quite a bit- thanks to you all! Just FYI- I called Shiller's office this morning and asked if she's going to be at the meeting tonight and the answer was yes, she and a member of her staff would be there.
ReplyDeleteFolks, she is going to be there, I can guarantee. Why would she cancel a TV appearance if all the people who were going to give her hell would be unavailable to watch the program (and call in) since they would all be in a meeting? She is coming because of political pressure. She might finally be realizing that even "her" constituents are fed up with the crime, drugs, shootings and violence.
ReplyDeleteThere will likely be a very large crowd of discontent constituents at the meeting tonight, voicing their concerns to their state senator and state representative. They have already heard an earful from hundreds of people and they now know how frustrating it has been to work with this alderman on gang, violence and crime issues.
ReplyDeleteAlderman Shiller has been FORCED to attend a public meeting on an issue that she insisted needed no public meeting, because according to her there is no problem.
She has been forced by political pressure from above and because she can't afford to NOT be at a meeting where angry constituents have the ear of state level politicians, who are expressing more and more each day their sympathy with us, and their willingness to work .. with her or without her ... to help curb gang violence and crime throughout Uptown.
Luckily, this is not her meeting, as she was unwilling and unavailable to step up to the plate when we all demanded it months ago.
I'll certainly believe it when I hear the clippity-cloppity of hooven feet on the meeting room floor.
ReplyDeleteStill - let's make sure to go into this as concerned citizens, not an angry mob (as tempting as that may be).
We lose the high ground if we fall into the stereotypes that Helen so enjoys casting us into.
Patient. Attentive. Respectful.
Shiller's smart enough to allow us to dig our own holes, but not crafty enough to stay out all of the ones that she's dug for herself.
Leave the pitchforks and torches at home.
"Man on the Street" called it nearly a month ago on July 2nd...
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you... and for my next trick I predict that Shiller will NOT be at the meeting tonight. Perhaps a rep of hers will be there, who will storm out angrily after 15-20 minutes. Karnak has spoken!...
Why would she cancel a TV appearance if all the people who were going to give her hell would be unavailable to watch the program (and call in) since they would all be in a meeting?
The absence of calls from the people who are going to give her hell is exactly the reason she WOULDN'T cancel her TV appearance. But she doesn't want to take the chance, particulary after Stef's revelations of the bullying nature of her staff to a legitimate complaint of a constituent (carrying a baby no less!). She's going groundhog on all of you, trust me. No TV and no meeting un at LEAST next Feb. 2
Well, tonight is shaping up to be quite an evening. Having gone to many of these types of meetings for Uptown, my only concern in this, there will be a lot of heat, energy, name calling and pointing of fingers, but much like the crime rally in front of her office last month, there will be no coordination on the message. What if Helen had shown up? What would we have said? Well, here is our second chance!
ReplyDeleteSo, I would ask that you either post here, or send me a message at helpuptown@gmail.com and let me know what you want! Where do you want a police camera? Where do you want more of a police presence? Where is the criminal activity that you believe Shiller/leaders are ignoring? What should she be doing???
Marching in and yelling “You are not doing your job!” does not solve the problem. We need to make a laundry list of things for her to do and hold her accountable for them, as well as the other politicians and community leaders who will be present. Please know all emails and information will be kept confidential.
Additionally, information provided here will also help draft the Petition that is being submitted to the Police Commander as well.
Many thanks to all who provide their thoughts, insight and passion to this meeting and Uptown in general!
Molly Phelan
If I had the time, I'd love do it; but, alas ...
ReplyDeleteSomeone should show up with a big ol' sign that reads:
"No, Denise, we will not f*** off"
So it seems that every time H.S. or her staff are confronted with the issues they deny/lie/dodge as a response. We can call them out on this with evidence, testimony and witness. I say all concerned citizens begin documenting the problems in Uptown so we have ammunition to support our claims and her office has to do more than deny/lie/and dodge. Leave a paper trail and force H.S. to defend her bullsh*t.
ReplyDelete"how much does this loser get paid? Over 100k?"
ReplyDelete$104,101.00
see page 21
can someone give me an example of an "Assistant Sergeant At Arms" these certainly aren't staff members in her office? I assume those numbers are yearly salaries in those line-items.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know? Just curious...
I don't see a line item there for "Sergeant-at-baseball-bat".
ReplyDeleteSarge-at-Arms & her many assts are City Hall patronage posts, they work for the Council as a whole rather than for a particular alder-leech
ReplyDelete