Raymond Coffey died last week at age 79. "Who?" some ask.
He was at various times a columnist, editor of the editorial page, and managing editor of the Sun-Times, and a reporter with the old Daily News for years before that. But long-time residents of Uptown remember him for being the only mainstream media member to write about Uptown in the 1990s and look beyond the "haves versus have-nots" cliches.
He did a stunning series of articles, just before he retired in 1999, about crime and voting irregularities in Uptown, and another series in 1995 about the politicization of Uptown's local school councils.
In rereading these articles, we were struck by how much we've progressed in some respects, but - sadly - how much is still the same. Change a few names, and you'll see many of the same issues and polarizing attitudes in 2008 that he wrote about in 1999.
Godspeed, Raymond Coffey. Thanks for shining a spotlight on Uptown, and we wish you'd lived to see the changes that are yet to come.
- Mean Streets (July 9, 1999)
- Different Versions of Uptown Reality (July 13, 1999)
- Voting Irregularities in the 46th Ward (July 22, 1999)
- In Uptown, Vote Early and Vote Often (August 6, 1999)
- Cleaning Up the Mess at Truman (August 10, 1999)
- Sex Offenders Worry Residents (August 12, 1999)
- Cat's Out of the Bag in Uptown (August 17, 1999)
- Standing Up to Death Threats (August 26, 1999)
- Liquor Issue Stirs Uptown Fight (November 16, 1999)
- Uptown Drug Busts Fuel Battle (December 10, 1999)
- Letter to the Editor responding the Coffey's 1999 Uptown articles
- Uptown LSC's "Multicultural Platform" Alarms Parents (October 29, 1995)
- Got A Gripe? Don't Be Afraid to Sign Your Name to It (November 2, 1995)
- Minutes, Budget Bare School Council's Political Agenda (November 7, 1995)
- For Fired Teacher, There's No Denying Stockton School Politics (December 1, 1995)
- School Activist Setting Records - Especially with Police (April 17, 1998)
- Playing Against a Stacked Deck (August 7, 1998)
Sorry to hear that he is gone. My condolences to his family and friends.
ReplyDeleteAs for Uptown Update---rock on!! Thanks for posting all of his articles in one spot.
Thank you. I heard he took on the beast. Aso I'm told, she reported to the Reader that "Ray has always had a h**d *n for me." I'm guessing it was not meant to be a compliment to the beast's prowess.
ReplyDeleteUse this opportunity to write other columnists and ask them to take over his writings about uptown. It would be nice to have a rep at the paper representing uptown again. Those articles were excellent, it'd be nice to read things like this again and bring publicity to uptown again
ReplyDeleteRay Coffey was a great reporter.
ReplyDeleteIn the 60's he reported from Vietnam as he accompanied various military units during their quiet days and during battle.
The slow demise of newspapers makes reporters like him very rare.
Ah, the good ole days when reporters were reporters and politicians were scared, or at least a little nervous.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part was written nearly 13 years ago, and it still is very apt:
ReplyDelete[A]s one put it in a long and detailed letter, "Many do not speak out for fear of reprisal from Alderman Shiller." There's something scary about that. Why should people who pick up the tab for an alderman's salary have to worry about the alderman taking it out on them if they register a complaint?
These people on public payrolls are public servants, or are supposed to be anyway. We're the public. They're the ones who should be running scared, not us.
We need to remember this. We're not "evil" for wanting what's best for our community. Shame on the alderman for not realizing that it's our right and responsibility to work for it.
A response of "If you don't like it, move to Lincoln Park" is not an appropriate response to criticism.
Neither is "They laughed and said if I don't like it I should just move, "this isn't your college campus sweetie."
ReplyDeleteor
"Why don't you go blog about it?"
or
"Fuck you!"
or
"There's that crazy girl."
Apparently the concept of public service has been lost on the 46th Ward office.
At least we still have Studs Terkel for a little while longer.
ReplyDeleteWow, thats what real reporting looks like. You don't see that much anymore.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this, as these articles are really the backdrop for why we don't like Alderman Shiller.
Hmmm, where are all the Shiller trolls now? Oh, thats right, evidence is their kryptonite.
ReplyDeletethanks for posting the Uptown-related Coffey archive
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