Thursday, February 26, 2009

Spin, Spin, Sugar



Marc Kaplan, of COURAJ fame, was interviewed by Heartland Media. Check out the interviews above.

23 comments:

  1. Unbelievable. Get off the cross already, some of us need the wood.

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  2. On the advisory referendum from November's ballot.

    Kaplan: "Right, it doesnt have any binding power. We found in the past that the fact that youve done it allows you to press your position."

    All you have to do is survey those residents that support you and deny those that oppose you. It's the Chicago Way.

    Way to go Marc Kaplan. The force is strong within you.

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  3. Thats classic Marc Kaplan. I'll take issue with his lies and deceit.

    First, the Ad Hominem attack on people opposing the Wilson Yard TIF. Claiming that some group who opposes Wilson Yard supported the Goldblatts building in no way challenges the central argument of the lawsuit. This is a weak form of argument.

    Second, the TIF "but for then" provision concerns developement in general, NOT low income housing development. So to say that low income housing would not be built if not for the TIF is irrelevent. That argument is a flat out lie. But again, not surprising.

    Third, he goes to the personal attacks that those opposing Wilson Yard want to move the poor people out, when we've said and done no such thing. No evidence is used to back this up. This is simply a personal attack.

    Time and again you'll find that the people in favor of Wilson Yard resort to very weak forms of argument, such as name calling and ad hominem attacks, if not outright lies. This typically happens when a group doesn't have a logical leg to stand on. Marc Kaplan employs all three strategies in this interview.

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  4. I would say that among the many things that this blog is two things stand out from your comment WindyCityEagle:

    This blog is a supporter of fix wilson yard.

    This blog has not limit to the "ad hominem attacks.

    Take a little of your own medicine from Dr.Marc ad hominem attacks...ugh

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  5. I don't think Mr. Kaplan is playing with a full deck.

    Does anyone know is he a head injury victim?

    It seems he has a hard time like a guy I knew that was in an accident and had a closed head injury.

    Or is he just not playing with a full deck?

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  6. It sure would be nice if the different groups in Uptown could compromise on the issues that surround us, but seeing this drivel from Marc Kaplan, it is clear that this new version COURAJ, as well as the alderman's office, are not interested. Compromise and concensus building is not in their vocabulary.

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  7. Maybe Heartland would sponsor a debate between Kaplan and one of the reps from FWY? Hear both sides of the story?

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  8. Hey Nathaniel, don't you have some cops to "watch?" They could be arresting some of Uptown's charming resident crackheads and hookers as we speak!

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  9. Wow two fascist communist er I mean "community organizers" broadcasting to maybe 5 people with a fold out table and couple of AV room mics from a restaurant they may or may not have ordered food from.

    Why am I longing for the days of Christian Slater in Pump up the Volume.

    By the way..well said Eagle.

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  10. This blog has not limit to the "ad hominem attacks.

    Eh? Guess a cushy upbringing and a private college don't add up to comprehensible statements.

    Maybe Heartland would sponsor a debate between Kaplan and one of the reps from FWY? Hear both sides of the story?

    The problem with the Couraj, Copwatch, Northside-name-du-jour folks is that they don't know how to be anything but victims. Just watch their responses here. Victimization, victimization, victimization, over and over again. They can't do a debate because they're Johnny-One-Notes.

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  11. Nathaniel,

    If you were trying to be incredibly ironic by making an ad hominem attack on my comment about ad hominem attacks, then I'm eminently impressed.

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  12. "The problem with the Couraj, Copwatch, Northside-name-du-jour folks is that they don't know how to be anything but victims. Just watch their responses here. Victimization, victimization, victimization, over and over again. They can't do a debate because they're Johnny-One-Notes."

    Has anyone asked them? Seriously, I think a debate would be ideal. I've lived in Uptown before, recently moved back after a hiatus for grad school. Has any of these orgs. participated in open debates? Obviously moderation of said debate would have to be even.

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  13. SERIOUS Question here. As that idiot admits that they are using the non-binding resoltions in City Hall to speak for all Uptown Residents... How would be be able to put up our own referendum for the next election for the 98% of the wards in Uptown that were NOT included and ask those voters their opinions?

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  14. You'll notice though, that Marc is very slick and not saying that Uptown Residents supported the referendum or even that 2 to 1 Uptown residents support Wilson Yard.

    He simply says that the referendum passed 2 to 1, then says there is support for Wilson Yard(which by definition would require only 1 person to support it) and then leaves it up to the listener to connect the dots. His attempt is to deceive, but you have the respect the brilliance of his tactics.

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  15. How would be be able to put up our own referendum for the next election for the 98% of the wards in Uptown that were NOT included and ask those voters their opinions?

    This is going to have to happen. The new politics are going to require that every ballot include three non-binding resolutions very early so as to starve these astroturfers of their lifesource. election code limits the number of non-binding resolutions to 3 per ballot. You can ask anything you want. Just generate the signatures. This is all you need for a nonbinding survey question that is designed to question limited precincts.

    For a referendum in a city precinct, petition must be signed by at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election by registered voters of that precinct.

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  16. I caught the movie reference. Talk Hard, Chip! I luv that movie. =]

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  17. "...low and moderate income housing..." Read: low income, very low income, and extremely low income housing. Where's the "moderate income" part of that equation? So much for diversity in Uptown.

    This man spews so many lies that, had he not a beard, I would've taken him for some laudable elected official.

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  18. Marc knows well that truth gets in the way of his message so it's okay to lie. How he can actually convince himself that lying is okay is beyond me.

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  19. So much for diversity in Uptown.

    The biggest myth of Uptown is this "diversity" creature people keep mentioning.

    It's a term which should mean a healthy, tolerant, mix of people of race, socio-economic levels and various beliefs.

    Now, that term is simply a political smoke screen used to rationalize generating an environment that is anything but; and is usually connected to a politician's pet project.

    Test my theory. The next time you hear a politician use the word "diversity" - consider how they are using it and what their objective is.

    Were Shiller, or any of the "community activists", truly concerned about diversity, they would be promoting and working towards generating tolerance of this vast mix of people living in Uptown instead of framing those "condo owners" as evil and fueling the angry fires which they, themselves, probably lit.

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  20. It's never too soon to start thinking about the ballot - there's 3 slots and when they're gone they're gone - think up 3 questions and start passing petitions in their fav precincts

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  21. Here's one: "Do you support a change in the duties of the City Inspector so that they can investigate Aldermen and their staff due to possible abuses and/or illegal activity?" Someone can lawyer that one up. I think James has posted it more eloquently in the past.

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  22. I would like to start a non-binding referendum, to guage the Uptown Communities support to adding pole dancing as an Olympic event at Chicagos 2016 games. Perhaps we could build an Olympic sized strip club with TIF funds on Broadway.

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  23. I guess maybe I should wait on the stripper referendum till Chicago officially gets the Olympics. So instead I propose an Uptown Non-Binding Referendum that declares the communities belief that the Shamrock Shake is the best Milkshake of all the milk shakes McDonalds offers.

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