A reader writes in:"Last week a private birthday party was held at SideTrack in Boystown. This event was not open to the general public but was by-invitation. There are pictures of this private event in this week's Gay Chicago magazine on page 48. One picture is of Helen Shiller and the other of Don Nowotny, in case anyone needed to know if there was really any connection between the two. It raises some interesting questions about his candidacy for alderman; Is he simply running to split the vote and assure another four years of Shiller? Is he really independent of her influence? Thought you might be interested."
Well, he does, in essense, work for her (or, at the very least, works with her), so to see them together at an ward-type of event doesn't really mean anything.
ReplyDeleteIts official....in cahoots.
ReplyDeleteI can pick out Helen (easy to do!!) but which one is Don?
ReplyDeleteSeriously? What's the big deal? Two people showing up at the same party does not a conspiracy make.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm unsure if Nowatny is "shilling for Shiller" or not.
ReplyDeletePerhaps.
Perhaps she has decided not to run and he is her candidate.
Perhaps he is genuine and running without her support.
Perhaps he is running with outside support. Read Mayoral Cronies and machine types who are worried Shiller will lose the seat and cost the Mayor votes.
I just don't know. My city source, "Deep Sausage", is so thrilled with the Hawks being in the Stanley Cup that he has been in an alcoholic fog for months now.
The fact that Shiller and Nowatny were at the same birthday party means little.
I saw Nowatny at Jewel last week near the frozen foods section. He was sporting a pony tail and I was sporting my everyday non sports prosthetic pegleg.
Does that mean Nowatny and myself are in cahoots?
Nope, I don't think I've ever spoken to the man. Although, legally that's not necessary to establish a criminal conspiracy.
Are we non criminally conspiring to destroy Helen?
By picking up a frozen crossaint did I signal that I too am part of the "ABS" movement?
ABS=anyone but Shiller.
Tune in next rant boys and girls for another episode in "How Da 46th Turns".
If this guy does not come out swinging, and soon, I will have no choice but to write him off. If he really wants to be our alderman, he has to address the two biggest issues in my opinion - Safety, and how to reverse the imeasureable damage to the value of our community caused by Helen Shiller. Failure to denouce the status quo (which he is apart of) is a sign of disaster.
ReplyDeleteDon in essence works for Helen Shiller. I would like him on the record stating what that experience has been like under her leadership. What instruction does she give, what is his perception of the "montra" of 46.
If Don is not willing to take risks, including his current position, then he simply is not a viable candidate.
All - Don't make up your minds yet - I havent. But I would say that suspicion is warrented.
By the way, I would like to hear Helen's response to the fact that one of her own is running for her job.
Here's my take on the 2011 election.
ReplyDeleteIf you stood behind James Cappleman in 2007, stick with him. He attends every CAPS (among other events) meeting in my beat, so does his partner and they live in another part of the ward. He's put in a lot of work these past 4 years and one thing I know about him is he has a better vision for Uptown's future than what is currently in place.
Don on the other hand, I've never seen except on this blog, when UU announced he was running. If the conditions of our streets are any indication of what he will do as alderman I say no thank you.
Don could be a good guy, but I'm not taking any chances. I've lived here too long to get more of the same (nothing) from an elected official.
Well stated Pablo!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that they were at the same birthday party means much. But I do think it's VERY suspicious that Charlotte Newfeld, from Lakeview, who has been Helen's biggest supporter over the past 20 or so years, was at Don's launch party and was photographed with Don. The picture ran in one of the gay papers.
ReplyDeleteDon breaking loose from his political mentor? Possible. Helen's biggest supporter dumping Helen in favor of Don? VERY SUSPICIOUS.
've joined the "Don is Shiller's Shill" persuasion.
I want to first off thank UU for posting the photos from Gay Chicago Magazine.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Sidetrack event. It was for Lori Cannon, who has given her life to help those who can't help themselves. That's what this post should be about.
But seeing it's veered off course, I'll give you the story as best as I know it.
Don and Helen are NOT in cahoots. Whether Helen runs or not, Don's in it to win it.
Charlotte Newfeld and Lori Cannon DO support Don. We ran that photo in GCM a few weeks ago. I'm guessing these backers will stay the same even if Helen runs. Charlotte and Lori aren't the type to jump ship when they throw their support behind something. Even if it is a stilling Alderman.
This should be an interesting race for my editorial board come next January.
Back to Lori for a second. Anyone who can help her out, please do. Vital Bridges needs non-perishable food items. If you've got an extra buck while shopping, buy something for her pantry and drop it off at 5543 North Broadway. (773) 271-5110 www.vitalbridges.org
Here's the link to the previous story we did on this upcoming race.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.edgechicago.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=105622
Interesting they would throw their support behind Don when in the past they supported Helen.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they reconcile Helen & Don's opposite stances on housing? Maybe in the last few years they both saw the need to take the opposite stance on housing that they both held for decades. Maybe not.
There are plenty o possibilities as to what is happening.
ReplyDeleteIt could be as simple as people seeing Shiller as having relatively little chance of reelection and making their own moves.
I jus' dunno.
It could be Nowotny is sayin' all the right thangs to everyone, yet still "shillin' for Shiller".
It's a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, hidden under the Pullman Tomb at Graceland Cemetery.
Someone with more musical talent than me, that would be everyone, should consider the implications of this and try there luck at youtubing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3AiOxmYrD0
Strange! Charlotte and Hellon-earth are cut from the same cloth and have been as thick as theives (so to speak)
ReplyDeleteLack of healthy skepticism of government here in Chicago has kept politics inbred for a long time, and voter apathy only aides in the nefarious deeds here. There is good reason Obama distanced himself from Rev. Wright during the election, guilt-by-association. While this might not be the only trick a pony uses to vote, it sure should count, especially in the environment we see in our ward. And while I usually hold Irish Pirate's ideas in high regard, this current Jewel anology is a straw man at best; the local grocer is a public place and this party was not. As long as these two have been working together and, evidently, partying together would bring most people relatively close in thought, idea, deed, and action.
ReplyDeleteAny one who is as close to a skeevy (in my opinion) politician like Don is to Helen is one worthy of healthy skepticism and not one worthy of my vote or second-glance.
You can choose to look the other way for this event but it's just another tell-tale sign for me.
Both Charlotte and Lori were always outspoken about their love for Helen and the way she runs the ward. Either their values now suddenly changed or Helen and Don are cut from the same cloth.
ReplyDeleteI don't think their values changed.
Chuckles,
ReplyDeleteunder no reasonably likely circumstances do I plan to support Nowotny in February.
This "Mary Magdalene" schtick he is selling doesn't convince me.
That doesn't mean I know exactly his motivations for running. Maybe this is some deep "shill for Shiller" tactic or maybe he wants to be aldercritter.
Ultimately there are at least two candidates I would vote for before him. He's essentially worked with and for Shiller for 16 years and his Paul on the Road to Damascus moment doesn't convince me.
Personally he is unworthy of me making a "Blues Brothers" "Do you see the light" metaphor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5tfRdkoY0
One more thang.
ReplyDeleteFor those interested in whether Shiller is thinking about running again I suggest checking out whether she is taking her "furlough" days.
That's unpaid time off.
If she is..........she likely b running.
If she isn't........she likely b not running.
2 b or not 2 b......dat is da question.
Shiller and Nowatny's campaign slogan:
ReplyDelete"Shiller! Shiller! She's our [wo]man! If she can't do it Nowatny can!"
Seems a bit smarmy to me. Why Invitation Only, if this was a Helen related event?
ReplyDeleteWere her beloved 'street' constituents invited?
I can't help but think she must have sighed, at the wonderfully clean strip of Halsted, and the stress free valet parking, and the street lights that function, and the lack of menacing camps at Roscoe and Halsted.
This for sure ain't Wilson and Broadway.
Art and the gay press pay her good money to keep the riff-raff north of Montrose.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction when I had heard Don was running; he’s going to split the vote.
ReplyDeletePersonally I want a complete, and fresh, outside for Uptown residents. No one already connected to city government and with zero connection to Daly. The Uptown Associations need to unite to pick a candidate and throw there support behind them.
I think Chad, and many others, said it best. Mr. Nowotny has been politically connected with the current regime for many years. I don't know him personally, but I firmly believe that most of the current municipal incumbents, with rare exception, need to move on, find new challenges, and hope that Pete Fitzgerald doesn't find them.
ReplyDeleteHomeless in uptown, Love the slogan.
ReplyDeleteCraig's blog is a 49th ward parallel to Uptown Update, so his thoughts should be seriously considered
I think the theory is correct that Nowotny will split the vote. His draw would be people who don't want Shiller, but at the same time are very suspicious of the Uptown Chicago Commission.
Splitting the vote isn't a bad thing -- in 1999, the 3 opponents actually "beat" Shiller, getting her to a runoff. They just weren't able to rally and get everyone to the finish line.
It's curious that the oppositie is happening from 1999-2003. James Cappleman was the sole candidate in 2007, yet there are MORE candidates now. Why hasn't James been able to rally the anti-Shiller vote?
Uptown Reivivalist...not to be technical, but it's PATRICK Fitzgerald that all politicians should fear. However, i would be happy to see Peter fitzgerald again; Patrick (not related) was his shining legacy. Wish he had run again.
Two of the main issues in Uptown are Crime and Housing.
EVery true anti-Shiller has had that nailed.
The anti-Shiller candidates have failed to say anything about the housing issue. Options include: turning some of the big towers into co-ops (a form of home ownership), habitat for humanity, or most recently, turning the number of forclsoures into affordable home OWNERSHIP.
Being associated with calling the new housing Cabrini Green north (rather than MINI versions of 4640 & 4645 N Sheridan) will bite you in the butt later, to a small degree.
UCC posts support of CPAN...but that's like a politician saying they support education. Except for a home school extremist, which politican't DOESN'T support it - verbally? But when it comes to action. That's where people are looking...it's just 5 % of the vote, which make up a swing vote, that you have to persuade.