The time is fast approaching. With each tick of our election countdown clock, it is that much closer to Chicago's aldermanic elections. We recently added both "register to vote" and "check your voter registration status" links on the right. Those will stay there till at least election day. Now is the time to be making sure your friends and neighbors are registered to vote. Now is the time to make sure your neighbors know what is going on in all parts of Uptown. Now is the time to reach out to Uptowners who live along the lake and might not know who their actual alderman is. Now is the time to open your wallets and donate to your declared candidate of choice whether it is James Cappleman, Michael Carroll, or Don Nowotny.You can spend your time complaining about how things are going in Uptown, but we'd like to hope our readers will turn the positive momentum we have gained in Uptown into something even more positive for the community...a new alderman. Open up your checkbooks or donate your time to your candidate of choice. Now is the time.
Your Micheal Carroll link is broken. Try this one: Michael Carroll
ReplyDelete(* Note: This does not constitute my endorsement for Officer Carroll. I reserve my right to endorse a candidate at a later date. *)
Link is fixed. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat I heard is that this reporting period that ends June 30 is particularly crucial. Helen's chances of running again go down as the money in any challenger's war chest goes up. If you haven't made up your mind, either give to all three or investigate now who to support. Don't gripe about Helen if you didn't give to support the candidate of your choice now. Plus, remember to vote!
ReplyDeleteOnly way to stop her. Donate and get involved personally.
ReplyDeleteI am so tired of Chicago Politics and Politics in general.
ReplyDeleteThe promises, the lies and the corruption it will be hard for me to write check to anyone.
It's like flushing money down the toilet.
Now is the time to get to know the candidates, listen to their strategy and approach for community planning, and most importantly, how they will listen to us.
ReplyDeleteI'm not focusing on Shiller and will she or won't she run. That is a waste of my time and energy.
I'm talking with my neighbors, and listening to what they have to say. Most of them are not going to vote for her, yes, even those who live in section 8 housing. They all have really good reasons and most don't like what's happened in Uptown under her lack of leadership.
As for the money and campaign donations, I believe we can find and elect a candidate in a different way. It's not all about the money as it once was without the Internet and social media. Mass mailings? Please, those go into the garbage can. TV ads, click through them with the DVR.
Now is the time for people to look around the entire 46 ward--the rundown park, the dangerous Wilson El station, the crap going on at the Chateau flop house, and the abysmal lack of thriving retail streets that are the life-blood of healthy neighborhoods, and ask themselves, "Who can do a better job?"
A, you and everyone else is tired of it. However, it won't and can't change until people step forward to do something about it. If any candidate states they want reform, yet did nothing to promote it before announcing their run for office, then you have every reason to be suspicious.
ReplyDeleteThe best reason to give money though is that it gives you the full right to gripe. You heard the saying, Don't vote, don't bitch? How about taking it up a notch and say, Don't give, don't bitch.
I know Chicago Politics is just like Obama Politics and as far as I am concerned both can be flushed down the toilet. I own a piece of Uptown throught my home so I will write out a check to whom I feel can do the best for me and my neighborhood. Shiller sure did nothing so I will put some money on Cappleman. If you don`t give, don`t bitch.
ReplyDeleteFYI, folks can also donate to Friends of Molly Phelan at www.phelan46.com.
ReplyDeleteFriends of Molly Phelan.
ReplyDeleteThat is funny.
Does that list include Terence O'Brien, Michael Madigan and Joseph Berrios? It should.
I know the word 'Nowotny' in Chicagoese means machine guy.
What does Phelan mean?
Putting a real estate tax attorney into office is not likely change. Such a person could not stand up to the Mayor without repercussion to their business interests or family business interests.
Mayor Daley is running again and since there is no real opposition will likely be reelected. Will Ms Phelan stand up to him in the City Council?
Mr Nowotny and Ms Phelan cannot be trusted to be reformers. Do not listen to what they say, but to what they do.
Mr Nowotny has been ward superintendent for 16 years.
Ms Phelan is a tax attorney who ran Terrence O'Brien's campaign in the 46th Ward.
That is not change. That's the same old thing under a different name.
Choose the social worker or the cop. Choose change. Donate accordingly and support whichever one you prefer.
Perhaps we will have a real choice and a Carroll Versus Cappleman runoff.
It'd be better to say
ReplyDeleteNowotny? Dat's Chicagoese for Shiller.
Or perhaps
Nowotny=Shiller.
The Capplemaniac, the Mikeronut and My Irish Molly O can just send the check to my secret lair under the Pullman Tomb at Graceland.
Dat one was free. The next one is gonna cost ya.
Next out of the Fab Four two have ok nicknames.
The Capplemaniac.
The Mikeronnut.
We need nicknames for Broom Boy and Molly.
Wait, dat's it. Broom boy. I am a genius.
Still we need to work on a nickname for Molly.
Now for those of you who enjoy annoying Irish Music...........My Irish Molly O.
Captain Quirk,
ReplyDeleteMolly went head-to-head against Mayor Daley when she fought the Wilson Yard TIF. Anyone challenging Daley’s favorite slush fund can’t be considered his ally. This challenge was far more public than any actions from any of the other candidates.
Molly Phelan organized Friends of Molly Phelan on June 11th.
ReplyDeleteFriends of Nowotny filed on April 2nd (but listed a April 1st, 2010 creation date which is either an inside joke or tremendous unintentional comedy).
Michael Phelan filed his committee way back in November 23, 2009 and in his first campaign report had $3200 on hand at the end of 2009.
Cappleman has kept his founded in 2006 campaign fund going since the last election and had $6000 on hand (but most of that was a $5000 loan to himself).
Shiller had $15,000 in her Citizens for Shiller war chest at the end of 2009. That is assuredly at the very low end of what most of her fellow Aldermen were holding.
You can find all their reports at the State Board of Elections. Updated reports on fundraising come out in late July for the 1st 6 months of 2010. Anybody who has raised enough seed money to build a campaign staff will have a formidable advantage.
....................
But my two cents prediction... Shiller no better than 50/50 to run again. Phelan v Shiller if she does in a run-off, or Phelan v Cappleman if Shiller retires. Campaign skills count, and both have scads more than the other guys.
P.S. For kicks, Molly Phelan and Matt Carroll seem to have their campaign offices on the same block... on the much more glamorous end of the 46th ward.
ReplyDeleteBlock Fight!
That area went heavily (230 to 156) for Cappleman in 2007.
@Joe: I assume you mean Michael Carroll (not Michael Phelan or Matt Carroll) in your previous two posts.
ReplyDeleteYep, correction it is Michael Carroll not Matt.
ReplyDeleteHe's on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/Carroll46
Looks like he's got a fundraiser on July 10th - so if he's your guy, go donate for that today to beef up his campaign report before the close the books at midnight.
Same goes if you're backing other candidates.
Uptown Lady,
ReplyDeleteit pains me to agree with anyone whose nom de guerre is "Captain Quirk", but I'm also not buying the Molly as independent schtick.
You CANNOT support O'Brien and then expect me to believe you're independent. Nope, wouldn't be prudent as da 1st President Bush might say.
Now Molly did fine work with Fix Wilson Yard, but my guess is that was just a means for her to get her name out there. It was a good move on her part, but despite my donation and in spite of arguably having both the law and "right" on our side, FWY went down to a predictable Cook County defeat.
There is no reason to support Terry O'Brien unless you're married to him or a first degree relative. Dat's how big a HACK he is.
As Dick Cheney might say she screwed up "BIG TIME" with her work for O'Brien. That's not going to appeal to independents or righteous dudes such as myself.
If you think only the Quirkster and myself are the only people who loathe O'Brien you are wrong. My guess is she was trying to suck up to the Mike Madigan/Joe Berrios faction of the Democratic Party with her O'Brien support. Berrios being on the Board of Tax Appeals and candidate for the Assessor's office. Hmmmmmmm, what's Molly O do for a living again? Real estate tax attorney.
Nope, right now I intend to support Cappleman with my vote, twisted sense of outrageous humor, and hooker money. Yes, ladies and gents I'm giving up hookers until a new alderman reigns in our beloved ward.
Methinks Capt Quirk is likely supporting Mike Carroll.
My prediction as of today in a race between the current Fab Four is as follows:
1. Cappleman makes the runoff barring any disclosure that he is actually straight, married, a Palinite conservative and the father of twelve.
2. Broom Boy or Molly also makes the runoff.
3. Carroll continues to be employed in the Police Department.
4. Cappleman wins the runoff.
Now I could be wrong. It's been known to happen. Just ask my three, or is it four?, ex wives.
5. No matter who ultimately wins it will be a better day in the 46th Ward. I'm assuming Shiller ain't runnin for office, but only away from her constituents.
The games afooot..................afoot.......woof.......woof......rowr....grrr.time for a morning drink
If you don't vote then you can't complain but just because you don't give money doesn't mean you can't complain.
ReplyDeleteWanna bet Shiller steps down in late July or August maybe early September and Daley appoints a new Alderman?
ReplyDeleteCan someone compile a simple spreadsheet that compares the currently declared candidates positions on key political issues?
ReplyDeletePretty rotten things to say about Molly. She is a very good person, I know her personally.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Molly frequent CAPS meetings-and I go to several different ones-so I know she's not aware of the issues that my neighbors specifically bring up and the discussions about possible solutions to those issues.
ReplyDeleteI have no evidence of her rapport with our police officers, which in my mind (as a voter) is a critical piece to changing the violence in the 'hood.
I can't remember ever seeing (or hearing about) Molly interacting/reaching out to many of Uptown's diverse populations (especially the ones Helen usually "takes care of"). Not only does this concern me on a strictly "get rid of Helen" level because I fear neglecting this will make winning the election insurmountable, but more importantly I think the ONLY way for us all to get along is to have a true middleman (or woman). Though many here might disagree, I don't think an alderman who answers first and foremost to us "evil condo owners" to the exclusion of others is much better than what we are stuck with currently.
Maybe Molly does/will do the above items, but perception is everything in politics and from where I'm sitting, I have serious reservations. In elections I always have at least these 2 basic criteria: I only vote for someone who 1.) is currently doing more for the neighborhood/is more involved than I am, and 2) is positively more equipped, driven, and experienced in neighborhood matters to do a better job than I would. I'm not running because I think there are people in the ward (including current candidates) who achieve those points. Unless I see some serious evidence to the contrary, Molly Phelan does not.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteA good person does not a good alderman make.
Nobody here said Molly kicked their puppy--what I read are comments from people who have grown wise (and tired) off machine-induced paralysis from the leadership in our neighborhood. Noting someone's previous political endorsements (kind of a no-brainer with regard to evaluating a political candidate) and their similarities to what hasn't worked for Uptown seems nothing but intelligent to me.
My criticisms of Phelan go beyond her endorsements (that portion of the goose has been cooked already, which I suspect will hurt overall). You can call them mean-which they are not-but at the end of the day should she want to improve her chances it would be wise to take this and other criticisms here and respond in some way
I am not confident that Molly has spent the time or the energy to really understand many aspects of Uptown's issues. Bravo for fighting FWY, it showed her esquire chops, but in a lot of ways it felt like just another assignment in court. I'm not pulling the youth or chick card, because that would put me in a pot/kettle conundrum, yet there is something to be said for knowing the ins and outs of what you are fighting for. I get the feeling that Molly will bust her buns if she gets the job (her making it through law school tells me that); however I also get the feeling that she would be doing a fair amount of "discovery" before making any changes that stick, likely leaning on the knowledge and experience of people like Cappleman. If I needed a doctor and had a choice (in this case a "vote") I wouldn't ask for a first year resident when a senior attending is available, even if the resident was young and passionate. In this little analogy Uptown is like a trauma patient; time is of the essence and skill is critical.
NKOTB, to call Molly's involvement in FWY "just another assignment in court" is ridiculous. She worked tirelessly leading the effort, volunteering countless hours to the fight.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your assertion that she is not involved in the community beyond FWY is incorrect. She is the CAPSs liason for my beat and is an active board member of Buena Park Neighbors. She was also a driving force behind the successful Stop Labor Ready movement. She may very well be involved in other community activities, these are just the ones that I have witnessed her involvement first hand.
I know James and have a lot of respect for him and the work that he has done in the ward, but to paint him as the elder statesman and Molly as the "first year resident" is completely off base.
In all of my interactions with Molly, I have found her to be a natural leader adept at accessing a situation, taking fast action and achieving results.
Brad,
ReplyDeleteI don't think declared positions mean a whole hell of alot in this race. All four candidates will say roughly the same things you'd expect from people portraying themselves as socially liberal, good government types.
What matters is who they are as people and their associations.
1. Nowatny is clearly a machine guy. He's also just about retirement age and I imagine he would likely only be aldercritter for one term or less. Pump up that city pension then retire somewhere. He doesn't have the background of someone I would expect to take on "da machine".
2. Cappleman, younger than ponytail guy and would probably want to be alderman for at least two or more terms. Too old to have many political aspirations beyond the council. That's good as it gives him less incentive to pucker up to "da machine".
3. Carroll, thirtyish and seemingly no extant business interests. Young enough and Irish looking enough to probably desire higher office. Might see himself as "da mare". Common affliction among local pols in general and the subset of Irish Catholic male pols even more. He has that look in his eye. More likely to pucker up to "da machine" in order to move up.
4. Phelan,similar to Carroll with the addition of the extant business interest as a real estate tax attorney. More hair on her head than Mikeronut. Sorry Mike. Seemingly ambitious. Might see herself in higher office. Has already puckered up to "da machine" by being the 46th Ward coordinator for Terry O'Brien's ill fated campaign. Which occurred AFTER the machine taught her a lesson with Fix Wilson Yard.
5. Gerald Farinas and Jesse Wilson. No ties to anyone that I know of. May even forget to vote for themselves.
Out of the Fab Four I would expect Cappleman to be the most likely to take on the machine. Of course he would compromise on occasion as is necessary for any politician. He seemingly is more like a Waguspeck than a machine hack like O'Connor, Tunney et al.
By the way I find it amusing to see Tunney trying to distance himself from "da mare". Tommy is talking about Mayoral aspirations himself. Mayoralitis I might call it.
"In all of my interactions with Molly, I have found her to be a natural leader adept at accessing a situation, taking fast action and achieving results."
ReplyDeleteMr Gordon, I think you mean assessing, but that does not matter.
What does matter is that Ms Phelan assessed her situation after her Fix Wilson Yard loss and went over to the dark side. Maybe she was there beforehand. She is a relatively new resident of the ward and jumped into the various ward groups with gusto.
She did good work with Fix Wilson Yard. She has done good work with other issues. The real question I think needs to be asked is was her moving into this ward just a way to get elected to office.
You cannot support Terrence O'Brien over Toni Preckwinkle and then claim to be fighting the machine.
Even Alderwoman Shiller supported Preckwinkle.
Sorry for the misspelling Capt Quirk. As you can see from the time of my post, it was quite late when I posted. Perhaps I had one too many at Bar on Buena earlier in the evening.
ReplyDeleteHelp me with some math, if you would:
If Shiller = Machine, and Shiller = Preckwinckle, doesn't that mean Preckwinkle = Machine?
and
If Machine = TIFs, and Phelan ≠ TIFS, doesn't that mean Phelan ≠ Machine?
I just don't see how leading the charge in filing a lawsuit against the city, challenging Mayor Daley's favorite slush-fund financing tool would ingratiate her to the Machine powers that be. Ever.
Phelan is facing an uphill battle on experience, especially from the many people in Uptown *not me* who thought FWY was a pro-gentrification push to get rid of affordable housing. If my section 8 neighbors have even heard of her, it's likely from FWY alone, and I can imagine them being wary to vote for someone that hasn't spent quite a number of years as part of Uptown (like at least 5-10) and is most known for trying to stop the development of housing for the poor. (again, not my opinion, but you have to acknowledge that it exists)
ReplyDeleteYou didn't address any of the specific concerns I have about Molly except for her membership in a few groups (which I suspect has all more been recent as opposed to long term). FWY had to take a beastly amount of her time and dedication, but at the end of the day it was more of what she does at work--I didn't mean to imply she was less dedicated personally, it's just already part of her skill-set. The other issues going on in Uptown won't be solved in the same way, and there isn't much from my neck of the woods to show she knows how to get it done.
Gordon,
ReplyDeleteI'm genuinely glad to hear Molly is active down in Buenaland, and that she has shown herself to be a leader in your eyes. If you read my post again, I applauded her work ethic and potential; this isn't a situation like previous elections where it is good vs evil, I don't see her as a bad person or even as a terrible potential alderman--I just stated that I believe there are better options.
If she or her people are listening, what I was trying to say was that her presence north of Montrose (particularly in 2311 and 2312) is slim to none. Unfortunately, this area holds more shootings/gang presence/drug dealing/street fighting/irishpirate hooker sightings etc etc etc per square block than anywhere else in the ward. I'm not so naive to think that there aren't problems elsewhere, but most pressing to me is stopping the violence and making it safe for pedestrians of all walks to coexist right outside my front door. My vote goes to whoever can make that happen and I have zero evidence Molly will do it.
You said yourself you've known Cappleman for awhile--There are definitely pro and con arguments between the two, but that Cappleman is more experienced in Uptown is a foregone conclusion. I don't even think it's worth debating. My medical analogy might have made you unhappy, but it's far from "off base"....
Pirate, I think declared positions are important in this race.
ReplyDeleteAs you point out, there are some distinct differences in each candidate's party affiliation, past political alliances, campaign donations, etc. Those relationships and those behaviors likely affect policy positions and future votes.
It's not enough to rate a potential candidate on CAPS attendance or some other filtering event. It's absurd, an almost silly trope to use such a finely sliced measure as a proxy for something larger, like this job.
So I, for one, want each candidate to detail their policy positions. I want to hear the roll out. I need to know who's the got the goods and who is more substantive and who is more aspirational.