LEN: "Phelan Vows To Bring “Active Transparency” To City Council"
Last night was Molly Phelan's kickoff event for her run for 46th Ward alderman, and of course Lake Effect News was there to tell us all about it. Read Lorraine Swanson's story here.
“The business community can absolutely thrive if we take all the cultures represented in the 46th Ward and celebrate them,” she said. “That’s the underlying goal of my business development plan.”
Sorry but you lost me on this meaningless feel good statement. And that's her underlying business development plan! How about we find a way to stop the violence. I don't think we are having a problem bringing businesses into uptown because we are not celebrating our various cultures. Please, what the hell does that sentence even mean.
Don't get me wrong I would favor anyone over Shiller but can we please lose the flowery language that amounts to nothing.
So here's the thing. If Uptown keeps boasting four candidates to rival Shiller, they'll just split the vote and guarantee that Shiller stays in office. If they really want her out, three of them are going to have to shelve their ambitions and help unify the community around a single best candidate. Discuss.
Good Article from Lorraine. I really do like her writing.
Molly says a lot of good things here. As a parent, the school thing really hits home. We are doing private school next year because the public schools that we were excepted to in our opinion were not up to par and with looming budget cuts in the near future frightened us.
My only thing with this is can we please retire the word "transparency?" Recent politicians have wrecked that word for me.
I want honesty. I want a politician who says what they mean and means what they say. If you are going to vote a certain way let us know, either we vote for you or we don't. We have a City Council of Charlatans.
I don't want to hear "Change", "Transparency", or "Status Quo"
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Nicks Uptown one of Helen's joints she used to raise campaign cash?
Are local establishments turning their back on her? Seems strange if they have an alliance with Helen to let her political opponents in the front door.
Maybe I am reading more into this situation than there really is.
LOL IP. I really hope you weren't expecting an invite to the Gerald Farinas victory party.
I heard Alan Keyes might shed the straight jacket for a few hours to entertain the kiddies with balloon animals and his very entertaining brand of insanity.
But, seriously folks ... have we forgotten Jesse Wilson?
I almost did, until I remembered that hand scribbled sign taped to a car door, crookedly.
Where's Jesse?
Or, the more important question is probably: "Who's Jesse?"
I mean, seriously, you can't ride in a parade touting your candidacy for alderman and then never be seen again.
You're not allowed to disappear until after you're elected.
Pirate I have to confess that Jesse is a friend.... 321 hit it..
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define Jesse got himself a girl and I want to make her mine
And she's watching him with those eyes And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
Wait for it Pirate...wait for it...
You know, I wish that I had Jesse's girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...and James is about the most honest guy I know who is doing this for the right reasons to bring change because he actually cares about this neighborhood. Being a politician is not his platform as with some of these others.... GO JAMES!
KenCondoPres, over the past five years I have come to know James, Mike and Molly while volunteering on different initiatives in the ward. They are all honest and hard working. They are all running because they care about the community and want to see it thrive--not to be politicians.
I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of Uptown Update readers agree that Shiller needs to go. I consider us all lucky to have a variety of great candidates to chose from. The issues that need to be addressed are fairly universal across campaigns (crime, education, business development, TIF abuse, inclusiveness) so the real job at hand is choosing which candidate you think has the best plan of action and skills/experience to implement their plan successfully. Over the coming months the candidates will undoubtedly outline their backgrounds and plans of action. Let's give them some time to do so--the election is still over 200 days away. In the meantime, it would be great if those who have already decided who they are going to vote for would focus candidate-supporting posts on the positive attributes of their candidate without bashing the other candidates. Uptown Update will get awfully tiresome if negativity rules.
Phelan's website (as linked from the LEN article) is down: http://www.phelanfor46.com/
Phelan let www.fixwilsonyard.org domain registration expire. Before that http://www.fixwilsonyard.org had not been updated to mention any of the events related to their close of business, so to speak. Nor did it have contact information for her or the organization. But the donation link was active last I checked.
I wouldn't quite go so far as to declare it a fail since (pretty much) anyone following the situation was aware of the status since it recv'd a decent amount of media coverage and word of mouth.
A transparency fail would assume that she was trying to hide something.
Were you aware of the status of FWY w/o looking on that website?
See what I mean?
I would consider it a bit sloppy not to tie up the loose ends, and Molly should have seen to it that the website was updated prior to the domain expiration, granted.
However, the domain is now dead and your point, unfortunately, is not only moot, but the donation link aspect can't be substanstiated.
Candidate positive commenting rather than internecine comment war by fans of all the challengers would be a lovely thing for at least the next few months if not the next 220 days.
Meantime, some pragmatism, realism, and cynicism....
Campaign reports are due out next week on fundraising over the first 6 months of 2010. Maybe I'm a bit cynical but I can live with any of the three challengers who aren't already working for the City (sorry, Mr. Nowotny).
But realistically I will happily support the challenger who has best put themselves in a position to win by raising the most money so far in this campaign.
And cynically, I don't think any of them has an ice cubes chance in hell if Ald Shiller does retire later this summer and lets Mayor Daley hand the seat off to Greg Harris to run as an incumbent.
I'm happy (yes happy I tell you) to report that I also know and have worked with four candidates technically.
James, Mike and Molly (alpha first name order) are all running for the right reasons. Because they care. Its up to us to decide which candidate's platform suits us best and vote, and/or financially support)our "chosen one". As one of god's chosen people I know I should have run, but the possibility of Irish Pirate running intimidated me. Or should I have said, I should have rum....
All links to a candidate's websites are down on the eve of the campaign kickoff. She proposes to record all meetings and post them online for constituents to view. There's a disconect here.
At least Shiller's websites are up and are updated with new (if useless) information.
by raising the most money so far in this campaign.
... all depends on from where the money is comes.
Personally, more money = more obligation to those who provided it.
If the Blago trial teaches us anything, campaign money is, has been, and probably will be the root of all evil in the political arena.
I agree with the fun of a comment war, if commenters keep it civil and rational.
And, I think you're dead-on should the situation you described occur; hoever, there is bad blood between Shiller and Harris.
He endorsed her in '07; but, when challenged to defend that endorsemnet, he made the right move in distancing from her (at least publicly).
I've met and have talked to Harris on several occasions, and I find him to be a good guy.
Having said that, I might/could live with Harris in the seat as he's done some commendable work picking up the slack left dangling by the aldermen in both the 46th and 48th wards.
Having said that, I take a very dim view of everyone currently in the Illinois legislature.
This massive mess that we're in didn't happen all because of Blago.
Every incumbent in Springfield has left a fingerprint on the trainwreck that is the state's current condition, and unfortunately, Harris is part of that.
Personally, I'm looking for a candidate who is a community-firster,and not a party-contributer-firster (not to say that any of the candidates, or Harris falls into either category).
I'm not currently sure who that candidate might be; but, the first one to step up and demosntrate a committment of their energies to "us" rather than whomever the democratic machine "recommends", or whomever their contributers request, that person will get my attention.
However, there is a disconnect, you're right; but I'm not sure it's Molly's:
All links to a candidate's websites are down on the eve of the campaign kickoff. She proposes to record all meetings and post them online for constituents to view. There's a disconect here.
She proposes putting meetings online ... if she's elected.
How is it possible for her (or any candidate) to post meetings online prior to those meetings being held?
Ya can't quite put the cart before the horse if you don't yet have the cart.
Oh - typing: FAIL on my part:
.... all depends on from where the money is comes.
It just amazes me the way I see people bashing the candidates running against Shiller. So we all wanted choices, but yet we have at least 4 candidates and people go about bashing them.
Let's take a time out and listen to what they all have to say and then make a decision closer to election time.
And when she made this statements: “The business community can absolutely thrive if we take all the cultures represented in the 46th Ward and celebrate them,” she said. “That’s the underlying goal of my business development plan.”
She was referring to what has happened in other neighborhoods i.e. Wicker Park that years ago you won't be caught there after dark. But maybe some people don't know much about Wicker Park or what it used to be like.
I have not made up my mind yet I still want to hear more from all of them.
Molly, Mike and James (reverse alphabetical order to keep it fair) would all be a great improvement over Helen.
I also hear, through a fairly reliable source, that if Helen decides not to run, her lovely office manager Denise may run in her place... now wouldn't that be fun! Don is probably there to split the condo and gay vote over the other 3 candidates...
A wise candidate understands the need to raise a boatload of money for their July reporting period. That money will come from themselves, friends, and family, but what will be more impressive will be how many small donations come from the ward residents. That speaks of the candidate’s ability to gain the trust of people living in the ward, and during these economic times, a lot of people giving even small amounts is impressive.
I wonder when’s the deadline for the filing period?
You can criticize all you want I am just saying it's laughable to me and I am going to make up my mind based on the campaign and what the candidates have to say.
Not some anonymous people on a blog posting inflammatory comments after taking what the candidates say out of context and twisting it around.
I just would hate to see this campaign divide Uptown anymore and it very easily will if we start slinging mud this early in the game. It is early for sure and they aren't even on the ballot yet.
James and Molly have both done a lot as far as I am concerned. Officer Carroll is a nice guy, I met him but I don't know much about him. Nowatny and the other guy I know even less about.
Uptown SuperHero -- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (I'm saying it like how Michael Scott said it when Toby returned) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Please tell me that's a sick joke re if Helen decides not to run...
Snicker. Oh the joy the thought of her running brings to the deep recesses of my demented mind.
Now the dressing as a hooker thing to give out AIDS info doesn't strike me as a negative. Her other well known issues do strike me as a negative.
Of course dressing up like a hooker could be considered preparation for being alderman. Former Alderman and current felon Troutman famously said "all alderman are ho's".
I doubt she'd run, but if she did the question is whose campaign does she draw votes from.
My guess is a Denice for Alderman campaign would likely draw the vast majority of its votes from the JPUSA and subsidized housing residents.
If Nowatny is the Shiller approved candidate then a Denice Davis campaign would likely hurt him most. Perhaps followed by Molly's campaign because then there would be another female in da race.
My guess is Denice running is just a rumor. I hope she does run though. That headgear she sometimes wears is amusing. I had to go to a Sikh wedding and was forced to wear a Turban. Do you know how difficult it is to find a green turban in an xxxxxl size?
My mom tells a story about her and my dad being down at Maxwell street in the late 50's while he was searching for a hat. None of the vendors down there had a hat that large. Finally, one of the vendors said to him "Sir, would you like the box".
“The business community can absolutely thrive if we take all the cultures represented in the 46th Ward and celebrate them,” she said. “That’s the underlying goal of my business development plan.”
ReplyDeleteSorry but you lost me on this meaningless feel good statement. And that's her underlying business development plan! How about we find a way to stop the violence. I don't think we are having a problem bringing businesses into uptown because we are not celebrating our various cultures. Please, what the hell does that sentence even mean.
Don't get me wrong I would favor anyone over Shiller but can we please lose the flowery language that amounts to nothing.
So here's the thing. If Uptown keeps boasting four candidates to rival Shiller, they'll just split the vote and guarantee that Shiller stays in office. If they really want her out, three of them are going to have to shelve their ambitions and help unify the community around a single best candidate. Discuss.
ReplyDeleteWe have three seemingly decent candidates for aldercritter.
ReplyDeletePhelan, Cappleman and Carroll.
That ain't bad.
Even Nowotny would be an improvement over the current Alderman.
It'll be a fun race. I can see legitimate reasons to support any of those three.
However, dat's not why I'm here.
I'm here to promote my Upademy Award Winning Short
"Political War in Uptown Chicago".
Enjoy and May the Farce Be With You.
Good Article from Lorraine. I really do like her writing.
ReplyDeleteMolly says a lot of good things here. As a parent, the school thing really hits home. We are doing private school next year because the public schools that we were excepted to in our opinion were not up to par and with looming budget cuts in the near future frightened us.
My only thing with this is can we please retire the word "transparency?" Recent politicians have wrecked that word for me.
I want honesty. I want a politician who says what they mean and means what they say. If you are going to vote a certain way let us know, either we vote for you or we don't. We have a City Council of Charlatans.
I don't want to hear "Change", "Transparency", or "Status Quo"
I want results. And maybe a Christmas card.
Carless,
ReplyDeleteIf no candidate gets a majority of the vote in February then a runoff between the top two candidates is held in April.
Even if Shiller runs and makes the runoff she will still face only one candidate.
I actually think multiple candidates could be a good thang in such a scenario.
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Nicks Uptown one of Helen's joints she used to raise campaign cash?
ReplyDeleteAre local establishments turning their back on her? Seems strange if they have an alliance with Helen to let her political opponents in the front door.
Maybe I am reading more into this situation than there really is.
LOL IP. I really hope you weren't expecting an invite to the Gerald Farinas victory party.
ReplyDeleteI heard Alan Keyes might shed the straight jacket for a few hours to entertain the kiddies with balloon animals and his very entertaining brand of insanity.
But, seriously folks ... have we forgotten Jesse Wilson?
I almost did, until I remembered that hand scribbled sign taped to a car door, crookedly.
Where's Jesse?
Or, the more important question is probably: "Who's Jesse?"
I mean, seriously, you can't ride in a parade touting your candidacy for alderman and then never be seen again.
You're not allowed to disappear until after you're elected.
Pirate I have to confess that Jesse is a friend.... 321 hit it..
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine
But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define
Jesse got himself a girl and I want to make her mine
And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
Wait for it Pirate...wait for it...
You know, I wish that I had Jesse's girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No offense to Molly, who I think would be a great alderman over Shiller...but isn't this the same platform as James Cappleman?!?!?
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find a woman like that?
ReplyDelete...and James is about the most honest guy I know who is doing this for the right reasons to bring change because he actually cares about this neighborhood. Being a politician is not his platform as with some of these others.... GO JAMES!
ReplyDeleterick springfield ftw!
ReplyDeleteKenCondoPres, over the past five years I have come to know James, Mike and Molly while volunteering on different initiatives in the ward. They are all honest and hard working. They are all running because they care about the community and want to see it thrive--not to be politicians.
ReplyDeleteI think it is safe to say that the vast majority of Uptown Update readers agree that Shiller needs to go. I consider us all lucky to have a variety of great candidates to chose from. The issues that need to be addressed are fairly universal across campaigns (crime, education, business development, TIF abuse, inclusiveness) so the real job at hand is choosing which candidate you think has the best plan of action and skills/experience to implement their plan successfully. Over the coming months the candidates will undoubtedly outline their backgrounds and plans of action. Let's give them some time to do so--the election is still over 200 days away. In the meantime, it would be great if those who have already decided who they are going to vote for would focus candidate-supporting posts on the positive attributes of their candidate without bashing the other candidates. Uptown Update will get awfully tiresome if negativity rules.
Phelan's website (as linked from the LEN article) is down: http://www.phelanfor46.com/
ReplyDeletePhelan let www.fixwilsonyard.org domain registration expire. Before that http://www.fixwilsonyard.org had not been updated to mention any of the events related to their close of business, so to speak. Nor did it have contact information for her or the organization. But the donation link was active last I checked.
Transparency: FAIL
Transparency: FAIL
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't quite go so far as to declare it a fail since (pretty much) anyone following the situation was aware of the status since it recv'd a decent amount of media coverage and word of mouth.
A transparency fail would assume that she was trying to hide something.
Were you aware of the status of FWY w/o looking on that website?
See what I mean?
I would consider it a bit sloppy not to tie up the loose ends, and Molly should have seen to it that the website was updated prior to the domain expiration, granted.
However, the domain is now dead and your point, unfortunately, is not only moot, but the donation link aspect can't be substanstiated.
Argument: fail.
If you want an example of a true transparency fail
Candidate positive commenting rather than internecine comment war by fans of all the challengers would be a lovely thing for at least the next few months if not the next 220 days.
ReplyDeleteMeantime, some pragmatism, realism, and cynicism....
Campaign reports are due out next week on fundraising over the first 6 months of 2010. Maybe I'm a bit cynical but I can live with any of the three challengers who aren't already working for the City (sorry, Mr. Nowotny).
But realistically I will happily support the challenger who has best put themselves in a position to win by raising the most money so far in this campaign.
And cynically, I don't think any of them has an ice cubes chance in hell if Ald Shiller does retire later this summer and lets Mayor Daley hand the seat off to Greg Harris to run as an incumbent.
I'm happy (yes happy I tell you) to report that I also know and have worked with four candidates technically.
ReplyDeleteJames, Mike and Molly (alpha first name order) are all running for the right reasons. Because they care. Its up to us to decide which candidate's platform suits us best and vote, and/or financially support)our "chosen one". As one of god's chosen people I know I should have run, but the possibility of Irish Pirate running intimidated me. Or should I have said, I should have rum....
Yo, FAIL, as in failblog.org.
ReplyDeleteAll links to a candidate's websites are down on the eve of the campaign kickoff. She proposes to record all meetings and post them online for constituents to view. There's a disconect here.
At least Shiller's websites are up and are updated with new (if useless) information.
Joke: FAIL. If I have to explain it..
Molly's website, as listed on UU's links, is http://phelan46.com. It's just a single page, but it's working.
ReplyDeleteby raising the most money so far in this campaign.
ReplyDelete... all depends on from where the money is comes.
Personally, more money = more obligation to those who provided it.
If the Blago trial teaches us anything, campaign money is, has been, and probably will be the root of all evil in the political arena.
I agree with the fun of a comment war, if commenters keep it civil and rational.
And, I think you're dead-on should the situation you described occur; hoever, there is bad blood between Shiller and Harris.
He endorsed her in '07; but, when challenged to defend that endorsemnet, he made the right move in distancing from her (at least publicly).
I've met and have talked to Harris on several occasions, and I find him to be a good guy.
Having said that, I might/could live with Harris in the seat as he's done some commendable work picking up the slack left dangling by the aldermen in both the 46th and 48th wards.
Having said that, I take a very dim view of everyone currently in the Illinois legislature.
This massive mess that we're in didn't happen all because of Blago.
Every incumbent in Springfield has left a fingerprint on the trainwreck that is the state's current condition, and unfortunately, Harris is part of that.
Personally, I'm looking for a candidate who is a community-firster,and not a party-contributer-firster (not to say that any of the candidates, or Harris falls into either category).
I'm not currently sure who that candidate might be; but, the first one to step up and demosntrate a committment of their energies to "us" rather than whomever the democratic machine "recommends", or whomever their contributers request, that person will get my attention.
Heh .. I get the joke.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is a disconnect, you're right; but I'm not sure it's Molly's:
All links to a candidate's websites are down on the eve of the campaign kickoff. She proposes to record all meetings and post them online for constituents to view. There's a disconect here.
She proposes putting meetings online ... if she's elected.
How is it possible for her (or any candidate) to post meetings online prior to those meetings being held?
Ya can't quite put the cart before the horse if you don't yet have the cart.
Oh - typing: FAIL on my part:
.... all depends on from where the money is comes.
.. is coming, of course.
It just amazes me the way I see people bashing the candidates running against Shiller. So we all wanted choices, but yet we have at least 4 candidates and people go about bashing them.
ReplyDeleteLet's take a time out and listen to what they all have to say and then make a decision closer to election time.
And when she made this statements:
“The business community can absolutely thrive if we take all the cultures represented in the 46th Ward and celebrate them,” she said. “That’s the underlying goal of my business development plan.”
She was referring to what has happened in other neighborhoods i.e. Wicker Park that years ago you won't be caught there after dark. But maybe some people don't know much about Wicker Park or what it used to be like.
I have not made up my mind yet I still want to hear more from all of them.
ew - did anyone notice that shiller's webpage has her little head in the corner of the tab on IE7? ew.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Boohoo. Link fail: FAIL.
ReplyDeleteBikeMan rides away on two flat tires.
Molly, Mike and James (reverse alphabetical order to keep it fair) would all be a great improvement over Helen.
ReplyDeleteI also hear, through a fairly reliable source, that if Helen decides not to run, her lovely office manager Denise may run in her place... now wouldn't that be fun! Don is probably there to split the condo and gay vote over the other 3 candidates...
A wise candidate understands the need to raise a boatload of money for their July reporting period. That money will come from themselves, friends, and family, but what will be more impressive will be how many small donations come from the ward residents. That speaks of the candidate’s ability to gain the trust of people living in the ward, and during these economic times, a lot of people giving even small amounts is impressive.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when’s the deadline for the filing period?
You can criticize all you want I am just saying it's laughable to me and I am going to make up my mind based on the campaign and what the candidates have to say.
ReplyDeleteNot some anonymous people on a blog posting inflammatory comments after taking what the candidates say out of context and twisting it around.
I just would hate to see this campaign divide Uptown anymore and it very easily will if we start slinging mud this early in the game. It is early for sure and they aren't even on the ballot yet.
James and Molly have both done a lot as far as I am concerned. Officer Carroll is a nice guy, I met him but I don't know much about him. Nowatny and the other guy I know even less about.
Uptown SuperHero -- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (I'm saying it like how Michael Scott said it when Toby returned) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Please tell me that's a sick joke re if Helen decides not to run...
ReplyDeleteI can't see Denise running for many reasons:
ReplyDelete- "This isn't your college campus, sweetie."
- Persistent rumors of former gangbanging and/or felon relatives
- Really, does Chicago need an alderman who used to dress up like a ho and troll Broadway giving out AIDS literature to wannabe johns?
- Or someone who signed a letter accusing James Cappleman of being a member of the Klan?
- Someone who mocked community members at several public meetings?
Hell, maybe she should run... she'd be sooooo easy to defeat.
Denice Davis? 4 Alderman?
ReplyDeleteSnicker. Oh the joy the thought of her running brings to the deep recesses of my demented mind.
Now the dressing as a hooker thing to give out AIDS info doesn't strike me as a negative. Her other well known issues do strike me as a negative.
Of course dressing up like a hooker could be considered preparation for being alderman. Former Alderman and current felon Troutman famously said "all alderman are ho's".
I doubt she'd run, but if she did the question is whose campaign does she draw votes from.
My guess is a Denice for Alderman campaign would likely draw the vast majority of its votes from the JPUSA and subsidized housing residents.
If Nowatny is the Shiller approved candidate then a Denice Davis campaign would likely hurt him most. Perhaps followed by Molly's campaign because then there would be another female in da race.
My guess is Denice running is just a rumor. I hope she does run though. That headgear she sometimes wears is amusing. I had to go to a Sikh wedding and was forced to wear a Turban. Do you know how difficult it is to find a green turban in an xxxxxl size?
My mom tells a story about her and my dad being down at Maxwell street in the late 50's while he was searching for a hat. None of the vendors down there had a hat that large. Finally, one of the vendors said to him "Sir, would you like the box".
I'll give her the AIDS thing .. I mean, with educatoinal issues like that every little bit helps.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad there's no photographic evidence.
The rest of it though, is fairly damning.
And, just wondering just made my day. Great post. Thank you.
IF DENISE BECOMES ALDERMAN I AM GOING POSTAL!!!
ReplyDelete