The 46th Ward Election Circus was a little slow in starting, but now we're in full gear. Check out this article by the NY Times/ Chicago News Co-op: Crime Dominates Talk In 46th Ward Campaign. (That link is to Chicago News Co-op; it's in the NY Times here.)
After months of radio silence, Ald. Shiller suddenly just... can't... stop... talking! Even though she's a lame duck, she couldn't refrain from calling James Cappleman's ideas "crazy." (Our suspicion: It's probably just an involuntary reflex by now, like Tourette's.) She also mentions how very concerned she is about crime in the 46th Ward. (Well, you coulda fooled us.)
As far as actual, relevant candidates, the herd is starting to differentiate themselves from one another, especially when it comes to talking about crime.
- Emily Stewart says we need more cops and she'll go over the budget to find the money to hire them (but she can't find any residents who can tell her what they'd have done differently than Ald. Shiller).
- Befekadu Retta likes that Ald. Shiller gave him a helping hand, but says she's soft on crime.
- Marc Kaplan doesn't want any more cops in Uptown (nor does Jamiko Rose of O.N.E., who's quoted along with the candidates for some reason). No shock there, on either count.
- Michael Carroll will personally patrol the streets of Uptown.
- Molly Phelan and Emily Stewart both say they'll use menu money to hire more security.
The photos are interestingly gritty, but two points off for errors in depicting "the streets of the 46th Ward." The New York Times may be the "newspaper of record," but the former Majestic Store (Leland and Broadway) and the traffic stop in front of the Bridgeview Bank (Lawrence and Broadway) are both in the 48th Ward. (We're sure The Times regrets the errors.)
I read the articl.
ReplyDeleteJamiko Rose DID NOT say "we don't need more police", as paraphrased, rather she emphasized other pro-active solutions.
Even veteran police officers will tell you to bring down crime it will take many approaches. She only referred to a few of those, nothing wrong with that.
The article is well written but not what I would call "in depth". The depth of our issues runs very deep indeed.
I fully agree with the compassionate response of Jamiko Rose and the O.N.E. organization. We should all respect the challenges of helping those in need BEFORE it becomes a police matter.
I hope people will actually read the article, another article is likely to be coming out soon but that is all I am saying about that.
Respectfully'
Jeffrey Littleton
Jeffrey, perhaps it doesn't help any that Marc Kaplan has been a very active ONE member. ONE's past judgmental accusations against a number of people and organizations have damaged its credibility and it will take some initiative on Rose's part to repair this damage. Rose better get busy because Helen's reign is coming to a close.
ReplyDelete"Michael Carroll will personally patrol the streets of Uptown."
ReplyDeleteROTFLMAO.
It reminds of some cheesy vigilante cop show!
"And tune in next week where Kid Carroll take on the P-Stones. This tim, ITS PERSONAL."
Rose is a day late and dollar short on the "many approaches" thing on reducing crime--the money isn't there to do all these wonderful after-school programs and other tax-payer-funded diversions anymore. And when the opportunities COULD have been there, Shiller and Kaplan and O.N.E. decided that the "compassionate" approach was to antagonize the very people they want ponying up to pay the bills time and again. The "compassion" ran out a long time ago for many of us, and when Shiller and Kaplan and O.N.E. decided that slapping the rest of us across the face was the right approach, they effectively alienated themselves from any detente with the other half of Uptown. No more. When so many of us have tried so hard for so many years to find common ground without being met halfway, we aren't going to be trying to meet Shiller's Gang, including Kaplan and O.N.E. halfway in the future...you reap what you sow. They are about to be marginalized in the same way they have tried so hard to marginalize the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was nice to finally see a balanced, objective article written about Uptown...too bad it had to take so long.