Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Cappleman Statement Regarding Meeting With Salvation Army

From Alderman Cappleman's Office:
March 6, 2013 (Chicago) - I want to thank Captain Nancy Powers for meeting with me today to talk about the issue of chronic homelessness. We both agree that there is more work we all can do to combat this problem. We both also agree that it’s time for all social services in the 46th ward to come together and work together. For too long social services have operated in silos and I’m excited and hopeful about bringing all interested parties to the table to come up with a plan together. Hopefully we can see the day when no one is living on the streets and everyone has a safe and warm roof over their heads.

23 comments:

  1. Wow. That's a lot of words for saying absolutely nothing. It's like the Uptown version of Brad Pitt's Chanel #5 commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGs4CjeJiJQ

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  2. Actually, very few words were used to say and do quite a bit.

    1 - a productive meeting was held between two parties, conveyed in the media as being antagonistic towards one another: the alderman and the Salvation Army.

    2 - both sides came to an agreement on a combined vision for working towards a solution to a common problem.

    3 - Per #2, what's lead to the problem being "chronic" was discussed, and it was agreed that another strategy is required.

    4 - An open invitation was put forth to all "interested parties" to come to the table to assist in the development of this strategy, as well as to assist in that strategy's execution.

    Additionally, within the confines of one paragraph, the alderman significantly turned down the heat on an issue which had been simmering a) unnecessarily and b) for too long.

    He's also effectively disarmed an energetic, yet slightly misguided, columnist - as well as a small yet vociferous handful of folks who've been licking their chops in anticipation of something, anything upon which to impale the man.


    I'll admit that Cappleman has, at times (to me), come across as a little clumsy in the PR department; but, what he's demonstrated here is a kind of leadership this ward so sorely needs.

    And he did it in a manner that our previous alderman never did (or could): succinctly and coherently.

    To channel the spirit of our resident swashbuckling bar fly/hooker repellent: "Jim-meh bumba yay"

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  3. Productive means that some sort of output is produced. I do not define output as agreeing that we could do more to help homelessness (really?) or agreeing to have a meeting with unspecified parties at some unspecified time in the future. And a common vision really would also require some details to be produced. Wanting to remove silos is not a bad idea, but the lack of detail is deafening. To again use a reference from popular culture, it's reminiscent of the South Park underwear gnomes who possessed the following business vision:

    1. Steal underpants
    2. ????
    3. Make profit

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  4. The output, in this case, being that the two sides aren't at odds, as either had been the case, or had been portrayed in the media.

    Further, coming to an agreement to work collaboratively, again something not portrayed as looking likely via media, could also been recognized as an output.

    Per your example, the gnomes had to meet and discuss what step 1 was going to be, did they not?

    There needed collaboration for them to even decide to determine that a business vision was even necessary.

    While it is a cute example, it's not necessarily fitting.

    As for the lack of detail, you're basing your opinion from a press release. Unless/Until the minutes of the meeting are released, you don't know what sorts of details and next steps were actually discussed.

    I'd like to see details, too - but considering this situation had been little more than mind-numbingly idiotic circus, I'm fine with buried hatchets and an agreement to work together.

    I'm also confident that we'll see the details - or effects thereof, soon enough.

    You may not be.

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  5. Yo said: "I'd like to see details..."

    So would Mark Brown.

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  6. It pains me to agree with "Yo", but his analysis of the statement is very good.

    That "small yet vociferous handful of folks" he refers to is largely JPUSA and other remnants of the hardcore Shillerista horde. Trott was at the event carrying his granddaughter? on his shoulder and Deneise Davis was there too.

    There was also some guy? dressed as a clown of some type.

    I'd guess that there were 225+ people marching. Say half from JPUSA,, then the usual Shillerista suspects and a significant number of college or post college students. All the young guys there clearly weren't JPUSA types because many lacked facial hair or overwhelming body odor.

    The hair and body odor seems to be a requirement for the under 30 year old adult males at the Friendly Tower.

    I walked by the march on my way to Target to purchase some "beverages". Actually I timed it on purpose just so I could say that. I tried to get a rough count of the protesters as I walked by in each direction.

    It seems to have gone off well and with no violence so that's good. I might not agree with the protesters, but they do have a right to express their opinions. No matter how fowl. Get it? F O W L. Snicker.

    There were also some professional camera crews there so expect some stories on the TEEVEE tonight.

    I'm going out, but perhaps we can get some links later to the stories and any pics out there.

    I was hoping that some TEEVEE reporter would try to interview me. Alas.

    I had my response all planned out. I was going to rant about Cappleman and pigeons(rock doves).

    "Oh man Kapelhofman he likes 2 hate pigeons man. Ya know pigeons are called rock doves. Doves are like the bird of peace man. It's just sooooooooo wrong. Then he wants to poison the dovies man and then feed them to the homeless and send them to Iraqistan to clear land mynes. OH, dude Kapelschweitman peed on my rug. True story. He peed on my rug.

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  7. it was a wonderful protest, I know an old world war two veteran; who has to eat at the salvation army truck at the end of the month..he has a wall full of medals
    selfishness is a delusion
    heartlessness causes stress
    karma or your Gods see your hate

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  8. Killing two birds with one stone. I'm thinking I could start a new career as a Pigeon Bounty Hunter for Cappleman. At least we'd be keeping the money in the city - instead of giving it to some Hoosier.

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  9. Craig the pigeon bounty should be a region wide effort to eliminate this avian scourge.

    Sane and decent folks can to some extent differ on how to deal with the issues of poverty and the homeless, but pigeons should be killed as quickly and humanely as possible.

    I've been looking around the net and just looked at these photos from the antiCapplemarch.

    Man, if I had known Mindy was going to be there dressed as a condiment I might have dumped my tabasco sauce of a long term girlfriend and made my moves on Ms Mustard.

    I'm stopping there because the jokes are too easy to make and I'd get in trouble.

    I think we all need to give the Capplemaniac a chance. It's not going to happen because the forces of Uptown Past are hell bent or heaven bent on fighting till the bitter end, but he should get a chance.

    Hell, we'd do it for Randolph Scott.

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  10. Cappleman should instill a policy to not negotiate with poverty terrorist.

    This whole debate will only continue to escalate once the bullets begin consistently flying again in Uppity-tight town…Uppity-tight referring to the stubborn poverty pimps that refuse to leave the neighborhood.

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  11. Here's some video from the march from Channel Two.

    At about 1:08 Ms Mustard speaks!

    Rowr!

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  12. Pirate - you're like a Stephen King novel. Lots to read. Needs good editor.

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  13. Wang Chung said...
    Cappleman should instill a policy to not negotiate with poverty terrorist.

    This whole debate will only continue to escalate once the bullets begin consistently flying again in Uppity-tight town…Uppity-tight referring to the stubborn poverty pimps that refuse to leave the neighborhood.


    You're not helping.

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  14. I'm really disappointed Cap backed down. I thought he made good points about the truck perpetuating homelessness in that area. If you read between the lines, the press release basically says that the Salvation Army gets to continue to do what they want to do and all they had to do was agree to work with Cap in the future, whatever that means. It's pretty vague. And shouldn't the Salvation Army want to work with Cap?

    I'm still 100% behind Cap as I realize he can't win 'em all, but I really wish he would have fought harder for something he seemed to truly believe in, instead of backing down to Brown, the Salvation Army, and the protestors. Oh well...

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  15. "for too long social services have operated in silos". I respect Cappleman for trying to forge a better working relationship with the Sal Army after asking them to leave Uptown, but that is a total straight out of the butt, B.S. statement. It probably sounds good to the residents of Uptown, but it is far from true. Social services in Uptwon constantly collaborate and make cross referrals with each other and have had established working relationships for decades. That is the type of statement a polished politician makes knowing that Joe and Jane constituent really have no idea if what they are saying is true or not, but will assume the politician is speaking with authority on the subject and will be impressed. The average voter in Uptown has no idea about who the various social service providers are, the scope of their respective services, and how they work together. But Cappleman can make a statement like that and sound (to the uninformed) like he knows what he is talking about, has identified the problem, and is showing leadership ("wow, see, gee the problem's been the social service providers haven't been working together! Cappleman's on it now!). The problem is not so much that the various social service providers are not working together, but that the demand for their services and resources is vastly greater than the supply. And once the various social service provides get one homeless person housed or one person struggling with addiction off the streets and into treatment, there are two more to take their places. Not that I don't admire Cappleman's efforts to improve things, I do. But putting out misinformed statements like that does not help.

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  16. Social services in Uptwon constantly collaborate and make cross referrals with each other and have had established working relationships for decades.

    That must explain the overwhelming success we've seen, historically.

    But you're partially correct on this:

    The problem is not so much that the various social service providers are not working together, but that the demand for their services and resources is vastly greater than the supply

    Demand is certainly outreaching supply; however, putting your point into my perspective, it's not that service providers aren't working together ..., it's that even if they are, they aren't working effectively.

    That's the gap that I feel Cappleman conveyed, and has been conveying for a while.

    Granted, anyone who knows me understands that I'm incapable of independent thought and immediately buy into whatever a politician tells me, so maybe my perspective isn't as keen as it should be.

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  17. Yo, you're exactly right. That IS why you've seen such overwhelming success historically. Good thing you and the rest of Uptown haven't seen how many more homeless there would be and how bad things would be if it weren't for the successful work and effective collaboration of the various social service agencies. And the various agencies no doubt understand how thankful you are for them!

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  18. @ Toucan

    Oh, I’m not commenting to help... Was this forum meant to help someone or something? Sorry, I wasn’t informed.

    I’m adding my own dash of satire to this debate. The world’s age old problems aren’t going to be solved on a neighborhood forum, and isn’t that what this is – one larger debate about class warfare?

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  19. I'd love to see IrishPirate actually speak like a normal adult, without all of his sarcasm and 'wit'.

    Especially since nobody can actually converse with you when you insist on speaking through insults and jabs.

    "It seems to have gone off well and with no violence so that's good."

    Could you explain what type of violence there would have been? And on what basis or what past violent events can you cite to back up this theory?

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  20. Sean,

    My apologies, I should have said "not working together effectively enough".

    Yes - the efforts of the SA and other organizations aren't recognized enough.

    Yes - it's impossible to prove for/against the true breadth of any success/failure based on the nomadic nature of the data.

    But ... I've worked with public sector and not-for-profit organizations long enough to understand that they, like their private sector counterparts, could always be more effective.

    The fact that even one person sleeping on a public way, or is in need of a free meal to tide them over, is indicative that an opportunity exists to improve even the most successful processes.

    Granted, expecting a 100% solution is naive. I was simply using that as a quick example.

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  21. NATO protests Philly.

    NATO.

    I seem to remember some violence and you were ass/head deep in it.

    Please don't tell me it was the cops fault. I saw the video and also the pics of yourself you proudly displayed.

    Now go break your friends out of County Trotsky and afterwards have a PBR.

    Anyone who drinks PBR should be jailed for bad taste.

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