Friday, July 12, 2024

She's Back: Fox To Be Appointed To Guard The Henhouse

(José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune photo / January 29, 2011)

When Helen Shiller stepped down from her tenure as 46th Ward alderman in 2011, we wished her a happy retirement.

Assuming that she was done with city politics was a miscalculation. Not only has she acted as a mentor and advisor for current 46th Ward alderwoman Angela Clay, Ms. Shiller is about to be able to influence potential developments all over the city, if the latest Tribune story is to be believed.

According to reports, Mayor Johnson is preparing to appoint Ms. Shiller, who is now 76 years old, to a long-vacant position on the Zoning Board of Appeals, which has the final say on zoning decisions all over the city.

In recent months, the ZBA was in the headlines when Ald. Clay championed a proposal to convert the Bachelor Hotel on Wilson Avenue, a for-profit building owned by FLATS, into a fourth homeless shelter operated by Cornerstone Community Outreach, a non-profit closely associated with Jesus People USA (JPUSA). JPUSA, of course, was (and is) a long-time supporter of Ald. Shiller and was crucial to her efforts to hold power during her time in office.

The proposal failed when the ZBA voted 2-2 on the proposal. Three votes are necessary for passage, and there was a board vacancy at the time. Notably, one of the "yes" votes came from longtime Shiller ally Sam Toia. 

(Toia was president of the Illinois Restaurant Association at the time, and the shelter he voted in favor of would have put two locally owned existing establishments out of business -- Downstate Donuts and 2 Bears Tavern -- but politics, right?) 

Numerous neighbors and businesses in the area opposed the conversion of the building into a homeless shelter, citing the concentration of already existing shelters (it would have been the fourth homeless shelter in a one-block area); the inability of existing businesses in the building to renew their insurance if a shelter was built above them; and the imposition new ADA standards would have on existing establishments (an elevator would have infringed on the worship area of Uptown Church and put its own zoning variance at risk).

With the probable appointment of Ms. Shiller to the board, it seems like Mayor Johnson is putting his thumb on the scale and ensuring his Council allies (including Ald. Clay) will get their preferred outcomes on future zoning proposals. 

27 comments:

  1. While not surprising - this is terrifying. People talk about how long it took Uptown to recover from the 'reign of Shiller' - which took years. Now it appears she's managed to "fail UP" if this news is true - to a position where she can truly do damage further than just one ward. Terrifying. If true, she'll have her new position AND - worse for Uptown, will also have her puppet, Angela Clay, in the 46th Alder role. God help us!

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    1. Terrifying?
      Is this what keeps you up @nite?
      If so, you must have a very entitled, simple life.
      This isn't terrifying.
      Try less hyperbole.
      I think we encounter enough of that from all the "terrified" closeted Republicans in our neighborhood.
      Including the money-driven entitleds who run this site.

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    2. It improved but hardy recovered..if it had, we’d be as properous as wicker park but with more character.

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    3. Alder Clay supports public parks being taken over by tents, and is now determined to turn the building at the corner of Iriving Park and Marine Drive (former Islamic Center) into a permanent homeless shelter once the lease expires Dec 31 for use as immigrant housing. She put in an organization that is beholding to her to now run it. That is one reason Helen was appointed to drive this through without any community input or involvement. The intent is to make Uptown a primary site of shelters, tent encampments, etc. vs scattered site housing which all evidence indicates are better for the community and residents. The key is to start backing alternative candidates for Alderperson now. I have lived in this ward for over 40 years and it has taken years to begin repairing the damage done by Shiller. Voters realized this and fortunately got Shiller out. We have to do the same with Angela

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    4. These losers are determined to keep Uptown poor and broke just what all social justice warriors Bleeding heart liberals do they are all broke and they don’t want anyone to get ahead as all they know to do is lose and be poor. I absolutely despise idiot, Brandon, old hag, Schiller, and racist clay.

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    5. Check out. https://www.uptownupdate.com/2024/12/helen-shiller-agonistes-cannabis-story.html

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  2. Enough of this angela ‘worthless and incompetent’ clay….i didn’t start off a Cappleman fan but he did amazing things to raise a declining ward. Next election let’s vote this puppet out!

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  3. I wasn’t initially a fan of Cappleman but he won me over. The ward looked better than ever under him. clay needs to go.

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  4. Johnson, Clay and Shiller need to go. Have lived in the 46th ward for many years and the ward under Shiller and her cronies was unbearable. There was no progress, they wanted more and more shelters and of course no businesses wanted to open in the area. Cappleman brought progress to our ward and I’m sorry he retired.

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  5. Holy cow, Shiller is the nightmare that won’t stop. Not only did she block housing being built in Uptown, but she prevented the Clark Street commercial area from getting new stores.

    Only after she left did it start improving. And now Angela Clay is backsliding it again.

    Everyone deserves housing. It should be everyone’s responsibility, not just the residents of Uptown. If you put all the homeless shelters in one place they do not have the services available to help all the residents’ needs.

    This is just stupid. And Shiller on the zoning board will replicate this problem throughout the city.

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    1. EVERYONE DESERVES HOUSING. Seriously, that idea is lost on too many people.

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    2. Yes everyone does deserve housing but you're missing the point. Shiller has a long history of making Uptown the dumping ground for Social Services for ALL of Chicago and she will continue this path via Clay if allowed. Chicago is a huge city. More services and housing could be placed in a variety of different wards not just Uptown. Shiller needs to go away and enjoy retirement and pension. Leave Uptown alone.

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  6. Maybe time to start a letter writing campaign to the Johnson Administration to push against this nomination?

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  7. I came to Uptown Update as soon as I saw the news about Shiller. Mamma mia!

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  8. Everybody wants the 3 amigos to go....it won't happen....because only about 20-30% of the city votes and that insures that the incumbents will be voted back in. If we had a RANK FILE system, maybe that wouldn't happen. But we have a 51% winner takes all system. CHANGE the voting process!

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    Replies
    1. Sigh. You wanted "ranked choice" not "rank and file" For all intensive purposes, you stepped on another rake.

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    2. The expression is intents and purposes, not intensive purposes.

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    3. Irregardless, I will not be out-Lianna'd because your anonymeter is faulty.

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  9. I see ya'll clearly going back to your roots of being about the preeminent hater site in Uptown.

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    Replies
    1. It's hard to hate on someone when they post as "Anonymous"

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    2. All y'all anona mice are more sober than the sodden bloviater, but just as dull

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  10. I love that Brandon Johnson finally filled this vacant position. I'm a huge supporter of Helen Shiller and I think she'll do a great job in the role!

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