 |
| Former 46th ward Ald. Shiller |
Machine politics lives, and Mayor Johnson makes sure to reward his supporters!
As you may recall, he appointed Shiller to the Zoning Board of Appeals in 2024.
Johnson appointed more people from the Shiller universe to the school board in late 2024.
Now, despite actions that emailers tell us led to an ethics complaint from a neighborhood organization in Streeterville (SOAR) (Ed. Note: We have not seen the ethics complaint and cannot confirm), Johnson has removed the widely respected current chair of the ZBA in favor of Shiller, who would take the lead seat.
From Crain's via Isabel's Morning Briefing:
"The decision has rankled other members of the ZBA, according to sources familiar with the situation, and a former chair told Crain’s the appointment risks the board’s independence. The current chair, Brian Sanchez, a partner at Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman, was expecting to be renominated by Johnson, but is instead being pushed out altogether. He was informed he would not be reappointed by Shiller in a phone call this week, according to the same sources."
A Reddit discussion of the appointment has more, including the following summary from a Redditor (Crain's is paywalled):
Summary: Mayor Brandon Johnson is moving to replace Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Brian Sanchez with former Ald. Helen Shiller, a longtime Uptown representative, prompting backlash from critics who fear it could undermine the board’s independence. Sanchez, credited with making the board more efficient and transparent, was unexpectedly ousted. Former ZBA chair Ald. Timmy Knudsen warns that ex-alderpersons’ political ties and dealmaking skills could compromise impartiality. Johnson is also weighing appointing politically connected Teamsters lobbyist Pasquale Gianni to the board).
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Okay
ReplyDeleteWorthwhile mentioning that the city is currently spending taxpayer dollars defending a lawsuit that alleges among other things that Shiller violated the ethics code of conduct in her capacity as a member of the ZBA board.
DeleteYou guys really don’t like Helen Shiller, without any clear explanation as to why. Meanwhile no one under 40 living in this neighborhood even knows who she is as she hasn’t been an Alder in like a decade and a half. Out of touch much?
ReplyDeletethis is basically the uptown update manifesto. absolutely bizarre.
DeleteYou’re an idiot. Were you around when she was the alderman? Trying to hold uptown back from eve becoming anything other than a gang infested neighborhood? I was around and I remember all the awful things she stood for.
DeleteThis is a fear of mine - people under 40, who don't remember Helen Shiller commenting what you just commented. This is why history often repeats itself. I am just over the age of 40 and was here in this neighborhood during the last year's Shiller's rein (I moved to Chicago in 2006) and I can say that it was awful. She pushed for methadone clinics (we had 4 or 5), homeless shelters (we had at least 3) and every type of social service in this neighborhood. I am not against those things BUT we had substantially more than any other neighborhood and it showed. There were needles everywhere and it was not safe to walk on Broadway/Wilson. I have seen two shootings in my life and both occured in the area of Broadway/Wilson. I used to frequent a gay bar called Crew where LeNocturne is now and we used to have to walk home in pairs (this was pre-uber) because it was so bad. The gang violence was awful. Now I know it isn't perfect now, but it really is 100 percent better than it was. And it was Helen Shiller. She bragged about all the social services in the area, she wanted more. She hated Lakeview and Rogers Park and saw Uptown as a utopia for her causes. Again, I think we should have social services, but it was ridiculous. And with all the clinics, etc brought more people who would just hang out all over trying to buy/sell drugs etc. Someone who is better at research might be able to pull the % of social services in the area at that time, I remember it was substanially higher compared to the other surrounding neighborhoods. God I hope we don't go backward.
DeleteBack in 2011, Chicago Magazine ran an expose on Chicago's worst aldermen. Shiller was ranked as the worst of the worst. She had a gang leader on her payroll. The CPD would make arrests and Shiller would show up and have them released. As a result of that that article, she never ran again.
ReplyDeletePer Wikipedia:
"Police interviewed said interventions from Shiller and her staff facilitated the protection of gang members from policing activity, allegedly for gaining voter base, according to a report in Chicago Magazine."
Have lived in Uptown for 20 years. Have met Helen. While I like the lofty utopian goals, reality is that humans are by nature are going to look after number one and their own first. That is why the socialism that she and Johnson aim for sounds great, but in reality never ever works. Never has in any large population. Never will.
ReplyDeleteCronies always get in. People who could work dont, and the production class gets even more exploited than any other "ism".
Look at how high the taxes already are and how much the public services have declined. In thier realm, the private sector are slaves and public workers make more, retire early, and get health care for life, depressing the private sector. There is no advancement possible due to the stiffiling increasing taxes and endless fees. It takes away the desire to improve oneself when any advancement is taken away by government taxes, fees, and new rules.
All you end up with is the ruling government class, the rich, and the poor. Every. Single. Time
Should be mentioned, too, that Ald. Shiller WAS replaced for three full terms by Ald. Cappleman (who did NOT curry favor to thuggery and wrongdoers, unlike his predecessor!). Shiller MUST be in the financial "payola take" under Johnson to be BACK in the political mix after 12byears being out of it.
ReplyDeleteUnless by currying "favor to thuggery and wrongdoers" you mean kow-towing to capitalists and developers.
DeleteWatch the efforts to increase density on Broadway. Shiller will push it through without regard to current resident interests. Angela Clay is her puppet.
ReplyDelete