Your source for news, events, and information about Chicago's Edgewater & Andersonville neighborhoods
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Chicago Tribune covers 48th Ward Aldermanic race
The Tribune has a piece running today which highlights Mary Ann Smith's departure as well as the varied group of candidates eager to succeed her. Check out the article to read quotes from the candidates and learn more.
I know people will jump all over this comment but it is interesting to note PB's first comment is to bash HO, everyone else talked about issues important to them.
I just wanted to point that out as a voter. I'm not necessarily a HO supporter either, I'm interested to see what all these guys can come up with.
When I read in this article, I intrigued to learn that Bernstein owns a wine shop!
I am guessing this was common knowledge already, but I haven't been following the race closely because I'm pretty sure Harry O. has it in the bag.
However, I just have to point out that Chicago aldermen are prohibited from holding liquor licenses, and I was wondering if anyone has ever pointed that out to Bernstein?
mostlybadfly; I totally agree with you.I also found it interesting that PB had a golden opportunity to NOT bash Harry and yet he took that opportunity to do just that. He's also blocked me, a constituent, from contacting him. Which means he doesn't want to hear what I have to say, be it good or bad. Is that how it would be if PB were to be elected?
QRBNST it has already been mentioned in a previous article that alderman cannot have a liquor license. I find it interesting that a person who want's to run an office would not have known that.
Truth Squad and others - once you can refrain from calling people "idiots" I will post your full comments, so long as they are civil and productive. For now, an edited version:
TRUTH SQUAD: So PB shouldn't mention Ostermans job performance for the past 11 years? Thats not relevant to what he promises and proposes as alderman?........I'm sure PB would thank you for being so knowledgable on liquor licenses. Maybe he would hire you as his advisor on such matters. Do you really think this guy is so dumb that he doesn't have a plan?
ECB your overreaching double standard illustrates an obvious bias and in this context it is an integrity problem. The most egregious violator of your arbitrary rule set have been HO supporters. Kris Klimek is just one example that has been engaging in slander that you have enabled and continue to propagate. It has been documented already and your unwillingness to acknowledge it say it all.
6033Bears - I appreciate your comments, but disagree with the "double standard" accusation. I have rejected multiple comments from being published, regardless of who they support.
As I've said before, moving forward any comments that I view as a personal attack will be rejected. While I agree certain posts from the past were also out of line (again from both sides, if you're making this a HO vs. PB supporters thing) I do not have the time or desire to go back and clean up prior posts, but will do my best to moderate moving forward.
If you have any further comments regarding this policy, please email me direct as I do not believe they need to be discussed in a public forum.
ECB, I just appreciate that you have this blog. I get a lot of neighborhood information here. Thank you for the time and effort you put in from which we all benefit.
Really, is this it? I'm sorry but Osterman just seems like business as usual: most of the ward's resources will get sent over to Andersonville and Lakewood Balmoral while the problems with crime, infrastructure & underdevelopment on & east of Broadway just get worse. I agree with just about everything Bernstein says, but he seems so... angry. I don't see either of these guys being effective in doing anything positive for me & my neighbors on Sheridan Road. I demand specifics. We need the LSD-bound traffic moved off of Sheridan & onto Broadway so we can just pull out of our driveways & so the road can accommodate a bikepath. We needed a dog park at Thorndale, not a playground; there are probably twenty times as many dogs as children living on Sheridan & there's already a playground at Swift School. We need the pavement of Sheridan permanently repaired. We don't even have trash cans at the bus stops along Sheridan!!! We need the Edgewater Economic Development Corp to give up its idea that Broadway will ever be a pedestrian friendly street (it is simply too wide curb-to-curb) & work to redevelop it like Clybourn & North Avenue. Yes that means strip malls. Guess what? No one is going to pay $1.50 an hour to park on Broadway (and that's just THIS year's price). Then instead of driving to the Lincolnwood Towne Center & Village Crossing, my neighbors & I could spend our money in the neighborhood & help create some jobs for people. You can't fight crime playing checkers on the street once a month. You fight crime with jobs & more sidewalk medallions & speed bumps & yet another cutsey overpriced home store in Andersonville do not create a whole lot of jobs. There are over 60,000 people in Edgewater. Smaller towns than this support a Best Buy, a Bed, Bath & Beyond, a movie multiplex, a GAP & Old Navy, a Dick's Sporting Goods, an Office Max or Staples, a Michael's & more. Yes that means chain stores. Guess what? That's where a lot of people want to shop. It's infuriating to see the development that's happened in the South Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Evanston & elsewhere & then look at all the political effort put into the cute, but useless shopping in Andersonville. Which brings me full circle: really, is this it?
Steven: HO had a zillion community meetings on Sheridan Rd, hope you attended, and you could have asked him. Not sure of all the crime on Sheridan and your upset over a dog park with the reasoning "there are probably 20x as many dogs as children living on Sheridan & there's already a playground at Swift School." That is an amazing statistic where do you get that at 3AM? I imagine hurds of dogs, that would be very scarey if there were that many dogs wizzing on everyone else's lawn. Your upset over cracked pavements and no garbage cans at Sheridan bus stops, these are easily fixes, have you called 311, Ernie or Streets and Sans or gone to your ASCO team? I agree with you that Broadway won't ever be totally pedistrian friendly, but many will park on Broadway for $1.5 an hour, we have for over a year.
Dear Dorothy: You ought not to criticize my statistics when you yourself refer to "zillions" of community meetings. In response to your comments, no I did not attend any meetings with HO; I work evenings & nights when these meetings occur. Perhaps you don't realize, but people walking their dogs are a way to deter crime. You must not have ever visited a building on Sheridan or you would understand that dogs clearly outnumber children in great numbers. Yes, there are at least 20 times more dogs in my building than children. Um, lawns on Sheridan Road? No, I don't think so. You've never walked down our street or you'd know there are NO lawns. What few grassy areas there are are also fenced off. Call 311, you must be joking. I tried that once (I don't remember what for) and waited for 20 minutes on hold & finally gave up. Perhaps you don't understand, the concerns of residents on Sheridan Road are routinely ignored by Mary Ann Smith, Streets & San & city government. Smith is concerned about the traffic on Ridge? More people live on Sheridan but she could not care less. You obviously don't drive down Broadway much either or you would notice how many of the parking spaces are empty. Again, I am so sorry I haven't counted the exact number for you, but it seems like at least half are always empty. Yet the parking lot at Lincolnwood Town Center seems like Christmas every day I go there. Same with Village Crossing. Finally, I respond at 3 a.m. because that is when I get home from work in the Loop & have time to read this blog. One more thing: SCARY does not include an E! Don't even think about criticizing me in such a condescending tone unless you know how to spell. (and yes, I do realize I transposed the e and s in cutesy but it was a long day at work that day)
12 comments:
I know people will jump all over this comment but it is interesting to note PB's first comment is to bash HO, everyone else talked about issues important to them.
I just wanted to point that out as a voter. I'm not necessarily a HO supporter either, I'm interested to see what all these guys can come up with.
When I read in this article, I intrigued to learn that Bernstein owns a wine shop!
I am guessing this was common knowledge already, but I haven't been following the race closely because I'm pretty sure Harry O. has it in the bag.
However, I just have to point out that Chicago aldermen are prohibited from holding liquor licenses, and I was wondering if anyone has ever pointed that out to Bernstein?
mostlybadfly; I totally agree with you.I also found it interesting that PB had a golden opportunity to NOT bash Harry and yet he took that opportunity to do just that. He's also blocked me, a constituent, from contacting him. Which means he doesn't want to hear what I have to say, be it good or bad. Is that how it would be if PB were to be elected?
QRBNST it has already been mentioned in a previous article that alderman cannot have a liquor license. I find it interesting that a person who want's to run an office would not have known that.
Truth Squad and others - once you can refrain from calling people "idiots" I will post your full comments, so long as they are civil and productive. For now, an edited version:
TRUTH SQUAD: So PB shouldn't mention Ostermans job performance for the past 11 years? Thats not relevant to what he promises and proposes as alderman?........I'm sure PB would thank you for being so knowledgable on liquor licenses. Maybe he would hire you as his advisor on such matters. Do you really think this guy is so dumb that he doesn't have a plan?
ECB your overreaching double standard illustrates an obvious bias and in this context it is an integrity problem. The most egregious violator of your arbitrary rule set have been HO supporters. Kris Klimek is just one example that has been engaging in slander that you have enabled and continue to propagate. It has been documented already and your unwillingness to acknowledge it say it all.
6033Bears - I appreciate your comments, but disagree with the "double standard" accusation. I have rejected multiple comments from being published, regardless of who they support.
As I've said before, moving forward any comments that I view as a personal attack will be rejected. While I agree certain posts from the past were also out of line (again from both sides, if you're making this a HO vs. PB supporters thing) I do not have the time or desire to go back and clean up prior posts, but will do my best to moderate moving forward.
If you have any further comments regarding this policy, please email me direct as I do not believe they need to be discussed in a public forum.
ECB, I just appreciate that you have this blog. I get a lot of neighborhood information here. Thank you for the time and effort you put in from which we all benefit.
Really, is this it? I'm sorry but Osterman just seems like business as usual: most of the ward's resources will get sent over to Andersonville and Lakewood Balmoral while the problems with crime, infrastructure & underdevelopment on & east of Broadway just get worse. I agree with just about everything Bernstein says, but he seems so... angry. I don't see either of these guys being effective in doing anything positive for me & my neighbors on Sheridan Road. I demand specifics. We need the LSD-bound traffic moved off of Sheridan & onto Broadway so we can just pull out of our driveways & so the road can accommodate a bikepath. We needed a dog park at Thorndale, not a playground; there are probably twenty times as many dogs as children living on Sheridan & there's already a playground at Swift School. We need the pavement of Sheridan permanently repaired. We don't even have trash cans at the bus stops along Sheridan!!! We need the Edgewater Economic Development Corp to give up its idea that Broadway will ever be a pedestrian friendly street (it is simply too wide curb-to-curb) & work to redevelop it like Clybourn & North Avenue. Yes that means strip malls. Guess what? No one is going to pay $1.50 an hour to park on Broadway (and that's just THIS year's price). Then instead of driving to the Lincolnwood Towne Center & Village Crossing, my neighbors & I could spend our money in the neighborhood & help create some jobs for people. You can't fight crime playing checkers on the street once a month. You fight crime with jobs & more sidewalk medallions & speed bumps & yet another cutsey overpriced home store in Andersonville do not create a whole lot of jobs. There are over 60,000 people in Edgewater. Smaller towns than this support a Best Buy, a Bed, Bath & Beyond, a movie multiplex, a GAP & Old Navy, a Dick's Sporting Goods, an Office Max or Staples, a Michael's & more. Yes that means chain stores. Guess what? That's where a lot of people want to shop. It's infuriating to see the development that's happened in the South Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Evanston & elsewhere & then look at all the political effort put into the cute, but useless shopping in Andersonville. Which brings me full circle: really, is this it?
I say keep their reponses up, it only benefits their opponents and its fun watching them implode, who takes these guys seriously anyhow?
Steven: HO had a zillion community meetings on Sheridan Rd, hope you attended, and you could have asked him. Not sure of all the crime on Sheridan and your upset over a dog park with the reasoning "there are probably 20x as many dogs as children living on Sheridan & there's already a playground at Swift School." That is an amazing statistic where do you get that at 3AM? I imagine hurds of dogs, that would be very scarey if there were that many dogs wizzing on everyone else's lawn. Your upset over cracked pavements and no garbage cans at Sheridan bus stops, these are easily fixes, have you called 311, Ernie or Streets and Sans or gone to your ASCO team? I agree with you that Broadway won't ever be totally pedistrian friendly, but many will park on Broadway for $1.5 an hour, we have for over a year.
Dear Dorothy: You ought not to criticize my statistics when you yourself refer to "zillions" of community meetings. In response to your comments, no I did not attend any meetings with HO; I work evenings & nights when these meetings occur. Perhaps you don't realize, but people walking their dogs are a way to deter crime. You must not have ever visited a building on Sheridan or you would understand that dogs clearly outnumber children in great numbers. Yes, there are at least 20 times more dogs in my building than children. Um, lawns on Sheridan Road? No, I don't think so. You've never walked down our street or you'd know there are NO lawns. What few grassy areas there are are also fenced off. Call 311, you must be joking. I tried that once (I don't remember what for) and waited for 20 minutes on hold & finally gave up. Perhaps you don't understand, the concerns of residents on Sheridan Road are routinely ignored by Mary Ann Smith, Streets & San & city government. Smith is concerned about the traffic on Ridge? More people live on Sheridan but she could not care less. You obviously don't drive down Broadway much either or you would notice how many of the parking spaces are empty. Again, I am so sorry I haven't counted the exact number for you, but it seems like at least half are always empty. Yet the parking lot at Lincolnwood Town Center seems like Christmas every day I go there. Same with Village Crossing. Finally, I respond at 3 a.m. because that is when I get home from work in the Loop & have time to read this blog. One more thing: SCARY does not include an E! Don't even think about criticizing me in such a condescending tone unless you know how to spell. (and yes, I do realize I transposed the e and s in cutesy but it was a long day at work that day)
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