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An Aldermanic Election in the Air?

Posted by Mike G on January 14, 2011

It seems that there might be a lot of cold in the local air recently, but little in the air that suggests that an election for Alderman is only five weeks away, with early voting commencing in just over two weeks (January 31).

Yet, there is some election related news.
First, a local blog called “The Broken Heart of Rogers Park” reports that the City Board of Election Commissioners has sustained a challenge issued by a person named Jason T. Olsen against candidate Ben Meyers. Apparently, the municipal ordinance prohibits candidates from appearing on the ballot if they are indebted to the City of Chicago in any way. Mr. Meyer’s offense: an unpaid water bill in the amount of $51.08.

As a result, Mr. Meyer’s is off the ballot, and the field of contenders for Alderman is reduced to three: the incumbent, Joe Moore, and his challengers, Roosevelt (Ross) Akins and Brian White. (I’ve heard that we should soon expect a decision on Akin’s candidacy.)

The other story, submitted by a student run web site called Medill Reports, maintained by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, observes that no one is making any effort to schedule any sort of public forum or debate of the remaining candidates.

Reading these articles causes me to ponder what’s going on.

Isn’t it ironic that a person or political organization challenging Mr. Meyers will devote resources to reducing the field of candidates, basing his challenges on technicalities, yet what is being done to promote timely face-to-face discussion?

We ought to have a vigorous discussion of the issues. There are many issues. What ideas does each candidate have for reducing the mega city budget shortfall? What changes can we expect with a new mayor and what role each candidate envision him having with a new administration? Is participatory democracy a good thing or does it unduly democratize decision-making that an alderman ought to be making on his own?  What challenges does this neighborhood face in the area of public safety and coping with gang issues? How do we stimulate investment and further develop retail corridors, perhaps focusing the discussion on Howard Street? How do we help those who are facing any one of the numerous challenges in the area of housing - rental and home ownership? What about the TIF/RIF that one candidate has proposed?

I have witnessed three previous elections in this ward, and each election was highlighted by a series of well attended debates where each candidate had a chance to interact with each other, providing many of us with a way to watch candidates field issues, and to see how they perform face to face under the pressure of a debate (or forum) format.

It would be unfortunate if we ultimately remember the 49th Ward election for Alderman in 2011 as the one where objectors reduced the field of candidates for petty reasons, and where the community was offered scant opportunity to learn about the remaining candidates.

I am sure that our various neighborhood organizations will pull together and organize forums and that any remaining candidates will eagerly participate.  Yet, with only five weeks left, and early voting beginning later this month, time is running short.

In a community that appreciates and expects transparency and openness in government, we must be given the chance to see the candidates “air” their views.

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Reader Comments

As much as I detest the local efforts by the incumbent to knock candidates off the ballot - Blane Roberts in particular - over technicalities, the fact is that the system is the problem and not the incumbents, who simply game the system because they have the funds and knowledge to do so. What’s needed is a complete overhaul of our election system, beginning here in Chicago, so that the laws are far simpler, rather than the byzantine labyrinth of regulations that often require candidates (incumbents and challengers alike) to hire election lawyers just to sort it all out! Then we can move on to overhauling the way we run our elections by requiring that the CBOE actually publish their policies and procedures (do they actually have any?) on how the hell they run an election - from which point the public can then speak up on how those policies and procedures need serious improvements. THAT’S transparency. Finally, if we really want to know the candidates then we’d charge the CBOE with the task of requiring all candidates to publish their platforms on the CBOE site using a standard format that would make it easier for the voters to evaluate candidates. Everyone is online today, and to continue with the farse of a sporting event atmosphere of debates/forums where the voter has to go to a physical location at a pre-determined hour is a waste of everyone’s time.

Posted by Don on January 22, 2011 at 11:01 am

Good points, Mike. I hear efforts are being made to organize a debate on Feb 9

Posted by minerali on January 22, 2011 at 5:01 pm

One would think a debate is appropriate and in the spirit of transparency and the democratic process.

I firmly believe one question to the candidates should be:

What will you do about concentrated areas of poverty and how the alderman would be the watch dog of these buildings/managers.
Creating ‘affordable housing’ is only one step - the follow up steps were and are ignored North of Howard.  With any proposed TIF allocation or RIF - are the pitfalls we experience daily here going to be ignored in the process?  All managers of problem buildings claim they screen tenants and can’t control what happens after they move in.  Something is missing.

Howard Street is more desolate than it was 8 years ago when I landed here.  There are more and more regular and strange loiterers than ever yet ‘crime is down’.  As you pointed out in one of your posts, Mike, kids are scared - so are the adults and it stems in part from the unbalanced housing and the lack of heavy handed meetings with managers of problem buildings. Howard was pitiful when the economy was booming.

The 12/7/10 shootout frightened a few outsiders who were meeting in the HOW offices on Howard and set up the perfect opportunity to educate people that we hear shots fired all the time here.  No one in their right mind is going to invest in a decent business on a street owned by thugs - good or bad economy - it’s a lose lose situation thanks to the mentality that created a horizontal housing project in such a small area.  And, thanks to those not living North of Howard who didn’t want ‘affordable housing’ in their back yards who put their stamps of approval on it.

Another question is how will the alderman ACTIVELY support their Local Parks Advisory Councils fundraising events?.  An alderman should be supportive of ALL positive work being done by volunteers in his ward.  My suggestion would be to send ward wide email blasts for these Rogers Park Events, physically attend, financially donate from ward funds and ask the aldermanic support group to match the donation.  After all, what is more important parking spaces for 123 vehicles or a safe haven for 123 needy children?

Posted by Toni on January 23, 2011 at 12:01 pm

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About the Author

Mike G's photoMike Glasser

Mike has a long term relationship with Rogers Park, having lived here at various times in his life, most recently returning to the neighborhood in August, 2009. While living here as a third year law student, he remembers drunken nights at Biddy Mulligan’s and hosting a couple of memorable parties that he, hypocritically, now forbids his own tenants from having. Years later, after completing his stint as a lawyer, Mike started investing in apartment buildings in Rogers Park (and elsewhere), and soon after, did what many newly divorced real estate investors do: he moved into one of his buildings. In 1992 Mike was one of the founding members of the Rogers Park Builders Group, an organization that he eventually headed for six years, until yielding those reigns three years ago. Around a decade ago, on a whim, he reserved the web site “Rogerspark.com,” which he has been developing ever since, and which co-hosts RP BizArts networking events. Mike is the proud father of three wonderful children, Amy, Mitch and Ella.

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