County Board Passes Budget

[NorthSideSox72]

na, i don't think so. they are a waste of money. don't need that many. most of them don't do jack.

Do you live in the city? Have you worked around many alderman? Because many of them are pretty crooked, but I've never met one who didn't do a lot of work. And ultimately, even the crooked ones do a lot for their communities, in my experience. I am sure there are exceptions though.

 

Throwing the baby out with the bath water doesn't accomplish anything.

 

[mr_genius]

Do you live in the city? Have you worked around many alderman? Because many of them are pretty crooked, but I've never met one who didn't do a lot of work. And ultimately, even the crooked ones do a lot for their communities, in my experience. I am sure there are exceptions though.

 

Throwing the baby out with the bath water doesn't accomplish anything.

 

I've lived in Chicago almost my whole life, I am well aware of what alderman do. I disagree with your assessment.

 

How long you lived in chicago? you form the suburbs? just curious.

Edited March 9, 2008 by mr_genius

[NorthSideSox72]

I've lived in Chicago almost my whole life, no offense but I don't need some guy from the suburbs who recently moved here telling how things really work.

And you've known alderman who didn't do anything, as you put it? Because I've known a few, and none fit that description.

 

I won't get into a pissing contest with you over who has lived in the city longer. I've spent most of my life in the city or the suburbs. And I've been around the political system - city, county, state - in close quarters. There is no need to get snide about this, just because someone disagrees with you.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

How long you lived in chicago? you form the suburbs? just curious.

I noticed you added this later. You assumed, your first time around, that I must be from the suburbs.

 

Does it really even matter? OK, fine. I was born in the city, and lived in the city when i was very young. My family moved to the burbs, and I was there through high school. I lived out of state until my mid-twenties, then moved to Chicago proper for a number of years. I was out of state again a few years, and moved back, to the city again, in 2004. So I'd guess I've lived in the city for 10-ish years, suburbs for another 10 to 15.

 

Now that we've got that out of the way... how about those aldermen? What's been your experience with them?

 

[mr_genius]

And you've known alderman who didn't do anything, as you put it? Because I've known a few, and none fit that description.

 

I won't get into a pissing contest with you over who has lived in the city longer. I've spent most of my life in the city or the suburbs. And I've been around the political system - city, county, state - in close quarters. There is no need to get snide about this, just because someone disagrees with you.

 

changed my reply to you. no offense meant. but you are coming off like you are an expert and know how things work and anyone who disagrees is completely clueless. you display this attitude with use of rhetorical questions within your post, which come off a condescending.

 

and yes I know plenty of alderman that are a waste of money. their staff, their salary, their buildings, all their buddies with high paying jobs, family members gettin special business advantages, ect.

[NorthSideSox72]

changed my reply to you. no offense meant. but you are coming off like you are an expert and know how things work and anyone who disagrees is completely clueless. you display this attitude with use of rhetorical questions within your post, which come off a condescending.

You are the one that made an absolute statement. I replied with "in my experience...", and disagreed. And I don't think I've asked any rhetorical questions... but I'll double check. If I ask a question, I really am curious what the answer is.

 

and yes I know plenty of alderman that are a waste of money. their staff, their salary, their buildings, all their buddies with high paying jobs, family members gettin special business advantages, ect.

I agree with the bolded parts. That's where the graft takes away money. But I've seen aldermen get a lot done for their communities. Its probably not because they are such nice guys - its survival. Having the aldermen work in small ward communities mean that the neighborhoods can easily see and connect what is happening in the community with their representative. So, aldermen will do everything they can to make those communities a little better. They may pay their buddies to do it, and it may cost more than it should - that's another discussion. But the way the ward system is set up, in my opinion, works quite nicely.

 

[mr_genius]

You are the one that made an absolute statement. I replied with "in my experience...", and disagreed.

 

fair enough

[NorthSideSox72]

Hey guys, back to the aldermen for a sec, each one now only serves about 60,000 residents. And have you looked at a ward map lately? The gerrymandering done on some of these warss is pretty bad. There really shouldn't be any reason why the city couldn't do with 10-15 less of them. Ans sure, it would be a drop in the bucket over all, but you have to start somewhere, right?

They're gerrymandered alright. But I don't see how that connects with the number of them, or the number of residents they serve.

 

Think about it another way. Most of the suburbs have less than 60,000 residents. And they have a mayor/town manager, and a whole city council.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

fair enough

Excellent. For future reference, seriously, if I ask, I'm not being rhetorical - I am trying to engage in a conversation. I really don't know if you live in the city proper (you may have mentioned it before and I forgot), or if you have hung out with these people.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Hey guys, back to the aldermen for a sec, each one now only serves about 60,000 residents. And have you looked at a ward map lately? The gerrymandering done on some of these warss is pretty bad. There really shouldn't be any reason why the city couldn't do with 10-15 less of them. Ans sure, it would be a drop in the bucket over all, but you have to start somewhere, right?

[EvilMonkey]

They're gerrymandered alright. But I don't see how that connects with the number of them, or the number of residents they serve.

 

Think about it another way. Most of the suburbs have less than 60,000 residents. And they have a mayor/town manager, and a whole city council.

 

Yeah, but the suburban city council people usually don't get a staff and budget of $40,000+ and office and have the ability to steer multi-million dollar contracts on a regular basis.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yeah, but the suburban city council people usually don't get a staff and budget of $40,000+ and office and have the ability to steer multi-million dollar contracts on a regular basis.

Not each, no. But as a unit they do. A suburb with around 60k is like, what, Des Plaines? Skokie? Evanston? Those are pretty big suburbs, and they have pretty big budgets.