Chicago Mayoral Race thread

[NorthSideSox72]

Wanted to have an ongoing thread for this.

 

So, Emmanuel is officially on the ballot. Davis, Mosley-Braun and a handful of others as well.

 

And I just want to point out, racism is alive and well in Chicago politics. Danny Davis pulls out the race card and threatens Bill Clinton with it. Why is racism like this considered acceptable to ANYONE?

 

 

[Y2HH]

Wanted to have an ongoing thread for this.

 

So, Emmanuel is officially on the ballot. Davis, Mosley-Braun and a handful of others as well.

 

And I just want to point out, racism is alive and well in Chicago politics. Danny Davis pulls out the race card and threatens Bill Clinton with it. Why is racism like this considered acceptable to ANYONE?

 

The race is a foregone conclusion...Rahm won.

[Balta1701]

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis ended his bid for Chicago mayor tonight, endorsing former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

 

Davis said he is endorsing Braun in the name of unity.

 

"I'm proud that I will be here when Carol Moseley Braun becomes the next mayor," Davis said. "I come here tonight...to help prove unity is more than just a concept."

 

Braun said she is emboldened by the endorsements from both Davis and state Sen. James Meeks, the other major African-American candidate who dropped out of the contest last week. Braun called it a "great way to start the new year."

 

"I'm so please to have their support," she said. "Their endorsements...bring us closer to winning this election."

 

 

...

The Rev. Jesse Jackson brokered a roughly four-hour meeting Wednesday night with Davis and Braun at his Rainbow PUSH headquarters that was also attended by several ministers, business leaders and politicians. Among them was U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who is backing Braun, and state Sen. Rickey Hendon, who is backing Davis.

 

 

....

Left unspoken amid the consensus efforts is the blunt assessment by many political players that black and white voters are still focused on race more than two decades after the late Harold Washington was elected the city's first African-American mayor. Washington was the only black candidate on the ballot when he won his first term in 1983.

Link

[southsider2k5]

The sad thing is that no matter who takes over, it is going to be a massive step down, even factoring in the Daley corruption.

[farmteam]

The sad thing is that no matter who takes over, it is going to be a massive step down, even factoring in the Daley corruption.

 

Really? Will Rahm be that much of a step down from Daley? How so?

[southsider2k5]

Really? Will Rahm be that much of a step down from Daley? How so?

 

How won't he be?

[farmteam]

I understand it being way different simply because it won't be a Daley in charge, but given that Rahm comes straight out of the Machine himself, how much will really change?

[southsider2k5]

I understand it being way different simply because it won't be a Daley in charge, but given that Rahm comes straight out of the Machine himself, how much will really change?

 

Daley is the machine. All you had to do was see what happened in Chicago between the first Daley dying and Richie taking over.

[farmteam]

Admittedly, I wasn't alive then, and don't know too much of what really happened to the city on daily basis in that time.

[NorthSideSox72]

I have to agree with SS2K5. Despite the corruption that was always associated with the city's offices, Daley was an amazingly effective leader of the city in many ways. It would be shocking if anyone could match his leadership.

 

[Y2HH]

I have to agree with SS2K5. Despite the corruption that was always associated with the city's offices, Daley was an amazingly effective leader of the city in many ways. It would be shocking if anyone could match his leadership.

 

LOL is all.

[NorthSideSox72]

LOL is all.

To whom do you give credit for Chicago undergoing a renaissance from the 80's to today that few if any other cities in the US has had? I mean, obviously it isn't ALL Daley, but he's certainly been a big part of it.

 

[southsider2k5]

LOL is all.

 

LOL indeed.

[Y2HH]

To whom do you give credit for Chicago undergoing a renaissance from the 80's to today that few if any other cities in the US has had? I mean, obviously it isn't ALL Daley, but he's certainly been a big part of it.

 

I guess it depends on who's shoes your in when talking about a "renaissance".

 

Let's stop pretending this man is leaving the city in awesome shape. He's quitting now because he knows it's over, not because he can't win again...but because he doesn't want to be here when it all implodes (and it's happening now). He's responsible for severely underfunded pensions across the board, so much so that the state JUST passed a law about Chicago's pensions, cutting off the city's ability to continue stealing from them (oh, and we get to pay for these pensions now via taxes, because someone has too). He mortgaged the skyway, the parking meters, and who knows what else, using one and done money from those sales to cover severe financial underfunding and cover holes in the budgets...which of course he doesn't have to care about, since they're funded with the proceeds from those sales for now...but the next guy to take the job can't cover these holes in the same manner. The schools are awesome, too!

 

That said...

 

Will I say the man did NO good for the City? No.

 

But I also won't sit back and pretend that everything is so glorious that he can't be replaced.

 

If anything, he's getting out when this city is about to need it's "awesome leader" the most it's ever needed him. As Clubber Lang asked Rocky in Rocky 3..."Getting out while you can? Don't give this sucker no statue. Give him guts!"

Edited January 3, 2011 by Y2HH

[NorthSideSox72]

I guess it depends on who's shoes your in when talking about a "renaissance".

 

Let's stop pretending this man is leaving the city in awesome shape. He's quitting now because he knows it's over, not because he can't win again...but because he doesn't want to be here when it all implodes (and it's happening now). He's responsible for severely underfunded pensions across the board, so much so that the state JUST passed a law about Chicago's pensions, cutting off the city's ability to continue stealing from them (oh, and we get to pay for these pensions now via taxes, because someone has too). He mortgaged the skyway, the parking meters, and who knows what else, using one and done money from those sales to cover severe financial underfunding and cover holes in the budgets...which of course he doesn't have to care about, since they're funded with the proceeds from those sales for now...but the next guy to take the job can't cover these holes in the same manner. The schools are awesome, too!

 

That said...

 

Will I say the man did NO good for the City? No.

 

But I also won't sit back and pretend that everything is so glorious that he can't be replaced.

 

Well to be clear, I'm not saying he can't be replaced - in fact he SHOULD be. Its just that whomever replaces him will likely not be able to be nearly as effective, at least not at first.

 

The city pension mess was not made by him, but he definitely is partly responsible in that he left it to rot like it is. But, he's done some shrewd things financially, such as selling off the parking meters, that will help towards that end. Thing you have to understand about the pension mess is, its bad like that all over the country. Its because the pension system itself was a bad idea, and this was a reckoning a long time coming. Now its a huge monster that will be very difficult to truly fix. Any new mayor will definitely be given a s***ty situation there, and Daley is in part to blame.

 

And the schools by the way, which are still pretty bad, are a lot better than they were a couple decades ago.

 

[Y2HH]

Well to be clear, I'm not saying he can't be replaced - in fact he SHOULD be. Its just that whomever replaces him will likely not be able to be nearly as effective, at least not at first.

 

The city pension mess was not made by him, but he definitely is partly responsible in that he left it to rot like it is. But, he's done some shrewd things financially, such as selling off the parking meters, that will help towards that end. Thing you have to understand about the pension mess is, its bad like that all over the country. Its because the pension system itself was a bad idea, and this was a reckoning a long time coming. Now its a huge monster that will be very difficult to truly fix. Any new mayor will definitely be given a s***ty situation there, and Daley is in part to blame.

 

And the schools by the way, which are still pretty bad, are a lot better than they were a couple decades ago.

 

He already spent almost all the money from the Parking meters...whatever is left isn't enough to cover much for the next guy (or girl) in line. It's pretty known fact that he got ripped off selling the meters...the company that bought them (for 75 years), will make that money back 10 fold.

 

http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/11/17/citi...-did-goldsmith/

 

According to a report in the Sun-Times this morning, the budget gap approaches $700 million when CPD and CFD contracts are added in. And as for the $1.15 billion parking meter deal? The Sun-Times reports there's only $180 million left after less than two years have passed on the 75-year lease. And then there are the Skyway reserves, a $1.83 billion deal of which there is only $550 million remaining after less than five years of that 99-year deal.

 

Awesome.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Y2HH

[NorthSideSox72]

He already spent almost all the money from the Parking meters...whatever is left isn't enough to cover much for the next guy (or girl) in line. It's pretty known fact that he got ripped off selling the meters...the company that bought them (for 75 years), will make that money back 10 fold.

 

http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/11/17/citi...-did-goldsmith/

 

According to a report in the Sun-Times this morning, the budget gap approaches $700 million when CPD and CFD contracts are added in. And as for the $1.15 billion parking meter deal? The Sun-Times reports there's only $180 million left after less than two years have passed on the 75-year lease. And then there are the Skyway reserves, a $1.83 billion deal of which there is only $550 million remaining after less than five years of that 99-year deal.

 

Awesome.

That was kind of the idea. The city was sitting on a lot of forward value, and a private company was able to provide the services. When the city is in financial trouble, they sold it - which makes a lot of sense. I hope they do the same with Midway and other areas where the same plan will work. They city meters deal is basically going towards keeping the city afloat during a terrible recession. I'd hope future deals will use that money wisely too, and fixing the pension system should be near the top of the list.

 

[bmags]

That was kind of the idea. The city was sitting on a lot of forward value, and a private company was able to provide the services. When the city is in financial trouble, they sold it - which makes a lot of sense. I hope they do the same with Midway and other areas where the same plan will work. They city meters deal is basically going towards keeping the city afloat during a terrible recession. I'd hope future deals will use that money wisely too, and fixing the pension system should be near the top of the list.

 

I agree. Plus that company has done a pretty good job. The ability to pay by credit card is such an improvement, and i agree with their pricing.

[southsider2k5]

That was kind of the idea. The city was sitting on a lot of forward value, and a private company was able to provide the services. When the city is in financial trouble, they sold it - which makes a lot of sense. I hope they do the same with Midway and other areas where the same plan will work. They city meters deal is basically going towards keeping the city afloat during a terrible recession. I'd hope future deals will use that money wisely too, and fixing the pension system should be near the top of the list.

 

Not to mention the City wasn't making any money off of the meters anyway. Getting value instead of paying for nothing is much better for the city than raising taxes again.

[Y2HH]

Not to mention the City wasn't making any money off of the meters anyway. Getting value instead of paying for nothing is much better for the city than raising taxes again.

 

Or even better, take the rather simple steps the private company took and start making money? Oh, and they DID raise taxes again, anyway, not to mention the increased sticker fees, license plate fees, drivers license fees, etc.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Y2HH

[southsider2k5]

Or even better, take the rather simple steps the private company took and start making money? Oh, and they DID raise taxes again, anyway, not to mention the increased sticker fees, license plate fees, drivers license fees, etc.

 

Show me one government that runs those things like a business.

[NorthSideSox72]

Or even better, take the rather simple steps the private company took and start making money? Oh, and they DID raise taxes again, anyway, not to mention the increased sticker fees, license plate fees, drivers license fees, etc.

The city raised taxes? Which ones and on whom? I'm genuinely curious, because I thought the budget they passed has no new taxes.

 

[Y2HH]

The city raised taxes? Which ones and on whom? I'm genuinely curious, because I thought the budget they passed has no new taxes.

 

Which budget?

 

They sold the meters years ago now, and since that sale they've raised property taxes, licensing fees, sticker fees, etc. I'm not even sure if they raised other taxes, but I know they raised how much city stickers cost (esp for suv/truck owners), licensing fees (drivers licenses cost more).

 

If you specifically mean THIS year, maybe they didn't raise anything, but then again, they didn't sell the skyway and meters this year.

[NorthSideSox72]

Which budget?

 

They sold the meters years ago now, and since that sale they've raised property taxes, licensing fees, sticker fees, etc. I'm not even sure if they raised other taxes, but I know they raised how much city stickers cost (esp for suv/truck owners), licensing fees (drivers licenses cost more).

 

If you specifically mean THIS year, maybe they didn't raise anything, but then again, they didn't sell the skyway and meters this year.

OK for one thing, property taxes are mostly the county, and license fees are not the city at all.

 

For another, the property taxes that are the city portion have not gone up for a few years.

 

Sticker fees did go up, as I recall, last year or the year before. I thought they were staying put this year though.

 

So, your claim that the city is increasing all these taxes really just isn't accurate.

 

[iamshack]

I worked for Daley's Office as an intern for a few years while I was in law school. At least at the time, property taxes were a huge deal to him. He would literally do anything to avoid raising them.