Our police department is currently acting like the federal government. We have always been a believer that the smaller the group you try to control, the easier it is to manage that group. We are a believer in state's rights over federal rights. It is much easier to control a state than the federal government. Just like it is much easier to manage a county than a state. (Although Toddler Stroger and his ilk are finding great ways of fucking that up too.) Recently, our federal government has gone through a phase of siphoning power and micromanaging the country. What the federal government is going to find out is that they are not going to be able to provide the services they promised and corruption will be harder to find. Our police department is going through that same phase.
Numerous officers are being ripped out of their districts time and again to some citywide unit, stripping district patrol of their much needed resources that are used to handle their standard workload. Orders, for the most part, are not being given by commanders, but by those at headquarters using computer systems that tell you where crime is going to occur. As commentors have stated, there are cars being detailed to locations east at the behest of certain brass from headquarters, not from the commander.
That power grab by headquarters is killing the ability of the Chicago Police Department to effectively answer calls for service and proactively patrol neighborhoods. If the Chicago Police Department and the city of Chicago hired to replace their losses at the district level, we would not be in as bad of a position as we are currently in. However, even though history is not on their side, our government and police department are moving forward with their plans to centralize their power.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
State House Democratic Candidate
This is Beverly Review's opinion:
Some people, candidates included, felt the decision to appoint Bill Cunningham was a done deal before the process began to select the next Democratic candidate for the 35th District in the state House. But most can agree that few candidates possess the experience and knowledge Cunningham has in filling the seat being vacated by state Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-35th).
More can agree that the process to nominate a candidate was refreshing. Too often we hear of stories in which fathers have passed offices to their sons, like with U.S. Reps. William and Dan Lipinski, and former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. and state Sen. Emil Jones III (D-14th). Too often we hear about dimly lit, smoke-filled back rooms with old guys with nicknames like “boss” deciding who fills a seat. In recent months that occurred in Oak Lawn, where a select few committeemen privately chose a successor to fill the seat of state Rep. Jim Brosnahan (D-36th) while munching on pancakes.
In a fair and transparent process, each candidate was asked the same four questions about their integrity, policy-making experience, loyalty to the Democratic Party and future employment plans should they be selected to run. They were then allotted three minutes to pitch their credentials and ideas and try to distinguish themselves from the others.
As we were reading this article, we heard the sound of a zipper and a sucking sound.
Do not piss on us and tell us it is raining. Fair and Transparent Process? Refreshing? Look, the only fair and transparent/refreshing process is the voting process. The process with which the people choose their candidate or representative, not a bunch of party members who are elitist that believe their decision is the best decision for all involved. What happened with this process epitomizes the Chicago democratic machine to a 'T.'
Again, Cunningham could be the greatest thing next to sliced bread. We don't know. And neither do you. You never got to hear from him and see him run a campaign against other democratic candidates.
This is not the same democratic party that your grandparents and even your parents voted for. You as a citizen need to examine your beliefs and educate yourself as to what is happening in the ward, city, state, and country. The game has changed.
We are just going to add that there is another choice in this race. Barbara Ruth Bellar. Google her. Read about her. You make the informed decision. The media will probably barely give her a corner of the newspaper next to the adult ads in the sports section, so we chose to mention her here.
Some people, candidates included, felt the decision to appoint Bill Cunningham was a done deal before the process began to select the next Democratic candidate for the 35th District in the state House. But most can agree that few candidates possess the experience and knowledge Cunningham has in filling the seat being vacated by state Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-35th).
More can agree that the process to nominate a candidate was refreshing. Too often we hear of stories in which fathers have passed offices to their sons, like with U.S. Reps. William and Dan Lipinski, and former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. and state Sen. Emil Jones III (D-14th). Too often we hear about dimly lit, smoke-filled back rooms with old guys with nicknames like “boss” deciding who fills a seat. In recent months that occurred in Oak Lawn, where a select few committeemen privately chose a successor to fill the seat of state Rep. Jim Brosnahan (D-36th) while munching on pancakes.
In a fair and transparent process, each candidate was asked the same four questions about their integrity, policy-making experience, loyalty to the Democratic Party and future employment plans should they be selected to run. They were then allotted three minutes to pitch their credentials and ideas and try to distinguish themselves from the others.
As we were reading this article, we heard the sound of a zipper and a sucking sound.
Do not piss on us and tell us it is raining. Fair and Transparent Process? Refreshing? Look, the only fair and transparent/refreshing process is the voting process. The process with which the people choose their candidate or representative, not a bunch of party members who are elitist that believe their decision is the best decision for all involved. What happened with this process epitomizes the Chicago democratic machine to a 'T.'
Again, Cunningham could be the greatest thing next to sliced bread. We don't know. And neither do you. You never got to hear from him and see him run a campaign against other democratic candidates.
This is not the same democratic party that your grandparents and even your parents voted for. You as a citizen need to examine your beliefs and educate yourself as to what is happening in the ward, city, state, and country. The game has changed.
We are just going to add that there is another choice in this race. Barbara Ruth Bellar. Google her. Read about her. You make the informed decision. The media will probably barely give her a corner of the newspaper next to the adult ads in the sports section, so we chose to mention her here.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Businesses (update: minor edit)
Someone posted a comment about the empty storefronts and lots along 111th st and the search for investors to rehab and open some businesses. We have always stated, if you want a safe neighborhood, you need to have a prosperous one. Investors need to see the desire for Mt. Greenwood residents to shop in their neighborhood before they really decide if they are going to invest. Our first responsibility is to shop in our neighborhood. We know the taxes suck and destroy business, but these business owners are willing to take a risk in our neighborhood, we should take the time to shop a little bit.
What do people believe should be put in those empty storefronts and lots? We see neighborhoods throughout the city that have been rehabbed and strengthened. Usually there are a number of bars/restaurants, art museums, banks, mom and pop shops, etc. Just some basic ideas.
Mt. Greenwood has some very strong draw in the neighborhood that we could embrace that would help draw people to our neighborhood. St. Xavier University and Burbon St(Merrionette Park). Those two places draw numerous people day in and day out. We don't see many universities, especially those private catholic ones, surrounded by a shitty neighborhood. Usually, the students that go to these universities are looking for things to do and Mt. Greenwood is ripe for the developing.
As for that Public Aid office that is floating in the comments going up at the new Walgreens location, we do not have any proof of that happening. We do hope this TIF district financing project that has been in development for over 12 years doesn't go beyond scheduled time or cost us more money. Ha ha ha. We had a lot of trouble writing that last statement. Mainly because we knew the answer already.
What do people believe should be put in those empty storefronts and lots? We see neighborhoods throughout the city that have been rehabbed and strengthened. Usually there are a number of bars/restaurants, art museums, banks, mom and pop shops, etc. Just some basic ideas.
Mt. Greenwood has some very strong draw in the neighborhood that we could embrace that would help draw people to our neighborhood. St. Xavier University and Burbon St(Merrionette Park). Those two places draw numerous people day in and day out. We don't see many universities, especially those private catholic ones, surrounded by a shitty neighborhood. Usually, the students that go to these universities are looking for things to do and Mt. Greenwood is ripe for the developing.
As for that Public Aid office that is floating in the comments going up at the new Walgreens location, we do not have any proof of that happening. We do hope this TIF district financing project that has been in development for over 12 years doesn't go beyond scheduled time or cost us more money. Ha ha ha. We had a lot of trouble writing that last statement. Mainly because we knew the answer already.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The other post regarding OUR loss
We lost another officer. ANOTHER ONE to the 007th District. This time right outside the police station.
Our thoughts. We are losing this war boys and girls. The violence and the thuggery is taking over this city. We are losing not because we do not have the soldiers to fight the war. Oh no, we have the soldiers. Trust me. Myself and some of my staff work with them. They are some of the bravest, strongest and smartest people that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with(I am using the first person because this article is coming straight from the writer). We are losing because we have let our city, and neighborhood in some respects, be taken over by a political group that does not give two shits about their citizens or their police. They coddle up next to Ceasefire and reverends, who are probably so in bed with the gangs that it might be hard to tell the difference, just so they can retain power. These politicians believe they gain political power by throwing officers that sometimes operate in a grey area right under the bus. These officers are the same ones that are spilling their blood, sweat and tears in neighborhoods that do not truly appreciate what they are doing. Englewood being one of them. Our boys and girls in blue are itching for the opportunity to right the wrongs that they see daily, but can't because of fear they will lose their job over some grey area actions that are completely called for at this point. I don't blame them and nor should you. Changes need to be made.
There are sections of this city that are truly lost. Englewood is one of them. Now, I know we are going to hear speeches regarding how there are good people that live in Englewood and that they deserve to have protection. Fuck that. If those good people are there, then it is time for them to do one of two things. Either leave or stand up and fight for their neighborhood. Let them stand up and speak out for the police. Demand news coverage for their pro police and pro neighborhood rants. Speak clearly and to the point that anything that occurs in a police officers tour of duty that wanders into the grey area of policing, be considered as the right thing the police officer did.
However, until that day comes and until the evil starts acting good, we have a new proposal. Examine the taxes generated from that neighborhood and give them the protection that their neighborhood deserves in the form of taxes collected, not votes garnered. Then pull all of the resources out of that neighborhood because we are sure that money going into that neighborhood is well over money coming out. All of the extra units, all of the manpower, equipment, the police station, etc. Let the neighborhood fall on its own without taking the good along with it. Send all of those resources to our district or other districts where it is evident there is still good. I promise you, the people of Mt. Greenwood would not march against their police. They would welcome them with open arms and appreciate what they are there to do. We have lost enough good people in this war. If the politicians won't let us fight this war to win, then we are going to choose the battles we fight. Like fighting for Mt. Greenwood.
It takes good to kill evil. We have the good on our side. God knows it. The citizens of Mt. Greenwood know it. The politicians and the ones with power (media, reverends, etc) don't care about good unless it serves their political, power hungry interests. They will also embrace evil if it serves their political, power hungry needs. In the city as a whole, good vs. evil, evil is winning. In our neighborhood, good vs. evil, good is winning but evil is advancing. Let's put a stop to it. God is on our side.
Our thoughts. We are losing this war boys and girls. The violence and the thuggery is taking over this city. We are losing not because we do not have the soldiers to fight the war. Oh no, we have the soldiers. Trust me. Myself and some of my staff work with them. They are some of the bravest, strongest and smartest people that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with(I am using the first person because this article is coming straight from the writer). We are losing because we have let our city, and neighborhood in some respects, be taken over by a political group that does not give two shits about their citizens or their police. They coddle up next to Ceasefire and reverends, who are probably so in bed with the gangs that it might be hard to tell the difference, just so they can retain power. These politicians believe they gain political power by throwing officers that sometimes operate in a grey area right under the bus. These officers are the same ones that are spilling their blood, sweat and tears in neighborhoods that do not truly appreciate what they are doing. Englewood being one of them. Our boys and girls in blue are itching for the opportunity to right the wrongs that they see daily, but can't because of fear they will lose their job over some grey area actions that are completely called for at this point. I don't blame them and nor should you. Changes need to be made.
There are sections of this city that are truly lost. Englewood is one of them. Now, I know we are going to hear speeches regarding how there are good people that live in Englewood and that they deserve to have protection. Fuck that. If those good people are there, then it is time for them to do one of two things. Either leave or stand up and fight for their neighborhood. Let them stand up and speak out for the police. Demand news coverage for their pro police and pro neighborhood rants. Speak clearly and to the point that anything that occurs in a police officers tour of duty that wanders into the grey area of policing, be considered as the right thing the police officer did.
However, until that day comes and until the evil starts acting good, we have a new proposal. Examine the taxes generated from that neighborhood and give them the protection that their neighborhood deserves in the form of taxes collected, not votes garnered. Then pull all of the resources out of that neighborhood because we are sure that money going into that neighborhood is well over money coming out. All of the extra units, all of the manpower, equipment, the police station, etc. Let the neighborhood fall on its own without taking the good along with it. Send all of those resources to our district or other districts where it is evident there is still good. I promise you, the people of Mt. Greenwood would not march against their police. They would welcome them with open arms and appreciate what they are there to do. We have lost enough good people in this war. If the politicians won't let us fight this war to win, then we are going to choose the battles we fight. Like fighting for Mt. Greenwood.
It takes good to kill evil. We have the good on our side. God knows it. The citizens of Mt. Greenwood know it. The politicians and the ones with power (media, reverends, etc) don't care about good unless it serves their political, power hungry interests. They will also embrace evil if it serves their political, power hungry needs. In the city as a whole, good vs. evil, evil is winning. In our neighborhood, good vs. evil, good is winning but evil is advancing. Let's put a stop to it. God is on our side.
And we hear from Rugai
From Beverly Review:
Rugai said she supports the ordinance because it eliminates gun shops, and emergency responders and police will know when they are entering a home where there is a handgun that has been legally registered.
“I’m glad gun shops will be prohibited in the city out of fear of the thought that they could be burglarized and more guns put on the streets, but we know there are still a number of [gun shops outside] the city,” Rugai said. “I also like the fact that the first responders will have knowledge before they go to a home that there is a gun registered at that residence.”
Quit being part of the problem Ginger, and start being part of the solution. You and your ilk are causing innocents to get hurt by the marauding evil in this city. If this was such great legislation, then why didn't you implement this 20 years ago? Are you so far up Daley's ass that you don't know what is right and wrong anymore.
This legislation did not create some new anti gun shop ordinance. That was already there. Do you think we are too dumb to realize that? And when the city is bleeding funds left and right (especially left), you eliminate a new source of revenue and jobs in the city by immediately eliminating a source of tax income, gun shops. The city could have double dipped. Tax the gun sales and then get the registration fee. What a windfall. Instead, some short sighted, power hungry government would rather keep the claws of power in their citizens instead of trusting them to do the right thing on their own.
Also, do you truly believe that the police did not already assume that there was a gun in a house when then enter? Any safe and good police officer would already be entering any residence with caution prior to any call. Reason: Because the gun ordinance before did such a bang up job that all of the guns were removed from the street and police had nothing to worry about, like getting shot....NOT!!! There should have always been and should always be an assumption of danger when walking into a residence, gun laws or no gun laws.
Where is this gun registration going to be posted? You know, when a first responder like a police officer has a priority 1A domestic call where someone is being injured. Are the dispatchers going to have instant access to that gun registration list to inform a police officer? Is that officer going to take the 10-20 minutes to look up said registration list? Or is that registration list going to be under some bureaucratic red tape, time consuming phone call that would take a half a tour of duty to access.
It is time to stop taking these politicians quotes at face value and truly start analyzing them for the truth (or lies) that are in them. Everything in Rugai's statements is a bunch of BS that has absolutely no application in the real world. Trust yourself and your neighbor, don't trust the politician. Protect yourself Mt. Greenwood, no one else is.
Rugai said she supports the ordinance because it eliminates gun shops, and emergency responders and police will know when they are entering a home where there is a handgun that has been legally registered.
“I’m glad gun shops will be prohibited in the city out of fear of the thought that they could be burglarized and more guns put on the streets, but we know there are still a number of [gun shops outside] the city,” Rugai said. “I also like the fact that the first responders will have knowledge before they go to a home that there is a gun registered at that residence.”
Quit being part of the problem Ginger, and start being part of the solution. You and your ilk are causing innocents to get hurt by the marauding evil in this city. If this was such great legislation, then why didn't you implement this 20 years ago? Are you so far up Daley's ass that you don't know what is right and wrong anymore.
This legislation did not create some new anti gun shop ordinance. That was already there. Do you think we are too dumb to realize that? And when the city is bleeding funds left and right (especially left), you eliminate a new source of revenue and jobs in the city by immediately eliminating a source of tax income, gun shops. The city could have double dipped. Tax the gun sales and then get the registration fee. What a windfall. Instead, some short sighted, power hungry government would rather keep the claws of power in their citizens instead of trusting them to do the right thing on their own.
Also, do you truly believe that the police did not already assume that there was a gun in a house when then enter? Any safe and good police officer would already be entering any residence with caution prior to any call. Reason: Because the gun ordinance before did such a bang up job that all of the guns were removed from the street and police had nothing to worry about, like getting shot....NOT!!! There should have always been and should always be an assumption of danger when walking into a residence, gun laws or no gun laws.
Where is this gun registration going to be posted? You know, when a first responder like a police officer has a priority 1A domestic call where someone is being injured. Are the dispatchers going to have instant access to that gun registration list to inform a police officer? Is that officer going to take the 10-20 minutes to look up said registration list? Or is that registration list going to be under some bureaucratic red tape, time consuming phone call that would take a half a tour of duty to access.
It is time to stop taking these politicians quotes at face value and truly start analyzing them for the truth (or lies) that are in them. Everything in Rugai's statements is a bunch of BS that has absolutely no application in the real world. Trust yourself and your neighbor, don't trust the politician. Protect yourself Mt. Greenwood, no one else is.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Joyce Successor
From Beverly Review:
An employee of the Cook County sheriff’s office for nearly 20 years, Cunningham worked under former Sheriff Mike Sheahan as communications director for 16 years and then under Sheriff Tom Dart as chief of staff. On June 7, Cunningham left the sheriff’s office to work as director of communications for Gov. Pat Quinn.
Look, Mr. Cunningham maybe a good guy, but look at who he has worked for. Look at who endorces him. Look at the people that are incumbants and were former players in government that he has worked for. Mr. Cunningham has learned everything about politics from them.
If you are unhappy with the way things are, then a vote for Mr. Cunningham would probably not be wise. That and you'd be voting for a handpicked guy instead of someone the public chose to run on the democratic ticket during the primary. Remember, a bunch of elitists got together and chose the person to run instead of the people choosing who should run. Something is seriously wrong with that. You just have to wonder if Joyce and the democratic party had this planned.
However, if you are happy with the way this ward, county, and state runs then by all means, vote for Cunningham. It appears that he is a product of that government.
An employee of the Cook County sheriff’s office for nearly 20 years, Cunningham worked under former Sheriff Mike Sheahan as communications director for 16 years and then under Sheriff Tom Dart as chief of staff. On June 7, Cunningham left the sheriff’s office to work as director of communications for Gov. Pat Quinn.
Look, Mr. Cunningham maybe a good guy, but look at who he has worked for. Look at who endorces him. Look at the people that are incumbants and were former players in government that he has worked for. Mr. Cunningham has learned everything about politics from them.
If you are unhappy with the way things are, then a vote for Mr. Cunningham would probably not be wise. That and you'd be voting for a handpicked guy instead of someone the public chose to run on the democratic ticket during the primary. Remember, a bunch of elitists got together and chose the person to run instead of the people choosing who should run. Something is seriously wrong with that. You just have to wonder if Joyce and the democratic party had this planned.
However, if you are happy with the way this ward, county, and state runs then by all means, vote for Cunningham. It appears that he is a product of that government.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Let's see what Ald. Rugai does
From Chicago Breaking News:
Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a gun control ordinance today that would require gun owners to register their weapons with the city, get training and keep all but one firearm locked up.
But the mayor scaled back an earlier idea of only allowing one gun per adult in a home, instead going with a provision that would limit registration with the city to one handgun a month.
The proposals will go before the City Council Police and Fire Committee today, and Daley said the full council will meet Friday to consider it.
Alderman Rugai is on the Police and Fire Committee. Our take on the new law is an attempt by government to regulate what you do in your own home to protect yourself. Limiting 1 gun in the home as being operational? Please. All of the other guns would need to be broken down or trigger locked. Listen, if you feel the need to have more than 1 gun in your home functioning, feel free to have it. It is YOUR home. Not Mayor Daley's, Alderman Rugai's or anyone elses. It is YOUR home. You pay enough money to live in this neighborhood with 1 beat car to protect you, you should have the right to protect yourself anyway you feel you need to.
There are a lot of other provisions in the proposed ordinance that make absolutely no sense. For instance, the banning of assault weapons. What is an assault weapon? Fuck, a baseball bat is an assault weapon. Don't let people scare you with words that describe a gun. Even so called 'assault weapons' require someone to pull a trigger just like a handgun.
The proposed ordinance also says that you cannot take the weapon out of your home and be on YOUR property with it. Really? We cannot take something that is ours, that we have a right to have and bring it onto something else that is ours (our land) and that we have a right to have. What a warped way of thinking.
We feel that any legislation that restricts a right is fundamentally flawed. Our alderman should respect our views and vote with her constituents on this bill. A vote against this bill in committee from her would be her honoring her constituents views. Remember, these restrictions only affect the law abiding citizens in the community. The criminal element never gave a damn and still won't.
Or she could just not show up to the committee meeting like she did when the original 'Fred Hampton Way' sign snuck its way through the committee.
Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a gun control ordinance today that would require gun owners to register their weapons with the city, get training and keep all but one firearm locked up.
But the mayor scaled back an earlier idea of only allowing one gun per adult in a home, instead going with a provision that would limit registration with the city to one handgun a month.
The proposals will go before the City Council Police and Fire Committee today, and Daley said the full council will meet Friday to consider it.
Alderman Rugai is on the Police and Fire Committee. Our take on the new law is an attempt by government to regulate what you do in your own home to protect yourself. Limiting 1 gun in the home as being operational? Please. All of the other guns would need to be broken down or trigger locked. Listen, if you feel the need to have more than 1 gun in your home functioning, feel free to have it. It is YOUR home. Not Mayor Daley's, Alderman Rugai's or anyone elses. It is YOUR home. You pay enough money to live in this neighborhood with 1 beat car to protect you, you should have the right to protect yourself anyway you feel you need to.
There are a lot of other provisions in the proposed ordinance that make absolutely no sense. For instance, the banning of assault weapons. What is an assault weapon? Fuck, a baseball bat is an assault weapon. Don't let people scare you with words that describe a gun. Even so called 'assault weapons' require someone to pull a trigger just like a handgun.
The proposed ordinance also says that you cannot take the weapon out of your home and be on YOUR property with it. Really? We cannot take something that is ours, that we have a right to have and bring it onto something else that is ours (our land) and that we have a right to have. What a warped way of thinking.
We feel that any legislation that restricts a right is fundamentally flawed. Our alderman should respect our views and vote with her constituents on this bill. A vote against this bill in committee from her would be her honoring her constituents views. Remember, these restrictions only affect the law abiding citizens in the community. The criminal element never gave a damn and still won't.
Or she could just not show up to the committee meeting like she did when the original 'Fred Hampton Way' sign snuck its way through the committee.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Castle Rock vs. Gonzalez
We read in the comments recently, (sorry, we cannot place exactly where in the comments), about a Supreme Court case that stated that the police cannot not be held liable for failing to protect you from a crime. We were aware of the case and looked it up.
Castle Rock vs. Gonzalez
The basics of the case was a woman had a restaining order against her estranged husband and the police failed to act thinking the husband was not a violent person after kidnapping their 3 kids. He killed the kids and then died by cop.
Tragedy....yes. Police liable...not so much.
What can we take from this? Your police are not responsible for protecting you. We are certain that our police will attempt to if they see the crime in progress. Any good police officer would. However, in your time of immediate need, calling 911 does not protect you from the problem at hand. Should you do it? YES! But the fight doesn't stop because you called the police. Protect yourself. Protect your family and your neighbors. If you set yourself up to be a victim, you will be one. If you sit there after calling 911 waiting for the police to come and rescue you, well, you may be disappointed.
The courts have ruled, and we believe rightfully so, that you cannot depend on government for your protection. Our city would like you to think so. They build big 911 buildings, big police stations, hold beat meetings, and have a handgun ban so that you have to turn to the city for protection and not yourself. Reality is, our 1 beat car cannot stop crime. Our 1 beat car can barely respond to crime. Ultimately it is up to you to protect yourself from harm.
However, it is up to us to get our tax dollars back for the smoke and mirrors protection we receive. Hear the sound of those police sirens you pay for going east all the time. Bosses don't care, they are not liable for your protection. We know we could use some of that tax money to buy a gun.
Castle Rock vs. Gonzalez
The basics of the case was a woman had a restaining order against her estranged husband and the police failed to act thinking the husband was not a violent person after kidnapping their 3 kids. He killed the kids and then died by cop.
Tragedy....yes. Police liable...not so much.
What can we take from this? Your police are not responsible for protecting you. We are certain that our police will attempt to if they see the crime in progress. Any good police officer would. However, in your time of immediate need, calling 911 does not protect you from the problem at hand. Should you do it? YES! But the fight doesn't stop because you called the police. Protect yourself. Protect your family and your neighbors. If you set yourself up to be a victim, you will be one. If you sit there after calling 911 waiting for the police to come and rescue you, well, you may be disappointed.
The courts have ruled, and we believe rightfully so, that you cannot depend on government for your protection. Our city would like you to think so. They build big 911 buildings, big police stations, hold beat meetings, and have a handgun ban so that you have to turn to the city for protection and not yourself. Reality is, our 1 beat car cannot stop crime. Our 1 beat car can barely respond to crime. Ultimately it is up to you to protect yourself from harm.
However, it is up to us to get our tax dollars back for the smoke and mirrors protection we receive. Hear the sound of those police sirens you pay for going east all the time. Bosses don't care, they are not liable for your protection. We know we could use some of that tax money to buy a gun.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Supreme Court ruling
Our right to at least own a handgun in our home is coming true. But not quite yet. The Supreme Court remanded the case back to the lower federal court for a new decision. So, until that happens, the law is technically still on the books.
You can still get prosecuted for the city ordinance but please weigh the punishment vs the 'crime.'
City ordinance
8-20-250 Violation – Penalty.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, where no other penalty is specifically provided, shall upon conviction for the first time, be fined not less than $300.00, nor more than $500.00; or be incarcerated for not less than ten days nor more than 90 days or both. Any subsequent conviction for a violation of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine of $500.00 and by incarceration for a term of not less than 90 days, nor more than six months.
We know incarceration scares a lot of people and we understand that. We would not want to be incarcerated either. However, if you are a law abiding citizen of the city of Chicago and you use your weapon to protect yourself and your family, wouldn't a small fine and a little jail time be worth the life of you and your family? Just a thought.
Continuing with those thoughts, we have never seen anyone get punished along the lines of this 'failure to register' law. The worst punishment we ever saw anyone get for violating this provision is the confiscation of the firearm. That is it. If that is the worst thing to happen to you in order to protect your family, is it really that bad?
Lastly, this law is truly dead, just not officially. Will the mayor keep wanting the law enforced? You betcha. Will the average police officer arrest you for it? Probably not, especially if you are not a gang banger or of ill criminal background. Will a judge find you guilty? Probably not because most of the judges are aware of the Supreme Court ruling and know that the prosecution of you would be a futile effort. You still may lose the gun until the law is officially destroyed.
Our disclaimer is that you may still get arrested and prosecuted for possessing a handgun in your home. Reality is that you are that much closer to protecting your family at least at home. True reality is that if you possessed that handgun at home today, you can start protecting your family today with, in our opinion, minimal risk.
You can still get prosecuted for the city ordinance but please weigh the punishment vs the 'crime.'
City ordinance
8-20-250 Violation – Penalty.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, where no other penalty is specifically provided, shall upon conviction for the first time, be fined not less than $300.00, nor more than $500.00; or be incarcerated for not less than ten days nor more than 90 days or both. Any subsequent conviction for a violation of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine of $500.00 and by incarceration for a term of not less than 90 days, nor more than six months.
We know incarceration scares a lot of people and we understand that. We would not want to be incarcerated either. However, if you are a law abiding citizen of the city of Chicago and you use your weapon to protect yourself and your family, wouldn't a small fine and a little jail time be worth the life of you and your family? Just a thought.
Continuing with those thoughts, we have never seen anyone get punished along the lines of this 'failure to register' law. The worst punishment we ever saw anyone get for violating this provision is the confiscation of the firearm. That is it. If that is the worst thing to happen to you in order to protect your family, is it really that bad?
Lastly, this law is truly dead, just not officially. Will the mayor keep wanting the law enforced? You betcha. Will the average police officer arrest you for it? Probably not, especially if you are not a gang banger or of ill criminal background. Will a judge find you guilty? Probably not because most of the judges are aware of the Supreme Court ruling and know that the prosecution of you would be a futile effort. You still may lose the gun until the law is officially destroyed.
Our disclaimer is that you may still get arrested and prosecuted for possessing a handgun in your home. Reality is that you are that much closer to protecting your family at least at home. True reality is that if you possessed that handgun at home today, you can start protecting your family today with, in our opinion, minimal risk.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Update to F.O.I.D. post
Here is the link to the State Police Firearm Owners ID card application. Take your time, fill it out completely and it only costs 10 bucks.
Our blog friend Jim McMahon offered a great idea in the comments with regards to concealed carry.
Because of the un-constitutional gun laws in this state that will not allow a Concealed Carry Permit to be issued to anyone not in law enforcement, (or politically connected) residents of Illinois are eligible for a non-resident CCW Permit from the state of Pennsylvania. And this can be done by mail. All you have to do is fill out the application, send in a copy of your IL Drivers License and your current Illinois FOID Card, enclose a self addressed-stamped envelope and a check for $26 to them, and you’re good for 5 years. I mailed mine out on a Monday, and received my CCW permit in the mail the following Wednesday. (i.e., 10 days)
With this permit you can conceal carry (or open carry) in 22 states that have reciprocity agreements with PA. It’s still useless in Illinois, but if you travel or vacation in any of the following states, you can legally carry a firearm for self protection.
Recognized in: AK-AZ-AR-GA-ID-IN-KY-LA-MO-MT-NC-ND-OK-PA-SD-TN-TX-UT-VT-VA-WV-WY.
We were able to find a .pdf application link for the concealed carry permit. Link here.
Remember, this permit DOES NOT allow you to carry your firearm in the state of Illinois on the public way. You must transport your weapon unloaded, encased in a firearm specific case and you must possess your FOID card. This state is a nanny state and does not want or trust its citizens to truly protect themselves as God has given them the right to do.
However, non-law enforcement citizens can use this permit in the states listed above.
The next question to ask yourself is how are the violent crime rates in each of these states. Probably much lower than in Illinois. However, Arizona has its own problems with the Mexican drug cartels invading.
Either way, there is a 3 day wait period for buying a handgun. Still make the purchase as soon as the law is struck down in the Supreme Court. Don't forget, buy some ammo, too. And take lessons, it will make you a better shot should the need arise.
Remember, when seconds count, police are only minutes away. Except in Chicago where there are less and less police, then they could be too overwhelmed to come because politicians are too removed from the situation to realize how short and overwhelmed our department truly is.
Our blog friend Jim McMahon offered a great idea in the comments with regards to concealed carry.
Because of the un-constitutional gun laws in this state that will not allow a Concealed Carry Permit to be issued to anyone not in law enforcement, (or politically connected) residents of Illinois are eligible for a non-resident CCW Permit from the state of Pennsylvania. And this can be done by mail. All you have to do is fill out the application, send in a copy of your IL Drivers License and your current Illinois FOID Card, enclose a self addressed-stamped envelope and a check for $26 to them, and you’re good for 5 years. I mailed mine out on a Monday, and received my CCW permit in the mail the following Wednesday. (i.e., 10 days)
With this permit you can conceal carry (or open carry) in 22 states that have reciprocity agreements with PA. It’s still useless in Illinois, but if you travel or vacation in any of the following states, you can legally carry a firearm for self protection.
Recognized in: AK-AZ-AR-GA-ID-IN-KY-LA-MO-MT-NC-ND-OK-PA-SD-TN-TX-UT-VT-VA-WV-WY.
We were able to find a .pdf application link for the concealed carry permit. Link here.
Remember, this permit DOES NOT allow you to carry your firearm in the state of Illinois on the public way. You must transport your weapon unloaded, encased in a firearm specific case and you must possess your FOID card. This state is a nanny state and does not want or trust its citizens to truly protect themselves as God has given them the right to do.
However, non-law enforcement citizens can use this permit in the states listed above.
The next question to ask yourself is how are the violent crime rates in each of these states. Probably much lower than in Illinois. However, Arizona has its own problems with the Mexican drug cartels invading.
Either way, there is a 3 day wait period for buying a handgun. Still make the purchase as soon as the law is struck down in the Supreme Court. Don't forget, buy some ammo, too. And take lessons, it will make you a better shot should the need arise.
Remember, when seconds count, police are only minutes away. Except in Chicago where there are less and less police, then they could be too overwhelmed to come because politicians are too removed from the situation to realize how short and overwhelmed our department truly is.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Does Mt. Greenwood need cameras?
So do we? We have been talking on this blog about the increase in crime and we have seen in other neighborhoods the addition of cameras to attempt to solve them problem.
We here at MTGP say ABSOLUTELY NO! Let us go throught the gammit of arguements for the cameras.
From CBS2
"They're a tool to assist police officers to do their job better on the street," said Chicago Police Asst. Deputy Supt. Howard Lodding.
Really? How many street officers actually view blue light camera footage during a tour of duty? The average police officer does not use the blue light camera that is posted on a pole during their tour of duty. They usually are just sitting on top of the pole zooming in and out and rotating randomly in the hopes that they actually catch a crime occurring. If they do catch a crime occurring, that camera is not going to call 911 or alert the closest beat officer to what is happening. It will sit there and record the crime for some moments before reseting to a new camera angle. They do not exist to prevent crime, they exist to record it (maybe).
From ardamis via Chicago Tribune:
Another 100 police cameras are headed to high-crime street corners as the city expands a security system intended to disrupt crime, Mayor Richard Daley announced Tuesday.
But the new generation of cameras will be less obtrusive than the 200 already on the street. They will be a fraction of the weight and size of the current model and not be equipped with flashing blue lights.
The mayor related it best. They cameras are meant to disrupt crime. That's it. Not stop it. Not intervene. Not report it, just disrupt it. Wow, when we are getting robbed, or caught in gang crossfire, we will just be praying there is a camera there to disrupt it.
If we had police monitor all of the cameras located in the city, we would seriously need one police officer per camera. In order to effectively use the cameras that are in a fixed location and can't move around, we would need to put one set of eyes on each camera so that that set of eyes could watch for crimes in progress and let the police on the ground know where to go and what to look for. So, basically, you need 2 people to do the job that 1 would have been able to do. Not cost effective and not efficient.
To borrow a line from Second City Cop, when was the last time you saw a camera climb down from a pole and put cuffs on someone. Cameras are just there to make the average citizen believe something is being done when really nothing is.
We believe that our police department is comprised of many very good officers that are more than willing to do the work that needs to be done. However, we feel that out police department philosophy has changed. Chicago Police are being led to not prevent crime or be proactive but to report crime and be reactive. Hence why there is an increase in cameras that only report crime and no police to actually prevent crime.
Mount Greenwood does not need cameras, it needs boots on the ground in the form of police officers.
We here at MTGP say ABSOLUTELY NO! Let us go throught the gammit of arguements for the cameras.
From CBS2
"They're a tool to assist police officers to do their job better on the street," said Chicago Police Asst. Deputy Supt. Howard Lodding.
Really? How many street officers actually view blue light camera footage during a tour of duty? The average police officer does not use the blue light camera that is posted on a pole during their tour of duty. They usually are just sitting on top of the pole zooming in and out and rotating randomly in the hopes that they actually catch a crime occurring. If they do catch a crime occurring, that camera is not going to call 911 or alert the closest beat officer to what is happening. It will sit there and record the crime for some moments before reseting to a new camera angle. They do not exist to prevent crime, they exist to record it (maybe).
From ardamis via Chicago Tribune:
Another 100 police cameras are headed to high-crime street corners as the city expands a security system intended to disrupt crime, Mayor Richard Daley announced Tuesday.
But the new generation of cameras will be less obtrusive than the 200 already on the street. They will be a fraction of the weight and size of the current model and not be equipped with flashing blue lights.
The mayor related it best. They cameras are meant to disrupt crime. That's it. Not stop it. Not intervene. Not report it, just disrupt it. Wow, when we are getting robbed, or caught in gang crossfire, we will just be praying there is a camera there to disrupt it.
If we had police monitor all of the cameras located in the city, we would seriously need one police officer per camera. In order to effectively use the cameras that are in a fixed location and can't move around, we would need to put one set of eyes on each camera so that that set of eyes could watch for crimes in progress and let the police on the ground know where to go and what to look for. So, basically, you need 2 people to do the job that 1 would have been able to do. Not cost effective and not efficient.
To borrow a line from Second City Cop, when was the last time you saw a camera climb down from a pole and put cuffs on someone. Cameras are just there to make the average citizen believe something is being done when really nothing is.
We believe that our police department is comprised of many very good officers that are more than willing to do the work that needs to be done. However, we feel that out police department philosophy has changed. Chicago Police are being led to not prevent crime or be proactive but to report crime and be reactive. Hence why there is an increase in cameras that only report crime and no police to actually prevent crime.
Mount Greenwood does not need cameras, it needs boots on the ground in the form of police officers.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Blame Game
It is a game. Everytime something goes wrong, we all look for someone to blame. And sometimes we have to look in the mirror. When our child fucks up. When we don't pay a bill. When our car breaks down and we didn't keep up the maintenance. But when it comes to the public at large, the blame falls largely on the shoulders of the politicians.
From comments.
The responsibility for crime and all the other social upheaval in our neighborhood cant sit squarely on the shoulders of the politicians that we elect. Certainly, you don't want them, or for that matter the police in your living room every time something in our own homes goes wrong. Its always easier to point a finger at someone else as being at fault. I once had an FTO that told me that 95% of everything that goes wrong, is our own responsibility. In his words, "we do it to ourselves". If it feels better to blame someone else, thats just human nature. These are shit times. We have people moving in that dont have the wherewithall to be here. Is that the politicians fault, or the lender who makes his money processing a mortgage that will be sold to another finacial institution? The attitude is fuck it, I got mine. The ones left holding the bag are us, the ones who pay our bills, and our taxes.
But local politicians dont write the script for the private sector, they don't hold approval over the loans given to unqualified applicants.
On another level, the politicians dont send gangbangers and druggies into our neighborhood . After all, they live here too. And the courts basically uphold the rights of these dirtbags to go where they want. The pendulum has swung the other way. The media has spread false sense of fair play.
Look at all the boo-hooing in the papers for murderers of Officers Doyle, Fahey and O'Brien. Look at the comments section following the articles about the Burge trial. They convict Burge in the press and then complain that the Wilson brothers were stereotyped by the police as offenders only because of their race, not their criminal histories. You want to point a finger, theres a lot of directions to go. If I were to boil it down to who's responsible for our neighborhoods going down the drain, I'd have to look at the media, and those who forget that they themselves are a for profit business, NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE. Ive said enough, I have to go watch Maury Povich, he's doing another one of those "whose your daddy?" themed shows that are so relevant to we, the people who work to keep our neighborhoods up. Sorry for the rant, just venting.
The politicians are very responsible for what is happening. They, from the federal level to the local level, control all of the regulation that occurs in society. They are also the same ones that put pressure on the banks to make loans to individuals that could not pay it back if they want to, using your mortgage analogy.
That attitude of 'fuck it, I got mine,' occurs very regularly in politics and the attitude has filtered down through to the private sector. Look at pork barrel projects in America. Say a fiscally responsible republican says no to a spending bill and is staunchly against it. Then with some negotiation later, he is for the bill because he is getting a new airport built in his district, which is hidden in the bill. 'Fuck it, I got mine.'
Look at the police contract. The police are upset because they got shafted on their raise. And they have good reason to be. We don't think the police would be that upset if the attitude of the politicians were truly sincere. The police saw the alderman pass themselves a 6% raise and a significant raise for their staff as well. 'Fuck it, I got mine' attitude took hold. Now they got their raise, everyone else must suffer. If the alderman took no raise to a 2% a year raise, then the police wouldn't have a leg to stand on and would truly understand the financial crisis at hand.
The media is to blame. However, the media is controlled by the politicians. Do you think the reporter at city hall wants to be kicked out of the loop because they reported something unfavorably towards the administration. They are puppets for the politicians because they feel they have to be. That is why the blog world, personal reporting and individual learning has exploded because people know where to find the truth and opinion that reflects what they see with their own two eyes.
As far as the judges and the judicial system, well they are elected....after being appointed or allowed to run by the powers that be. If you don't fit the agenda that the political powers want, you won't win the election or be appointed. And if you get elected and don't fit the agenda, enjoy being a judge at traffic court.
We need politicians that are in their positions for the people they serve. Not for the elites, the money people, the lobbyists, the reverends, etc. Politicians need to start listening to their constituents or start looking for other jobs.
From comments.
The responsibility for crime and all the other social upheaval in our neighborhood cant sit squarely on the shoulders of the politicians that we elect. Certainly, you don't want them, or for that matter the police in your living room every time something in our own homes goes wrong. Its always easier to point a finger at someone else as being at fault. I once had an FTO that told me that 95% of everything that goes wrong, is our own responsibility. In his words, "we do it to ourselves". If it feels better to blame someone else, thats just human nature. These are shit times. We have people moving in that dont have the wherewithall to be here. Is that the politicians fault, or the lender who makes his money processing a mortgage that will be sold to another finacial institution? The attitude is fuck it, I got mine. The ones left holding the bag are us, the ones who pay our bills, and our taxes.
But local politicians dont write the script for the private sector, they don't hold approval over the loans given to unqualified applicants.
On another level, the politicians dont send gangbangers and druggies into our neighborhood . After all, they live here too. And the courts basically uphold the rights of these dirtbags to go where they want. The pendulum has swung the other way. The media has spread false sense of fair play.
Look at all the boo-hooing in the papers for murderers of Officers Doyle, Fahey and O'Brien. Look at the comments section following the articles about the Burge trial. They convict Burge in the press and then complain that the Wilson brothers were stereotyped by the police as offenders only because of their race, not their criminal histories. You want to point a finger, theres a lot of directions to go. If I were to boil it down to who's responsible for our neighborhoods going down the drain, I'd have to look at the media, and those who forget that they themselves are a for profit business, NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE. Ive said enough, I have to go watch Maury Povich, he's doing another one of those "whose your daddy?" themed shows that are so relevant to we, the people who work to keep our neighborhoods up. Sorry for the rant, just venting.
The politicians are very responsible for what is happening. They, from the federal level to the local level, control all of the regulation that occurs in society. They are also the same ones that put pressure on the banks to make loans to individuals that could not pay it back if they want to, using your mortgage analogy.
That attitude of 'fuck it, I got mine,' occurs very regularly in politics and the attitude has filtered down through to the private sector. Look at pork barrel projects in America. Say a fiscally responsible republican says no to a spending bill and is staunchly against it. Then with some negotiation later, he is for the bill because he is getting a new airport built in his district, which is hidden in the bill. 'Fuck it, I got mine.'
Look at the police contract. The police are upset because they got shafted on their raise. And they have good reason to be. We don't think the police would be that upset if the attitude of the politicians were truly sincere. The police saw the alderman pass themselves a 6% raise and a significant raise for their staff as well. 'Fuck it, I got mine' attitude took hold. Now they got their raise, everyone else must suffer. If the alderman took no raise to a 2% a year raise, then the police wouldn't have a leg to stand on and would truly understand the financial crisis at hand.
The media is to blame. However, the media is controlled by the politicians. Do you think the reporter at city hall wants to be kicked out of the loop because they reported something unfavorably towards the administration. They are puppets for the politicians because they feel they have to be. That is why the blog world, personal reporting and individual learning has exploded because people know where to find the truth and opinion that reflects what they see with their own two eyes.
As far as the judges and the judicial system, well they are elected....after being appointed or allowed to run by the powers that be. If you don't fit the agenda that the political powers want, you won't win the election or be appointed. And if you get elected and don't fit the agenda, enjoy being a judge at traffic court.
We need politicians that are in their positions for the people they serve. Not for the elites, the money people, the lobbyists, the reverends, etc. Politicians need to start listening to their constituents or start looking for other jobs.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Village Voice said...
Well I for one am not sad that we do not have the parade ... I have no problem with a festival similar to Irish fest at Gaelic Park but the parade was turning into a joke .. If the tradition which was turning into a drunkfest, well sayonara. That is the example it was setting ... PR fest is changing, I worked it back in the day when it was a battle royal, but now from what I hear, it is not that bad ... One thing to remember, the city did not stop the parade ... The Parade committee ended the parade ...
Let's analyze this.
We for one would love to have an Irish fest too. We basically had that. However, some committee cancelled it. Funny thing, can't find the members of the committee anywhere listed. Wonder who was on that committee.
About the drunkfest. Maybe it was turning into a drunkfest. Maybe it always was. Is it a shock that you put a large quantity of Irish people together that they may drink? Our festival was once a year, usually on a cold day and in the morning. It was a major financial draw to the community. It was attended by people from around the country and the world. How can something that was so well attended by so many good people be so bad?
Puerto Rican fest changing? Okay, inside of the park where it is held, maybe. One of our staff have recently worked the fest as well and they tell me there are still roving street gangs moving about through the fest threatening and attempting to start fights. If it was not for the 'overwhelming' police presence, the Puerto Rican fest would be the same as when you worked it.
Immediately step outside the park and you definitely have problems. When the day comes and they invent transporters that beam us directly to the event, we may go.
Lastly, the city did not stop the parade? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Let me ask you this, if the city didn't stop the parade, why did a city alderwoman for the 19th ward make this comment that was found in an ABC 7 news report.
"People are sad but they know it had to happen. It's grown to a point where it can't be held in a residential community like this," said Ald. Ginger Rugai, 19th Ward.
Why would an alderwoman be so quick to be on the side of the committee if she had nothing to do with it? We all know that you need the alderwoman on your side for permits and the like.
Ultimately, the point of the previous article still holds true. We already inundate other neighborhoods in Chicago with police and these festivals just draw more manpower away from the good, tax-paying neighborhoods like ours.
Let's analyze this.
We for one would love to have an Irish fest too. We basically had that. However, some committee cancelled it. Funny thing, can't find the members of the committee anywhere listed. Wonder who was on that committee.
About the drunkfest. Maybe it was turning into a drunkfest. Maybe it always was. Is it a shock that you put a large quantity of Irish people together that they may drink? Our festival was once a year, usually on a cold day and in the morning. It was a major financial draw to the community. It was attended by people from around the country and the world. How can something that was so well attended by so many good people be so bad?
Puerto Rican fest changing? Okay, inside of the park where it is held, maybe. One of our staff have recently worked the fest as well and they tell me there are still roving street gangs moving about through the fest threatening and attempting to start fights. If it was not for the 'overwhelming' police presence, the Puerto Rican fest would be the same as when you worked it.
Immediately step outside the park and you definitely have problems. When the day comes and they invent transporters that beam us directly to the event, we may go.
Lastly, the city did not stop the parade? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Let me ask you this, if the city didn't stop the parade, why did a city alderwoman for the 19th ward make this comment that was found in an ABC 7 news report.
"People are sad but they know it had to happen. It's grown to a point where it can't be held in a residential community like this," said Ald. Ginger Rugai, 19th Ward.
Why would an alderwoman be so quick to be on the side of the committee if she had nothing to do with it? We all know that you need the alderwoman on your side for permits and the like.
Ultimately, the point of the previous article still holds true. We already inundate other neighborhoods in Chicago with police and these festivals just draw more manpower away from the good, tax-paying neighborhoods like ours.
Festivals
We just read this about an Urban festival (which appears to be a cover for a muslim festival) from Shaved. We are also in the midst of the Puerto Rican fest.
Why does it matter?
Hundreds, if not thousands, of police officers are being sent to these events from districts citywide. We are certain that the 22nd district is not immune to it. These festivals are being held in neighborhoods that already have a plethora of police in them. And guess what? You and us are paying for them. Most of us are probably not be going to them because we fear us or our children getting caught up in a gang fight or gunfire, but we sure are paying for them.
Hold the phone, we are paying for festivals that we do not attend and we are paying our police to go to these festivals to leave us unprotected on the homefront. In a logical world, this would not make any sense.
But we live in Chicago.
At least we get this groundswell of police every year during the Southside Irish Parade....er... Fuck, they took that away from us too. The one event that is meant for our neighborhood that we felt safe going to has been removed from our neighborhood. Why did they do this? Because of the minor disturbances and fighting that occured.
Have you been to some of these other festivals? We guess that means that Bud Billiken, Mexican Parades, Puerto Rican fests and every other neighborhood festival will be cancelled based on this criteria. We mean, people get shot at these other festivals, which has to rise well above the level of 'chaos' observed during the Southside Irish parade.
Nope, we get fucked in more than one way here. And we sit here and take it.
We hope our politicians are at least taking us out to dinner first. We hate feeling used.
Why does it matter?
Hundreds, if not thousands, of police officers are being sent to these events from districts citywide. We are certain that the 22nd district is not immune to it. These festivals are being held in neighborhoods that already have a plethora of police in them. And guess what? You and us are paying for them. Most of us are probably not be going to them because we fear us or our children getting caught up in a gang fight or gunfire, but we sure are paying for them.
Hold the phone, we are paying for festivals that we do not attend and we are paying our police to go to these festivals to leave us unprotected on the homefront. In a logical world, this would not make any sense.
But we live in Chicago.
At least we get this groundswell of police every year during the Southside Irish Parade....er... Fuck, they took that away from us too. The one event that is meant for our neighborhood that we felt safe going to has been removed from our neighborhood. Why did they do this? Because of the minor disturbances and fighting that occured.
Have you been to some of these other festivals? We guess that means that Bud Billiken, Mexican Parades, Puerto Rican fests and every other neighborhood festival will be cancelled based on this criteria. We mean, people get shot at these other festivals, which has to rise well above the level of 'chaos' observed during the Southside Irish parade.
Nope, we get fucked in more than one way here. And we sit here and take it.
We hope our politicians are at least taking us out to dinner first. We hate feeling used.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
State Rep Kevin Joyce
The machine is still working. Our state rep Kevin Joyce has announced his retirement. When did he do this? After he was given the nomination, in the primary, to run in the general election. What does it matter you ask? Let me tell you.
Our ward and neighborhood tends to vote democratic and those in power know that. Why, we may never know, but it is what it is. We personally think that these offices would be ripe for the pickings if an independent were to run in a general election against any one of these individuals, but we digress. Incumbents have a tendency, more so because of name, to be re-elected. So, every primary election, the incumbent runs and wins. Then it is a surprise when they retire. What happens next? The machine then gets to choose the next candidate they want to run on the democratic ticket.
It happens time and time again. Here is the rundown.
Rugai was appointed by Mayor Daley after the previous alderman left office.
U.S. congressman Lipinski was appointed by a 'committee' after his father retired. (King passes on to prince)
Father Stroger was kept alive long enough (we think he was alive) to win the primary, then Cook County Board Pres. Toddler Stroger was given the nomination.
Over and over again this happens. The new pick is now beholden to the committee or person that puts them in power. All of this ensures that the machine maintains power and no 'true' challenger can ever break through.
Why do we comment on this on a crime blog? Simple, we are not happy with the current problems in our community and the same leaders have been in power for decades. We can only look to them as the problem, not the solution. We need to stop the machine before it eats everything we hold dear. This machine is always hungry.
Side note: we found a website that has the potential to be beneficial to track our politician's political heritage. Clout Tracker. Could be a useful tool for your own research. It appears they are also looking for information about our politicians, feel free to contribute.
Our ward and neighborhood tends to vote democratic and those in power know that. Why, we may never know, but it is what it is. We personally think that these offices would be ripe for the pickings if an independent were to run in a general election against any one of these individuals, but we digress. Incumbents have a tendency, more so because of name, to be re-elected. So, every primary election, the incumbent runs and wins. Then it is a surprise when they retire. What happens next? The machine then gets to choose the next candidate they want to run on the democratic ticket.
It happens time and time again. Here is the rundown.
Rugai was appointed by Mayor Daley after the previous alderman left office.
U.S. congressman Lipinski was appointed by a 'committee' after his father retired. (King passes on to prince)
Father Stroger was kept alive long enough (we think he was alive) to win the primary, then Cook County Board Pres. Toddler Stroger was given the nomination.
Over and over again this happens. The new pick is now beholden to the committee or person that puts them in power. All of this ensures that the machine maintains power and no 'true' challenger can ever break through.
Why do we comment on this on a crime blog? Simple, we are not happy with the current problems in our community and the same leaders have been in power for decades. We can only look to them as the problem, not the solution. We need to stop the machine before it eats everything we hold dear. This machine is always hungry.
Side note: we found a website that has the potential to be beneficial to track our politician's political heritage. Clout Tracker. Could be a useful tool for your own research. It appears they are also looking for information about our politicians, feel free to contribute.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Your taxes vs other southside locations
We got an idea from a comment regarding your property taxes and those in areas that receive more city services than us. We decided to pick at random various addresses in various police districts and the total taxes billed for that address in 2009.
Info provided in the following order
Address; 2009 Taxes; Police District; House/Apartment
219 w. 109th st; $372.15; 5th District; house
12015 s. wallace; $1710.08; 5th District; house
7506 s. emerald; $2743.10; 6th District; apartment
8006 s. damen; $1595.88; 6th District; house
8219 s. muskegon; $1737.52; 4th District; house
10812 s. calhoun; $686.55; 4th District; house
7211 s. winchester; $840.44; 7th Distict; house
5543 s. shields; $2065.68; 7th District; house
11223 s. church; $1852.94; 22nd District; house
2211's beat
10414 s. troy; $3022.67; 22nd District; house
10819 s. hamlin; $2706.00; 22nd District; house
10734 s. maplewood; $3506.86; 22nd District; house
11245 s. drake; $3347.87; 22nd District; house
All of this information is readily available online if you know where to look. Our thoughts on some of these numbers. 11223 S. Church St is located on the east end of the 22nd District. That street gets excess police service from the 22nd District and they pay roughly half of the property tax that we do.
An APARTMENT building in the 6th district at 7506 S. Emerald pays less money than 3 of the 4 properties we looked at for Beat 2211. Apartment buildings should be paying a premium as they are investment properties, but because they are in areas that suck everything good away, they get to pay less than a single family house in our neighborhood.
A house in the 5th district at 219 w. 109th st. pays less than $500.00 A YEAR for taxes. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th districts have smaller beats and get extra help in the form of an outside unit called Tactical Response Unit regularly.
Let's throw more onto the tax fire. A progressive federal income tax. Earn more, pay more. A state income tax that some politicians want to raise. Penalties for working hard and being successful. Wheel tax (city sticker) for owning a car in the city. State Registration. Electric and natural gas consumption taxes. High sales tax. Entertainment tax. Phone taxes. Parking fees. What are we missing? These are all some of the ways the city, county and state rape us regularly for being successful/responsible members of our community. We also know of the roundabout ways of raising our 'taxes' that are not direct ways. Raise taxes on companies and force the companies to charge us more.
Now, say you earn nothing and are a dredge on society, get a Link card, get Section 8 housing vouchers, get free health care at any public health center or hospital, get taxes done for free by city, get job training for free, get a public defender when you are a fuck up, get to keep the cash earned from the drug trade and still get all of the free public welfare because you show no income, get SSI, get government subsidized cell phones, government subsidized daycare when you want other people to raise your children. Extra police protection. Extra fire protection. Where does it stop? Did we miss some? Please fill us in on some of the other stuff the dredge of society receive that we forgot or were unaware of.
After all of that money has burned a hole in our pocket, at the end of the day we are left out here to defend ourselves and have the assistance of 2211 when they can make it out this way and 2211a when they decide to man the car and not detail it to some other beat.
Info provided in the following order
Address; 2009 Taxes; Police District; House/Apartment
219 w. 109th st; $372.15; 5th District; house
12015 s. wallace; $1710.08; 5th District; house
7506 s. emerald; $2743.10; 6th District; apartment
8006 s. damen; $1595.88; 6th District; house
8219 s. muskegon; $1737.52; 4th District; house
10812 s. calhoun; $686.55; 4th District; house
7211 s. winchester; $840.44; 7th Distict; house
5543 s. shields; $2065.68; 7th District; house
11223 s. church; $1852.94; 22nd District; house
2211's beat
10414 s. troy; $3022.67; 22nd District; house
10819 s. hamlin; $2706.00; 22nd District; house
10734 s. maplewood; $3506.86; 22nd District; house
11245 s. drake; $3347.87; 22nd District; house
All of this information is readily available online if you know where to look. Our thoughts on some of these numbers. 11223 S. Church St is located on the east end of the 22nd District. That street gets excess police service from the 22nd District and they pay roughly half of the property tax that we do.
An APARTMENT building in the 6th district at 7506 S. Emerald pays less money than 3 of the 4 properties we looked at for Beat 2211. Apartment buildings should be paying a premium as they are investment properties, but because they are in areas that suck everything good away, they get to pay less than a single family house in our neighborhood.
A house in the 5th district at 219 w. 109th st. pays less than $500.00 A YEAR for taxes. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th districts have smaller beats and get extra help in the form of an outside unit called Tactical Response Unit regularly.
Let's throw more onto the tax fire. A progressive federal income tax. Earn more, pay more. A state income tax that some politicians want to raise. Penalties for working hard and being successful. Wheel tax (city sticker) for owning a car in the city. State Registration. Electric and natural gas consumption taxes. High sales tax. Entertainment tax. Phone taxes. Parking fees. What are we missing? These are all some of the ways the city, county and state rape us regularly for being successful/responsible members of our community. We also know of the roundabout ways of raising our 'taxes' that are not direct ways. Raise taxes on companies and force the companies to charge us more.
Now, say you earn nothing and are a dredge on society, get a Link card, get Section 8 housing vouchers, get free health care at any public health center or hospital, get taxes done for free by city, get job training for free, get a public defender when you are a fuck up, get to keep the cash earned from the drug trade and still get all of the free public welfare because you show no income, get SSI, get government subsidized cell phones, government subsidized daycare when you want other people to raise your children. Extra police protection. Extra fire protection. Where does it stop? Did we miss some? Please fill us in on some of the other stuff the dredge of society receive that we forgot or were unaware of.
After all of that money has burned a hole in our pocket, at the end of the day we are left out here to defend ourselves and have the assistance of 2211 when they can make it out this way and 2211a when they decide to man the car and not detail it to some other beat.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Ginger Rugai and alternatives
MTGP has also read a crapload regarding the 19th ward alderman. MTGP has heard everything from Ald. Rugai not controlling the 22nd district to her pulling the strings of the commander in 022. We do not know the truth. However, we do know that the unhappiness in this community is growing. After all, we started this blog and in less than a month with little to no advertising, we have been getting over 200 hits a day and growing.
Communities across America are waking up to the lies that we have been told by those in power. Both nationally, state and locally. Those that are in power have been in power for too long. That power has gotten to our politicians' head and they have become elitists. They feel as if they know better than everyone else and if they can just placate their population with false promises and false hope, then they can stay in power forever. The result of America waking up is going to be a removal of incumbents and those that America sees has having anything to do with the lies, deceit and trouble that we are in.
That should also happen locally. Ald. Rugai is a powerful alderman with some seniority. She is on the police/fire committee in the city council. That is a powerful committee that ultimately has a major say in where the money goes to the police department. Do you think that the powers that be in the police department would listen to her? You bet your ass they would. Including the 022nd district commander.
So, if Ald. Rugai demanded that 2211 and 2211a remained on their beat for the entire tours of duty, I don't think the commander of 022 or anyone above could tell her no.
Add on to this that Alderman Rugai was initially appointed as alderman by Mayor Daley and that should make anyone want to vote out the incumbent.
As for who you vote for, we do not have an opinion as of yet. New blood is always better than old blood. And if the new blood does not work out, vote them out.
Communities across America are waking up to the lies that we have been told by those in power. Both nationally, state and locally. Those that are in power have been in power for too long. That power has gotten to our politicians' head and they have become elitists. They feel as if they know better than everyone else and if they can just placate their population with false promises and false hope, then they can stay in power forever. The result of America waking up is going to be a removal of incumbents and those that America sees has having anything to do with the lies, deceit and trouble that we are in.
That should also happen locally. Ald. Rugai is a powerful alderman with some seniority. She is on the police/fire committee in the city council. That is a powerful committee that ultimately has a major say in where the money goes to the police department. Do you think that the powers that be in the police department would listen to her? You bet your ass they would. Including the 022nd district commander.
So, if Ald. Rugai demanded that 2211 and 2211a remained on their beat for the entire tours of duty, I don't think the commander of 022 or anyone above could tell her no.
Add on to this that Alderman Rugai was initially appointed as alderman by Mayor Daley and that should make anyone want to vote out the incumbent.
As for who you vote for, we do not have an opinion as of yet. New blood is always better than old blood. And if the new blood does not work out, vote them out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)