Dog Fight in the 50th

Silverstein Stumps for Obama, Brewer Stops Stone Project

2008-03-03T07:08:00.002-06:00

Word is that Sen. Silverstein, our new Democratic Committeeman, was in Ohio yesterday knocking on doors for Barack Obama. Imagine a Democratic Committeeman from the 50th Ward doing that! Meanwhile, I hear rumors (and nothing more) that Ald. Stone is planning on returning to the Republican Party so he can run for alderman under the Republican banner. If this is true, I'd imagine that his Democratic Club will become the Republican Club of the 50th Ward. Makes sense to me.

What really stands out here, though, is that Ira has done in a couple of months more to help Democrats than Berny did in eight years. That's promising.

We got word late last week that Cook County Judge Leroy Martin Jr. issued a preliminary injunction stoping construction on a planned parking garage and condominium development at Rockwell-Devon:

Today’s court order is the latest in a series of setbacks for the controversial project and a significant victory for homeowners who filed suit in October to block the development. Homeowners allege the planned six-story mixed-use structure would violate restrictive covenants established to protect the residential character of their neighborhood. Deed restrictions recorded with the original subdivision in 1913 permit only residential structures on Rockwell and adjacent side streets. The same restrictions require that all buildings be set back from the property line. The homeowners’ lawsuit seeks to enforce the covenants through a permanent injunction. Today’s ruling means that no construction may begin before a final decision in the case.

You have to really wonder whether this monstrosity will ever get built. Proposed at the end of the housing bubble, I can't imagine people wanting to pay the prices that the developer wants -- or banks loaning money to such a controversial project. Brewer accuses Stone of ignoring city rules and regulations, as well as "the right of these homeowners to protect their neighborhood and their property values." It's good to have an advocate like Greg Brewer on the side of the neighborhood.

Local Soldier Killed by Roadside Bomb

2008-02-22T06:29:00.004-06:00

Albert Bitton, 20, who joined the Army after graduating from Ida Crown Jewish Academy, was killed in Baghdad on Tuesday. His Humvee/ambulence was hit an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his wife, Melissa Handleman, his parents, Elie and Silvia, and his sisters, Jackie and Elizabeth.

Albert grew up in West Rogers Park and was scheduled to return home in January 2009.

"Bitton's family said the soldier's body was expected to return to Chicago this weekend, and services are planned for Tuesday or Wednesday."

Service: February 26 (Tue), 1 pm
Congregation Adas Yeshurun
3050 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60045

Interment: Memorial Park

The Color of Rebuke

2008-02-10T07:06:00.000-06:00

Key:
Red = Stone won 55% or more
Pink = Stone won 50%-54%
Green = Ira won 50%-54%
Lt Gr = Ira won 55%-64%
Lt Bl = Ira won 65%-74%
Blue = Ira won 75% or more

Ald. Stone may try to blame his crushing defeat on Congresswoman Schakowsky and the lakeside liberals, but it's apparent from the vote returns that he was rebuked across the 50th Ward. Peterson Park, hardly a bastion of lakeside liberals, voted overwhelming against Stone, as did Park Place and the nursing homes; this was a broad rejection of Stone shared across all the neighborhoods.

85% of the voters who came out voted in this race. Stone held on to less than half the vote he had received not even a year ago. Outside of three of the Winston Towers and precinct captain Saul Charak's precinct, Stone lost those precincts he had won in 2007. Which may answer the question of who the precinct captains were loyal to, Stone or the Mayor. Newly-elected Democratic Committeeman Ira Silverstein turned the 50th Ward blue!

Dolar Beats Stone!

2008-02-07T18:56:00.000-06:00

The headline that many were waiting for:

Naisy Dolar: 4628 50th Ward
Berny Stone: 4549 50th Ward

Votes for delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Ira Wins! Ira Wins!

2008-02-05T22:59:00.000-06:00

It's a great day in the neighborhood. A man of integrity, spirit and a man who will not embarrass us has won election as Democratic Committeeman for the 50th Ward.

DEM - Ward Committeeman, 50th
37 out of 45 precincts (82.22 %)

Ira I. Silverstein 4,799 67.79 %
Bernard L. Stone 2,280 32.21 %

Ald. Stone's criminal organization, the Democratic Club of the 50th Ward, will no dount disappear. I think it safe to anticipate the return of the Regular Democratic Organization, the Democrats that Stone dissolved, to return to the 50th Ward.

It's a great day to be a democrat, to be alive in the 50th. If Stone resigns, his daughter is no longer the most likely replacement. And it's probable that Stone will not run for re-election as alderman. It's a GREAT DAY!

Let the race for 2011 begin!

Precinct Captain's Weather

2008-02-03T10:39:00.000-06:00

Daley asked Ald. Stone to resign as vice mayor

2008-02-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

Seems that Berny Stone's version of why Mayor Daley is supporting St. Senator Ira Silverstein for Democratic Committeeman is a bit far fetched. The Sun-Times Columnist, Michael Sneed, who tends to be clued in to the comings and goings of the 5th floor, writes:

The snubbing/drubbing of Ald. Bernard Stone, who has been in office for 35 years, is a classic case of "Upset the mayor -- get tossed under the bus."

• • The story behind the story: Sneed hears Mayor Daley's decision not to back loyalist Stone, 80, for 50th Ward Democratic committeeman had its beginning long before Stone's vote against the 2008 city budget.

• • The first shot: Sneed hears rumbles that Daley sent an emissary from the city's Intergovernmental Affairs office to solicit Stone's resignation as vice mayor -- at the start of Daley's present term.

• • The upshot: Considering his long tenure and loyalty to Daley in the City Council, Stone believed the request to be out of line and refused.

• • The buckshot: Word is Daley, who has a long memory, chalked this up as "strike one" against Stone.

• • The backshot: Stone's subsequent "no" votes on the budget and property tax increases -- despite 18 years of tough political support for Daley (including on such issues as the controversial big-box ordinance) -- seem to be strikes two and three. Stone's big-box vote almost cost him his aldermanic seat last February.

Hugh Devlin, who doubles as an information central for many things in the neighborhood, is right when he says:

It is reasonable that Daley had an idea of the current investigation into voter fraud in the 50th, and knew it was actionable and ongoing, at the time Daley asked Stone to step down.

I'd take it a bit further. If the Mayor sent someone from the Inspector General's office to ask Stone to resign, then he definitely understood the implications of the investigation into Stone's criminal organization and was looking to separate himself from it. The Mayor has enough problems with governing the city; he doesn't need Stone's criminal activities to reflect poorly on him or on the city of Chicago.

None of us do.

Reputation? What "Good Reputation?"

2008-02-01T13:13:00.000-06:00

One hears that Ald. Stone contends that there's 'No Doubt About My Good Reputation.'

My wife giggled at that. Which just about says it all.

This is the ward where some residents are embarrassed to admit who their alderman is, even though they love the neighborhood. So Berny is partially right -- there is no doubt about his reputation. It's just not good.

This was true even before one of his hired thugs got indicted. Before the press was called in by a priest at one precinct and the Board of Elections was called in to another. Before all the vacuous rumors Stone and his thugs started about opponents, before he promised to "take out" Lou Lang, Ira Silverstein and Jan Schakowsky. Long before, to be accurate.

It's not just that Berny Stone has gotten old. It's more like all the things he's said and done have come back to haunt him. Remember when Berny was challenged about all the rumors of corruption around him? What did he say? "Call the police."

Well, somebody did. In fact, it sounds like more than one somebody did. Berny Stone standing up at City Hall proclaiming that he still has his good name is just like President Clinton standing up at the White House and telling the nation that he did not have sex with "that woman." Actually, given Stone's braggadocio about his ties to the old machine and Fred Roti, President Clinton was more credible when he claimed not to have had sex with that woman.

Berny, you may have protected yourself from the city's Inspector General, but you can't hide from Patrick Fitzgerald or the feds. You have much to account for before you can even think about getting your "good reputation" back. Trying to argue over what the meaning of "is" is won't help.

Stone's Criminal Organization

2008-01-31T06:56:00.000-06:00

It is no surprise to anyone who lives in the 50th Ward that Ald. Stone's Ward Super has engaged in criminal activity. Nor can it surprise many that members of his criminal organization used their power and influence for their own selfish purposes.

Anish Eapen, the Ward Super, was the person who refused to fix cracked sidewalks or potholes, or pick up the trash that lines Devon Ave. (and others), and many other items that desperately need attending in the neighborhood.

But he had time to illegally intimidate voters and cast their ballots for them.

It's been mentioned before that Stone is a protege of Fred Roti, former Ald. of the old Mobbed-up 1st Ward. Stone was one of only two witnesses called in the corruption and murder trial of Roti, a "made" - or inducted - member of the Chicago Mob (in a federal lawsuit unsealed right before Roti died). Despite Stone's testimony that Roti was a good man, incapable of the things he was accused of, he was convicted of corruption after being caught on videotape in his City Hall office accepting a $4,000 bribe to rig a zoning matter and fix a civil court case. Stone was a frequent dinner companion of Roti and 1st Ward Secretary Patrick Marcy -- also a "made" member of Mob (according to FBI testimony to Congress) at the Counsellor's Row Restaurant.

The judge in the case noted that Roti had undermined the "very nature of the democratic process" when he sentenced the mobster to 4 years in jail with a substantial fine.

Fred Roti is the father of one the employees on Ald. Stone's payroll.

Stone remains free of indictment largely because a city ordinance prohibited Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman from investigating aldermen. This ordinance grew out of the fact that so many alderman had been convicted of corruption -- so the city council made it more difficult to get caught.

One of Stone's Thugs Arrested for Vote Fraud

2008-01-28T20:44:00.000-06:00

The Sun-Times reports:

Ward superintendent charged with vote fraud

January 28, 2008
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

A ward superintendent handpicked by the City Council’s 80-year-old elder statesman, Ald. Bernard Stone (50th), was arrested Monday and charged--along with another man--with improperly steering primarily Indian and Pakistani voters toward absentee ballots for Stone.

Anish Eapen, a 37-year-old employee of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, faces two counts of official misconduct, three counts of absentee ballot fraud and one count of mutilation of election materials. He allegedly worked in tandem with 34-year-old Armando Ramos, an unemployed student. Ramos faces two counts of absentee ballot fraud and two counts of mutilation of election materials.

A source familiar with the investigation said Eapen and Ramos “would target different people—primarily Indian and Pakistani voters—and suggest that they take absentee ballots. They would give them reasons why they should be taking absentee ballots—not necessarily valid reasons. They would be present when they filled out the application for the absentee ballot and, in some instances, they would bring the absentee ballot back to the people to vote.”

Stone defended Eapen as an “honest and fair person” and “one of the best” ward superintendents in the city, adding, “Nobody has ever accused him of wrongdoing and I don’t believe any charge of wrongdoing will ever be substantiated against Anish Epan. These are trumped-up charges.”

Stone protests too much. His organization has a long and troubled history of voter intimidation and fraud. David Hoffman is already investigating Ald. Stone and his campaign for prior absentee ballot complaints. Stone used to have Dominic Longo on his payroll, who was once known as the king of vote fraud. And the abnormalities in the November 2006 election are still fresh in everyone's mind.

Mayor Daley Supporting Ira for Committeeman

2008-01-23T10:19:00.000-06:00

Carol Marin, the political reporter for the Sun-Times, reports that Mayor Daley has changed his position from being neutral in the Democratic Committeeman's race in the 50th Ward to supporting St. Senator Ira Silverstein.

The mayor, I said, is throwing his support to your opponent, Ira Silverstein for 50th Ward committeeman. Daley has just authorized the release of both a picture and a statement, I added.

If you can imagine a voice slumping back into a chair, that's what Bernie Stone sounded like.

"Then I'm shocked," said the 80-year-old vice mayor and dean of the City Council. "Shocked."

Ira Silverstein is a 47-year-old state senator whose district includes Stone's ward and other parts of the far North Side, Lincolnwood, Skokie, Morton Grove and Niles.

Though Silverstein has supported Stone in past elections, including last year's aldermanic contest, he has decided to challenge him Feb. 5 for the time-honored, nonpaying, highly political post of Democratic ward committeeman.

One commenter had even gone so far as to suggest that "the mayor asked Ira to run for committeeman." This endorsement of Ira lends substantial credence to that account.

Carol Marin relates that the Mayor was largely responsible for Ald. Stone's re-election victory last May:

Mayor Daley came to Stone's rescue. He sent in an army of workers plus veteran strategist Mike Noonan, who pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

But there has been growing criticism that Stone is too old school and that it's time for, you know, change. The byword of this election season.

Silverstein has allied himself with the so-called progressive wing of the party, people such as state Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. "Schakowsky represents the extreme left wing," Stone barked. "She wants to be boss of the North Side."

Stone doesn't have much use for progressives and says so. "I'm a middle-of-the-roader, more conservative. The liberals have always hated me."

Perhaps he should have added, "I'm through." So much for Stone's desire to elevate his daughter to his alderman's position. Never forget, that's what this election is about.

Ald. Stone Gets Big Raise!

2008-01-10T09:44:00.000-06:00

The ever-watchful Hugh Devlin makes a good point on the local West Rogers Park Yahoo group: Ald. Stone now receives $104,101.00 for his PART-TIME job as our alderman.

Don't you wonder what he does in all his spare time?

Me, too.

Stone Office Gets Talcum Powder Fright

2007-12-18T12:42:00.000-06:00

News reports say that a package containing talcum powder was delivered to Ald. Stone's office last night. The Chicago Tribune reports that "Police were called by Stone's office about 8 p.m. yesterday." Someone opened the package containing the powdery substance. "Initial tests determined the powdery substance to be non-toxic and may have been talcum powder," the Tribune notes.

Let's hope that the substance is talcum powder, but it doesn't matter. The incident undoubtedly scared those in the office (we have no idea if the alderman was actually there). They are in our thoughts.

Ira Wins Lottery!

2007-11-21T07:55:00.000-06:00

St. Sen. Silverstein, having filed his petitions at 9:00am on October 29, will be listed first on the February ballot. Ald. Stone also was in line and filed at 9:00am, which necessitated the lottery. Ira won the lottery for the first position on the ballot.

My dad, brilliant political mind that he has, says that winning the lottery is just like winning the lottery. There are extra votes to be had by being first on the ballot. That's why candidates get up and stand in line on the morning of the first day of filing. Given how close Stone's election was in April, a few extra votes for his opponent may be all that's needed to send Berny packing. It is interesting that he was one of the few incumbents who lost the ballot lottery. Maybe the stars are finally aligning in our favor!

Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Readers. I hope you cherish this time with your families and loved ones.

Jan Schakowsky endorses Ira Silverstein

2007-11-14T06:53:00.000-06:00

Our Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky, has endorsed Ira Silverstein in his race for Democratic Committeeman of the 50th Ward. She did so in a recent appearance of the Northtown News Magazine which can be found on YouTube here.

During the show, Jan said:

When I make a decision about endorsing a candidate, this is because I think that candidate will help to advance the agenda, a progressive agenda, and the agenda of this community, and is really ready to work hard for the kinds of changes and improvements that we need. That's my only criteria.

Unfortunately, that's not such a high bar to meet in comparison to Ald. Stone. Stone really has been one of the worst Committeemen in the city. He rarely attends Democratic Party meetings, he's neglected voter registration in the Ward, and uses that fact (that his constituents aren't registered) when they come and ask for help from the ward office or city government. Stories of Stone's neglect have become legend around the neighborhood, and it seems that everyone has their "Stone ignored (or insulted) me" story.

Electing Ira Democratic Committeeman is the first step to returning balance and fairness to the Ward. As Jan said, "that looks like that will be a race, that will be a lively race."

Stone Keeps Old Signs

2007-11-04T12:09:00.000-06:00

Looks like we get no reprieve from these eyesores.

Aldermanic Rematch of a sorts...

2007-10-31T17:07:00.000-05:00

Ald. Stone and Naisy Dolar will face off again on the ballot this February -- but not for alderman. This time, they will represent the Clinton and Obama campaigns in their respective slate of delegates for the Democratic National Convention.

Greg Brewer was also asked to run as a delegate by a presidential campaign, but he declined.

This development constitutes a change in apparent support for Berny Stone. Last February, Stone and the Democratic Club of the 50th Ward attended Barack Obama's kickoff in Chicago with a big banner declaring their support for Obama.

Jan Schakowsky was largely responsible for the selection of delegates in the 9th Congressional District. Convention delegates are selected by Congressional District. Schakowsky had previously endorsed Dolar in her aldermanic race. I seem to recall Stone swearing revenge on Schakowsky for this breach in political etiquette (according to Stone's idea of this), although I hadn't noticed an opponent showing up in Jan's race. Of course, Stone has his hands full in his race for Democratic Committeeman with Ira Silverstein. And we saw how far his influence extended when he ran Mike Moses against Lou Lang.

I presume, but do not know, that Stone was frozen out of the Obama slate by the Congresswoman. But that doesn't explain why he would turn against Illinois' favorite son to run on the slate put up by Hillary Clinton. Nor does it explain why he would be slated at all. His history of falling asleep at City Council meetings follows him into political meetings, whether inside the 50th or at the Cook County Democratic Party level. Maybe Stone will send his proxy, if he gets selected -- in fact, Stone's history of sleeping may open the door for Naisy to vote at the Convention (she's running as an alternate). How a delegate gets selected to go depends on how well the presidential candidate they prefer does in that Congressional District, as well as how well the delegate did. Democratic rules require a balance of men and women delegates, so that plays a part as well. I'd bet that the fact that Berny is male had a lot to do with his inclusion on Hillary Clinton's slate.

Still, there's something poetic about Naisy and Berny squaring off again, even if indirectly. Whether intentional or not, the candidates they prefer reflect the message each ran with less than a year ago.

Neighbors sue to stop Rockwell-Devon garage

2007-10-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

Greg Brewer continues his fight against Ald. Stone's patronage regime. Today, Brewer's community group, Citizens for Responsible Development, announced a suit to stop the Stone monstrosity at Rockwell-Devon.

Neighbors sue developer to stop Rockwell-Devon parking garage

A group of West Rogers Park homeowners today filed suit against developer Mohammed Siddiqi in an effort to stop construction of a planned parking garage and condominium development at Rockwell Street and Devon Avenue on the city’s far north side.

Homeowners allege the planned six-story mixed-use structure would violate restrictive covenants established to protect the residential character of their neighborhood. Deed restrictions recorded in 1913 permit only residential development on Rockwell and adjacent side streets. Deed restrictions also require that all buildings be set back at least twenty feet from the property line.

The proposed development includes ground floor retail and office space, a multi-level public parking garage and 30 condominium units. Parking garage floors would extend beyond the property line to overhang the sidewalk. The lawsuit filed today in Cook County seeks to enforce the restrictive covenants through a permanent injunction against the project.

Homeowner Mary Freely has lived in the neighborhood for 32 years. The two-flat she shares with her son and daughter-in-law sits directly across the alley from the development site.

“I’m afraid we’ll never see the sun again; we’ll be living in the shadow of a parking garage,” Mrs. Freely said.

Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of setbacks for the controversial project. The development has the support of local alderman Bernie Stone (50th Ward) and is slated to receive $3.6 million in TIF funding, but is more than a year behind schedule and remains stalled. The building permit issued in January has expired due to Siddiqi’s continued delay in starting construction.

Neighbors have objected without success to a series of zoning changes and other city approvals. Many believe the design is grossly out of scale with its surroundings and will overwhelm the residential neighborhood of historic bungalows and two-flats.

“The city’s planned development process has been used to disregard normal zoning requirements and allow a combination of height, bulk, and density not permitted anywhere else in the 50th Ward,” said Greg Brewer, an architect and community activist.

Prior city approvals have no bearing on the homeowners’ lawsuit. The city does not review or enforce deed restrictions, which are considered to be private agreements. The developer is fully aware of the restrictive covenants but has chosen to ignore them.

Brewer encouraged homeowners to bring their case to court and helped organize the lawsuit.

“The city can ignore its own rules and regulations, but it cannot violate the right of homeowners to protect the value of their property,” Brewer said.

Now I thought that Ald. Stone had promised that the TIF money would be used for schools -- especially the new school that he's perpetually promised. It surprises me not that instead of using that money as he's promised, it's designated to line the pockets of his friends. That's our Berny!

Am I the only one who eagerly awaits what he has to say on the next NTNM (aka the Berny Stone show)?

Forum on Budget Cuts Tomorrow

2007-09-26T07:53:00.000-05:00

From The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park, per their request:

Dear Readers:

As local elected officials, we have an obligation to our constituents to provide them with a voice in Springfield. This year, we spoke with many local groups and organizations about their needs and concerns to help deliver improved services.

When crafted a new state budget, we worked to pass a responsible spending plan that serves those most in need, including persons with disabilities, immigrant and refugee families, the homeless and individuals suffering from AIDS. Further, we worked to provide needed funding for local schools, park districts, fire stations, municipalities, economic development and to assist our senior citizens.

This funding was secured in order to provide our most needy residents with the services they rely on. However, Gov. Rod Blagojevich disagreed. He not only cut these crucial local projects from the budget, but in doing so he insulted the integrity of many worthy community groups by labeling the funding as 'pork'.� Now the ability of these organizations to provide needed programs to the families they serve has been severely damaged.

We are hosting a community forum at 7pm on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Mundelein Center Auditorium of Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Road to hear from area community organizations and local governments about how the governor's harmful budget cuts may affect their operations and ability to provide services.

We encourage anyone who is concerned about the loss of these needed projects to attend this hearing. It is important that we build the necessary support for an override of the governor's vetoes, and your attendance at this forum can help build the necessary momentum. We look forward to seeing you there.

STATE REPS:
GREG HARRIS (13TH)
TONI BERRIOS (39TH)
RICH BRADLEY (40TH)
JOHN DaMAMICO (15TH)
JOHN FRITCHEY (11TH)
SARA FEIGENHOLTZ (12TH)
LOU LANG (16TH)
JOSEPH LYONS (19TH)
& HARRY OSTERMAN (14TH)

Daley "Won't Interfer" in Stone-Silverstein Race

2007-09-18T07:50:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago, word wafted around the neighborhood that St. Senator Silverstein had done his due diligence while deciding to run for Democratic Committeeman. Ira spoke to various power centers in the ward and the city, inquiring about whether he should run against Ald. Stone.

Several people that I've spoken with have said the same thing: Ira is a reluctant candidate against Stone, compelled to run because things have gotten so bad. The 50th Ward is in the bottom half of voter registration, and the wards that are closest to it are far more depressed economically (that may be hard to believe). Stone rarely attends party functions and generally sends his proxy. Those who set up the meetings assume that if Stone comes, he will fall asleep -- and ask those sitting near his seat to "give him a nudge" if he does fall asleep during the meeting. Stone is generally disengaged with the party and disinterested in the things required of the Democratic Committeeman.

These facts are not unknown to the Mayor or to the county party leadership. So I made inquiries to see if the rumors were true, that the Mayor would staying out of the race. Now we know: the Mayor "won't interfer" in the committeeman's race in the 50th Ward.

This is interesting because the Mayor was clearly responsible for Stone's re-election as alderman. After Haymarket had dropped Berny for being too difficult, the Mayor sent in Mike Noonan to salvage Stone's re-election. A number of ward organizations were brought in to fill the numerous holes in the Democratic Club's organization.

We hear that Ira would like to keep this race positive. That hardly seems likely given Stone's prior campaigns. Being Jewish has not kept Stone from attacking his opponents in the past. But Ira isn't an unknown quantity in the neighborhood. He really is a beloved leader. Unlike Berny, people don't pretend to love (or fear) Ira. I think it is unrealistic to expect Stone not to fiercely attack Silverstein, or to rumormonger, or to threaten him and his supporters -- but I admire Ira's belief that he can run a positive campaign against Stone.

With Mayor Daley deciding not to get involved, Ira might be right!

Devine's Office Investigating Stone

2007-09-06T05:56:00.000-05:00

As I alluded to in comments, I don't think we have gotten the full story here, but the Sun-Times reports:

The Cook County state's attorney's office is investigating whether Ald. Bernie Stone's (50th) political organization improperly steered Indian and Pakistani voters toward absentee ballots, according to sources.

Those under investigation include city employees. For now, the probe is limited to Stone's North Side ward, the sources said. Subpoenas have been issued for witnesses and documents.

In tactics taken straight out of the ugly old days of corruption and machine politics:

Sources familiar with the matter say the state's attorney's office -- which is not barred from investigating aldermen -- is equally involved in the probe. The sources disputed Stone's claim the investigation involves other wards.

Members of Stone's organization allegedly persuaded some Indian and Pakistani voters to sign up for absentee ballots and then helped them vote, the sources said.

Political workers -- some of whom are city employees -- would visit apartment buildings to enlist absentee voters, sources said. In at least one instance, a Stone worker allegedly wore a jacket showing he was a city employee.

Stone said four people from his ward told him they were questioned about a political worker who asked them to apply for absentee ballots.

The timing for this investigation can't be helpful for Stone. Ira Silverstein is challenging him for Democratic Committeeman, and while no one knows whether this will be an issue in that campaign, the fact that Stone and the Democratic Club of the 50th Ward is under investigation for Voter Fraud is bound to prevent Stone's thugs from repeating illegal activity.

But Stone's daugher, not Federal or State investigations, is bound to be the biggest issue of this campaign. If Ira wins the committeeman position, it will be he who basically picks the replacement if Stone dies in office or retires before his term expires (after Stone has served two years and one day in this term). As long as Stone is committeeman, Ilana is virtually assured of being Stone's replacement under those circumstances. But with Ira, the 50th Ward will turn a new page and the neighborhood will finally get a voice in politics in the ward.

Stone Investigated for Vote Fraud

2007-09-05T06:33:00.000-05:00

Did Bernie Stone steal the last election?

Voters in West Ridge/West Rogers Park have long suspected that there was something funny about Ald. Stone's vote gathering efforts. The amount of support you hear for him out on the streets and what he received at the ballot box always seemed at odds.

Now, we understand Stone is being investigated for his use of absentee ballots:

Stone said that a man and a woman who live in his ward contacted him separately to report they had been subpoenaed to appear at the Cook County Court complex at 26th Street and California Avenue. The man said his wife and two daughters also were ordered to appear. The subpoenas were served by an IG staff member who left his card, Stone said, but when his constituents arrived at the court complex, he said they were interviewed by two assistant state's attorneys.

The questions centered on absentee ballots and whether their votes had been solicited by anyone and whether anybody else cast their votes, the alderman said.

Stone's precinct captains had previously bragged that they would deliver 2,000 absentee votes for Stone before the recent elections. They never reached this total, but they did generate about half that goal.

Voter Fraud techniques used by the Machine in Chicago has previously been documented by Peter Zelchenko's book, It Happened Four Years Ago. Stone's efforts appear to be similarly guided. We will follow this developing story closely.

Stone-Silverstein Race Gets Noticed

2007-08-22T06:52:00.000-05:00

In what appears to the a battle royale, the Chicago Tribune has a piece today about Ira Silverstein's challenge to Ald. Stone for the Democratic Committeeman office:

Alderman challenged for key post

By Gary Washburn | Tribune staff reporter
August 22, 2007

State Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) has decided to run for 50th Ward Democratic committeeman, setting the stage for a battle with Ald. Bernard Stone (50th), Silverstein's longtime mentor and the ward's current party leader.

"I think people are looking for some change politically in the 50th," Silverstein said Tuesday. "There are groups that I think want to get involved in the political process, and I think we have to reach out to these groups and be inclusive."

Stone's reason that he should be re-elected is laughable: "When you deliver 80 percent of the vote to the Democratic Party as I have, I think that is a pretty good job." The 50th Ward is in the bottom third with the number of registered voters on its rolls. While outside groups have come in and registered voters, especially in Presidential years, Stone has always been hands off the details and responsibilities of a Democratic Committeeman. Apparently, he rarely shows up at Democratic Party meetings -- even when they are selecting a candidate.

What is fascinating about this article is that Committeeman races rarely get covered by the major media. But the Tribune seems to be saying that this is a top tier race, deserving of its coverage. That helps Ira. It recognizes that Ira is a credible candidate more than capable of taking Stone down.

Makes you wonder if Mike Noonan (or the Committeemen from the neighboring wards) is going to ride in on his white horse and save Stone a second time in a year.

Ira Silverstein Runs for Committeeman

2007-08-15T23:08:00.000-05:00

Today, Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein did Ald. Stone the courtesy of telling him that he would run against Stone for 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman. Stone has held the Committeeman's job since 1999, when Howie Carroll resigned.

The role of the Committeeman is to run the local party, including encouraging voting, registration and filling the party's election judges, as well as participate in running the city and county party organizations. In Chicago, being the alderman and committeeman has been a powerful combination - and few are respected unless they serve both functions. But Stone has been a lackluster committeeman, to say the least.

All three of the Cook County Democratic meetings that I've attended, Stone didn't show. Regulars who attend party meetings know that Stone will fall asleep if he does come, and he rarely has input anyway. He does what he is told. When the party choose Todd Stroger to fill in for his ailing father for County Commission Board President, Stone sent a proxy - in support of Todd. Just like he was told.

Voter registration in the ward is among the lowest in the city. There are very good reasons for this: it's too much work for Stone and his organization and it would dilute the power Stone has in the ward. For want of a good party organization, Democrats in West Rogers Park have to look elsewhere.

Stone has created a culture of corruption around his party organization. He demanded that election judges pass his petitions during the general election in 2006. There were repeated calls to the State's Attorney and Chicago Board of Elections because of the numerous violations by Stone's workers.

By contrast, Ira Silverstein was the first Democrat not endorsed (or slated) by the Democratic organization to win a Northside Senate seat since 1972. He has served us ably in the state legislature, and now offers himself up to lend his good name to the Democratic label here in the 50th. A strong family man with good values has to be a better choice than what we have now.

Devine Won't Run

2007-08-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

As reported here (first, according to one poster) early last month, Dick Devine has decided to retire.

Crain's reports:

"After three terms it is time to move on," Mr. Devine said in the statement. "My plans are to continue to run this office with its proud tradition and great people in professional manner."

AP says,

Devine was elected as the county's top prosecutor in November 1996 and took office the following month.

He has personally prosecuted several recent high-profile cases, including the conviction of Juan Luna in the Brown's Chicken and Pasta massacre.

Devine says he plans to continue to run the office, which has more than 900 prosecutors, until his term ends.

According to his biography, Devine has argued cases before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and twice appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Plans are said to include a few years in private practice where he should be well rewarded.

Little Birdie Dept

2007-08-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

We hear that Greg Brewer and his wife will be attending tonight's AFL-CIO Presidential Debate at Soldier Field. I don't think Greg is a Union member (he's an architect), but no one should be surprised that Greg's been invited. Endorsed by the AFL-CIO's counterpart in Chicago (the CFL), Greg was recognized for his support of Union issues and interests.

No word on whether Ald. Stone will attend. As an elected official, he was offered two tickets to the event, but one has to wonder whether he is healthy enough to withstand this sort of outing. And I don't know that Naisy Dolar was even invited. She had rather strained relations with the Unions during the campaign.

Devine Still Thinking about Not Running

2007-07-26T19:46:00.000-05:00

Previously, I had written about State Attorney Dick Devine considering not running for re-election next year. While this raised significant skepticism among readers, Devine has said that he has not yet decided whether or not he will run.

WBEZ adds a new factor unknown to our little birdie: financial security for his (and his wife's) retirement. "Devine says he's talking with family members about whether to seek a fourth term." You can listen to the whole story here.

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) has already declared, regardless of Devine's decision. Rich Miller observes that "Brookins could be a real thorn in Daley’s side if he wins that race. Daley would then have to fight battles on three fronts, one with the US Attorney, another with the hiring monitor, and one with with the county."

Russ Stewart says that "A large field of Democrats are eyeing Devine's job, including county Commissioners Mike Quigley and Larry Suffredin, Aldermen Pat O'Connor (40th), Tom Allen (38th) and Howard Brookins (21st), Sheriff Tom Dart, county Treasurer Maria Pappas and first assistant state's attorney Bob Milan." The Tribune also mentions Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers. "On the Republican side, County Commissioner Tony Peraica of Riverside said he is 'very seriously considering' a run for the office."

Our best to Dick Devine, whatever he decides!

Fireworks from Grant Park last night

2007-07-04T18:34:00.000-05:00

Consider this a Summer Open Thread. What are your plans for the summer? What's going on around your neighborhood? Are you have a block party? How did your block party go?

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2007-07-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

We spent a good part of the afternoon doing errands yesterday. What a beautiful day! Lots of people out, walking around the neighborhood, putting around in the yard, and just generally taking advantage of the mild temperatures.

I did notice that there were lots of For Sale signs up. I don't know if there are more than usual or just that I am more aware of them now (the reason for which is another post).

While driving around the ward, though, I was impressed by the rich diversity of the neighborhood. A man with a grey beard in a long white garb and black headcap walking with his son or grandson (?), young boys with payos playing basketball, young couples with strollers -- some of them looking at houses -- young people jogging and on bicycles. A fresh breeze invigorated all of them. Around Devon, as always, the level of activity increased. What a day!

Have You Given Any Thought?

2007-06-26T07:02:00.000-05:00

Our friend and neighbor CAPSMAN has had trouble with our posting guidelines here. It rankles him that I won't allow him to call those who disagree with him mean names, at least not without proof. So he has promised to start a "counter-site," no doubt to call us all mean names and provide his unfettered version of the truth!

Let's send him off in style: think of a good name for CAPSMAN's new blog, and, if you like, give him a little advice about how he should run it!

FTR, I think it's great that CAPSMAN is taking this step. I think there should be more blogs about the neighborhood and a greater diversity of political opinion. I wish him well.

Stone Slept Here

2007-06-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

Ald. Stone and his family have spent a lot of time denying that he takes naps frequently in public. I know that the last few times that I've seen him, he fell asleep.

Some people were even offended that Stone's opponents used the famous picture of him asleep during City Council this spring. "He was just resting his eyes," is the common refrain.

For some unknown reason, the fact that Stone in known to sleep at work, in public, and often is something that he wants to cover up. Now we have new pictures of Stone asleep at a public meeting taken by the person sitting next to him. We have first hand testimony to the fact that Stone was asleep. [These pictures are clearly from Mr. Gernhardt's cell phone. I was wrong; see comments.]

It wouldn't be so disturbing that Stone falls asleep if he didn't do it so often and didn't try to deny it. Why lie about it? We all wish that we could get paid for sleeping on the job. If you are our alderman, you can! No wonder so many people want to be alderman. But don't lie about it.

hat tip: The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park

DePaul, Finkelstein, Israel, Free Speech and Academic Freedom

2007-06-14T07:14:00.000-05:00

A spirited debate has broken out in a separate thread. Given the interest in the subject, I thought I'd front page this. This may be of little interest to many of us in the 50th, but for many Jews and those who have connections with DePaul or academia or even just a general interest in Free Speech, this seems to be what people are talking about.

I've been criticized for allowing people to defend Norm Finkelstein here. Yes, I believe in Free Speech. That's a central tenet of America. But given the kind of repressive nature of political debate in the 50th Ward, what is more important is to increase awareness that we are not monolithic in thought here. It seems to me that this is a highly polarized ward, largely due to the divisive leadership of Ald. Stone. While other wards have increased community input dramatically, we have to fight with the alderman for every nugget of information, every bit of participation in our local government.

Stone's tenure in the 50th has devolved into almost a Stalinist-era dictatorship. Free speech is not only discouraged, it is actively attacked. We have witnessed that here. Often. So I am not inclined to curtail comments about Finkelstein.

A rabbi, a teacher, once told me one of the great lessons from the Holocaust was that we have to speak out early, speak out strongly, in the face of evil. While I might not agree with everything that Finkelstein says or writes, I certainly believe in his right to say it, even if he's wrong. I'd rather have the debate out in the open than in private, where lies fester and can destroy the consciences of good people.

Another underlying theme in this debate is Israel. Israel exists in a very dangerous neighborhood. I have learned over the years that American Jews and Israelis see things very differently. I've been to Israel and continue to have good friends there. One of them I met while he still lived on the kibbutz. His military commitment having turned into a career, he would laugh at the debate over Finkelstein. We regularly have conversations about the tough issues facing Israel: the two-state solution, the challenge of "occupation" (his term), his perception that American Jews are far too conservative and paint Israel into a corner in the pursuit of a permanent peace. He argues that Jews in America not only don't understand Palestinians, they don't understand Israelis either. "We don't have the same (national) interests," he likes to say.

Another friend of mine in Israel is not a native Israeli. She immigrated to Israel from Romania when she was a young girl. Her family were economic refugees, and they came to Israel because they could. She just started college, having completed her military commitment. She finds the debate over Finkelstein silly. "We don't ned talking," she writes, "Israel needs hope....this problem solved."

My friends in Israel are disappointed in America because we have done nothing to advance the cause of peace there in the last few years. When I try to explain to them that we cannot help them because we aren't seen as an honest broker, they interpret that as a lack of will. To me, the debate between Dershowitz and Finkelstein is meaningless. They talk in terms of black and white while people are held hostage.

I don't completely dismiss the views of Finkelstein. I don't disagree with his thesis that a Holocaust Industry exists. So? He argues that this perpetuates the Holocaust. I don't agree. I think the Holocaust is more central to the thoughts of older Jews than younger Jews. It traumatized Jews who lived through it, and challenged the moral integrity of those who followed. But people my age (and younger) seem to have normalized this, recognizing that man's inhumanity to man has a very long history. The question that is relevant to me is: will we stand up to inhumanity when we see it? This is relevant not only to our neighborhood, but to the debate over Norman Finkelstein, Darfur, etc. It's easy to talk about this from afar, which is all that Finkelstein and Dershowitz do. But it doesn't solve anything.

Little Birdie Department...

2007-06-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

We hear that State's Attorney Dick Devine, 50th Ward Resident, is considering not running for re-election.

Naisy Dolar told me during the campaign that Devine "was making calls on her behalf." One wonders, if this is true, whether Ald. Stone has anything to do with Devine's decision on his future. Stone, once a Republican (and said to control the 50th Ward GOP organization), has threatened to run a "strong" Republican against Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky because of her public support for Dolar. But I don't believe that Devine's name ever appeared in a public endorsement of Dolar. Still, Stone's wrath can be matched only by Emil Jones.

Regardless of Stone's part in all this, Devine may very well draw a substantial challenger in the Democratic primary for State's Attorney if he does run for re-election. This is one of the positions that Stone's fellow alderman have on their radar when they talk about Jon Burge and the use of torture in the Windy City. I'd hate for Devine to be the fall guy, but are the stars aligning against him?

The Arrogance of Power

2007-06-07T07:10:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting conversation with a worker from Streets & Sans last night. He was sort of laughing at me for using the blue bags and my defense of recycling. It's not separated, he said. Our garbage doesn't go to one of the city's MRF's. It goes straight to the landfill. The blue bags that are collected in the 50th don't get removed beforehand.

What was insulting, as I thought about this more, is that they are just laughing at us. It costs us money, real money, to take our trash to the landfill. With recycling, the city actually makes money. Maybe not much, but when you add together what we make from recycling and the reduced costs from not having to pay to add more to the landfill, the savings could be considerable.

Chicago built three or four state of the art recycling facilities in the 1990s. Granted, we are on the edge of the city, but it sounds like it was the alderman or Ward Superintendent who made the decision not to use these facilities.

They must not care if our taxes go up. We wouldn't want to inconvenience them to actually do their jobs! Besides, Stone was probably asleep when the subject came up.

We've been misled. I'm going to blame Stone because he's our point of contact with the city. He doesn't have to be. No one asked him to. He took the blame on his shoulders all by himself. And I'm going to blame Stone because he always tells us that it's his decision (except when it makes him look bad - anybody else ever notice that?)

But I'm not going to stop recycling. Ald. Stone, who has a cushy part-time job (where you can sleep on the job!) that pays more than $100,000, may not care if our taxes go up, but I do. Stone is probably too old to care about the health and beauty of our city, but I do. There's a recycling center at 6441 N. Ravenswood. That's where I'll be taking my blue bags.

Mostly, though, I came away from this conversation amazed at the arrogance of Berny Stone and his people. They truly don't care about us. They just don't get it. They think it's THEIR ward, and that we are fools. Accountability is not a once every four years thing.

Stone Betrays Business, Again

2007-05-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post, I wrote about Ald. Stone's corrupt practice of delaying the opening of a proposed business while the businessman paid rent on the property so that campaign signs for the alderman could be displayed during the election. The rational for this seemed to be because Stone didn't want to push through an unnecessary, but controversial, zoning change at the height of the campaign.

Now we get word that Stone will oppose the zoning change and will recommend that the businessman withdraw the zoning request. Five months after the businessman "cut a deal" with the alderman. Five months of rent paid for empty space.

We sometimes wonder why the 50th Ward gets passed over by new businesses like grocery stores, retail chains, coffee shops and small boutiques. But Stone's using of a small businessman this way, misleading him, enducing a "favor" from him, taking control of his property, and then abandoning him after Stone no longer needs him, can only contribute to this. It surely can't help.

You can't trust Stone. Period.

Not only does Stone have a history of misleading people, such as his recommendation that the business required a zoning change in the first place, but he has a history of not keeping his promises.

Another businessman has now learned this lesson about our alderman. And he is poorer for it.

Granted, the alderman could still decide to grant a special exemption that will allow the proposed Tattoo Parlor to open. You just never know. Because you can't trust Berny Stone. You just can't.

The Real Power in Chicago

2007-05-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

Mayor Richard Daley has gathered enough power to the Fifth Floor that he talks about "one stop" shopping for business and interest groups who want to do something in Chicago. This is a bit of a misnomer. Daley is clearly the major power center in Chicago, but he's not the only one.

There are other "power centers" in city hall, people who have power and influence independent of Daley. They don't include Ald. Stone.

Berny Stone is the Mayor's poodle. Stone owes everything to da Mayor.

Stone has made much of being the "Vice Mayor," an honorific that has gone to aldermen in their second terms, not (usually) their eighth. This position is usually a stepping stone to something much more powerful, not a final destination. The Vice Mayor's position has no power, no influence on the direction of the city (even if the Mayor died in office). But it fits Stone's inflated sense of himself and someone has to fill the position anyway.

Then there are the powers of the Chicago City Council. Stone is one of 19 committee chairman, but he's not one of the powerful committee chairs. Those go to people who really count in the council chambers.

Only one, Ed Burke, was elected before Stone. Another, Ike Carothers, is only in his third term as alderman. If Stone has age on all of them, these people are considered to be the wise in the council.

Ed Burke (first elected 1969) chairs the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is widely acknowledged as the most powerful committee in the City Council. Stone sits on this committee.

Carrie Austin (1994) was just elevated to chair the Budget Committee. As the linked story indicates, the Budget Committee is considered the second most powerful committee in the city council. Stone also sits on this committee. No one thought he was in line to assume its powerful chairmanship.

Ike Carothers (1999) is the chair of the Police and Fire Committee. It only took Carothers two years to be elevated to it's chairman, appointed by Daley in 2001. Now that's clout.

William Banks (1983) is the chair of the Zoning Committee. Stone also sits on this committee.

Finally, Richard Mell (1975) chairs the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics. Stone also sits on this committee.

These are the powerhouses in the Chicago City Council, the people who have gained power and stature by knowing the rules and procedures (independent off their staffs) and using them effectively to get what they want. These are the people before whom city workers tremble if they get called unexpectedly. (City workers outside the 50th Ward just "laugh it off" if Berny Stone says something cross to them.)

Stone may be the oldest member of the Chicago City Council. But he's hardly gathered power or influence in his years, as its second longest-serving member.

But at least he's the Mayor's poodle. That's something.

A New Beginning for Chicago

2007-05-21T07:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I got a call from an excited friend. Did you know that there's a Starbucks at the corner of Western and Howard, she asked. It's not in the 50th Ward, but still, she said.

It's a metaphor. There's a significant contrast between an alderman who's aggressive about bringing in new business to his ward and one who makes prospective new businessmen wait four months before he allows them to go forward with the necessary paperwork. For those who go apoplectic at the thought of Joe Moore or the 49th Ward, this contrast holds with the wards to the south and west of us, as well.

Today marks the beginning of the new Chicago City Council. Instead of fresh leadership, someone who has the energy and vision to bring in, say a Starbucks or something, to the 50th, we have what the Capital Fax calls a "broken down warhorse."

Let's call him the Mayor's poodle.

Berny Stone is very well trained.

But what is exciting today is not the swearing in of nine new members to the city council. It needed some fresh blood. We got a big infusion. What is exciting is that there is now a support system in the city council for political independence. Those who have opposed the machine, or allied themselves with outside forces (like Congressman Jesse Jackson), now have reinforcements. A lot of them. While those won't necessarily bring their machinations out into the public, it promises to make city governance more interesting.

The political dinosaurs, like Ald. Stone, will try to paint the newbies as deeply indebted to the Unions. But it's more complicated than that. Sandi Jackson (7th Ward), likely to emerge as the voice of the class of 2007, is bright and energetic, and comes with her own power center and an agenda on ethics reform. Who could be against that? It will be interesting to see who contests William Beavers for Democratic committeeman in February. The Beavers and the Stones have a lot in common.

Brendan Reilly, who replaced Berny's mentor in the 42nd, comes with an equally powerful resume. CFL President Dennis Gannon takes credit for muscling out a third opponent (much like SEIU tried to do with Naisy Dolar). But with ties to Michael Madigan, he will balance a lot of demands. Reilly is certainly one to watch, because he will be a force in the city council, and maybe even the city, in the future.

Bob Fioretti (2nd Ward) also had Union backing, but he brought in his own money made as a personal injury attorney. Like Jackson, he can be expected to carry the Union's water, when he wants to. Still, Fioretti's thought to have quite the ego, so he might not take too well to being considered a Union puppet. Representing a historically black ward might bring it's own tensions.

Then there's Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward). SEIU jumped on this unexpected bandwagon, in his run-off against a CFL-backed incumbent. Waguespack could easily be considered the wild card in the new city council. His issues are familiar: he ran as a reformer with a promise for community-based zoning and better constituent services.

Retired CPD sargent Willie Cochran rode the wave of voter dissatisfaction with a scandal-plagued incumbent (Arenda Troutman) in the 20th Ward. He'll bring his own perspective to the council, but it's unlikely he'll do the Union's bidding against his own better judgment.

Sharon Denise Dixon seems to owe more to Congressman Jesse Jackson than the Unions. Like Waguespack, both Dixon and the incumbent won Union backing in this 24th Ward race. This race seemed to be below the radar, but Jackson's organization took a keen interest in this westside ward. Dixon will be supportive of the Union agenda, but she's no poodle!

The Union Ladies, Pat Dowell in the 3rd, Toni Folkes in the 15th, and Joann Thompson in the 16th, were all well-financed and -staffed by Union supporters. They can be counted on to bring worker's issues to the council and defend the Union Label. But they represent only a third of the fresh faces being installed today.

What does this mean? I've looked around, and there doesn't seem to be much speculation about this. Berny Stone, per usual, has embarrassed us all advising them to "keep your mouth shut and your ears open." We don't know how the Mayor will react to this first real challenge. Does this end the myth of "one-stop shopping," which the Mayor liked to convey? Is nine (or ten or so) independent voices enough to bring real independence to the city council? I doubt it. We won't see a re-occurrence of "Council Wars," but I suspect that the city council will be more lively, despite Stone's rude advice. I also expect Mayor Daley to try to seduce many of these new members. He's done it before.

A Youthful Winston Towers?

2007-05-18T15:56:00.000-05:00

One commenter writes: "winston towers is a lot younger than you think." I made a call to test that contention.

What I got in response to my inquiry was a breakdown, not by age (which is what I asked for) but by Decades, and the percentages of voters from Winston Towers who were born in those decades. This table gives the results:

Decade   Percentage
1980s     3.54
1970s     7.19
1960s     4.79
1950s     9.01
1940s     13.32
1930s     17.16
1920s     26.36
1910s     17.64
1900s     0.96

Fully 75% of the voters in Winston Towers are senior citizens (more if you use the AARP definition). But 45% of the voters there (including the alderman) are what is sometimes called the "old old." This does not necessarily mean that they will leave the ward before the next election, but I don't think you can really say, Winston Towers is a lot younger than you think. The voters there are in advanced age, which is a good reason why Stone does well there. Across the ward, voters over 65 tended to support Stone strongly.

Stone's Corrupt Practices Continue

2007-05-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

I remember during the course of the campaign, I saw a video clip somewhere, where Ald. Stone described his pattern of corruption along the lines of, "I do something for them, and they do something for me. What's the matter with that?" I'm paraphrasing here from memory.

One of the problems (aside from the outright corruption involved) is that this isn't what Stone practices.

Perhaps my definition of corruption and is a little different than Stone's. Stone seems to think that he has to be caught (by the Feds) with money in his freezer to be called corrupt. I disagree.

But we have a perfect example of why I think Stone is corrupt right now. A prospective new business owner took possession of 6969 Western Ave in January. According to him, he cleaned out the building, which he believed he had to do before he could apply for the necessary permits. When I talked to him about this, he didn't seem to think that he needed a zoning change when he moved in. He suggested that he had talked to the city about all the costs that were involved before he took possession.

It appears that he talked to the wrong person.

Because now he has applied for a zoning change that he isn't required to have. In Chicago, this has notoriously meant that some kind of money changes hands, whether directly or to the alderman's campaign committee. But what interests me about this example is how it is different from the alderman's own words. Unlike the alderman's simplistic description of his corruption above, the alderman expected something upfront, before he'd do anything for the person asking for help. What Stone expected first, before he'd even help this prospective business owner, was control over his window space.

You see, when this person started renting this space on Western Ave, he had no idea he was renting next to (actually, near) Stone's main opponent. And Stone's campaign wanted to use that empty storefront to send a signal to his opponents and the voters in the ward. So instead of helping this gentleman, walking him through the permit process, it was suggested that it would be wiser to wait until the election was over. "Don't want to stir up trouble."

Instead of opening up his business, the alderman interfered and took control of this property. He required something first, before he'd use his office to help start a new business in the ward. This is, to my way of thinking, corrupt. We already pay the alderman almost $100,000 (for part time work) to help the people who live and work in the 50th Ward. They shouldn't be required to bribe or do favors for the alderman to get him to do his job. If Stone needs to be bribed, then he shouldn't be drawing a salary from the city at all.

Outside of Chicago, bribery is most rampant in places where people do not make an adequate living, and they use their office or power for personal gain. No one can argue that Stone is underpaid, that he can't live quite comfortably off of $100,000 a year.

But Stone argues this is how Chicago works. I'd suggest that it is evidence of how Chicago doesn't work. These kind of impediments to starting a business or improving a home (or whole neighborhood) hurt the ward and hurt the whole city. They don't help it. When you walk or drive around the ward and wonder why there is so little business activity here, you will understand. Stone won't help new businesses move into the ward without a little something, something first. So why should they want to move in here? There's lots of better business environments very close to the 50th, without all the political obstacles.

It seems to me that only in Berny Stone's mind can Stone not be considered corrupt. I've tried to convince people to take these kinds of things to Patrick Fitzgerald (after all, the alderman has dared us to do so!). There's more to this story, but I wanted to focus on one aspect: evidence of Stone's unethical behavior and his resistance to change and growth in the neighborhood (that doesn't directly benefit him). Ald. Stone is corrupt, no question about it.

Ald. Stone wears a woman's hat

2007-05-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

I'll just leave you with that thought.

Welcome Capitol Fax Readers

2007-05-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

A warm welcome to those referred here by the Capitol Fax Blog, one of my favorite blogs.

Online CAPS Survey

2007-05-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

Dear CAPS Participant,

We are asking for your assistance in evaluating crime problems and police services in your neighborhood. If you are 18 years of age or older and live in Chicago, please complete this online survey developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago (see link below), so that we can learn more about residents' views in each police beat and be responsive to your concerns.

Your responses are strictly confidential and cannot be identified with you. No one at the Chicago Police Department will see your answers. Individual responses will be combined into one group by University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) researchers before they are made available to the Chicago Police Department or the public.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Sharing your opinions is an important public service to your neighborhood and to Chicago as a whole. Persons registered with the Chicago Police Department's e-mail notification system (chicagopolice.org) will receive a summary of the results when the project is complete.

To participate, please go to the web address below:

http://survey.cc.uic.edu/community.htm

Type the above address into your browser navigation window. [Or click on the above address to proceed to the online survey.]

The Chicago Police Department

Voter Registration Effort Favored Stone

2007-05-02T02:42:00.000-05:00

When I first learned that the 50th Ward had 578 new voters on the rolls for the April run-off election, I thought that this would benefit Naisy Dolar. Dolar had been involved in efforts to register new voters for ICIRR in the past few years. This had been an early emphasis of her campaign. But precinct by precinct totals suggest that efforts by Jewish groups and Ald. Stone's precinct captains were more successful than anything Dolar's campaign might have attempted.

2007 saw Jewish groups begin to refocus on voter registration. Young people who recently turned of age and new residents were sought out and registered. People were reminded of the importance of voting. Voter history was used to remind infrequent voters that there was an upcoming election, and that their vote was important. These efforts clearly paid off.

But voter registration was not confined to the Jewish areas. Precinct 13, which has a highly transient population, was the biggest contributor to the increase in voters, and gave Stone a bigger net increase over February results compared to Dolar/Brewer's vote. This seems to be the pattern throughout the ward. In the seven Red precincts, each of which saw more than 20 new voters registered between February and April, only one (Pr 22) saw Stone with a smaller increase than the February Dolar/Brewer vote. In these precincts, there were 192 new voters register, 242 more voters turned out, 272 more for Stone and only 99 additional voters over the Dolar/Brewer total.

21+ New Voters (Red): 13, 25, 22, 40, 18, 11, 2
16-20 New Voters (Dk Green): 5, 19, 44, 34, 1, 26, 10, 41, 28, 24
11-15 New Voters (Light Green): 33, 17, 23, 43, 32, 37, 45, 8
6-10 New Voters (Light Blue): 42, 16, 30, 6, 31, 36, 29, 35
0-5 New Voters (Yellow): 39, 15, 27, 9, 12, 4, 21, 3, 20, 14, 7, 38

Ten precincts, represented by the Dark Green, saw voter registration numbers increase by 16-20 new voters. These precincts saw an increase of 177 new voters, with 197 more voters than February, of which 216 more votes went to Stone and 131 more went to Dolar (above the Dolar/Brewer February number). Out of the Red and Dark Green areas, Dolar only won two precincts (13 and 22).

It is also interesting to observe that it appears that everyone who could be registered in Winston Towers is registered.

It was a Turn-Out Election

2007-04-30T06:38:00.000-05:00

Ald. Stone was right to credit Mike Noonan and the Daley forces for his victory. As Dick Vitale would say, It Was All About Turnout, Baby!

The 50th Ward had a net increase in registered voters (24,709 > 25,287) as well as people who voted in the April 17th election (10,489 > 11,269). The additional 780 people who voted in the April runoff increased turnout from 42.5% to 45%. But what is interesting is where this increase in turnout came.

Of the 24 precincts that gained in turnout above the ward average, all but 6 (Precincts 15, 42, 35, 13, 4 and 7) of them gave Ald. Stone a majority of their votes. The top 12 precincts that gained in turnout all went to Stone, and the top 3 (45, 39 amd 40) each voted more the 73% for Stone. These 18 precincts gave Stone an additional 564 (out of his gain of 896) over what he got out of them in February.

Red: Turnout > 65% (4): 38, 12, 16, 14
Dark Green: Turnout 55-64% (10): 1, 3, 31, 27, 41, 15, 45, 11, 5, 40
Light Green: Turnout 45-54% (12): 30, 7, 42, 21, 36, 2, 39, 25, 18, 44, 35, 10
Light Blue: Turnout 35-44% (12): 4, 19, 37, 20, 6, 9, 33, 28, 29, 34, 23, 43
Yellow: Turnout 25-34% (7): 13, 17, 26, 22, 8, 24, 32

The difference between the Stone campaign's to turnout voters and Dolar's is clear. Outside of Precinct 15, all of the dark hues are west of California, in Stone precincts. This is why Stone won. Stone had a much better Election Day than Dolar. Given the charges that Dolar supporters are making, it appears that Stone was much better prepared, as well.

In contrast, Dolar only got 86 (out of 432) additional votes out of the six precincts that gained in turnout above the ward average. This column combined the votes that Dolar received in February with those of Greg Brewer, who endorsed Dolar in the run-off, which was then subtracted from the April numbers. The working assumption is that a vote for Brewer was also a vote against Stone and thus would transfer to Dolar (if they came out to vote).

Despite gaining 432 more votes than the two received in February, Dolar still suffered a net decline in some precincts. Nine precincts, all but two west of California, gave Dolar fewer votes than she and Brewer combined received in February. Another three, only one west of California, gave Dolar no net increase but exactly what the two of them combined did in February.

Blue: Dolar Decline in April Vote over Feb Dolar+Brewer votes
Green: No Increase in Dolar Vote in April over Feb Dolar+Brewer votes

Finally, seven precincts, all but two east of California, showed actual declines in voter turnout in April. While the rest of the ward was showing up in greater numbers, these precincts (6, 34, 17, 24, 21, 37, 32) had fewer voters turn out.

What we see here is that the SEIU poll correctly predicted that some Brewer voters would not vote for Naisy Dolar. For whatever reason, some voters who were drawn to Greg Brewer could not come out and vote for Dolar. That same poll also predicted that Dolar's voters would turn out for Brewer, which is why SEIU tried to convince Dolar to drop out of the race. The April results seem to support SEIU here.

Brewer Announces 50th Ward Independent Alliance

2007-04-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

Greg Brewer, who was the primary thorn in Ald. Stone's side for all of 2006, seems committed to stay there. Today, he announced the formation of an independent political organization:

Even better than dealing with issues as they occur is carrying forward the lessons of each election to plan and prepare for the next. As individuals we can help ensure fair elections by working as election judges or volunteering as pollwatchers in each and every election. But we can be even more effective by working together as a group, pooling our resources and building a knowledge base.

With that as our goal, I propose creating an independent political organization for the 50th Ward. Early next week I will announce the details of an organizational meeting to take place the week of May 7. In the meantime, please feel free to send me your ideas or post them here.

Let's not lose what we've started. Thank you.

This is an exciting prospect, allowing those people who are interested in watching the alderman and the Chicago Machine vigilantly a credible vehicle. This is terrific news for the residents of the 50th.

A Vote Divided

2007-04-25T17:58:00.000-05:00

April 17 exposed the wounds. The 50th Ward is unusually divided, and this election showed that.

The final result, with Stone getting 53% and Dolar receiving 47%, seemed like a close election, but that was true mostly in the totals. Close elections tend to bunch up in the middle, with a large percentage of electoral districts returning results between 55% to 45% for two candidates. For example, the 2004 Presidential Election followed the normal pattern, with fully 20 states bunching up in the middle. The April 17th runoff election, in contrast, had 4 precincts bunched up in the middle, between 55% to 45% for Stone (or Dolar).

The 2004 Presidential Election saw one "state," the District of Columbia, with the winner over 75% of the vote in that electoral district. The April 17th election had 14 precincts where the winner had 75% or more of votes (seven for Stone and seven for Dolar). Instead of the Bell Curve that we are all familiar with, the April 17th election had a decidedly inverted Bell Curve, with an overwhelming majority of precincts returning a winner of 65% or more. Only 14 precincts had a winner with less than 65% of the votes. The 2004 Presidential Election had only 6 states return a winner with 65% or more.

Stone

> 75% (7): 31, 12, 16, 38, 11, 14, 44
65-74% (10): 34, 45, 39, 40, 25, 23, 33, 30, 5, 27
55-64% (8): 41, 10, 3, 28, 17, 24, 1, 26
50-54% (3): 19, 18, 2

50-54% (1): 13
55-64% (2): 32, 4
65-74% (7): 42, 29, 8, 9, 6, 22, 43
> 75% (7): 15, 37, 35, 36, 21, 20, 7

Dolar

It's difficult to fathom just how divided the 50th Ward is now. But there does seem to be a big black line (actually California) separating the two 50th's. That separation isn't complete, since precincts 18, 19, 28 and 34 are east of California and went for Stone. But as the graphic above shows, voters west of California do seem to love Ald. Stone, while voters east of California mostly do not care for him.

I would guess that this graphic corresponds closely to the level of city services received in each precinct.

This is What Hatred Sounds Like

2007-04-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

As I've said before, the Hate Campaign is a staple of Ald. Stone and his sycophants. One of them, who many of us believe is Ilana, but we commonly identify as CAPSMAN, wrote this:

THE HATE-FILLED AND ETHNIC/RACIAL CRUSADE AND THEIR AGENDA DRIVEN CARPING AGAINST STONE WAS REPUDIATED BY THE MAJORITY. THERE IS NO BERLIN WALL HOLDING ANYBODY HERE,THEREFORE, THOSE WHO LIVE HERE DO SO BY CHOICE. STONE IS OUR ALDERMAN, THIS IS OUR WARD. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION, SO DO YOU, BUT NOT HERE! GO TO CHINATOWN AND GET YOUR OWN ALDERMAN!

This is the Voice of Hate. This has all been said before about African-Americans, Jews, Catholics, Irish and Poles, but in this case, it seems to be said about Asian-Americans.

Whoever it is said about, this is the voice of bigotry and intolerance. The fact that this person supports Berny Stone says a lot about Stone and his base. Ald. Stone is infamous for taking people into his office, people who want some kind of normal city service, and berating them, often using ethnic prejudices. While no one believes that this Voice of Hate is actually Ald. Stone, it does represent Ald. Stone.

Be afraid.

A Ward Divided

2007-04-19T06:22:00.000-05:00

IN JANUARY 2001 the only thing that was clear was that we lived in a divided nation. Here in the 50th, some people thought Al Gore was our rightful president while others were glad that George Bush would be inaugurated.

It may be said that the same is true in April 2007, except it's not the nation that is as divided, but the 50th Ward. And, unlike 2001, there are some (mostly Stone supporters) who are surprised by this division.

What is clear to me is that Ald. Stone has no one to blame but himself. Like George W. Bush, Berny Stone has a tin ear to dissent. He has made numerous errors in judgment, starting with the selecting of his daughter to be his chief-of-staff. Like many of those who lost their offices this year, the 50th has a staff that does not provide a positive customer service experience. Berny Stone almost lost not because he faced an able opponent (and I suspect that people underestimate Naisy Dolar) but because he's made it easy for people to oppose him. He neglects them, they don't support him.

There have been numerous calls for healing, from Stone and others. But after more than 6 years of George Bush, does anyone believe that the nation healed from the 2000 election? I don't know that it's realistic to expect the ward to heal, unless Stone shows some humility and leadership. Whether the ward heals depends on him and how he treats us. No one else can do anything.

Stone can start the healing in the 50th by firing Ilana. It should be clear that she will never be a delightful staffer. She treats residents as if they were pond scum. I don't see that as likely to change. The rest of his staff takes their cues from her (or perhaps they are rude because Ilana is so difficult to work with).

One reason that I don't think it will change is because I believe she likes that people are intimidated by her. I can't imagine what frightening little old ladies gets you, but it must do something for her. If she enjoys playing the intimidator, she is not suited to have contact with residents in a position of authority.

Another step that Berny Stone can take to facilitate healing is to treat all residents the same. The entire ward should receive city services when they are needed and requested. That shouldn't be difficult. It's a mystery why this doesn't already occur.

If Stone really wants the ward to heal, he will start having regular townhall meetings or public question-and-answer sessions. Hiding in his tower or substituting appearances on NTNM for public meetings is no longer tolerable. Moreover, his performance on the 12th has proven that he can do this. The only excuse now is either age or laziness.

Whether the ward heals is entirely up to Bernie Stone. But our dear readers can also do their part. There are some very angry and bitter people who post here, people who don't seem to care for their neighbors. Yes, the ward is changing and these changes do not help Berny Stone. The election is over, and we will live with Ald. Stone. The real question is, will the Stone sycophants live with the dissent that Stone's presence inevitably creates?

In 2004, George Bush went on to get re-elected. But I think history will show Bush as one of our worst presidents, in part because he neglected the people of this country. Berny Stone risks going down in history in much the same terms. His legacy can be seen with every sidewalk that needs repairing, every rodent warning sign, every piece of trash that swirls around. Only Berny Stone can save the tattered legacy of Berny Stone.

Five (now seven) Brewer Supporters...

2007-04-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

I've "talked" to five supporters of Greg Brewer's. I asked them how they voted.

* Two said they voted for Naisy Dolar (one said she held her nose).

* Two admitted that they did not vote. One claimed to have forgotten.

* One friend wouldn't tell me. You know who you are. I suspect he voted for Stone.

* Three of the five agreed they were glad the election was over.

By no means is this a scientific sample. But it is an interesting observation. I believe this is what was predicted by the SEIU poll. What do you think?

UPDATE: Make that four votes for Dolar.

Back to the Stone Age!

2007-04-18T06:39:00.000-05:00

Mike Noonan pulls it out:

Alderman 50th Ward 45 of 45 precincts 100.00%
Bernard L. Stone 5,965 52.93%
Naisy Dolar 5,304 47.07%
Total 11,269

Consider this an open thread about the election. Try to keep it positive.

The Case for the 50th Ward

2007-04-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

It is not uncommon for voters to vote for or against a candidate. Ideally, we want to vote for the best person for the job. But I'd like to offer an additional criteria: I'd like to challenge you to vote for the best person FOR THE WARD.

While a lot of attention has been spent on what the alderman does down at city hall, fundamentally, the work of the alderman is here in the neighborhood. In Chicago, the job of alderman is more one of ward manager than city legislator. Fixing potholes, water mains and sidewalks, keeping the ward clean, and eliminating rodents is not glamorous work, but that's the job we are electing.

One of the stories I remember about our Mayor is that, about a decade ago, he was still going out in the middle of the night, checking to see if an area was basically free of rats. Woe to the alderman who's ward was discovered to be rat-infested. The Mayor was known to dress down those who's ward didn't meet his standard of what a first-class city should be, sometimes publicly.

This reminds us of how strong the Mayor is in Chicago. For some, like the unions, this is bad, because it means that power is concentrated in the Mayor's office. The city council should be more independent of the Mayor. Absolute power is a dangerous thing, and it certainly makes corruption easier.

But there's a reason why we have aldermen and not city councilman. Aldermen are not merely our representatives on the city council, they are our ward managers. Aldermen effectively coordinate the delivery of city services in their ward. The alderman appoints the ward super, who "hangs out" at the alderman's office. The police captain always takes the alderman's call (or so he says). They control what kind of special events go on in the ward. They control zoning and development in the ward, and have real impact on our property taxes. The alderman has a much bigger say in local business, who stays and who comes in, than you might think.

The ward has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. It is no longer the neighborhood that Stone first served or in which Dolar grew up. Many new residents have come in and bought homes, especially during the housing boom. Many of these new residents have come from other wards where the alderman was more attentive to the appearance of the ward and the delivery of services. They do expect more from the alderman.

How you decide who's best for the ward depends on what message you want to send. While I am drawn to the notion of building competing centers of power, I'm not sure that I want one of those centers to be in Jesse Jackson's office (or SEIU's). And in a strong Mayoral system with aldermen instead of councilmen, I expect that a good alderman will focus on neighborhood needs. There's a lot to be done in the 50th Ward, there's a lot that has been neglected in the past few years.

We should "expect more for our ward." What you have to decide on Tuesday is who will be able to DO more for our ward. Consider this an open thread about what needs to be done in the ward in the next four years and who is best to be able to accomplish your goals for the ward. Try to keep it positive.

The Case for Naisy Dolar

2007-04-13T17:22:00.000-05:00

Again, trying to go out on Tuesday on a positive note. The case for Naisy Dolar may not be as straight-forward, but it's not difficult either. Whether you care for Dolar or not, you have to admit that she has an impressive resume, suited for service at city hall. How many newly-elected (or selected) alderman have five or more years working downtown before they were elected? Ald. Stone didn't.

Naisy Dolar is as invested in the future of the ward as anyone. While Dolar may not have lived here all her life, she has for most of her life and all her adult life. She has children here and owns a home. She has strong ties to the community, both politically and through her activism.

Dolar was methodical in her preparation for this campaign. She ran for a Local School Council, and became involved in local education issues. She conducted her own survey of the community about issues of concern. She met with local influentials in the effort to hear their views (and convince them to support her). She has attempted to build a movement behind community participation.

Dolar has made much out of being the first Asian-American alderman. While I haven't heard that this has caught on among the Asian-Americans in our community (most of those I know support Stone), the cry for diversity has caught on in the greater Chicago area. Naisy Dolar has definitely excited a certain element in our area, and one expects that she would bring that energy and excitement to the city council.

Dolar is young and ambitious. Both could bode well for the 50th. One of the positives many of his supporters cite for Ald. Stone is that he's been there a long time. Dolar has that same potential, longevity in office.

Consider this an open thread about why you support Naisy Dolar in this election. Try to keep it positive.

The Case for Berny Stone

2007-04-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

More than once in the last week, I've heard my friends and neighbors say, "I can't wait until after Tuesday." The perception is that this has been the nastiest campaign ever. While I don't think that's true, I thought we'd end here on a positive note.

The case for Ald. Stone is straight-forward. He's got 34 years of experience as our alderman. He's devoted his later years in life to managing the business of the ward. No one should question that he has a passion for that. The 50th Ward remains a kaleidoscope of culture, something that I think most people here love. West Ridge/Rogers Park makes Chicago feel like an international city. If the alderman is not responsible for that, he has at least maintained the appropriate environment for it to shine.

Unlike some alderman, Stone has open office hours at night, when most people are not working. He accepts every invitation I know of to speak before a local group. He has been accommodating to requests for zoning exemptions for larger families which has been important to major parts of the community. The media loves Stone because he's always good for a quote. Half the ward has been kept exceptionally clean, and Stone is remarkably responsive to requests from his base. There are many people here who are not ready for Stone to retire, especially a forced one. I don't know if I'd say that Stone is much beloved, but he certainly has a strong following in my neighborhood.

Consider this an open thread about why you support Ald. Stone for re-election. Try to keep it positive.

When is a Debate a Debate?

2007-04-12T06:35:00.000-05:00

One commenter challenges the comparison of Stone's debate scheduled for tonight and Dolar's debate held at the Boone School. I won't argue that the analogy is exact, but I do think there is an important comparison.

If I understand correctly, and I know my readers will correct me if I'm wrong, the Boone School debate was sponsored by a group in which Naisy Dolar was a member, and whose referendum she was not only an active participant but devoted campaign resources to in November. I am told that its members are heavily involved in the Dolar campaign. If true, the sponsor could in no way be seen as a neutral party.

Nor can they be seen as the only non-political stakeholder in the community. Stone's collection of sponsors can lay equal claim to that, and certainly have been in the neighborhood longer.

I won't pretend that the Stone debate is any more neutral, merely that neither debate can be viewed as sponsored by an impartial or independent third party. I might even question whether any neutral or impartial parties exist in the 50th Ward. So why should one debate be preferred over the other? The only reason that I can see is that if you support Naisy Dolar, you prefer the Boone School debate. If you support Ald. Stone, you prefer tonight's debate. In trying to be fair, I see no reason to favor one over the other. Neither met the impartial criteria I would have thought necessary.

I don't think the Chicago Tonight appearance can be given equal weight to these two debates held in the neighborhood. It was only six minutes long, and probably had the same viewership as our CANTV-wannabe.

Fairness requires that we set aside the claims of partiality or impartiality here. Both sides have acted in their own interests. Both sides set up their own debates under favorable circumstances. Both sides have sought to skewer the other for not showing up.

But only one side could afford to pass on these debates. Ald. Stone has been the alderman, is well-known to the community, and voters feel they have a good idea what he will (and will not) do. The next four years under Ald. Stone will look basically like the last four years. One side of the ward can expect exceptional city services while the other side of the ward will complain about the lack of the same. Stone's office will remain dysfunctional. He will continue to embarrass us and endure health problems. But many of my neighbors feel he's "our Berny." Warm fuzzies all around, I suppose.

The question then, at least for most voters, is what will Dolar do? And one conclusion that you can draw today is that she won't show up when she's asked. Unless she wants to. Dolar supporters think that sounds harsh. Maybe, but I thought I was to expect more.

Naisy Dolar and her campaign is the one that set up this expectation. They've condemned Ald. Stone's leadership as inadequate, something I agree with. They've offered Dolar as an alternative, even saying that she has demonstrated effective leadership in the past (such as in the 24 hour parking meter "removal").

Ask yourself this question: Did Naisy Dolar demonstrate leadership with her decision about tonight's debate? Dolar claims leadership when the solution was easy for her. But governing the 50th Ward can't be easy, with all the competing interests involved. So the question really is, Is Naisy Dolar up for this job?

Tonight was an opportunity to find out. Was it a trap? Of course it was. But a strong candidate, one who was an effective leader, could have walked into the Lions Den and won over the voters. Dolar denied herself the opportunity to prove that she was an effective leader. She denied the voters the only opportunity to take their own measure of the two candidates side-by-side.

Many voters, but especially those who weren't inclined towards either of these two candidates, look at Character as a decisive factor. I know I do. I look at Berny Stone's character and find it wanting. But I can't really get a handle on Naisy Dolar's character. She's been very erratic, flits from one thing to another. She seems easily persuaded by outside forces. She has no focus. This was an opportunity to show her mettle. It's an opportunity that she declined.

My heart tells me that no one could be worse than Berny Stone as alderman. My head is not so sure. Naisy Dolar hasn't made it easier to vote for her.

He Said What?

2007-04-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

So the Mayor and a number of incumbents in the run-off meet. And the Mayor says, "I don't know why people think I have a PAC. What's this PAC everyone says I got?" I'm paraphrasing. Obviously the Mayor is doing a little sidestep here. If you've watched the Mayor at all, you can even visualize his gestures, because they are very familiar.

Then Ald. Stone chimes in: "You know. Terry just gave me a check for $10,000."

Everyone in the room groaned.

That's our Berny. Embarrassing the Mayor, embarrassing the city. Good Old Berny. You can add to that an overconfident Berny. 52% he predicts. The machine will deliver on Tuesday. It's been a tougher race than he had hoped for, but he'll get 52%. His campaign is coming together now. Naisy Dolar, a confident notes, needs at least 1,000 new voters to even have a chance. That is somehow related to the number of absentees Berny is supposed to have come in. You and I, though, have heard that tune before.

I don't pretend to know how this race will turn out. It's hard to bet against Stone because he got 5,000 votes. I'd expect that if he turned out 5,000 votes again, he wins. But I also don't think Jan Schakowsky would back a loser. She must know something I don't in this race.

It is interesting to see commenters try to spin the No Debate decision. We all have our sides. But no matter what you think about this race, Naisy Dolar refused to participate in the only candidate's forum that Ald. Stone was going to do. Trying to compare an appearance on Chicago Tonight to a debate in the neighborhood is silly. Choosing not to participate is a gamble.

If you asked me, and since it's my blog, I'm assuming you did, I don't think that Stone or his campaign could have pulled off a two-party debate. I would have wanted him to focus all his campaign's energies on trying to do so, with only five days left before election day. I would have invited every bit of media out there, and videotaped the whole thing to put up on youtube. Dolar didn't have to do anything, and she could have forced the Stone campaign to spin its wheels in the last week before the election. Meanwhile, her campaign could continue to go after their pluses, with the field virtually to themselves. (No, I don't think Berny Stone can chew gum and walk at the same time.)

But she didn't wanna. Now there's some fast thinking. In the end, it's the neighborhood that loses, because we will never get to see the two of them side-by-side. If Dolar was right to skip this debate, then no one can fault Stone for skipping the Boone School debate. The WRPCO doesn't even register in my half of the ward.

If Dolar loses, as Stone thinks she will, you can point to this decision as an indicator of her forth-coming loss. If she wins, then she should be grateful for the advise she got. They will have been right.

Only the neighborhood will have suffered.

Why Won't Dolar Debate?

2007-04-11T06:37:00.000-05:00

I don't have any particular insight into the reasons why Naisy Dolar will not show up to Ald. Stone's admittedly rigged debate. The suggestion that Stone had two chances (the Boone School and Chicago Tonight appearance) is lame and easily dismissed. It's not a real excuse, it must be something they thought of to hide their real reasons for ducking Stone's debate.

The Stone debate was the only opportunity we were going to have to take the measure of the two candidates side-by-side. Dolar slammed that door in our face. While we can criticize Stone's cowardice all we want (and some of us have), now the same must be said of Dolar. She's no different than Stone in this regard. The problem is that this opens the eyes to other things where Dolar may be no different than Stone.

Although I have no idea why she would pass on an opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Berny Stone, it does seem they feel like they are the front runner. Dolar won't show, my thinking goes, because she thinks she doesn't have to. She must think that she's ahead in the race.

Maybe she is. She has a SEIU poll that shows her with a 7 point lead and she has Jan Schakowsky's endorsement (the most important political figure in the ward according to everyone I've talked to; only the Stone sycophants on this site disagree with that conclusion). Maybe she is comfortably ahead enough to choose not to participate.

So who loses? We do. Democracy does. Dolar's word does. There are lots of casualties here.

Naisy Dolar had previously said that she was eager to debate Ald. Stone, and seemed to promise that she would do so under any circumstances. She must have meant eager to debate him only twice. We can't act surprised that Stone or his people would want to control the circumstances of the debate. Nor should we have been surprised by the way this has unfolded. How is it any different from 2003 or prior election years where Stone's been challenged? I suspect incumbents always want to control these things.

What is worrisome to me, though, is that Naisy Dolar is now acting like Berny Stone. She doesn't need to show up so she doesn't. Who does that remind you of? What can we expect from Dolar if she demonstrates she is only going to do what she has to, but not any more? This isn't a good sign if you want to see change in the ward.

Simply changing the face of the alderman is not enough. We need to see a change in attitude and a change in activity to make the neighborhood better. Dolar and her supporters should remember that voters are taking a risk by electing her. The 50th Ward would lose staffing under a Dolar administration, it would lose seniority, and it would lose the Mayor's ear. Dolar has to offer voters reasons to take that risk, and I don't think the bar is set especially high.

Acting like Stone, only doing the minimal necessary, may give pause to those considering taking that risk. If Dolar is no better than Stone, why should we risk it? Maybe Naisy Dolar is ahead enough in this race that it doesn't matter now. I suspect she thinks she is, since she's made the decision to pass on this opportunity. But some voters, especially in this part of the ward, needed her to stand up to Stone and demonstrate that she had what it takes before they could connect the lines for Dolar.

Naisy abandoned those voters yesterday.

Consider this an open thread on why Naisy Dolar decided to pass on Ald. Stone's debate and what that means for both Stone and Dolar. You are encouraged to give your predictions with percentages on who will win on Tuesday.

Will Dolar Show?

2007-04-10T08:42:00.001-05:00

All the talk has been around Ald. Stone's debate and whether Naisy Dolar would show up. Let's be perfectly honest here, the April 12 debate is a forum created entirely by Berny Stone and his cronies, and no hint of impartiality exists. But it is also the only side-by-side debate the 50th will get.

Dolar's camp responded to Stone's invitation with a number of conditions that are unlikely to be met. Stone's debate invitation seems to be a take-it-or-leave-it invitation, and they probably have a mailing ready to go saying that Dolar is scared to debate the alderman. This is obviously absurd, but this debate is not up on Dolar's calendar.

Who needs it more? Actually, the people of the 50th Ward do. Another community organization made this little debacle possible by being so heavy-handed in their candidate's forum. If Dolar's crowd is allowed to do this, one would expect Stone's crowd to be able to, as well. It's the neighborhood that is ill-served. No one expects Stone to serve the neighborhood better, but Naisy Dolar has staked her campaign on "expecting more."

Everybody knows that Stone's debate is a trap. His precinct captains have spent weeks coming up with zingers and pointed questions. So while it may appear smart that Dolar passes on Stone's debate, doing so shows that she's running on an empty message.

She set the trap for herself in that regard.

Advantage: Ald. Stone

UPDATE: The Dolar campaign confirms that they will not participate in the Stone debate.

Little Birdie "News"

2007-04-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

I didn't expect to be blogging this week. This is a time for family. But now we hear that Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky will be endorsing Naisy Dolar tomorrow. Rumors of Schakowsky's support have been frequent throughout the campaign, generally coming from the Dolar camp. One poster even thought it would be a good idea to threaten Schakowsky because she was supporting Dolar.

If true (and remember that lots of rumors have been posted here, some with less accuracy than others), it should sound the death knell for Ald. Stone. Schakowsky is widely respected in our community and is probably our best-loved politician. Her endorsement would be the seal of approval that opens the minds of many people here who were unwilling to let Berny go. It would prove to them that Dolar can "cut it" in the city council.

Perhaps the most important thing is that Schakowsky has the finest political mind in the area. She wouldn't go back on her word to Stone (who asked her to stay neutral in the race) unless she firmly believed that Dolar would win. In the end, Schakowsky has the people to turn the tide on the ground. I don't believe that she would endorse anyone in a race like this unless she was committed to putting her supporters to work.

Will Stone Now Build that Mosque?

2007-03-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago, Jewish leaders went to Ald. Stone to get his assurance that he would not allow a mosque to be built in our neighborhood. But now we have reasons to be concerned.

Salman Aftab has endorsed Stone, and the word on the street is that one reason was because Stone agreed to allow a mosque to be built. While no one expects Stone to keep his word (be reasonable, he doesn't have a reputation for keeping his word), this would be outrageous. Is Stone really that desperate?

Seems like Berny Stone feels secure in his Jewish base, secure enough that he can cut deals detrimental to that base. Where's the outrage? I am shocked and surprised at this development, stunned even. I wouldn't have thought that Aftab's endorsement would be worth anything, let alone Stone's potential consent to build a mosque.

Berny Stone's Hate Campaign

2007-03-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

The HATE-MONGER is back. He/she (many people believe it is Ilana) makes the ludicrous claim that it's the people who oppose Ald. Stone who have infused this campaign with hate. And other ridiculous claims.

Seems to me that it is Berny Stone that whips this up every four years. The anti-Stone voices we hear can't hold a candle to the meanness and hatred expressed by those who appear to support Stone. They claim to love the ward but seem to hate the people who live here. This isn't a surprise. Since Stone has become a non-factor in the politics of this city and the governance of this ward, he has used the most divisive tactics possible to get re-elected. The level of hatred whipped up in aldermanic campaigns appears to be directly linked to Stone's incompetence as a leader.

But you know what the Stone sycophants do? They blame the victims, of course! Sign stealing? It must be the other guys who've stolen their own signs! Racist flyers? It must be the other guys who've introduced them to this race! There's a pattern here, repeated over and over, that leads back to Stone.

None of this would occur if Stone wasn't a lazy, incompetent alderman. If Stone had actual contact with real people in the ward. If Stone ever got out of his protective tower or cared about the ward. The divisive tactics of hatred and race or ethnicity come directly from Ald. Stone. They've been used for years, and the only constant has been the presence of Stone on the ballot.

Naisy Dolar doesn't help. Her own use of race-based politics confuses the issue. But the fact is that the politics of hate and division in the 50th Ward comes from the presence of Bernard L. Stone. One poster even called him the master. If you appreciate that kind of thing.

HATE-MONGER wants to believe that unity in the ward will re-emerge after Stone is elected. That's absurd. The tensions in the ward, created by the lack of equitable services, an incredibly rude and incompetent staff, and the ineptitude of the alderman to provide for the ward, will only fester if Stone is re-elected. Stone divides us, on purpose. Those divisions will continue to exist as long as Stone is in office. Stone doesn't have the leadership qualities necessary to unite us.

If Stone is re-elected, we can count on the hate-campaign to re-emerge when Stone or his daughter is next on the ballot. They are the source of the intense hatred that appalls people. Stone is the source. The solution is to retire the inept, and take a chance on Dolar.

She couldn't possibly be worse than Stone. There is a very good chance that she will be better. A very good chance. A vote for Dolar has virtually no risk. A vote for Stone is a vote for the hate-campaign to continue. Let your conscience decide.

Stone's Fake Debate Proposal

2007-03-27T07:26:00.000-05:00

The joke around city hall is that if you want to see Ald. Stone "come alive," try to get between him and a microphone. Or, perhaps, the joke around city hall IS Ald. Stone. Who knows? It seems likely that we are not the only ones embarrassed by the alderman's antics.

The joke around the 50th is that Berny Stone offered to debate Naisy Dolar. This "proposal" (or joke) came right before the debate lined up by the WRPCO:

Michael C. Moses wrote:

On behalf of the Stone campaign I contacted the Dolar campaign and extended an invitation for a debate between Alderman Stone and Naisy Dolar on April 12, 2007 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

If you didn't see it, there is no location for this fake debate proposal. A reasonable person might even consider it a trap. If they believed it to be real.

But I was thinking about this. Ald. Stone's proposals take up to a decade to implement. He talks about them, and talks about them some more, as if there is real movement towards his goals. He does this for years. He just doesn't have the power or influence to accomplish anything in a reasonable amount of time.

Why would this be any different?

I have no problem believing that Stone wants to debate Dolar. In a decade. Or so.

Word is that WTTW's Chicago Tonight (PBS, Channel 11) has asked the two to appear. They seem to be doing this for all the campaigns. The Dolar campaign appears to claim that the offer comes whether Ald. Stone appears or not. If Stone doesn't show up, Dolar gets all the air time that would have been devoted to the two of them.

Which brings us back to the joke from city hall. This isn't CAN-TV (where anyone can get on TV, even Berny Stone or Avy Meyers!). Stone's fears of appearing alongside an opponent may be trumped by his need to appear on televsion. Maybe.

No doubt Stone will argue that WTTW is biased. Chicago Tonight has seen many favorable comments about Dolar (eg, here and here). If Stone and his cronies aren't viewers of Chicago Tonight, it's unlikely he'll show. But that would reinforce Stone's reputation as the joke of Chicago. What a dilemma!

I think the odds are 60/40 that Stone won't show. Even if he appears, he might fall asleep! But the pressure would be immense. One weird comment, and it will be repeated over and over on YouTube and the Internet. And who thinks Stone can talk for 15 minutes without saying something bizarre?

Advantage: Dolar.

Organization and Benchmarks

2007-03-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

Yahoo News pointed to this article from the Washington Post. It looks at the influence of Saul Alinksky and community organizing in the Presidential ambitions of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The article itself is uninteresting. But it discusses something I had been thinking about since the beginning of this campaign. Will the community organizing model work in Chicago politics?

One of the reasons I became disenchanted with Naisy Dolar last summer was over this issue. Her emphasis, it seemed to me, was on organizing rather than beating Ald. Stone. I agree that our neighborhoods aren't organized. But voters could credit Dolar with organizing the neighborhoods and still vote to re-elect Berny Stone. Would they see the link that the organizers wanted them to see? Would it overcome the advantages that Stone has in name recognition, precinct organization and voter contact? These were questions I could not answer, and probably never can.

The Dolar strategy dovetails nicely with the new community organization. And there's no doubt that the 50th Ward is perhaps the worst organized in terms of community groups and neighborhood organizations with the ability to communicate their needs and concerns to city government. But the question is, can you win this way?

I wonder if this is the reason for the Runoff Predictions in the most recent post on Aldertrack. "AlderTrack: 'It's too early to call either the 49th or 50th. Both incumbents may be in trouble here, Ald. Stone more so than Ald. Moore. Check back the week before election day.'" Ten days ago it seemed to be predicting that Stone would lose.

One thing that has become obvious is that the run-offs will be closer than people imagine. Conventional Wisdom says that turnout is lower in run-off elections, and this is sometimes true. But turnout has also increased in run-offs. It depends on how much media attention the race draws.

Which comes back to the benchmarks. I've tried to pay attention to a couple of benchmarks to provide some insight into this race, notably whether the Mayor (and his supporters) would strongly support Ald. Stone and whether Asian-American money flowed into Dolar's coffers and she got the Union backing she expected. Greg Brewer points out that Stone is now following the Mayor's message for incumbents in the run-off (basically, 'I've heard your concerns and am now prepared to address them in full.' It's an open question whether Stone can be believed in terms of this message.). Dolar's disclosures demonstrate that she intends to be a player in this race. There is general agreement that the race has narrowed considerably.

One reason why I was interested in whether Stone was getting the Mayor's full support was because, if Dolar did not get the endorsements of SEIU or the CFL, then Stone would be the only one who had Union mail sent out on his behalf. Terry Peterson, the Mayor's campaign manager, has been facilitating a PAC of the Mayor's supporters, including several unions, who are supposed to be mailing into several wards. Without SEIU or the CFL mailing on behalf of Dolar, voters may reasonably conclude that the Unions are now supporting Stone. Some of them are.

Advantage: Ald. Stone.

Blind Men in the Dark

2007-03-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

I was asked yesterday who I thought would win. Who knows? What I see right now is two inept politicians tumbling towards April 17th.

The fact that the Stone camp did not meet with the Mayor last week is a sign. I just don't know what it means. Ald. Stone remains a recepient of the largese being generated by the Mayor's PAC, but does not appear to benefit from the Mayor's advice or troops.

For most other incumbents who had gotten 48% of the vote, this probably wouldn't matter. But this is Berny Stone, who seems to be stuck in the 1970s. It doesn't help that he's been distracted by family problems throughout the campaign. But the faux break-in? Anti-semitic slurs in a Phillipine tongue? That is incredible. NO ONE BELIEVES THAT! There is no clearer indication that Stone and his supporters are behind the recent rash of anti-semitic activity than this. And it is increasingly clear that if you want to calm racial tensions in the community, the defeat of Ald. Stone will guarantee it. Stone and his sycophants are evidently stoking racial tensions, and if Stone loses, they will disappear.

Re-electing Stone only guarantees that they will continue. Imagine what Ilana will do with the knowledge that race-baiting tactics work!

Naisy Dolar looks like she wants to be voted off the island. Anti-semiticism is wrong, and hate crimes should be treated as that, a crime. But Dolar has been acting more like a human rights advocate than a candidate. Not only has she been reacting to Stone's faked appeals, but by elevating them to this stature, she lends her credibility to these anti-semitic acts. Dolar let Stone play the victim, and squashed her own efforts to highlight criminal incidents that cast a poor light on the alderman.

Add to that the spectacle of last night. A group that cast off any thought of impartiality held its candidate forum even though it knew that only one candidate would show up. This legitimized the forum that Stone has put together, without any thought of impartiality. Voters in our community who were interested in a real give-and-take between the two candidates are the real losers here. Stone comes out a winner, since he still gets to dictate the terms of debate in the ward.

Over all, this week only solidified the inherent advantages that Stone brought into the run-off. Early voting begins next week, and these advantages will become more clear. When it is all over, and Dolar is wondering why she lost, she can look to this week as decisive. She started with elevated hopes, raising money and a publicized crime that played right into her themes. And then she relinquished control of the campaign. Hard to see how she can recover the momentum, especially as long as the spectre of anti-semiticism is out there.

Open Thread: Why Won't Stone Debate?

2007-03-20T06:46:00.000-05:00

One commenter asks, "why won't Alderman Stone participate in a real debate?" This is your chance to answer the question. Why do you think Berny Stone is afraid to debate an opponent, despite his promise to do so?

The Mayor and Aldertrack

2007-03-19T07:12:00.000-05:00

This past week, the Mayor has been meeting with the campaigns that he is actively supporting in the run-offs. His involvement has been his usual for run-off elections since 1991: meeting with the candidates, their campaign staff and key supporters, offering strategic advice and outlining his involvement for the next couple of weeks.

I have not heard that Ald. Stone was on this list (I specifically asked). This doesn't mean that he wasn't, but I've not heard that he was. Perhaps the Mayor has decided that he ran so strong in the Municipal that Stone doesn't need his help. Perhaps the Mayor has cut Stone loose. But this puts this item at Aldertrack into context:

You Heard It Here First

An informed source suggests the following incumbent alderman will not prevail on April 17th:

Ald. Stone (50th)

These predictions are, of course, subject to change.

Could that informed source be the Mayor or someone close to him?

The Mayor has one of the best political minds in the city. He's also extremely practical. He's been known to seduce "reformers" and other anti-machine victors before, even incorporating them into the Chicago machine after they've taken office. Everyone knows that Naisy Dolar came out of the Mayor's office to run for alderman. It makes you wonder if the Mayor doesn't come out of this race a winner either way. But if the Mayor isn't giving Stone his strongest support, it will be interesting to see how well those precinct captains do who are more loyal to the Mayor.

The Mayor's lack of involvement, if true, might explain why Dolar has been filing A-1s (disclosure reports of contributions of $500 or more) and Stone hasn't. If the word is out there that Berny is vulnerable and he no longer has the support of the biggest player in Chicago, maybe Aldertrack's "informed source" is right.

Or it could just be that Stone's fear of a fair and impartial debate caught up with him!

The Stroger Legacy

2007-03-16T06:44:00.000-05:00

Can Ald. Stone last two and a half years? That's how long he'd have to serve so that he could resign and see Ilana appointed to serve out his term.

You've seen the pictures (from his website and literature). You've seen Berny. He's not a spring chicken anymore and he looks it. Stone walks gingerly. Many times in recent years, he's been assisted by an ever-present aide. Rumors of hospitalizations abound. He is not a well man.

But Berny has to live (and serve) more than two years to prevent a special election should he be unable to complete his term. The Mayor can't appoint a new alderman if there are more than two years remaining in the term.

So the question is, can Berny Stone last two and a half years?

We know what his response would be. He thinks he will live forever. He needs to serve another ten years to meet his declared goal of being the oldest alderman ever. That's not going to happen, and I don't think Berny believes it will happen, either.

It's his other goal, that Ilana succeed him, that we have to worry about. And that requires that he serve another two and a half years.

We can stop this madness on April 17th. Naisy Dolar has a shot. It may be a slim shot, but it's still the only way to ensure that Ilana is not alderman in three years. Stone's promises to the contrary are worthless (about as good as any of Stone's promises). Only by electing Naisy can we prevent Ilana's ascendancy. That's the only way. This is about the future, and Ilana casts a pale shadow over the 50th.

The Debate Problem

2007-03-14T06:57:00.000-05:00

The group that attempted to sponsor the debate between Ald. Stone and Naisy Dolar is apparently a new group to our community. This was one of the groups who organized a prior debate (the one held at Boone School). My neighbors had never heard of them before (and don't really know what they are about).

What is interesting about this group is how they have taken credit for forcing Greg Brewer into their last debate. This isn't how Brewer explained it, in either of his public communications, but they seem to be a braggy lot. The problem is that this approach will not work with Berny Stone, and it shouldn't.

This group is trying to publicly shame Stone into a debate, which he may or may not have agreed to in the first place. It's really hard to tell. Dolar didn't communicate with us about the debate until after Mike Moses (Stone's campaign spokesman) had already publicly declined to participate (on Stone's behalf). Just from the public information available, it sounds like the WRPCO got ahead of itself in announcing the debate.

But the alderman would show extraordinary weakness if he did participate in this debate. He would be giving power to a group nobody ever heard of before. And he would demonstrate that his word is worthless, something we all suspect but don't have a lot of proof for.

I don't believe that Stone will ever debate. I've stated my reasons below. But if he does debate, I would hope that the debate would be in a neutral setting and sponsored by people who weren't trying to influence the outcome of an election. That's the only fair approach. If you believe in justice and fairness, then you will join me in calling for a public debate between the two candidates in a neutral setting, sponsored by neutral parties. Even if the WRPCO would have fit this standard before, they no longer do. Time to let it go, and push for a different debate sponsored by a different community organization.

Why Stone is Too Scared to Debate

2007-03-12T06:27:00.000-05:00

As reported yesterday, Ald. Stone has refused to debate Naisy Dolar. This cannot be a surprise. Despite Stone's previous statement(s), no one who's been paying attention to Stone and his reign over this community could believe that he would debate. It's not just that Stone would have to defend his record of failure and neglect. Nor is it because Naisy Dolar would outperform Stone in a one-on-one setting. There are at least three other reasons why Stone won't debate.

First of all, Berny Stone is old. A format that lasts longer than a few minutes will expose Stone's frailty. Take a look at Stone's appearances on CAN-TV. Despite the most favorable environment possible, Stone often looks disoriented or confused. There hasn't been an appearance in years where the host did not have to complete many of Stone's sentences for him.

It's not just that Stone is old, but it looks like he has lost some of his mental faculties. A debate threatens to expose Stone's physical and mental state. He might even fall asleep! Every time (except once) that I've seen Stone in the last few years he fell asleep. Not that he didn't wake up in time for his turn at the podium. But he fell asleep nonetheless. He's not up to a debate, let alone up for the job.

Secondly, Berny Stone is weak. Not just physically or mentally. Stone is weak politically. There's a reason that the 50th is dead last in capitol spending. It's because Stone doesn't have the power, influence or will to bring money here. The 50th is an afterthought in the city of Chicago. While other wards have powerful aldermen like Ed Burke or Dick Mell, the 50th has Berny Stone. Good Ole Berny. While other wards have energetic aldermen like Tom Tunney or Marianne Smith, the 50th has Berny Stone. He's willing to go along to get along. You won't see the supporters of other aldermen excusing the inability of their alderman to deliver for their wards. They have a can-do spirit. Need help? They want to deliver. They know that a satisfied community is a happy and supportive community.

There's a reason why Berny Stone is the honorific Vice Mayor instead of the chairman of a powerful committee. Good Ole Berny! Think about it. When Burt Natarus wanted the street musicians moved out of the glamour portion of his ward, they didn't return. But when Berny Stone wanted the street vendors moved out of the 50th, they just laid low for awhile. They eventually returned. No harm done. Good Ole Berny. Berny does what the Mayor or Mike Madigan tells him to do. He's a reliable supporter for whatever the real leaders of Chicago want.

The fact that Berny is weak politically is the reason that he has to bring in machine workers from other wards to help him out. It's why he had to hire people from Skokie to sit outside the polls or walk the streets on election day. Berny Stone is probably the weakest of all the aldermen-committeemen combinations in Chicago. Everyone knows they have to carry Berny Stone. And they do.

But that's not good for the 50th. It's not even good for Chicago!

Finally, Berny Stone is a coward. Think about it. When was the last time Stone faced an opponent without an incredible show of support by his supporters? If you go to his office hours, you are surrounded by Stone's sycophants. Stone doesn't face his opponents, and certainly not opponents who are on equal footing (by virtue of both being on the ballot). He would much rather use his semi-official mouthpiece as a crutch. At least if he forgets what he's saying (or the topic at hand), Avy can step in and complete the sentence!

Berny Stone won't debate because he's afraid, he's weak and he's old. A real debate would expose all his weaknesses, and demonstrate none of his self-proclaimed strengths. A real debate would expose Berny Stone as an incapable alderman who's just holding on to the job, ostensibly so that he can pass it along to his daughter.

That's sure not good for the 50th!

Stone Refuses to Debate

2007-03-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

As expected, Ald. Stone has refused to participate in the debate previously announced. Stone's fear of debating his opponents is widely known, so this cannot be considered a surprise.

The Horserace

2007-03-09T07:44:00.000-06:00

Naisy Dolar supporters can only hope that she is out there raising an incredible amount of money. Because it looks bad. Dolar needs to change the dynamic.

Historically, alderman who get 45-49% (and who's main challenger doesn't) win the run-off. Chicago insiders who look at Ald. Stone's performance think the odds are decidedly in his favor. Stone is helped by three additional factors:

1. The race in the 49th draws the liberal/reformers away from the 50th
2. Twelve run-offs spread the field considerably, increasing competition both for money and volunteers
3. The Mayor is said to "back Stone to the hilt" and he has the cash to do it

The Democratic Club, and its experience with getting votes through absentees, early voting and nursing homes, is another factor likely to play a significant role in how Stone does in this election.

The final factor is something we see here: Stone is trying to make this campaign about Naisy Dolar and whether she is committed to the 50th or qualified to be alderman. Stone's supporters have ample experience in surrounding Stone's opponents with doubt about their character or qualifications. I've mentioned before that most if not all of Stone's former opponents now seem to live elsewhere. That is not a coincidence.

Naisy Dolar faces an uphill climb. Her biggest obstacle is that she didn't come within "striking distance" in February. Her second biggest problem is that most other challengers who gained a run-off did. In the competition for resources, Dolar's performance compared to other challengers in the city makes her a long-shot at best. Only those who are emotionally invested in defeating Stone will get involved.

Signs are that organized labor is not emotionally invested. Dolar probably understood that labor would not back her, even in the run-off, when SEIU asked her to drop out. It can't help that Dolar trumpets her time with the Mayor, who's not exactly in favor with organized labor these days.

While Dolar must be considered a long-shot at this stage, that could change with a quick infusion of cash from the Asian-American community. Her best hope is to change the perception of this race, and the main prospect for doing that is through her pre-election disclosure.

Dolar has generated remarkable publicity for her campaign until now. But she just squeaked into a run-off, and it seems the media will focus on more competitive races. Plus Berny Stone seems every bit as capable of generating publicity as Dolar. Today, the odds favor Stone's re-election. We can only guess right now whether the same will be true in five weeks.

Stone-Dolar Debate Scheduled?

2007-03-08T08:11:00.000-06:00

There is an unconfirmed report that Ald. Stone and Naisy Dolar will debate on March 21st at 7:30. Dolar's website has yet to issue a News Release for this, which is surprising. And Stone may still not show up, which would surprise no one.

UPDATE:
Details (from link above):
Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm (doors open at 7:00pm, event begins promptly at 7:30pm)
Location: Daniel Boone Elementary School Auditorium, 6710 N. Washtenaw, Chicago

The forum will be moderated by Thom Clark from Community Media Workshop. The event is sponsored by the West Rogers Park Community Organization and co-sponsored by Organization of the Northeast. For more information, call (773) 761-8274 or send an e-mail to questions@wrpco.org.

Precinct Captains, Absentees and Turnout

2007-03-07T09:04:00.000-06:00

One commenter, presumably a Stone precinct captain, mentions that he/she is out there passing out absentee ballot requests for the April 17th run-off. This is a classic machine tactic that didn't work so well last time. Stone supporters gathered 2,000 absentee ballot requests for the February election, but only about one-quarter of those were voted absentee. More than 500 votes, presumably for Stone, but 500+ is not 2,000.

My dad was interested in my question whether 50th Ward precinct captains were more loyal to Daley (who controls the jobs) than Stone. He ran his own analysis of the percentage of Stone votes to Daley votes precinct by precinct. I think he was surprised by what he found.

Dad found 13 precincts where it is clear that their precinct captains are loyal to Stone first, and effective in what they are doing: 34, 31, 12, 16, 39, 38, 11, 40, 14, 30, 45, 44 and 33. Ald. Stone received 2004 votes from these precincts. Precincts 25, 10, 41, 27, 5, 3, 23, 24, 1, 28, 17, 18, 26 and 2 all had above average performance when Daley votes are compared to the number of Stone votes in those precincts. They accounted for abother 1925 votes for Stone. There is no way to know why these precincts, all but two of which had a majority of votes for Stone, gave a significant amount of more votes to Daley than to Stone. What we can say is that the precinct captains in the first set of precincts were more effective in delivering voters to Stone than those in the rest of the ward.

But there's another way of looking at this. When you compare the precincts where Stone won more than 50% of the vote to those where he did not, you see that the Stone majority precincts had a higher turnout percentage than those that didn't (45.9% to 39.65%). Conventional wisdom says that run-off elections always see a tapering off in turnout. The question becomes, which side is more motivated: Stone's or Dolar's?

We will see how motivated Dolar is when she files her next disclosure. We will see how convincing she is if and when SEIU and the CFL get behind her and throw their considerable resources into this race. And we will know how united the anti-Stone forces are when we see Brewer and Aftab signs replaced by Dolar signs, and pictures of the three candidates together. The organizational advantage rests with Stone. Momentum rests with Dolar. At least it did, until they paused the campaign. Now it's anybody's guess!

Stone's Thugs Steal Dolar Signs

2007-03-06T05:44:00.000-06:00

It's begun. Stone's thugs have turned their attention to Naisy Dolar, and now there are wide reports of her signs having been stolen across the ward.

This can't be a surprise. Stone's thugs did this to another candidate in February. There are eyewitness reports that say the person who stole the signs (in February) was the same person delivering Stone literature the previous day.

Ald. Stone thinks nothing of sending one of his thugs onto your property and stealing your property. Stone's cavalier attitude about sign-stealing (everyone does it, he says) exposes his real attitude about the people and private property in the 50th Ward. Stone thinks we belong to him! Private property? That's his, too. We are only serfs in his kingdom. We only have the rights he allows us to have.

Private property? We don't need no stinkin' private property in the Stone Age!

This is the same attitude that allows him to want his daughter to succeed him. Divine rights are inherited. Stone thinks of the 50th Ward as his to do with what he wants. He has no interest in bettering the 50th, only in concentrating power into his hands. In his mind, that makes it better. Not for us, but maybe for him.

Remember that Stone is only trying to intimidate us. These crimes demonstrate his sense of vulnerability, his desperation, his recognition that he may lose. The more he feels threatened, the more he will employ mob-like tactics. Berny Stone is not interested in a fair election, he's interested in a coronation.

Time for thugs like Stone to go.

Introspection

2007-03-05T09:56:00.000-06:00

Some interesting comments on the previous post. One commenter naturally assumes that because I am anti-Stone, I must be pro-Dolar. Untrue. My problems with Ald. Stone are equally problems with Naisy Dolar. Dolar has repeatedly used race and talk about oppression as the basis for her run. I'm tired of ethnic politics and divide and conquer tactics in the 50th Ward. She seems to think that because it worked for Stone, it must be the only thing she can do.

Dolar's problem is that she doesn't think better of us. One class or ethnicity must be up while the other is pushed down. If that's our choice, there is really no choice. I oppose all candidates who play this game. There is not much point in "rallying my readers" against Stone when the choice is mini-Stone. The point is to break the cycle of oppression, not change the oppressor.

Another commenter wonders if I didn't underestimate Dolar. I don't think so. I think most people have underestimated Berny Stone. Stone chose Dolar to be his opponent, and we can only speculate why. I have to question whether Dolar had anything to do with her place in the run-off.

Instead of re-writing history, let's remember that a week before the election, Stone ratcheted up his anti-Semitism gambit. In more ways than one, he called Greg Brewer an anti-Semite. Stone tried to argue that "his friends" (presumably a direct quote from Brewer) meant Jews in the 50th. Then he iced it off with that little stunt with a swastika.

Naisy Dolar was the direct beneficiary of Stone's tactics. He didn't call her anti-Semitic. And it's ludicrous to argue that Brewer is anti-Semitic. Add in several of Stone's precinct captains telling supporters to tell their friends and family that if they couldn't vote for Stone to vote for Dolar. Stone, for whatever reason, wanted to face Dolar. He choose the April ballot.

Anti-Stone voters played into Berny's hand. Brewer was seen as a wounded candidate, with hints of anti-Semitism around him, by people tired of Stone. Eager to see Stone defeated, they saw no way that Brewer could make headway among the 50th's major voter group. Dolar was an easy alternative. The newspaper endorsements certainly didn't hurt, either. But there's a reason that Stone wanted to face Dolar, if he had to go into a run-off. I don't know what that reason is, but I can see the evidence behind it.

According to lore, no one has ever overcome a 15 percentage point deficit to win a run-off. It's hard to see how Naisy Dolar can buck that trend, especially without money or union backing. You are welcome to explain how, if you like. I'm just trying to look at this race logically.

Dolar's Deepening Dilemma

2007-03-04T12:39:00.000-06:00

The next 44 days offer a big test to Naisy Dolar and her campaign. The biggest test of all comes in the next two weeks. Dolar needs big fund-raising numbers to send a message that she is a credible candidate. The threat of a massive infusion of cash from the Asian-American community is the greatest asset that Dolar has going into the run-off. But she has to deliver in time for the next report. It's the only opportunity that she has to attract city-wide attention and the help of Chicago's alternative political institutions.

How much does she need to have on her next report? Probably about $40,000.

Dolar's problem is that there will be twelve run-offs, and she is at the bottom of that list. It doesn't help that she didn't have union support going into February. The unions, specifically SEIU and the CFL, are likely to preserve their commitment to those they have already endorsed first. So Joe Moore, Joann Thompson, Leroy Jones, Toni Foulkes, Pat Dowell, Michelle Smith and Paul Stewart all get first crack at union money and workers. That's a big list, for those who didn't count. Many people expected no more than a handful of run-offs. Organizations will prioritize in the process of deciding who to support. Dolar is not only running against Ald. Stone, but against all the other challengers seeking to unseat an incumbent in Chicago this April.

Dolar doesn't look good in comparison to the rest of the run-off challengers. Joann Thompson (16th) and Bob Fioretti (2nd) start out with the distinct advantage of having received more votes than their incumbent alderman. In the open seat in the 15th Ward, UFCW member Toni Foulkes was the top vote-getter, with a spread of 7.18 percentage points over the next contender. Pat Dowell (3rd) came within 4.82 percentage points of Dorothy Tillman. SEIU member Leroy Jones (21st) came within 12 percentage points of Howard Brookins. And Michelle Smith (43rd) came just within the all important 15 percentage point spread considered essential to be successful within a run-off.

Naisy Dolar was behind Berny Stone by more than 20 percentage points. She has no previous connections with SEIU or the CFL. In fact, we hear that the CFL has moved their organizer over to the 49th to help Ald. Moore. This may be because Dolar spent the last days of the campaign taunting him and the CFL with a pre-election stunt. In terms of spread, Dolar wound up tenth out of twelve, and well outside the 15 percentage point spread. She has to raise significant money immediately from the Asian-American community to have a shot at Stone. In a few weeks, we will know if she is up to the challenge.

All of Chicago is watching.

Daley and Stone's Precinct Captains

2007-03-02T15:23:00.000-06:00

There's trouble. Right here in River City. Yep, we've got trouble.

Ald. Stone's biggest problem going into the run-off is that Mayor Daley will not be on the ballot. That doesn't mean that Stone will be pulling down those Daley/Stone signs down anytime soon. What it does mean is that Stone's precinct captains won't be as enthusiastic about working towards the run-off as they were in February.

If you listen to many of Stone's precinct captains, they aren't happy with either the 50th Ward Democratic organization or with Stone's campaign. For many of them, their loyalty lies with Daley, not Stone. (They may be embarrassed by Stone, too!)

Others have personal problems that make doing their job more difficult. Some are just plain new to the job. What Daley brought to the ticket was a fall-back position for many of these precinct captains: while they might not care to help Stone, they did want to help Daley. The Mayor has always depended on big numbers coming from out of the Northside to counter any trouble he might have in the Southside wards.

The question is, can Stone motivate the 50th Ward precinct captains to work as hard for him as they worked for Daley? Can he get them to work hard enough to beat the highly-motivated Dolar precinct captains?

Stone won just a bare majority of precincts (24 out of 45). Several of them (24 in particular) that are typically stronger machine precincts he just barely won. And others (7 and 13, for example) he lost outright.

Berny Stone is looking at his last days as the 50th Ward alderman. We have seen how he acts when he is threatened. But now there is blood in the water. And Stone's support is a lot softer than anyone previously believed.

What Does Stone's Loss Mean?

2007-03-01T18:25:00.000-06:00

Ald. Stone and his supporters repeatedly predicted that Stone would win outright on Tuesday. He brought in machine workers from other wards and spent prolificly on workers from Skokie and Chicago. He brought in the Mayor repeatedly. He leveled ridiculous charges of anti-Semitism and probably sent himself hate mail.

And still he couldn't win.

Berny Stone has created two myths around himself that has helped him stay in power. The first was that he was much beloved. The second was that he was invulnerable. Both myths are now pierced.

Stone refused to run on his record, even though these elections are always about the incumbent. And underneath this is the issue of Stone's health. All Stone's campaign literature made the alderman look drawn and pale. Rumors that Stone spends significant time in local hospitals still persist, although he's said to have moved locations. Other rumors, and that's all these are, say that local nurses have been asked to be on the lookout for Stone and Ilana.

The question we can never answer is whether Stone will actually last another four years.

Stone himself, by sending out literature that makes him appear ill, has made health a key issue in this race. And the spectre of Ilana hangs thick like fog over the next fourty-odd days. No matter what Stone says, Ilana is an issue, both because he has named her as his desired successor AND the fact that his health is suspect.

For the first time, perhaps in the last 20 years, voters in the ward will think seriously about who will replace Ald. Stone. The choice is between two women: Ilana or Naisy. One of them is needs no introduction to the 50th Ward, whether it's her piercings, her biker gang, or her history of partying.

Naisy will do well to introduce herself to the rest of the ward. Ilana is a formidible and nasty opponent.

So When Does Stone Debate Dolar?

2007-02-28T18:12:00.000-06:00

Ald. Stone used the spector of four challengers as an excuse for ducking earlier debates. So the question is, when will Stone debate Naisy?

It should be apparent to all that Stone didn't want to sit there with his critics. But his offer to debate his challengers "one on one" offers no excuses. Will Stone debate? Probably not. It's not just that he is scared of talking about his record of neglect and favors. It's not just that Stone doesn't like to be questioned. It's that Stone is getting old. He no longer has the mental facilities that he used to. He's scared.

In a debate, one on one or otherwise, Stone has no where to run. His outrageous comments, those things that embarrass all of us, can be responded to, called for what they are.

Will Stone debate? Probably not. But if he doesn't, we will all know why.

He's a loser. He's vulnerable. Half the voters don't want him around anymore.

Done Deal: Naisy Will Withdraw in Run-off

2007-02-26T03:42:00.000-06:00

Several of Ald. Stone's precinct captains are taking the extraordinary step of encouraging voters who cannot support Stone to vote for Naisy Dolar over Greg Brewer. Naisy, they say, is a product of the machine and will withdraw from the race if she and Stone go into a run-off.

"It's a Done Deal."

This seems absurd on its face. Naisy Dolar has run a highly competitive race. But Dolar herself touts the fact that she is connected to the machine. Rumors of her connections to the Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO of Robert Sorich fame) and Mary Jo Falcon have abounded throughout the ward and web. Her campaign sees her connection to the machine as one its main assets.

The machine has used plant candidates successfully throughout Chicago. In 2006, a machine plant won secondly place over the so-called reform candidate in the Third Congressional District on the southside. Running someone who works on a government payroll, like Naisy did at the time she decided to run, to divide the opposition and dilute the vote against an incumbent is a time-honored tradition in Chicago.

Further, Berny Stone owes his re-election in 1991 to a deal brokered by then-State Senator (and Democratic Committeeman) Howard Carroll. A deal between Stone and Dolar would not be out of character.

But that is speculation. What is not is the fact that Stone precinct captains are encouraging people who cannot support Stone to support Naisy. Where Stone has precinct captains, they are far bigger presence than Naisy supporters in yellow hats.

One final observation: Naisy's supporters haven't been in the Jewish community south of Touhy until the last two weekends. That may suggest that they had conceded the Jewish vote until a deal was set. Greg Brewer supporters had been in Jewish precincts since September.

Regardless of whether Stone and Naisy have struck a deal, Stone's precinct captains are telling people who can't pull the lever for Stone to support Naisy. That tells us that Stone wants to face Naisy, not Brewer, if he has to go into a run-off. For whatever reasons, Brewer is the opponent Stone most fears.

Whether that is because Stone feels like he has a better chance against Naisy in a run-off or a deal has been struck, no one really knows. While it might have seemed unlikely that Naisy would withdraw in any case, her willingness to deceive voters gives us no confidence that she isn't doing so again.

I'm voting for Greg Brewer. We know for a fact that Brewer is not connected to the machine and offers the 50th Ward a truly independent voice. Berny Stone doesn't want me to vote for Greg Brewer. So if you'd like to see Stone defeated, you will vote for Greg, too.

Stone Stunt Backfires

2007-02-22T09:27:00.000-06:00

Willow9 asked for my perspective on Ald. Stone's receiving of what I would call hate-mail:

I believe in Occum's Razor. The simplest solution is probably the best. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Berny Stone, or one of his cronies, are behind the letter that he used for publicity purposes yesterday. We see some of that here, on this blog. All of the references to hate-mongering and Nazis have come from Stone supporters. Given the heated rhetoric of this race, it is surprising, shocking even, that none of this has come from Stone opponents. The anti-Jewish rhetoric, or illusions to such, have all come from Stone's people.

It's worse if you saw the postings that have been moderated.

Stone and his supporters have been trying to create a spector of anti-Jewish fervor to distract from the fact that this race is all about Stone's record. If Stone was serving all the people in all the neighborhoods in the 50th Ward, he'd barely have any competition. Those candidates who are running against Berny Stone all take issue with Stone's job performance, not Stone's ethnicity.

The second piece of evidence here is the zip code where this letter was mailed. 60659. This is a MAJOR Jewish section of the ward. It is also the home of Stone's aldermanic office. It's inconceivable to me that a Nazi sympathizer would be living in the midst of a significant orthodox Jewish community. It is much more likely that Berny Stone or one of his cronies sent this piece of mail.

The final piece of the puzzle is the fact that Stone refused to give this to the police. In the very least, Stone should have had it examined for fingerprints. I would want to know if there was someone so crazy in our midst. You'd expect Stone would want to know, too.

Stone used this stunt for publicity, in the attempt to solidify the Jewish community behind him. Plain and simple, Stone ramped up the tensions in the ward for his own purposes. That's sick.

Does this fit the pattern of Stone and his cronies, Willow asks? Yes, it does. Stone has manipulated ethnic politics from the beginning. He is capable of manipulating our emotions and increasing the tensions in our neighborhoods, and he has repeatedly done that.

That's a shame. Me, I'm voting for Greg Brewer to end 30-odd years of racial politics. Only Brewer will be able to unite us under a common vision for the future of our community. We need someone who refuses to employ ethnic or racial politics so that we can see ourselves as more than our religion, ethnicity, or race. Only Greg Brewer offers us that possibility. Only Greg Brewer can united us. I hope you will join me in supporting Greg. Let the healing begin.

The Price of Suppression

2007-02-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of the things that has emerged in this particular election is how divided the ward has become. It is clear that Ald. Stone has long neglected parts of the ward outside his base area of support. Religious figures talk about meeting Stone and "having to kiss his ring." I think they meant figuratively. There is a lot of resentment for how Stone treats people and how little he and his staff work to address the problems here.

For Stone's supporters, this has been eye-opening. It is easy to pin our suppressed resentment on the "outsiders" who have been hired or volunteered to come into the ward. While it may be no big deal for us to contribute or help Joe Leiberman or someone else who doesn't live in the 50th, it seems to be a much bigger deal that the people of Chicago (or surrounding areas) express an interest in the outcome of this election.

Alderman are not just ward managers but also city legislators. They influence city policy, and have a vote on the direction that the city of Chicago will take. It is no different than taking an interest in a Senate election in another state.

Berny Stone has tried to run this ward as a mob boss. Intimidation and derision have long been his weapons of choice. But the price to be paid is that people get tired of it. Something that may have worked in the 1970s or even 1990s doesn't seem that effective now. One reason is because of the internet, and how it has allowed us to voice our discontent.

There should be no doubt that there are people here who honestly and freely support Ald. Stone. There should also be no doubt that there are people here who don't. The price of suppression is that the latter fact is now becoming apparent to all. The bubble has burst. Stone may be much beloved by his core group of supporters. But that feeling is not universally shared. People are now free to voice their discontent. And they have.

On February 27th, we will be free to show how we really feel about Berny Stone.

Stuck in the Past

2007-02-20T07:03:00.000-06:00

Ald. Stone is old. But he looks a lot older than he is. If you've seen Stone's recent "mailer," and I use that word loosely, since it was dropped by our house on Shabbat, or yesterday's appearance on channel 7, you've seen how bad Stone looks. He is so drawn, so poor looking that his false teeth stand out prominently.

Perhaps it is not only his health that is in doubt. His campaign seems to be based upon his accomplishments in the 1970s. Unlike Mayor Daley, who has lots of goals and things he wants to accomplish, Stone only voices interest in living longer. The 50th Ward? That may get his attention when he's awake. Longevity seems to require more naps. But Stone has a great scam going: he gets paid to nap! He even fenaggled a pay increase for napping. What a guy!

Stone says he's busier than ever. Busy doing nothing, it seems. All around the city, you see things getting better. Not in the 50th. The trash on the main streets is so obvious that even the most jaded person will notice. And you have to wonder how many city employees in the 50th take their cue from Berny and sleep on the job.

I wonder if he'll give them a pay raise for napping.

But Berny Stone isn't the only person who seems stuck in the past. Many of his supporters dwell there, too. This blog has become the focus of some of the most hateful, spitful Stone supporters. Their vitriol is not only extreme, it can have no other purpose than to intimidate. Speaking truth to power requires a vapid response, to Stone's way of thinking. Like Saddam, if you don't like him, then you are at least supposed to fear him.

But what can Stone and his supporters do? Humiliate us? Threaten us AGAIN?

Quite frankly, if you saw all the attempted postings I see you'd wonder why anyone wants to live here. One commenter even questioned that. I realize that most of the Stone commenters here are probably on his payroll (probably blogging from city equipment, as well), so they have much at stake. Ald. Stone is their meal ticket. If Stone is not re-elected, what will they do?

But that's not the point. The point is that my generation no longer harkens back to the World War Two era. Genocide and ethnic cleansing are repugnant, no matter who it effects. More to the point, Stone is so old and so tied to the non-Jewish establishment that he fails to notice when our community is under real threat. We can expect more neglect as he gets older.

This is not a man who takes care of his own. Berny Stone is someone who looks after himself. Period. If there were real anti-Semites in the area, Berny Stone will be the last to notice.

Until they come for him.

Stone's eagerness to play the anti-Semite card only tells us that he feels threatened. The problem is that he's cried wolf so often, and always around this time of the election cycle. I'm immune. The only anti-Semite out there is the one Ald. Stone has conjured up so that he can get his pay raise. The wolf may be at Stone's door, but it's the wolf of voter discontent, not the spector of anti-Semitism.

Berny Stone just can't tell the difference. Can you?

It's About Respect

2007-02-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

I am proud of my heritage. And I'm glad to live in an area where my heritage is honored and its rites revered. I live in an area where my alderman, my state representative, state senator and Congresswoman are all Jewish. That is exceptional. For me, it feels normal.

But I'm not proud of my alderman. My alderman doesn't share my values, or even the values of our shared heritage. My alderman violates our Jewish tradition by ignoring it whenever possible, and then exploiting it when he suites his needs.

That is exactly what he is doing now.

I take a lot of guff for my opposition to Ald. Stone. Because Stone is Jewish, I am told, I should support him. It's the essence of the "He's our crook" argument. But I don't want to be represented by a crook. And the thought of a Jewish crook is repulsive to me. We have enough issues in the world, I don't want to see Jewish legislators tainted by Berny Stone's reputation.

Nor does Stone serve our interests. His rush to gentrify the ward results in the inevitable dilution of our community. It's not Jewish families who are buying these expensive condo conversions or resulting building from the teardowns we see throughout the ward. It's yuppies. Yuppies who don't seem to honor the profound Jewish character of the 50th Ward.

This doesn't bother Berny Stone. Not much does. He takes his quid pro quo and smiles. Why should he care if the 50th takes on a profoundly Christian character in a decade? He'll be in Arizona. He won't be bothered.

My father tells me that Stone used to be a good alderman. But it sounds like that was before Council Wars. That doesn't help us now. And that certainly doesn't protect us.

Driving around the city during the winter holidays solidified my decision to support someone who wished to "preserve the character and integrity of the 50th Ward." Throughout the city in December you would see Christmas decorations on street lights and city property. But the 50th Ward was spared this spectacle. The long Jewish legacy of the 50th Ward has meant that not only Jewish families feel comfortable here, but it has been a magnet for other non-Christians, too. The rapid gentrification sponsored by Ald. Stone threatens the safe haven we've built here.

Greg Brewer offers many attractive proposals that should preserve the profoundly Jewish character of our neighborhood. His commitment to preserving the character of the ward means that he's committed to preserving the Jewish flavor of the ward. But more importantly, Greg's proposal for creating a ward plan or roadmap that not only takes community input but is based upon it offers us the best hope for Jewish families in the decades to come.

Please join me in voting for Greg Brewer for Alderman. Greg offers us our best hope for keeping the 50th a safe haven for all of us. There is nothing that Berny Stone will do in this regard that Greg Brewer won't continue. Greg shares our values.

Finally, it seems to me that Stone's activities tonight reinforce this assessment. Stone will campaign on the Shabbat. The fact that Stone will do so demonstrates his willingness to dilute our community for his own purpose. To me, that's wrong. I support someone who respects our traditions and rites. I'm voting for Greg Brewer. I hope you will, too.

What Use is Berny Stone?

2007-02-15T08:23:00.000-06:00

Ald. Stone is an embarrassment. To the 50th Ward. To the City of Chicago. To the country as a whole.

Stone likes to remind us that he is the Vice Mayor of Chicago. I haven't figured out what that means. I thought it meant that Stone had power. That the streets of the 50th Ward would be paved with gold. That the ward would be cleaner, brighter, better served. But that's not the case. Every candidate running against Stone points out that the 50th Ward gets the least amount of money from the city. Stone can't even pull in a few extra bucks. What influence does Stone have if he can't swing a few bucks for us?

At least he has an empty title. Goodie for him.

Berny Stone is a laughingstock, and we are made a laughingstock with him. People in the wards around us take pity on us because we have Stone. But it's not just the city of Chicago. Friends in Brooklyn know of Stone, and are embarrassed for us. Come east, they say. You can hold your head up here with pride. Friends in Arizona not only know of Stone, but call him the clown prince of Chicago. I can't tell if they are making fun of Stone's prideful boast of being Vice Mayor or just that he's a clown. Not that it matters.

But someone else I know, a former athlete who works with the US Olympic Committee, is convinced that Chicago will never win the Olympics as long as Stone is our alderman. Can you imagine all the things Stone will say with thousands of microphones and cameras here? Why would they take that chance?

Apparently, there is very little chance they will. And Chicago doesn't need to be embarrassed on an international scale.

Stone is quotable. He perpetuates Chicago's bygone image of the city of mobsters. He illustrates the city's problems with corruption and graft. He's a throw-back, not just to the 20 century, but to the early 20th century. Berny Stone would be more comfortable with the likes of Roti and Capone, and we shouldn't forget that.

Rich Daley's Chicago, the New Chicago, has no place for the Berny Stone's. Chicago will never be an international city, a city with a sterling reputation, as long as it has Stone as a mouthpiece. He will embarrass us. Again. And again.

There is no question that Dick Simpson was right. This election is a choice between the past and the future. Chicago has no future with Ald. Stone in it. And Berny Stone has no future with Chicago. It's time to let bygone eras rest. Time for Stone to be thrown out. Time for voters to show a little pride. Retire Berny Stone.

Brewer "Ground Game" Strategy

2007-02-14T15:06:00.000-06:00

A neighbor tells me that she had a Brewer volunteer knocking on her door "at the height of the snow storm." It was either the second or third time someone from the Brewer campaign had visited. She couldn't remember.

While the Dolar campaign has made much out of their yellow hats and their "grassroots" campaign, it is the Brewer campaign that comes by over and again. I would be tempted to call their campaign strategy grassroots, especially given their endorsement by local grassroots groups. But they are on TV, they have already mailed out several pieces, and they show up with new literature everytime they knock on your door.

One commenter said that I hadn't grasped Naisy's campaign strategy. Well, I know I have yet to understand Brewer's strategy. It's not grassroots. It's not machine. It's not like anything we've seen here before.

The thing is, the Brewer campaign keeps showing up. What is different is that they started early and haven't let up. Now with television and mail, I can only wonder how well Brewer is going to do. Stone is telling people that he's going to win on February 27. But Stone hasn't knocked on any doors. His mail has been childish. And they continue to underestimate the anger that exists in the ward over his long reign and stated wish that Ilana replace him. Both Dick Simpson and Russ Stewart conclude that we are headed to a run-off. That seems like a safe guess.

Naisy Campaign Lies Continue

2007-02-13T10:49:00.000-06:00

There seems to be no end to the deceptions played out by Naisy and her campaign. Every Naisy supporter must be Naisy-at-heart. Or at least able to sign her name for Naisy. Each one of these pieces of Naisy literature have a different signature in different hand-writing. But they all claim to be Naisy Dolar. As if Naisy had knocked on their door.

The Dolar campaign's deliberate attempts to deceive voters is sickening. It never seems to end. We have that in Ald. Stone. We don't need another Stone clone.

Stone's Saddam Strategy

2007-02-12T09:30:00.000-06:00

If there was one recent analogy for the way that Ald. Stone has reigned and run for re-election, it would be that of Saddam Hussein. Like Saddam, Stone posts images of himself everywhere. Like Saddam, you can't go a block without being reminded who your ruler is. Like Saddam, Stone thinks he is much beloved. And like Saddam, his inner circle continues to tell him that he is. Like Saddam, Stone rules from on high, whether it is his residence in the Towers or his office.

Stone's Saddam Strategy can be found by looking at every fence in the ward. Stone's Saddam Strategy tells us that we are "fenced in." Anywhere else throughout the city, you will find pretty fencing, pretty streets, a clean ward. Trash doesn't swurl around other wards, at least not the ones I frequent. Sometimes it feels like the 50th Ward is a prison or part of the old eastern bloc. You can't speak openly, you can't even put the sign of one of Stone's opponents out in your yard (or common area). Like Saddam, Stone's thugs are all around, on the payroll, ready to snitch.

This isn't a democracy, it's just like pre-invasion Iraq!

Stone has no other strategy than intimidation. Stone has no plans worth discussing. Stone has no future, and neither does the 50th Ward unless we rid ourselves of this tyrant.

NOTE: Stone's supporters seem unusually able to stick to the rules. Supporters from every other candidate seem able to live within them. I don't allow posts with full names, unless those people have provided their permission here. Like Saddam, Ald. Stone is extremely vindicative. You may not be killed, but you are likely to be visited from one of Stone's thugs.

Naisy's Northern (Touhe) Strategy

2007-02-11T11:13:00.000-06:00

One of the things I have noticed around the ward is that Naisy's support is porportional to your closeness to Touhy. You won't find anyone supporting Naisy in my neighborhood. It's not that close to Touhy. But as you get closer to Touhy, her support grows.

This is not to say that Naisy doesn't have support away from Touhy. It just seems like her support is stronger there. It also appears to be part of her message, redeveloping Touhy. It is an area she knows and has worked.

What interests me is not so much that Naisy is concentrating on the North, but that she has focused on the North part of the ward while Aftab concentrates on the South. There may be a natural reason for this, one that I haven't noticed. Nor is this to suggest any collusion between the two. What it does suggest is that both the Northern and Southern parts of the ward are being pushed hard to turn out, which may result in a increased turnout.

UPDATE: Just as I say that Naisy is pretty well confined to the Northern end of the ward, I get calls that saw she has supporters out south of Devon.

Aftab's Southern Strategy

2007-02-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

It is easy to write off Salman Aftab. Naisy Dolar supporters wished he would have dropped out. Fellow Pakistanis don't take him seriously. Ald. Stone hardly gets perturbed when he yanks Stone's chains. But friends who reside south of Devon tell us that Aftab is working hard to win votes there.

Some of this area is Stone territory. But there is also a heavy rental community with a different culture than traditional Stone territory. This seems to be where Aftab is concentrating. My father contends that homeowners vote, and apartment dwellers don't. But that was also said of new immigrants, and that is changing. Aftab's strategy, if that is what it is, is interesting. Perhaps even bold.

One thing that Aftab's Southern Strategy could do is boost turnout. Given that this area, the one that Aftab is concentrating on, is severely neglected by Stone, they may be likely to be intimidated by Stone's thugs. What do they have to lose? Stone doesn't care about them anyway.

Dolar: Alderman Race Her Second Choice

2007-02-08T08:20:00.000-06:00

Watching Naisy Dolar is fun! You never know what you're going to discover on Naisy's Continuing Adventure. A blog search looking for another blog led me to this:

Challenge for Madigan

Chicago resident Naisy Dolar has formed a PAC to seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. Filing for the March Primary closed weeks ago; she's either running as a write-in or she's planning ahead for 2010.

Taking on Lisa Madigan is surely a gutsy move. Running for Attorney General even braver, as Naisy is not a lawyer. But it seems clear that Naisy has an inflated ego and vast ambition. The 50th Ward is just a stepping stone to bigger and better things. It gives this picture of Naisy from her website new meaning:

Why You Can't Trust Naisy

2007-02-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

Not everyone shares my values that expect honest and integrity among our politicians. Applegirl wonders why I'm "obsessed" with Naisy's lack of integrity. That is a good question.

The first reason I've focused on this is that I was once taken in by Naisy. I was excited by her political promise, like I think others were and are.

But after talking to Naisy a few times, I became very uncomfortable with supporting her. Something wasn't right. Something didn't ring true.

Applegirl thinks that Naisy's lie is normal. That's sad. But whenever I've brought it up to her supporters, they generally don't believe me. Naisy's lived here all her life! Her supporters think this means that she lived in her parent's house for 30 years. More importantly, voters believe don't think that living here for 30 years or all her life means that she went to high school in Florida. We feel deceived.

We were deceived.

I've came to the conclusion that Naisy has a problem with the truth. This is the first concrete evidence I've had that validates my feelings. There are supporters of hers who have decided that Naisy's lack of integrity just doesn't matter. And I suppose that if you are an Asian-American, and you want to see one of yours on the city council, that shouldn't matter. Naisy would at least by your crook.

But as I've said before, we already have a crook as alderman. Why elect a Stone clone? Can't we do better? Shouldn't we "expect more for our ward?"

If it's all about ethnic politics, then my people are already represented.

Other commenters have tried to mitigate Naisy's lies by pushing her "policy" experience. Strangely, not too much comment about Naisy's role in throwing out set-asides for Asian-Americans. Again, if you are an Asian-American, I'd presume that wouldn't matter. Even if Naisy is ineffectual at policy-making, at least she'd be your ineffective policy maker. In this assumed quota system, everyone should have one. I guess.

But why should we want that in the 50th Ward? That's an astonishing argument. We already have an alderman who divides us into ethnic groups. I'm not comfortable with that. And I don't want Stone replaced by a Stone clone, whether it be Ilana or Naisy.

The reason I can't support Naisy anymore is that she's lied to us, she lacks integrity, she can't protect us. If you've lived here for a long time, then you know that this community is worth protecting. We have something special here, and I don't just mean the profound Jewish character of the neighborhood. We are diverse, we are welcoming, we are special. Naisy's singular policy experience tells us that she is unable to protect her own. I can't risk the 50th Ward because Naisy has a little bit of charisma. You can't trust Naisy. Just ask her.

Why Does Naisy Lie?

2007-02-06T09:29:00.000-06:00

If you've met Naisy at all, there's a good chance that you've come away with the same impression. She's eager, she wants you to like her, and she'll do or say whatever to make that happen.

She's a natural politician.

In Chicago, that is not always a good thing. One of the whatevers that Naisy has said involves her length of residency. Again, we discover that Naisy is deliberate in passing off the lie that she's lived in the ward 30 years, or all her life. A friend brought me this piece of literature that was left at his home. It's the same old piece, but with Naisy's signature, which came wrapped in a copied piece aimed at seniors. Her residency-lie is Naisy approved:

Naisy may believe that, in Chicago, it is acceptable to mislead the public. Ald. Stone does it, so why can't she? No one really cares how long she's lived in the ward. It's difficult to understand why Naisy would print up so much campaign literature with such an error unless it was a deliberate attempt to mislead us. We know that it is deliberate given her supporters repetition of the lie. 30 years was repeated over and over. The last Naisy supporter who mentioned it to me was astonished when I said that Naisy must have had a very long bus ride to high school from the neighborhood.

Naisy's apologists are tired of the story that Naisy has attempted to mislead us. Character and integrity may not be something that they look for in a candidate. Honesty may not be a shared value in the community. Other things may be more important. I just can't think of what they are. Can you?

Stone Wants to Fix Dolar Failure

2007-02-05T10:47:00.000-06:00

It was pointed out to me this weekend that Ald. Stone is making heavy inroads into Naisy Dolar's presumed base, the Asian-American community. While Naisy was the Asian-American Liaison, the Mayor's office proposed, and City Council passed, legislation stripping Asian-Americans of protected status. This status is critical for the minority set-aside program, which excluded Asian-Americans during Naisy's time.

Ald. Stone is leading the charge to reverse this Dolar failure. While it might be considered pandering, Stone is making it clear that this failure demonstrates her inability to protect those she says she was charged to represent. If she can't protect her base, how can she protect us, Stone has asked.

Stone says that most Asian-American voters in the 50th Ward will end up supporting him. My dad says that the Asian-Americans who support Dolar live outside the ward, "and have nothing to do with us." I don't know, but the Asian-American set-aside story is curious, given Naisy's claims that it was her job to represent the Asian-American community to the mayor, and not the mayor to the Asian-American community (the normal job description of a liaison).

If what Naisy says is true, then she failed.

Week in Review

2007-02-02T08:05:00.000-06:00

I missed some things I wanted to post on because I was stunned by the lack of integrity of one candidate. This week we saw:

A Mailer from Ald. Stone
Two Mailers from Greg Brewer
DL21C Endorsement of Naisy Dolar
A Billboard goes up for Greg Brewer
Year-end D2s are filed
Another debate between 50th Ward candidates on Saturday

The campaign is getting hot. I was surprised to receive the first set of mailers. In January, no less. We can expect more in the next 25 days. Some people may want to stop their mail! No, no. Don't do that.

The Stone mailer was straight off Stone's website. I wanted to look at its claims in an earlier post, but I got sidetracked by Marissa's attempted cover-up of Naisy's residency claims. I may come back to that later.

The letter (and brochure) from Brewer was great. Looked like it was actually signed. Or an expensive facsimilie. Very personal touch, very different from all those accusations that Stone's and Dolar's supporters throw out here. This is a serious, substantive man. And very positive. The Brewer campaign isn't negative like the others.

I am told by a friend that Brewer has a billboard up. I will try to get pictures of this later (hopefully, before Shabbat).

For those who are not observant, RPCAN hosts the next debate between 50th Ward candidates [PDF]. I'm hoping there will be a debate between the candidates at the JCC this month.

Naisy on YouTube

2007-02-01T08:17:00.000-06:00

Presumably after her campaign manager corrected Naisy's mistake.

Whatcha talkin' about, Willis?

Dolar Lies Continue

2007-01-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

One of the things me and my neighbors resent about Ald. Stone is that he lies to us. And not just a little. It's disappointing that one of the candidates running to replace him follows Berny in that way.

In the prior post I wrote about the lies Naisy has told us about living in the ward "for 30 years." These are words that Naisy has used herself, repeatedly. I've heard her say this, more than once.

Her campaign manager attempts to cover up Naisy's fabrication with this:

An early version of her bio did mistakenly list her as a 30 resident and it has been corrected.

Marissa, Campaign Manager

Yet the campaign lit I've received from Naisy and her supporters clearly states that Naisy is a "30-year resident." This whole thing defies logic. Yes, Naisy's website has been corrected, a fact I've previously noted. More to the point, Naisy's supporters got annoyed for me doing this. It appears to be no little thing. For whatever reason, the Dolar campaign wants to hide this by calling the truth "misleading." As another commenter points out, "marketing wins over integrity."

Do we want a female Stone as our alderman? Is Naisy just a nicer Ilana? Why take the risk?

Naisy Dolar Lied about Residency

2007-01-30T14:28:00.000-06:00

As many people know, I'm a big fan of Rich Miller's CapitalFaxBlog. Yesterday, Rich started a thread on local elections, and in it, we discover the reason why Naisy changed her website this year.

Naisy's claim about being a 30 year resident of the 50th Ward is false. She went to high school in Panama City, FL. In one comment, Rich confirms this fact himself. Another commenter on a different blog states that Naisy attended Rutherford High School.

I don't know about you, but honesty and integrity are two things I expect from people who want my vote. Especially when it's about little things. The real question is why Naisy lied about this. I agree with NDNeighbor that it doesn't make any sense to lie about something so minor as how long you've lived in the ward. What difference would it make to voters if, instead of 30 years residency, it was only 22 years?

What this tells us is that Naisy is not confident about her own credentials. She feels the need to exaggerate her experience and residency. It's a rookie mistake. It wasn't like she was going to win anyway. But still, her credibility and integrity are now in doubt.

Stone-Brewer Race gets Nasty

2007-01-29T08:03:00.000-06:00

As anticipated. Looks like the run-off has already begun for Stone's people. Found this when I looked at the Brewer Blog this morning:

Brewer Yard Signs Stolen

This morning, before noon, our supervolunteer Helen Nagel came into our office. Normally, this wouldn't be surprising, but Helen has recently been undergoing radiation treatments. She looked distraught, so we were immediately concerned.

"They took 'em," she said. This morning, Helen told us, she looked out her window and noticed the Brewer yard sign she had personally placed in her neighbor's yard was missing. As she continued looking down the block, she noticed that all the Brewer signs were gone. Worse, she finally realized that her own yard sign had been stolen.

Helen told us this with a tear in her eye. "Why would they do this?" she asked.

Throughout the day, we continued to get reports of stolen Brewer campaign signs. Ellen Adelman sent us an email about all the stolen signs on "the 6500 N. block of Talman (West side of street)." Alan Aberman reports his lawn signs missing this morning, and Frank and Margarita Klein noticed that the signs they had this morning were missing this afternoon.

It appears that hundreds of dollars of Brewer campaign signs have been appropriated by someone's campaign. Apparently, they don't have enough signs in the ward, and they need ours, as well!

I had previously heard of Brewer signs in front of Jewish homes being taken before the weekend. It's getting serious!

Stone Looms as 2007 Casualty

2007-01-28T09:23:00.000-06:00

A month ago, Russ Stewart wasn't a believer. Now he is:

ANALYSIS & OPINION BY RUSS STEWART

The trend is clear: Voter participation is shrinking, and so is Stone's vote.

In the 2004 Democratic primary, Stone, the ward Democratic committeeman, backed Mike Moses against state Representative Lou Lang (D-16). Lang won with 61.6 percent of the vote, and Moses won the 50th Ward by just 3,531-3,453. In December Stone filed 1,900 petition signatures. Clearly, Stone's organization suffers from atrophy, if not decrepitude. Also, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-9), is not endorsing Stone and is "neutral," although most of her workers in the ward are backing Brewer.

"This will be a close race," predicts state Senator Ira Silverstein (D-8), a Stone ally. In a ward with many residents living in apartments, the key will be mailings. Stone will do well in the predominantly Jewish Winston Towers precincts. His opponents must spur interest and a get a turnout in excess of 10,000.

"I'm not anti-development, but I'm convinced that zoning changes are a tradeoff and that developers are making donations to Stone," Brewer said. "That's wrong." Brewer also squawks the liberal line that "continuing apartment conversions to condominiums mean a loss of affordable housing." Added Brewer: "We must rewrite to zoning code."

My prediction: Stone admits that if he wins outright on Feb. 27, he won't get much over 50 percent of the vote. Brewer predicts he'll win a majority, which is absurd. But all this activity in the ward will spur turnout to about 10,000. Stone will come in with about 4,200 votes, Brewer with 3,500, Dolar with 1,800, and Aftab with 500. That means an April runoff, a low turnout, and a flood of outsiders descending on the ward. Stone could lose.

What is interesting about Stewart's analysis is that in December he was predicting just the opposite:

Berny Stone's West Rogers Park ward is melting pot of cultures and demographics. But Stone, age 79, is a much-beloved icon, winning with 76 percent of the vote in 2003 and running unopposed in 1999. He could be vulnerable to a well funded liberal or an ethnic candidate who could unite the ward's large Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Vietnamese population. But none of his 2007 foes, Naisy Dolar, Salmon Aftab or Greg Brewer, has that capability. Stone will win his 10th term easily.

People are noticing. As one commenter repeats, the battle is joined! It's a dogfight. You already know how I feel: May the best man (Brewer) win!

Brewer Gets AFSCME Endorsement

2007-01-26T14:12:00.000-06:00

The Brewer blog reports that Greg Brewer has received the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. [PDF] This is probably the endorsement hinted at in earlier comments.