Daley asked Ald. Stone to resign as vice mayor

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?"

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.

One of Stone's Thugs Arrested for Vote Fraud

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.

Jan Schakowsky endorses Ira Silverstein

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."

Neighbors sue to stop Rockwell-Devon garage

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)?

Berny Stone's Hate Campaign

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

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

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

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?

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 Debate Problem

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

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!

The Horserace

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.

The Price of Suppression

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

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

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.