Fireworks from Grant Park last night

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?

Will Dolar Show?

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"

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.

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.

The Stroger Legacy

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

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!

Stone Refuses to Debate

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

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.

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.