Common Knowledge

Support Our Troops

“We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.”

--Abigail Adams--

“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”

--John Locke--

“Words without actions are the assassins of idealism.”

--Herbert Hoover--

You ask me why I do not write something....I think one's feelings waste themselves in words, they ought all to be distilled into actions and into actions which bring results.

--Florence Nightingale--

Mr. President, Members of Congress; can I let you all in on a little secret? The men and women of the armed forces are not pawns to be used in a political chess match. Both the President and members of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives claim to admire and support the troops. Well, now is the time to prove it. They must end the funding standoff before it results in a shortage of resources for the troops in Iraq.

I did not agree with going into Iraq. I thought it would jeopardize what the country was doing in Afghanistan and it would mean that too many young men and women would unnecessarily sacrifice their lives. But that is not the issue. There will be time in November of 2008 to hold those who would treat the men and women of our armed forces as cannon fodder to be used to progress their partisan power plays. Now is the time to protect the troops. If the proper funding is not procured for the troops then it will be them that will suffer. It will not be the President. It will not be members of Congress. It will be the average brother or sister that suffers. That is not right.

For the record I also feel that most of the blame falls squarely on the door steps of the White House. The President is directly responsible for putting our troops in "harms way" in Iraq. Our Commander-in-Chief should never have sent our troops into a war where there were no weapons of mass destruction, where they were not greeted as liberators, and where there was the foreseeable possibility of them being in the middle of a civil war. But that is not the issue right now. The health, safety, and welfare of the troops are the issue. Now is not the time to point fingers; instead it is the time to come of with solutions.

I had the honor of putting on a military uniform so when it comes to supporting the men and women in the armed forces I am a bit biased. I was a member of the United States Army in 1991 and 1994-1995. My Army service was cut short by medical complications during my training.

I mention this because it is not my intent to mislead anyone into believing that I am a veteran, war hero or expert on military matters. I am not. I am just someone that had opportunity to serve with the regular brother or sister that does the sacrificing for the country. While I have never seen wartime action I have seen the challenges that servicemen and women face when they return to civilian life regardless of whether they served during wartime. Most people do not join the military to be a hero. They usually join for many other reasons, the least of which is to serve their country as well as take advantage of opportunities to advance their careers or better their economic situation. That is not much to ask considering the risks they take.

I am appalled at how the troops are being treated as pawns in the partisan political tug-of-war between the Congress and the President of the United States. Contrary to popular belief by politicians the men and women of the armed forces are not political props, property, or puppets to be dangled in front of the country at their pleasure and convenience.

A person can not claim something with his or her lips but act contrary to what they claim and still expect people to believe what they say. Actions speak much louder than words. I am tired of hearing politicians give meaningless speeches and tributes but during critical times shrink away from making the tough decisions when it comes to the welfare of the men and women in the armed service. Now is another one of those critical times.

It is time for the Congress and the President to finally step out on faith and away from meaningless speeches and platitudes. It is time that the Congress and the President put their actions where their mouths have been. It is time that one of them blinks.

That is correct. It is time that one of them backed down. They should do it to make sure that the troops do not end up paying for the mistakes of their Commander-in-Chief. What I am asking is no easy task for a politician, but it is a no-brainer for a public official that respected and supported the troops. A public official that respected and supported the troops would be ready, willing, and able to put their support into action by risking suffering a political defeat in order to protect the well being of the troops. A public official that actually respected and supported the troops would be willing to risk their political career for the troops, because they would understand that is a minor risk when compared to what the troops are risking since they are in “harms way” in Iraq.

Mr. President, members of Congress; the time for words has passed. The time for action is upon you. Do not play chicken with the lives of the men and women in our armed forces in Iraq. Get the proper funding and decide how and when the troops will be either redeployed or returned home. That is the honorable thing to do.

Patriotism Outweighs Politics?

“Son, always tell the truth. Then you'll never have to remember what you said the last time.”

--Sam Rayburn--

“Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.”

--Franklin D. Roosevelt--

“Examine what is said, not him who speaks.”

--Arab Proverb--

“The palest ink is better than the best memory.”

--Chinese Proverb--

After watching the events of the past week and half unfold I must deviate from my usual format and comment on the current controversy in Washington, D.C. When I think about the current events in Washington, I can not help but to think about an old saying that states, “fool me once, shame on you; folk me twice, shame on me.” It will be more than just a shame if the American people are not given the truth about whether people from President Bush’s Administration have once again put politics above principles.

I remember when this President was running for his current office and declared that he would “return honesty and integrity to the White House.” It is time for him to do exactly that by telling the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

For the record I am not a fan of party politics. Sometimes it seems that party politics foster more hot air than anything else. Way too often we the people are forced to pay attention to events that really do not have much of an effect on “us” but are used as tools by one political gang to smear another political gang for political booty in the form of control of the House of Representatives or the Senate. And it does not matter whether the political gang is democrats or republicans. Well, this current situation is different.

The impending showdown between congress and the President is not really about scoring political points. It is not about gaining more seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate for democrats or republicans. It is not even about President Bush preserving some semblance of a legacy. For the people of this country it is about preserving the credibility of our democracy.

There will always be political parties, but there must always be one standard of justice. There will always be political factions vying for power, but the one in power must never lose sight of the responsibility to choose what is best for the country over what is best for his/her party.

I have to be honest. I did not vote for our President in 2000 or 2004. I never trusted him or his administration so maybe I am a bit biased, but that does not change my opinion that President Bush’s Administration has repeatedly placed politics above what is best for the country. How can I make such a claim? Think about it.

The country was told that there were weapons of mass destruction in order to convince us that it was necessary to send our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, siblings, and children into harms way. Yet, there were no weapons of mass destruction and no one from the current administration had to come before Congress look them in the eye and tell the truth about why we really went to war in Iraq.

When a CIA operative was exposed by our own media we were told that no one from this administration had anything to do with the “accidental” exposure of the operative and if they did they would be fired. And no one knew anything before it became a criminal investigation, then the stories changed. Someone from his administration was involved, although he was not indicted, and he was not fired. Now, we find out that it is possible that some people from this administration may decided to fire some U.S. Attorneys because they put the rule of law over party loyalty. And this administration has the unmitigated gall to act as if they are not required to give an open, honest, and complete explanation to the country on the record!

I will be the first to say that there are two sides to every story and I will not rush to judgment on this current matter, but that does not change the fact that this administration must come clean and give the country an explanation. The only way they can credibly do that is to do it on the record.

There is nothing wrong with a President being the leader of his/her party. There is nothing wrong with a President having a political agenda that he/she attempts to progress through open and honest means. However, there is something very wrong with any politician or his/her administration that attempts to hijack the resources of the government by lying to the public for the sole purpose of scoring political points for his/her party. That is wrong and when it involves using this country’s justice system to do that it is outrageous! Maybe this administration is guilty of such an outrage or may it is not. We the people will never know unless the pertinent people give their side of the story in an open and honest fashion, which means it must be on the record.

Mr. President, it is time that your administration lived up to the standards promised by you when you originally sought your office and gave us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

There Is No Substitute For Results

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.
--Confucius--

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.
--Cicero--

Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.
--George Bernard Shaw--

Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.
--Ambrose Bierce--

A lot can happen in a generation. It only took one generation to take the double V from a campaign slogan of freedom to the beginning of our path to equality. During one generation our people went from Dred Scott to the Appomattox Court House. In one generation we went from Jackie Robinson fighting just to be able to compete to Hank Aaron proving that he is the greatest. In one generation we went from a few “negroes” in congress to a Congressional Black Caucus. Yet, so many of “us’ in Chicago’s third ward are still willing to give the current alderman another four years to do what she has failed to do in over a generation. The people of the third ward are still waiting for meaningful development.

Fours years ago when the current alderman was challenged by a better educated, more creative, and more qualified challenger she pulled an ace from up her sleeve. She played the race card. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, her challenger was not of a different race. But that did not stop her. I also must state that there is a difference between being proud to be black and zealously representing your community’s interests and hollering race to get reelected. One delivers results another excuses. The incumbent alderman claimed that her challenger would give the neighborhood away to white folks. She claimed that her challenger was nothing more than a crony for the University of Chicago. The incumbent alderman claimed that she was on a mission to save the community for black folks. Yet, the incumbent alderman has yet to articulate a meaningful plan to make sure the neighborhood is “saved” for black people. The proof is in the pudding and there has been no pudding in the third ward in over twenty years.

Racial politics is nothing new to this country. It started the moment that the first indentured servant of African ancestry was treated differently than an indentured servant of European ancestry. Since then it has been used to elect a countless number of politicians instead of statesmen. There is no room for it in our community especially in Bronzeville where we are standing at the crossroads of history. It is past time to put up or shut up. Our leaders have an opportunity to build a Mecca or usher in the dismantling of our neighborhood. Without a plan the latter is bound to happen.

If history is to be my judge for who should be entrusted with the mission to Mecca, then I must choose Pat Dowell over Dorothy Tillman. I will explain. First, regarding commercial development the third ward is not much better off today than it was over twenty years ago. I have seen precious little from Dorothy Tillman in the way of results in the past twenty plus years since she has been in office. Her supporter asserts that the current alderman has created a large number of TIFs. Okay, maybe I am not a community planner (by the way, Pat Dowell used to be one), but isn’t the ultimate purpose of a TIF to bring money into a neighborhood/ward to spur development? If that is the case, then where is the development? The last time I checked on various websites, the third ward still has one of the largest numbers of empty lots. How is that helping to save the neighborhood for black people? Some development is occurring in the third ward due to gentrification, but I have seen no indication by the crews and companies that are doing the construction that the neighborhood is being “saved” for black folks.

The last time I checked, the third ward still did not have a major grocery store. The last time I checked the only think coming out of the “Official Blues District” was silence since there is a dearth of restaurants, jazz and blues clubs on 47th street or any other major street in the third ward (the only two restaurants that I am aware of and make sure I patronize are the Negro League Café and Blu 47). By the way, a few signs claiming the blues district does not make it into a reality. This is particularly distressing since 43rd and 47th streets used to be the home of several historical jazz and blues places. And I am not going to even talk about the issues surrounding the Harold Washington Center.

Furthermore, I have experienced first hand Dorothy Tillman’s lack of responsiveness to the community. I first experienced it as a young organizer working with churches in Bronzeville ten years ago. I tried to get an audience with Mrs. Tillman to discuss strategies for combating drug traffic in and around a couple of the churches in her ward. She blew me off. I then brought a few of the church leaders to one of her ward meetings in an effort to meet with her to no avail. I approached Alderman Preckwinkle with the same concerns in her ward and she found the time to be very helpful, which lead to good results. I have been a resident of the third ward for nearly six years and I have neighbors with similar stories of lack of responsiveness from her office.

I do not have anything personally against Dorothy Tillman. I just have no confidence that she has the vision, wisdom, or plan to help make Bronzeville into what it can be. That is why I am supporting Pat Dowell. I have known Pat Dowell for ten years. She has been dedicated to the community since back when she was working to make it a better place at Mid South.

An incumbent alderman that has been in office long enough to see children born and mature into independent adults has an incredible advantage. She should be able to march any supporter of her challenger down 43rd, 47th, 51st, etc and show them how she has transformed a blighted neighborhood into an oasis for African-American culture, political power, and economic independence. She should be able to speak precisely and intelligently about her vision to continue the rebirth of the neighborhood. She should be able to bludgeon any challenger with an array of past solutions to issues in the community and goals of issues still to be addressed. Instead, Mrs. Tillman has relied on fear mongering and excuses. When I was in college I learned an old saying about excuses. It went something like this: “excuses are the tools of the incompetent that build bridges to nowhere and those that use them are monuments of nothingness.” Right now as I gaze out over the third ward, I still see way too much nothingness. That could change on April 17th.

Pro Choice

“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.”

--Frank Tibolt--

“Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.”

--Thomas A. Edison--

“The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.”

--H. L. Mencken--

We are going to elect a new President of the United States in about nineteen months. Prior to the general election where that new President will be elected, the two major parties will choose their representatives. Right now it is anybody’s race. Several high profile candidates are vying for their party’s nomination, which will make for a lot of drama over the next year. The problem is we as Americans and especially “we” as African-Americans do not need any more drama. We have plenty of that in our work places, in our neighborhoods, and in every other aspect of our lives. We do not need drama; we need direct and honest answers.

I am sure the few people that read my blog are probably thinking “here we go again.” You guys are probably saying to yourselves “here comes another rant about electing public officials solely based on issues.” Well, to you folks I have one answer . . . you are right. This is another article about ignoring the trivial and focusing in on the important.

The media has been replete with articles about an alleged “feud” between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I can not begin to count the amount of air time that has been dedicated to discussing “important tidbits” of information like what a former Clinton supporter turned Obama fundraiser in California thinks about the Clintons. I enjoy a dramatic story as much as the next guy, but I can get drama in a movie theater, at home on cable, or in a book. I do not need it in the news coverage of the people that are applying for the position of most powerful man or woman in the world.

Think about it. If more than one person was applying to be your babysitter, would you concern yourself with trivial issues about them or would you want to know their qualifications and their background? If you were hiring an accountant to manage your assets of your business and balance its books, would you care about what his/her great grandfather did before that person was even thought of? Do you care whether your child’s teacher’s spouse is faithful? I might be going out on a limb, but somehow I have the suspicion that most people would answer no to those questions. If that is the case then why should we accept that type information from the news media about people that are asking to become our President because the media says it is news?

I think we shouldn’t. Several people have announced that they are seeking their party’s nomination for the office of the President of the United States, yet I can not honestly say that I have a firm grasp where any of them stand on issues of importance to me or even on most issues. That is sad since so much air time has already been used talking about some of the candidates. The truth is a President will tend to be what we elected him/her on. If we elect him/her based on substance then we will likely get substance from that President. However, if we elect him/her based on images and slogans then we will be entertained, we will be distracted, but we will once again fail to have our issues addressed. It is our choice.

New Deal

“Things are only impossible until they're not.”

--Jean-Luc Picard--

“It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs.”

--Albert Einstein--

“Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.”

--Paul Valery--

Okay. Next Tuesday, February 27, 2007 is time to put up or shut up. Next Tuesday the registered voters of Chicago will have a grand opportunity to put all of our gripping into action. It will present “us” with a very simple choice: the machine or merit.

That statement may seem like hyperbole, but upon further inspection it is not. The last several years there have been scores of newspaper articles about abuses of city government. Articles after articles have been written about the corrupt system of hiring cronies and about ineffective government at the city, county, and even the state level. In my opinion the corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and ineffectiveness is directly related to how officials are truly elected in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois.

The political machine in Chicago and Cook County has been the 800 pound gorilla in the elections since Harold Washington died in 1987 and prior to when Harold Washington was elected in 1983. The political machine has been the bearer of a great many gifts and treasures to a few at the expense of the rest of the city and county. I want to be clear. I am not asserting that every elected official from Chicago is a machine politician nor am I asserting that every politician that was elected by the machine does not meet or attempt to meet the needs of their constituents. However, I am asserting that Chicago, Cook County, and the entire state of Illinois desperately need more independent, creative, inspired public officials. The machine does not produce those type of public officials. The machine fosters an environment of corruption, cronyism, nepotism and ineffectiveness because politicians are chosen on the basis of their loyalty to the machine as opposed to their ability to recognize and address the issues of their constituents. The best way to start stockpiling city, county, and state government with the type of public officials that have the wisdom, wit, and wherewithal to address the issues of their constituents is to get away from machine cronies and start electing independent candidates.

How many times have you, your neighbor, or someone you know complained about the quality of our public schools, the quality of city or county services, or the quality of our neighborhoods? How many times have you, a friend, or a coworker complained about property taxes, city sales taxes, or city or county fees? How many times have you, a family member, or a complete stranger complained about city, county, or state corruption? Well, Tuesday’s elections present a golden opportunity to stop whining and start doing something about the problem.

Next Tuesday, fifty aldermen, the city treasurer, the city clerk, and the mayor are all up for election. Please vote your conscious. Please vote your issue or issues. Please vote according to your principles, but please do not vote for someone based on party affiliation or big name endorsement or machine connections.

The third ward is a perfect example of what this article is about. I live in the third ward. I have lived here for nearly five years. I attended college right up the street over a decade ago. When I was in college the third ward was plagued with empty lots and lack of commercial development. When I moved into the third ward in 2002, the ward was plagued with empty lots and a lack of commercial development. Yes. There has been some small improvement in the third ward since I was in college in the late eighties/early nineties, but in my opinion it is not enough to warrant the retention of the same alderman for over two decades when she has not even begun to scratch the surface of all of the issues that face the third ward.

The third ward is in a critical state of flux right now. It is changing due to gentrification. There are a great many issues that come along with that reality. Questions will be addressed by either deliberate decisions or blind neglect. The neighborhood is becoming more expensive so what can be done to help the poor, middle class, and people living on fixed incomes to stay in the ward if they want to stay? There will be a lot of opportunities for commercial and residential development so how will that happen? Will developers be allowed to develop property in an ad hoc piece meal manner? Or will there be an organized plan that is designed to produce thriving, healthy, and safe neighborhoods? These are just a sample of the many questions that the alderman of the third ward must face and address. The health, safety, and very composition of the third ward will be affected for decades by the actions of the third ward alderman in the next few years.

That is why am going to vote for Pat Dowell. In my opinion Pat Dowell has the intelligence, creativity, and commitment to address the issues that are facing the third ward. Pat is a former city planner. She also has a long track record of commitment to the third ward after working at Mid South for many years in an effort to help the third ward to become a better place. She has a long record of qualifications to be able to address the issues that are facing the third ward. The only thing she does not possess is the backing of the machine. Like I said, it is time to rage against the machine and start choosing people based on merit instead of cronyism.

It Is All About The Issues

“The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.”

--Robert J. Shiller--

“Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.”

--Nikita Khrushchev--

“Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.”

--Democritus--

On Saturday Barack Obama announced what everybody already knew: he was running for President. Before I go any further I must state that I can not pretend to be totally unbiased when evaluating the current field of candidates for the 2008 Presidential election. As I have mentioned in a previous article I have known Senator Obama since 1996 when he took time out of his busy schedule to speak with me when I was a young community organizer trying to find my way. That was then and this is now. I can not help but have an inclination to want to support Senator Obama. However, that would make me a hypocrite. I have to keep the tires first.

I have ranted about how the African-American community must start voting solely based on issues. I have declared that we must get away from voting based on charisma, image, or endorsement. I have charged that too many of “us” have no integrity when it comes time to choose our elected leaders; too many of “us” sell out our votes for jobs, access, or thirty pieces of silver. I can not now turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to my own advice simply because Senator Obama is running for President.

Senator Obama is intelligent. He is articulate. He is not given to the baggage of having spent years on the Hill in Washington. He is a fresh face in a sea of the usual suspects. He is a breath of fresh air in an arena that needs to be aired out. Yet, I am still not sure why he is running for President. I am not sure what he really stands for. I am not sure where he stands on issues of importance to me and my community. I have to admit that although I do not know any of those things my first inclination is to be confident that Senator Obama’s positions will suit my needs. That is a mistake.

I have to fight those inclinations and challenge Senator Obama to speak to my and my community’s issues like any other candidate. The African-American community can not afford to waste our votes by voting based on misplaced party loyalty; misplaced loyalty based on the race of the candidate, or misplaced loyalty based upon the word of a preacher. We can no longer sell our votes. We can no longer barter our votes. We must vote solely based on issues of importance to “us.” And right now I have not heard where Senator Obama, Senator McCain, Senator Clinton, Senator Brownbeck, Former Senator Edwards, Senator Biden, Governor Richardson, or any other of the 2008 Presidential candidates stand on issues of importance to me and my community.

I want to be clear. I do not think that Senator Obama has to be held to a higher standard than any other candidate. I am stating the opposite proposition. I feel that we as a community should hold every candidate for every elected office to the same standard. We must require them to speak to our issues in order to get our votes. Once they are in office we must require them to address our issues in order to keep our vote.

The truth is the Obama campaign should welcome this requirement because it will give them an opportunity to show that he is in fact a new breed of politician. It will also give them an opportunity to silence the politically convenient charges made by some preachers and petty politicians that he is not “black enough.” I guess only time will tell whether we as a community will create a new “price” for our votes or whether we will continue to sell our votes at the same discounted price.

Fortune Favors the Bold

“Fortune favors the bold.”
--Virgil--

“Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.”

--John Quincy Adams--

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”

--Denis Watley--

Last week Senator Barack Obama announced the formation of an exploratory commission for his candidacy as the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States of America. While this announcement is technically not an official announcement by Senator Obama to run for President, it is as close to an official announcement as possible. After his announcement, his pending candidacy was discussed on talk radio stations across the country. Most people from the African-American community and from the Chicago land area were very supportive of his candidacy. I am one of them.

Two months before Senator Obama announced his intention to run; I called into the African-American talk radio station in Chicago and stated that I thought it would be a smart move for Senator Obama to run for President. I stated that there was nothing but an upside for Senator Obama to run for President in 2008.

Senator Obama is the first African-American candidate for President that is not a preacher. I do not mean that statement to be an insult to Mr. Jackson or Mr. Sharpton, but it is a fact that Senator Obama represents a new breed of African-American politician. A new breed that can better withstand being type cast as a single issue politician. He represents a new breed of politician that can appeal to a broad constituency. That can be a great thing.

There are people in the African-American community that feel that Senator Obama should not run this presidential cycle. They feel that it is a risky move and that he may regret it. I disagree with that view. There is nothing but good things that could happen to Senator Obama by running. If Senator Obama is embarrassed during the campaign and loses; so what. He still has two years left on his term beyond 2008. There is still plenty of time for him to regroup and put together a strong reelection campaign. If he does well but still fails to get the nomination, he would have established himself as a major player on the national stage. And if he gets the nomination or is on the Democratic ticket, well the sky is the limit.

The bottom line is that history is rarely made by the timid. We all stand upon the shoulders of those that have come before us. The old saying of “nothing ventured, nothing gained” is true. It is great to see African-Americans like Senator Obama, Congressman Ford, and Deval Patrick reach for accomplishments beyond our fore fathers. Now if only our community could take that step with them by getting away from strict party loyalty and voting solely based on issues, but alas that is an article for another day.

Give Me The Complete Story

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.”

--Eleanor Roosevelt--

“People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news.”

--A. J. Liebling--

“Advertisements... contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.”

--Thomas Jefferson--

Several weeks ago a story ran about a supposedly suspicious deal between Senator Barack Obama and now indicted power broker Tony Rezko. The articles that followed the story painted a picture of guilt by association. Luckily the story never really gained any traction, but now that Senator Obama is seriously considering a run for the office of President of the United States of America it is possible that it could be revived. That is the problem. The basic facts that were included in the stories are not a problem. The problem is how the facts were reported.

For the record I must admit that I voted for Barack Obama in 2004. Although I would not say that we are close friends, I have known Senator Obama for about ten years. With that said, I must say that the coverage surrounding Senator Obama’s purchase of his home and the purchase of the ten square foot plot of land from Tony Rezko appears to be more smoke than fire.

The political landscape of this city is well known for its slime. There are a number of shady deals that have occurred over the past year from Springfield to City Hall. Yet, the media chose to write about a politician that paid for a home that was listed on the open market and paid market value for a piece of land. Where is the controversy? Where is the harm? Where is the scandal?

June of 2005 Senator Obama purchased a home for around 1.6 million dollars. The same day that Senator Obama closed on his home a Rezko (I am not sure if it was Tony Rezko or his wife) purchased the lot next to Obama’s new home. There is no allegation or indication that Obama’s purchase was anything other than a simple real estate closing on a home. Months after Senator Obama purchased his home legally and above board, he purchased from Rezko a small ten square foot piece of land from the adjoining lot. Senator Obama paid fair market value for the lot, yet the media made it seem that Senator Obama did something wrong. Ultimately, Senator Obama was indirectly accused of being guilty of impropriety by association with Rezko.

Some of the recent articles have now tried to shine a light of controversy around the actual purchase of Obama’s home by pointing out that Obama purchased the home for $300,000 less than the original asking price. These same writers neglected to point out that in some neighborhoods around Chicago where there are homes that are put on the market for over a million dollars it is not uncommon for them to sell for $100,000s below the original asking price. Therefore Obama’s purchase may be no different than many of the other similarly priced home sales that have occurred in Kenwood, Hyde Park, Jackson Park, and other neighborhoods on the Southside of Chicago during 2005. But we may never know because that information was not included in any of the stories.

Sometimes the facts that are included in a story are not as important as the facts that are not included. The bottom line is controversy sells papers. Maybe there is more to the story than meets the eye. We the readers will never know as long as we only get to read half of the facts. But until the members of the media are willing to present all of the facts in a fair, objective, and complete manner, they should at least have the decency to abstain from sullying the name of one of the few good public officials in Chicago.

Declaration of Independence

“The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.”

--William H. Borah--

Last week I wrote about a politician that ran for another term on the Cook County Board, won, and then retired before she served any of her term. Upon retirement she promptly asked her colleagues to appoint her son to the term for which she ran but never served. Well on Tuesday the ward committee people gave an affirmative answer to her request. Her son is now a new Cook County Commissioner, without going through the process of being elected by his constituents. Once again the votes, voices, and concerns of our community are unsolicited and taken for granted. I have written that it is time for our community to get away from voting along party lines and to start voting solely based on our interests. I will write about it again.

After Robert Steele was appointed Cook County Commissioner for the 2nd District on Tuesday more than a few articles were written about the blatant nepotism that is rampant in Chicago, Cook County, and even Illinois politics. The response from some of the African-American machine politicians were not one of shame or apology. No. They actually tried to justify their nepotism. Their answer was “white politicians have practiced nepotism so why shouldn’t they.” Well, I have an answer for that response. The government belongs to every one. It is not the private enterprise of the machine regardless of race. There is a big difference between a person that starts and builds a business into a success that employs his/her children, relatives or friends without regard to whether they are qualified or whether they can get the job done. It is that person’s private company and if they choose to run it into the ground by using uncreative, uninspired, and unqualified labor then so be it. The same is not true for government.

There is no seat of government on the city, the county, the state, or the federal level that belongs to any one person. It exists solely for the purpose of serving the people. Every politician that is elected by the people to any position of government serves at the pleasure of the people so every time a politician uses his/her power and position to circumvent the democratic process to “hook up’ their child, friend or crony they have used the resources of the people to benefit themselves. That is wrong and it must stop! If he children of politicians need a job then they must do the same thing as everybody else. They can either fill out a job application or work for their parents in private industry.

The problem with nepotism, which is a by product of machine politics is that we the people are charged with funding the livelihoods of the children or relatives of politicians. That does not make sense. It also does not make sense that we should fund politicians’ political workers. When we allow patronage to go on that is exactly what we are doing. The big problem with machine politics is that it creates the wrong atmosphere for government. Machine politics creates an atmosphere for politicians to thrive. That is a problem since our community needs public officials instead of politicians. The difference is that a politician is only concerned with keeping his/her position and a public official is concerned with using the resources of government to address issues in the community that can be solved by government.

The only way our community is going to have public officials that are focused on addressing the issues in our community as opposed to their own petty little selfish interests is if we as a community start voting solely based on our own interests instead of party affiliation. We also must get away from voting for politicians that are part of or beholden to the machine here in Chicago. We need independent public officials. We need new blood in government. We need to separate the politicians from the public officials. But the only way that will happen is if we as the community serve notice that our tax dollars, our government property, and our votes belong to the people not to the machine. City elections are scheduled for February. It seems like as good of a time as any to declare our independence.

Wake Up!

“Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.”

--Albert Einstein--

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

--George Bernard Shaw--

Last month nearly sixty thousand people were took, had, and bamboozled! Actually the exact number was fifty nine thousand six hundred and sixty-eight people. That is the number of people that voted to reelect Bobbie Steele to the Cook County Board. They voted for Bobbie Steele. They may get Robert Steele. No; they are not the same people. Robert Steele is Bobbie Steele’s son. Last month Bobbie Steele was elected with eighty-eight percent of the vote without a word that she would not serve out at least a tiny fraction of the term for which she ran. She has retired and now she wants her son to be appointed to the seat. Now the person that will serve the people of the 2nd district will not be elected by the voters. He/She will be selected by a bunch of politicians. Whoever said that back room politics is dead?

Once again another politician has chosen to use our democracy, our tax dollars, and our votes to provide a job for their child. The papers intimate that this is just another episode in the corrupt saga of Chicago politics where the child of a long time politician uses, actually abuses, his/her position to circumvent the democratic process to provide a well paying job for their child. Their children get taken care of and we the tax payers get the bill.

Bobbie Steele’s silence as to her plans not to serve the term for which she ran has effectively taken the voices from the people in her district. Regardless of who is chosen to fill the 2nd district seat, he/she will not be chosen by the voters of her district. That is a problem. That is wrong. That is essentially disenfranchisement of over sixty thousand people. And no one seems to care.

Can someone please tell me when we as a community will finally say enough is enough! Several months ago I wrote about how the political machine in Chicago, like a patch of crab grass, suffocates independent and potentially good public servants for the same old hacks that have neither the wisdom nor the will to address the issues in our community. Here is an example of how that happens because the democratic process is stifled. Yet, we continue to march lock step with them and put up with the back room appointments and the blatant nepotism. When will it end?

Will it end when the city is bankrupt? Will it end when the county is bankrupt? Will it end when our community is bankrupt of opportunity, hope, and a future? I guess only time will tell. For the record I do not have a problem with Bobbie Steele. I do not have a problem with Robert Steele. I do not have a problem with democrats. However, I do have a problem with dishonesty to the voters about things that matter. We must start to demand more of our politicians, especially if we want real public servants. If you want to fix something then you wouldn’t use the wrong tool for the right job? Right?

Whether or not a politician intends on sticking around for the majority of the term for which they have run is something that matters. Yet, once again, no one seems to be concerned about this abuse. Maybe I have no standing to raise this issue since I do not live in the 2nd district and therefore did not vote for or against Bobbie Steele. Yet, I can not help but to wonder how the election in November would have turned out if Robert Steele would have been on the ballot instead of Bobbie Steele. I guess we will never know.