In the short time I've lived in this city Daley managed to revitalize and clean it up. Gentrification and beautification took hold so that now we have all kinds of parks and the north side isn't the only place to be. I've had the pleasure of seeing 4 World Champion teams (luckily none of them on the north side). I was beginning to actually like the city. I even bought season tickets to my beloved White Sox.
Then Daley upped the ante--he wanted Chicago to get the Olympic games in 2016. Many of us (especially south siders) began drinking the Kool-aid--Daley's attention was finally going to be focused on the south side! There'd be economic development! They'd fix the streets! They'd actually quash violence! But then something weird happened. The city began to care more about revenue than anything else. Department of Revenue vans were dispatched more than police. Traffic cameras began to go up around the city to make the city "safer." The focus has been on the city's budget rather than actually improving the city.
I get that in order for many of the aggressive projects Daley has in mind that money is necessary. But there are ways to raise money and ways to enforce laws. The city of Chicago has chosen law enforcement as a way to raise money--meanwhile the law enforcement officers can't be found when it comes to keeping the citizenry safe. Police don't want to do paper work unless it leads to a fine. Department of Revenue vans ride up and down residential streets trying to find cars to ticket. A 911 call from a disabled person to complain about a car parked in disabled parking yields a faster response than a call to report drug dealing in front of a day care center.
Add this to the weather and the way the entire County is run and I'm actually beginning to hate this city. I still love my White Sox. And I still love what the city itself has to offer. But now our politicians are squeezing us at a time when folks are already short on money. I understand that as economic times get worse, government grows to provide the safety net. But once the coffers are flush do I get a refund? Hell no.
On Saturday I paid money into a pay box that did not print me a ticket. I called the number on the pay box and was advised to move to another pay box and pay that one. I asked "what about the money I put in already?" No refunds I was told. So I now have to pay to park twice, all because the machine is broken? Ironically this is the same thing happening with my local government. I pay higher real estate taxes despite declining home values. I get a ticket because someone else knocked my license plate off my car. I have to pay to park in places that were once free parking. I have to pay higher sales tax to shop close to home. I have to pay twice because the machine is broken. And with all this money I'm spending the South side still isn't improving. Kids are still getting beat to death. Stray bullets are still killing innocents. Hustlers are still slangin in front of store fronts. Empty lots are still undeveloped and the streets still have potholes. And the north side is attempting to catch up on this negative development what with it's Lincoln Park muggers, beatings and rapists. And Chicagoans wonder why the IOC didn't find us fit?
Unfortunately our President already beat this horse to death but it really is time for change. Daley, Stroger and Quinn all must go. Maybe Chicago even needs to go red for a while--blasphemous I know but since there are 12-13 independents in the entire state (with me being one of them) there realistically isn't anywhere else to turn. SOMETHING's gotta change. Or else I'm moving.
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