[Click the pics for larger images]

* Alderman Ted Matlak’s 32nd Ward opponent has gone negative…

* Ald. Burt Natarus has also gone negative…

* But SEIU has gone negative in a big way on Natarus…

* And more from SEIU on Natarus…

* I’m told that Natarus had five mailers hit on the same day. Probably not a smart move. I have many of the mailers, but I’m too busy today to upload them. Hopefully I’ll post them tomorrow.

* 50th Ward candidate Naisy Dolar talks about her campaign…

* Alderman Ed Smith’s TV ad can be found at this link

* A WYCC report on the 32nd Ward race…

This is a Chicago elections open thread.

Also, I’m planning to be in the city next Monday and Tuesday to have a closer look. Any suggestions?

       

24 Comments - Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 1:47 pm: Stop by the 49th Ward in lovely Rogers Park. Should be enough shenanigans going on there to give you stories for a week. Also stop by your old ward, the 42nd, to see how that race turns out. - phocion - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 1:57 pm: Rich, why don’t you set up a prediction thread (or contest) for 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 20th, 32nd, 42nd, 43rd, 46th, 49th, and 50th ward races? - anon - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 1:58 pm: How about the 12th ward? That race is a hotly contested one as well. Good front row seats to see how strong HDO really is. - Skeeter - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 2:09 pm: With regard to the five mailers in 42: It may not have been that bad. For me, it was two one day and three the other. Pretty bad, but not as bad as five at once. One problem with the Natarus stuff was that it all looked nearly identical. It took me a minute to realize that the stuff was different. The back is almost exactly the same on all five and they had rougly similar photos on the front. - kl - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 2:19 pm: That’s a great Naisy Dolar video. It really demonstrates what her campaign is about - the people, especially the residents in Chicago’s 50th ward. Swing by the northside while you’re in town, Rich and feel the Naisy love… - 42nd Ward Resident - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 2:25 pm: Natarus mail has been piling up at my high rise, at least two a day, as many as five. The worst was Tuesday; the trash was full and a huge pile was next to it. They are pretty generic. - Jerry - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 2:59 pm: i got some of waguspeck’s mailers. 2 or 3. no mailers from matlak, but his campaign did call me incessantly for several days. It finally seems to have quit, perhaps he got enough complaints to call off the robocalling. If I wasnt already voting for Wags, I would be now, thanks to those robocalls. (and, for the record, they did end “paid for by citizens for matlak - or something similar) - West Rogers Park Resident - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 3:01 pm: I live in a ward that is probably unsurpassed in the city for the number of residents it has which possess so much talent, experience, and knowledge from their past and present positions in government, nonprofit, academic, business, and legal sectors. Residents who have never been given a chance or a forum to give their input in the different aspects of their community and talent that has neither been harnessed nor taken inventory of in the first place. Instead I’ve watched the 50th Ward become fragmented and decline; observed gangs and prostitutes becoming more visible in parts of the ward; I’m wondering where I’ll go for groceries with the last grocery store in the ward closing soon; and watched on a regular basis an alderman who thinks nothing of using city services to intimidate and even punish those who would disagree with or go against him. When citizens are afraid - afraid to sign a petition, to put up a yard sign, attend a political event, or publicly disagree with their elected officials something is terribly, terribly wrong. Over 60,000 people in 50th Ward are affected by what the alderman does and does not do - and apart from his new-found interest in serving the residents with the election coming up next week, Alderman Stone has not been doing anything good for a long time. It’s time for a transition to a new administration which will re-build the 50th Ward into what it can and should be - a model for other communities on how a multi-cultural, multi-religious community can work together to achieve a good quality of life - in all aspects - for its residents and business owners. It’s time to vote for Naisy Dolar. - Astor Street. - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 3:02 pm: The 12th Ward is the battleground. Not alot of play on the web due to the fact the digital divide is alive and well, but there is no doubt the 12th is #1 for the Unions & Daley. - Anon in 32 - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 3:22 pm: Before I left for Springfield this week, I’d gotten three Waguespack mailers and two from Matlak. I’ve also received one robocall from Waguespack and two from Matlak, plus one from Daley in support of Matlak. Matlak is positive, and features the mayor’s support. Waguespack is negative, and seems a bit over the top. He hasn’t laid out a positive agenda other than saying he’ll do something about property taxes, which isn’t really something an alderman can do anything about. Matlak has been hit but is still standing. The ward deserves a new alderman, but Waguespack hasn’t made his case. Maybe in four years. More interesting question right now is what happens in the Committeeman race next year - does Fritchey finally go for it? That’s our best hope for ridding the ward of the Rosty/Gabinski/Matlak combine. My prediction - Matlak gets 58% next week and avoids a runoff. - Scoot - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 4:35 pm: Burger & Beer at Mother Hubbard’s. - Nick Papas - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 5:48 pm: In the 32nd ward, the most convincing piece of political mail that arrived in my mailbox was sent several weeks ago - my tax assessment notice. Up nearly 50%. This election, I am voting my wallet. Good-bye Mr. Matlak. Waguespack has my vote. - Hugh - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 6:53 pm: Haven’t seen much coverage of the 53th ward race. Ed Bus us fighting for his life. Here’s some links http://audio.wbez.org/848/2007/02/848_20070221c.m3u http://audio.wbez.org/848/2007/02/848_20070222b.m3u - Dougs Castle - Thursday, Feb 22, 07 @ 11:02 pm: Nick Papas - you are right on the money, too bad most of yours is probably going to your next property tax bill for the 32nd Ward. My bill doubled, but I just don’t know where I’ve seen double the amount of services in the ward, double the anything. What has matlak been doing for nine years other than pumping up the war chest and perpetuating the Machine Gabinski left him??? did he think everyone would just look the other way this time? - Randall Sherman - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 12:05 am: I agree with those who have mentioned the 12th Ward. Friday morning at 11:30 am there is going to be a press conference at City Hall to discuss the business practices of Alderman Cardenas, and why they should be fully investigated for various violations at the local, state and federal level. Other key wards (where incumbents may well be dumped) include (but are not limited to) the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 20th, 30th, 42nd, 46th, 49th and 50th Wards. RANDALL SHERMAN Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government Chicago - 32nd Ward Roscoe Village resident - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 6:09 am: I am a long-time resident of Roscoe Village and the 32nd Ward. The strong neighborhood association, Roscoe Village Neighbors, has butted heads with Matlak on development issues in the ward. Matlak seems to feigns affinity with the residents at neighborhood meetings on the issue–and then goes ahead and lets the developers do what they want. I heard him say that he was “sold a bill of goods” by a developer of the parcel at Addison and Ravenswood by the Addison Brown line station that would have been an ideal location for a new station (when the old car wash closed) on the Metra North line for north suburban Cubs fans and residents working in the loop, but now has a condo development on it. Two days ago, I found a flyer on my windshield alleging a “fraud alert”, charging a past president of RVN and a supporter of Wauguspeck with misdeeds that, on their website, RVN indicates is false and didn’t come from them. See www.roscoevillage.org. I’m tired of machine dirty tricks like this and Matlak’s apathy to the residents of the ward. Wags has my vote. - the Other Anonymous - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 7:30 am: I couldn’t help but notice that Natarus’s anti-Reilly mailer has a made-up headline. Didn’t some other campaign get into huge trouble recently for pulling the same stunt? - 42nd Ward Resident - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 7:50 am: I believe that was an Oberweis ad against Topinka- “Investigation into Topinka” or something similar. The Trib was definitely not happy about it. Not that they’ll care this time. - Jerry - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 8:24 am: Nick - I’ve noticed that Wags is pushing that line hard in his mailings. I’m a renter, so the property taxes don’t affect me directly, but the new, ugly, giant buildings near my apartment and Matlak’s refusal to listen to community groups on development issues in Wicker/Bucktown was enough to put me into the Wags camp. Not to mention the incessant phone calls that I was receiving for about 3 days from the Matlak campaign. 32nd Roscoe - that’s a bunch of crap. Its time for the old ward heeler to go. - the Other Anonymous - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 9:32 am: Rich, if you visit the 50th Ward, remember to “get the F! off” Bernie’s daughter’s block. http://bridgetinthesixth.blogspot.com/2007/02/ilana-50th-wards-queen-of-mean.html#links - Bucktowner - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 10:44 am: Anon in 32, You have to figure that one way or the other, Fritchey will be the committeeman a year from now. He’s the only one in the ward that’s well-liked and has an organization. Too bad he didn’t want to be alderman, then this race wouldn’t have even been close. Even still, looks like Matlak’s time has come. And not a minute too soon. - Dougs Castle - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 12:24 pm: We have two mailers saying Waguespack claims he will be accessible, Matlak has proven time and again not to be, Wagues says he will hold people accountable including developers, Matlak has not been, Wagues says he will fight corruption…while matlak supports the machine. I’ll take a chance that he is right and will change that - it has to be better than the beating we are taking from matlak. - Goodbye Napoleon - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 2:22 pm: Those SEIU ads against Natarus are terrible. The type is too small and there’s too much detail. They should really have a professional do their mail for them considering how much money they are spending. I rate their effectiveness as a 1 out of 10. Of course, that won’t stop them from trying to take credit when he loses to Brendan on Tuesday. - Jimmy Smits - Friday, Feb 23, 07 @ 7:38 pm: Hey remember back when some Rich Gordon Fan bashed Reilly. No matter what happens Tuesday. Reilly ran a great campaign. And raised 10 times what Gordon raised. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.