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* Our buddy Jake, the 14 year old video blogger who broke through last year when he was interviewed by Chicago Public Radio, is making news again. Jake just scored an interview with mayoral candidate Dorothy Brown, which you can view in three parts, here, here and here. Congrats, Jake!

* Dog Fight in the 50th, a blog about the four-way battle in broken down warhorse Bernie Stone’s 50th Ward race, is coming of age. A recent post about AFSMCE’s endorsement of Greg Brewer has 78 comments. Go take a look, it’s quite the flame war. Brewer, himself, blogged at his own site yesterday about yard signs being stolen, which is not an unusual thing in politics.

* The Sun-Times has an interesting story about the 25th Ward race. Seems that Ald. Danny Solis is being accused of forgery.

The charge is serious: Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the president pro tempore of the Chicago City Council, had someone forge his notarized signatures on his statements of candidacy and economic interest while he was on a fact-finding trip to Israel with other Hispanic aldermen.

He was back from the trip before the final deadline, but they had to be filed while he was away to make him eligible for the lottery for top ballot spot for the Southwest Side ward that includes Pilsen.

Solis’ attorneys have said he signed the documents himself before he left, and they expect the lawsuit filed against him Friday will be thrown out just as the electoral board threw out the charge earlier.

But Solis reportedly was seen talking angrily to his Chicago staff on his BlackBerry while in Israel, and handwriting expert Diana Marsh says whoever signed “Danny Solis” to the statement of candidacy and economic interest is not the same person who signed “Danny Solis” on all of Solis’ other documents.

* Chicagoist has a good backgrounder on the race.

Adding to the bitterness of this contest is not only Medrano’s attempt to reclaim the seat he lost when he went to prison, but the various other people who have thrown their hat into the ring against Solis. Having fallen out with the pro-Daley Hispanic Democratic Organization (which has seen diminished influence in the wake of federal corruption probes) over his ties to such HDO rivals as Rep. Luis Gutierrez, and Solis’ own congressional ambitions. Besides Medrano, he is also facing Aaron del Valle and Joe Acevedo, who, while not necessarily strong challengers, have added enough chaos to the mix to give Danny a headache.

We can’t prove it, but we suspect that they are stalking horses put into the race to muck things up. While it seems a fair bet that he will pull a lot of votes in the election next month, being drawn into a bitter runoff against a strong challenger probably isn’t Danny Solis’ idea of a good time. Taking on either the HDO or Medrano, and whomever the group of losers throw their support behind, will just complicate things for him. […]

(T)his race is as much about getting control over the spoils of TIF money and development in the ward as it is about making political careers. […]

With so much at stake, and so many cynical players grabbing for power, it seems that there are no good choices to be made in this race, with the status quo being the only real prize for residents.

This is a local elections open thread and, as always, it is not limited to Chicago politics. Have at it.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 9:51 am

Comments

Rich, thanks for reporting on the local aldermanic elections. Below are links to Naisy Dolar’s fundraiser with Tammy Duckworth and Congressman Mike Honda. Also, Naisy got IVI-IPO’s endorsement.

Team ND

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpdvpJmd1QI

http://naisydolar.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=
%7B8C41D3E1-D787-4C36-B216-129D90829594%7D
&DE=%7BA2382589-837D-4B70-96AF-
E13505F367FD%7D

Comment by TeamND Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 10:04 am
Pretty quite in the 19th Ward. I attended a Central BeverlyCommunity meeting on Sunday afternoon attended by about fifty people - Ald. Ginger Rugai reported on Blue Can Recycling Project, about fifteen Community Development Projects underway in the Ward, A Traffic Study and fielded some questions. Candidate Tim Sheehan attended and talked to folks - very cordial and professional. The other candidate had a fund-raiser.

Comment by Pat Hickey Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 10:22 am
50th Ward Aldermanic Candidate Naisy Dolar’s campaign is mounting a strong campaign! Naisy recently received prominent endorsements from the Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Public safety is a huge issue in the ward so the fact that she received FOP’s support is very signicant to the neighborhood!

She also had a VERY successful fundraiser last week with the support of Tammy Duckworth and Congressman Mike Honda (California) and, of course, the many fine residents of the 50th ward.

Comment by kl Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 10:22 am
I missed the fundraiser but saw the pictures on Naisy’s website and it looked like a huge success! The endorsements are also worth noting. FOP and IVI-IPO’s endorsements show Naisy’s commitment to safety and good government, two very important issues to residents across Chicago. Naisy also released two newsletters on business development and seniors. Her campaign is looking great!

Comment by pumped Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 10:48 am
Has Solis never heard of a FAX machine???

The NW burbs should see an interesting bunch of races, notably on village and school boards as the right-wingers duke it out with the mainstreamers. Should be fun (and could get darn expensive).

Comment by NW burbs Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 10:55 am
In Proviso Township the business manager at Proviso Township High Schools apparently tried to get her aunt #1 ballot position by having the director of security hold all the other candidates on the first floor until after 8:00 AM. See Proviso Probe.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:15 am
The race in the 12th ward is getting interesting as well. One to watch.

Comment by anon Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:35 am
Carl
Didn’t this happen in Proviso before the last school board election as well?

Comment by St. Nick Name Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:44 am
Naisy Dolar received the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police because her husband is a Chicago cop and belongs to that local.

She received the endorsement of the IVI-IPO because she paid for it. She bought memberships for her supporters who voted for her. Anybody can get an endorsement from IVI-IPO if they pay for it. IVI-IPO is a racket and means nothing. They even make candidates pay $250 to speak at their meet the candidates function, which candidates also have to pay to go to. Quite a racket if you ask me.

Comment by er, okay Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:48 am
The Brewer campaign is taking a lot of heat on a Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wrogerspk/) for refusing to be part of a West Rogers Park community forum with the other challenges and for the inappropriate way his campaign manager — hired from out of town — is communicating with residents on the forum about the decision.

Comment by JTS Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:53 am
JTS, I’m not sure what you are talking about. Greg Brewer will be attending the West Rogers Park Community Organization forum on February 7th.

And, FYI, I am also hired “from out of town” if you call a 45 minute drive “out of town”. Serious campaigns run by professionals often draw talent from far away places because the pool of political professionals who know what they are doing is pretty shallow. The first thing that Greg Brewer did upon agreeing to run was to hire a professional campaign staff, just as he hires a team of professionals on his architectural projects. If one is serious about winning, it only makes sense.

I can appreciate that you may not be aware of the logistics involved in running a competitive campaign. I can assure you that this is the norm.

See you at the forum!

Bridget Dooley
Field Director
Greg Brewer for Alderman - 50th Ward, Chicago
bridget@gregbrewer.org

Comment by Bridget Dooley Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 12:11 pm
Bridgey! Nice glove work!

Comment by Pat Hickey Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 12:16 pm
NW Burbs — as with most official documents, you cannot submit a facsimile of your signature on election documents. That would be some bad legal advice.

Alderman Solis is in dangerous trouble here, and it will be interesting to see if the Chicago Board of Elections pursues him with the same vigor that they pursued State Rep. Pat Bailey. If, in fact, the signature is forged, Alderman Solis, the actual signer, and perhaps most importantly the Notary Public who “witnessed” it could all be subject to prosecution.

Will politics or justice rule the day? Who am I kidding — this is Chicago.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 12:17 pm
Bridget–I’m not talking about you. (That should be clear since you haven’t been posting on that forum about this issue.) I’m talking, of course, about the abrasive “a.c.” And Brewer’s decision to participate is news to me. As of 8 a.m. this morning, people were begging him to participate. Did he change his mind?

Comment by JTS Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 12:17 pm
Way to go Jake CP. Jake has taken a few ribs from me in the past, but he’s know’s I’m just keeping him on his toes. As Rich said, congrats Jake, nice job! ps. Don’t let my readers get you worked up buddy.

And Bridget, please don’t take this the wrong way, but everytime someone mentions the 50th ward you gotta jump in and tell us you work for Greg. Don’t you think we got the message already? You don’t see Alex Armour jumping in everytime the 49th is mentioned letting us know he’s part of the Moore team.

On a lighter note in the 50th. Over the weekend it seems all campaign signs that didn’t say re-elect Stone were removed form the neighborhood. Could Bernie be worried about his job Now, let’s hear from Bridget on this matter.

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 1:09 pm
If the professionals are hired from out of town, they can maybe run the campaign but do they really know what the residents really need? Do they understand what’s going on? Can they actually relate to the people? They haven’t lived there.

Comment by ummm... Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 1:10 pm
Broken Heart,

I am a regular commenter on Capitol Fax and a blogger on ILLINOIZE. Since I’m here anyway, it only makes sense that I would respond to negative conversation about Greg Brewer. I can understand your annoyance, but know that it isn’t going to stop.

ummm…,

Greg Brewer’s campaign staff (myself especially) was hired to facilitate a massive volunteer operation. Since most of the Greg’s supporters work fulltime jobs and are politically inexperienced, we are there to run the day to day activities and logistics of the campaign. The concerns of the residents is our number one priority and what the campaign platform is based upon.

It doesn’t make sense to expect full-time plus work out of people who already have fulltime jobs. Running a campaign is not something that be done a few hours a day effectively.

And, for the record, several of our staffers are 50th ward residents. I found my canvass coordinator by knocking on his door. He volunteered a couple of times and was so good that I hired him. He’s a tremendous asset to the campaign and I will be hiring him for future campaigns.

Bridget Dooley

Comment by Bridget Dooley Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 1:33 pm
YDD,

I completely understand you concern and your points are valid.

But could his staff not have faxed the blank form, had him fill it out, and then he could overnight it back. (That would presume he has a notary with him.)

That said, the whole scenario does not say much for his organization and scheduling skills.

Comment by NW burbs Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 1:57 pm
1. IVI-IPO is indeed a racket and the endorsement is pretty much worthless — 99.9% of the population has no idea what IVI-IPO is — I still don’t understand why so many candidates fawn all over IVI-IPO. And yes, all their endorsement sessions are stacked — endorsements are bought.

2. There is nothing wrong with hiring out-of-towners to run campaigns. Most candidates run very ameteurish campaigns, make huge mistakes, and lose. Bridget is right… there is a very shallow pool of qualified campaign staff members to go around — you do not need to be previously familiar with the area to mount a good campaign. That’s what polling and field research is for.

Comment by Just Observing Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 1:58 pm
St. Nick Name,
It did happen before, but it was Nyberg’s allies who did it to Welch about 8 years ago. Big election law case that blasted Nyberg’s crony Mike Manzo. That being said, it was wrong then, and if it’s going on in this case, it’s wrong now.

Comment by Bad Boy Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 2:01 pm
St. Nick Name,

I dunno if the last Proviso District 209 election involved similar deceptions. I doubt it happened in the last election b/c I think either Flowers (2005 candidate) or Kelly (2003 candidate) would have mentioned it.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 2:13 pm
IVI-IPO’s primary membership outreach is to court the volunteers from its darling candidates and wait for the Machine to have its patronage workers buy a bunch of memberships.

I wish IVI-IPO would do some outreach to people who aren’t already affiliated with one politician or another. But it lacks the vision, resources and fortitude to do this.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 2:16 pm
The person who signed his petition was told to leave town and is currently residing under a pseudonym in Florida!

Comment by deepthroat Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 3:38 pm
My money is on Bridget and her team.

Comment by Bill Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 3:40 pm
Why is this person accusing her of “buying” her endorsement?

Check out http://www.iviipo.org/pastevents2006.html and one of the names on the right hand column. See Greg Brewer’s name as one of the Gold sponsors?

Comment by commentor Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 4:49 pm
Despite Naisy’s affiliation to FOP, I really think out of all the candidates, she knows the public safety issues in the 50th ward. She has lived there for 30 years and knows what needs to be done!

Comment by commentor Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 4:56 pm
Naisy hasn’t lived in the 50th Ward for 30 years.

Comment by NDNeighbor Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 5:21 pm
On an unrelated note, I read this morning in the Sun Times that Ald. Danny Solis (25th) may have had someone forge his signature. According the paper, the alderman was busy with the issue while he was Israel as evidence by his constant typing on his blackberry. Has anyone looked to see if that blackberry was paid for with city or campaign funds? If they were city funds, then isn’t he now in even more trouble as he used government resources for campaign work?

Comment by Long Time Reader; First Time Poster Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 5:28 pm
there must be a blackberry exception somewhere…

Comment by bored now Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 5:37 pm
Bored,

Try Antarctica, esp. inland.

Comment by NW burbs Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 5:44 pm
I agree with those who have previously strated what a pile of political horse manure IVI-IPO has become. The last endorsement session of theirs that I went to (actually, I had to wait outside, since i was neither a member nor a candidate) was for the Water Reclamation District races last year. The crowd there was more like a 43rd Ward Democratic Organization meeting. What a joke!

In contrast, the Illinois Committee for Honest Government does its own evaluations and does let the endorsement process turn into an auction. In the 50th Ward race, the ICHG endorsement has gone to businessman Salman Aftab. The ICHG is impressed with Aftab’s pledge to donate the aldermanic pay raise to charities within the ward. In addition, there is real concern that if Alderman Stone is re-elected, he will soon after resign, allowing for a mayoral appointment of his daughter. Even my own mother, who was President of the Sisterhood in the largest synagogue in the 50th Ward (while Stone’s late wife was Sisterhood Secretary) is opposed to seeing that take place.

RANDALL SHERMAN
Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government
Chicago

Comment by Randall Sherman Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 5:55 pm
I saw the pictures of the Solis signatures in the Sun Times. It looked to me like they were done by the same person.

Nobody’s signature stays exactly the same fromm day to day. Try this, once a day sign a piece of paper and do it for 2 weeks. Just sign the paper. Do it when you are rushed, upset about something, thinking of something else. I guarantee that your signature will be different.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 6:20 pm
I love this video. I think Stone’s new slogan should be Stone: Good for the 1950s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-AL1b-1qj0

Comment by CW Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:00 pm
Okay, anybody who actually believes that the board will throw out Solis’ petitions, please tell us what part of Iowa you’re from?

As others have said, this is Chicago. And Carl Nyberg, isn’t such chicanery SOP in Proviso? Sadly, Proviso has reached such a point that even that isn’t really news anymore.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Jan 29, 07 @ 11:26 pm
So-called “Neighbor:” Naisy’s website says that she’s lived here 30 years, the official biography they distribute says she’s lived here for 30 years, and her printed matter all say she’s lived here for 30 years. How dare you claim otherwise? How dare you! Naisy’s lived here all her life, except for a few years in the Phillippines.

Comment by omg Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 6:28 am
…and Florida, right?

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 9:06 am
IVI-IPO’s “research” consists of soliciting self-reporting from the candidates. Candidates are asked to fill out a questionnaire and to submit to a question & answer session.

IVI-IPO does not look at the voting records of incumbent legislators. For example, Joe Moore (49th), whom they endorsed, and Bernard Stone (50th), whom they did not, agree on 99.999% of votes in City Council. No rational process could endorse one and not the other.

Comment by Hugh Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 10:11 am
it’s funny that people claim that dolar purchased the IVI-IPO endorsement when brewer was listed as a gold member too!! commentor, thanks for that info!

NDNeighbor — how do you justify your claim that Naisy hasn’t lived in the ward for 30 years? There’s no point posting a comment that you cannot provide evidence for.

Comment by hilarious Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 10:40 am
My money is on Bridgette and her team as well.

They did a bang-up job on the Cegelis campaign.

Comment by jersey guy Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 11:20 am
I think it’s hilarious that you want proof for a comment but don’t ask for proof from your candidate!

As Rich mentioned, Naisy hasn’t lived in the 50th Ward for 30 years because she moved from Chicago to Panama City in 8th grade and went to high school there. That’s how she met Ben.

Even when she returned to Chicago for college, she didn’t live in the ward. It’s an inconsequential fact that Naisy choose to hide. It doesn’t make any sense that she would lie about this, unless there’s something else she’s trying to hide!

Comment by NDNeighbor Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 11:23 am
true that Brewer paid to speak at their meet the candidates event and thus be listed as a “gold sponsor”, but thats not what Er,-Okay reffering to. He/she is refering to the process of which the actual endorsement takes place, which is at a seperate event at a later date, and memberships can be purchased at the door and that makes you eligible to vote. Naisy paid for a bunch of her supporters to become members to guarantee she would get the endorsement, Brewer did not. Simple as that. The endorsement means nothing.

Comment by T-Knight Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 10:40 pm
T-Knight, you should have asked Irv Loundy to buy a bunch of Greg’s supporters memberships. Simple as that.

Comment by Smithy Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 11:34 pm
oh jeez, i’m so naive! i prefer the endorsements that are based on merit, not ethnicity and purchase power. Hell, I just created my own organization just this minute, West Ridge residents for honest government and “we” choose to endorse Greg Brewer! does it actually mean anything?

Comment by T-Knight Tuesday, Jan 30, 07 @ 11:47 pm
Funny how Brewers camp states Naisy Dolar received the FOP endorsement because, â€œher husband is a Chicago cop and belongs to that localâ€ yet the FOP did not support Chicago police officer Don Markham who is running against 41st ward incumbent Doherty. Maybe it is just because Naisy Dolar is best suited to be the alderman.

Comment by bheard Friday, Feb 2, 07 @ 5:16 am