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Please, stop doing this

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* On Friday, the City of Chicago revealed that just 16 buses carrying asylum-seekers arrived in Chicago during the previous seven days.

Just a few weeks ago, we were told to expect as many as 25 buses per day.

* So, maybe news outlets like ABC 7 might wanna turn down the hype machine just a wee bit…

Residents in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood have been making their concerns known on Sunday as the city discusses a plan to create a migrant shelter there. […]

The people at today’s protest said [Ald. Ronnie Mosley] should focus on projects like that instead of this shelter.

The extent of the “protest”…

* Back to the story…

“The fact is, in the Roseland community, there’s crime, violence, gangs. It’s through the roof here,” said community activist Patrick Gibbons. “And, we need to protect our own people before we take care of people from the outside.”

NBC 5 also quoted “community activist Patrick Gibbons”…

“If you can’t take care of your own, then we don’t deserve to be a sanctuary city for outsiders,” said Gibbons.

“Sanctuary city” hokum debunked here.

* Thanks to an alert commenter, it turns out that the Patrick Gibbons in the above story appears to be the same guy who, until fairly recently, was running for 31st Ward Republican committeeperson on Chicago’s Northwest Side - far, far away from the Jewels in Morgan Park/Roseland.

I mean, this Patrick Gibbons?…

From our commenter…

Would be nice if the Chicago news media would simply check the google machine once in a while to see if the “community activists” they are quoting are from the actual community they are covering.

* And even without the Gibbons stuff, a tiny handful of disgruntled people milling about a giant parking lot is hardly a compelling teevee visual. From NBC 5’s wide-shot…

Zoom in…

Hilarious.

* More from Isabel…

Chalkbeat | Amid Chicago’s migrant influx, one school is trying to help newcomer students navigate trauma:

* WTTW | Vote Set on Plan to Transform Former Jewel, Parking Lot on Far South Side Into Migrant Shelter: Mayor Brandon Johnson will ask a key City Council panel to purchase the now-vacant Jewel and surrounding parking lot near 115th and Halsted streets and transform it into a shelter for some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport.

* Block Club | Ukrainian Village Neighbors Suing Mayor, City Officials To Block Migrant Shelter: In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, James Cole and Danielle Roberts argue the city has illegally skirted zoning and building permit regulations to convert a privately owned building at 526 N. Western Ave. into a temporary shelter for asylum seekers.

* Block Club | More Than 3,400 Migrants Have Been Flown Into Chicago Since June, City Data Shows: Most people were flown in from San Antonio, Texas, with a few hundred others coming from Houston, New York City and Denver. The majority of the flights have come to O’Hare, bringing in 2,705 people, according to city data.

* WTTW | With Temperatures Set to Dip Below Freezing, Warming Buses Set to Shelter Migrants: Warming buses will be sent to 16 Chicago police stations to shelter some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport, as cold weather settled over the city in earnest and temperatures dipped below freezing, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said late Sunday.

* The Hill | Tensions rise between new and established migrants: The tension is especially felt in Democratic strongholds such as New York and Chicago, where community leaders and elected officials have spent decades organizing their constituents with limited success. “Mixed-status families, people who have lived here for 10, 20, 25, 30 years, who have been working, paying taxes, sending money back to Mexico, abiding by the laws, laying low — probably being better citizens than most Americans — are frustrated,” said Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D).

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 10:49 am

Comments

Their perspective doesn’t matter because there are only a few of them. Got it.

Comment by James Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 10:56 am
Free media is designed to amplify a position/belief/want and to legitimize all of that with that coverage.

Their own “thing” might’ve been better to get a press release to amplify, not have a vision of fewer than double digits standing in vast emptiness.

It would merely take a few snarky line changes and you’d have a blistering mockery piece on The Daily Show.

Indeed. Stop amplifying non-existing angst. Let those at The Daily Show do that. They’re better at it too

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:00 am
I was always taught in a newsroom that a gathering this large isn’t a protest and they usually don’t merit coverage unless there’s some mitigating factor. Doesn’t seem to be one here. My, how times have changed.

Comment by Drifter182 Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:07 am
It is a problem when you can’t tell the difference between lazy journalism and malicious journalism.

Comment by Homebody Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:12 am
Two things are happening here, it seems:
-Our local TV media has a definite conservative bias. They practically created Paul Vallas by covering his every word for years.
-Conservative groups are obviously fanning the flames of the fire and doing PR work against incoming migrants by tipping off reporters to these “protests” and then spoon-feeding them quotes from “concerned residents”. They know that TV reporters are just trying to get through the day and aren’t going to do the legwork.

The problem is that there aren’t enough advocates able to do this positive “spin” for the migrant communities who need somewhere to sleep before winter comes. Conservatives are the super-minority in Chicago, but they are experts at setting a narrative with local TV news outlets.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:16 am
When 1/4 CPS students are ELL students: Chicago has earned its’ reputation of being a welcoming place for those who don’t speak English. Not Chicago suburbs. Chicago. When the Texas Governor asks migrants where they want to go: Chicago is one of the places.

Comment by Steve Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:20 am
Another day and another photo op for Darren Bailey.

Noticed Darren Bailey’s dress pants in a picture with Don Jr. on Friday. Did Darren borrow Lincoln’s pants from the Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield?

The pants, clearly several inches too long, pooled around his ankles. Not a good look when one is campaigning for Congress.

Are there no tailors near Effingham?

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:28 am
===When 1/4 CPS students are ELL students: Chicago has earned its’ reputation of being a welcoming place for those who don’t speak English. Not Chicago suburbs. Chicago.===

“Learn English” or make it difficult for non-English speaking folks in Chicago is an odd flex considering how Chicago ranks in Polish speaking people, as an example.

So, what Chicago should do is alienate folks who can’t speak English, keep “those people” uneducated and more removed from making society better in the workplace and neighborhoods?

Don’t look now, but you’re inching terribly close to thoughts of “one America”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:29 am
The tried and true “slow news day” Sunday press conference…worked for Patrick Quinn in the 80’s and it worked for Patrick Gibbons yesterday.

Remember the old journalism school cliche?: “if your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.”

We might need to make that more specific for the folks who run Chicago’s newsrooms on the weekend. Something like: “if a random white dude shows up at 115th and Halsted and claims to speak for the community, don’t believe him.”

Comment by Roman Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:32 am
Seems the alderman hit the administration over the weekend and his displeasure with the utilization of this proposed site. What do the GA members have to say?
Are we still going with Brandon not answering questions from the press? Or has that been solved?

Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 11:55 am
The Patrick Gibbonses of the world haven’t set foot in Roseland since a couple years before Gately’s moved off Michigan Avenue and into Tinley Park.

Comment by Roadrager Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 12:19 pm
“When n the Texas Governor asks migrants where they want to go: Chicago is one of the places.”

Right let’s pretend that has ever happened. The governor meeting with the migrates, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn you might be interested in.

Comment by Notatechie Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 1:30 pm
One common element between Mayor Johnson and NY’s mayor seems that they both are exhibiting panic. Well that is great leadership. The media is feeding on reporting that panic and it flows down. To a certain extent, Johnson’s team not keeping the aldermen in the loop caused that one alderman to be assaulted. Bad info. seems to flow faster and easier that accurate info. Whoever is advising Johnson is giving him bad info. Get a new inner circle Mr. Mayor.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 1:38 pm
It is a problem for Johnson because his communications and press team stinks. His communications team’s strategy of just be quiet is never going to work in his favor. Especially while in a humanitarian crisis. And let’s not get started on the intergovernmental issues…

Comment by AAA Minors Not Pros Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 2:47 pm
The community has been against this since it was proposed a while ago. The Sunday press thing was ridiculous but the real community event had a full house expressing the desire to not have the shelter there. The alderman even stated he didn’t bring up this spot, this was the mayor’s choice.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/09/14/plan-for-migrant-camp-on-vacant-roseland-lot-fiercely-opposed-by-south-side-neighbors/

Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 3:15 pm
Morning temps were around freezing this morning

The lure of a free bus ride to the Chicago tent city should naturally subside until the extreme heat returns down south

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 4:15 pm
==The community has been against this ==

Someone is eventually going to have to take a stand and do something regardless of what a “community” thinks. Leadership is sorely lacking with regard to the migrant issue and someone needs to stand up and make some decisions community feelings be damned.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 4:39 pm
–Someone is eventually going to have to take a stand—

Why don’t the DSA aldermen who keep complaining about other aldermen do it? Burnett has the most shelters of any ward and when he said they don’t want anymore everybody bashed him. He’s already doing more than others.
How many shelters are in DSA wards?

Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Oct 30, 23 @ 5:33 pm