Truth Tellin'

It’s time for some truth telling.

I’ve been noticing some things while walking around the ‘hood and it’s time to call it like I see it.

Traditionally, we all know Black neighborhoods in Chicago have been largely ignored by local government.

This shouldn’t be news.

Yet the thing that chaps my hide is how some people just don’t respect their own neighborhood. How they’ll just throw trash just any which-a-way.

Frankly speaking it just pisses me off.

You practically have to pull teeth around these parts to get people (or institutions) to do right.

I’m sorry, strike that----my alderman is a rock star.

Leslie Hairston is a huge reason why our little stretch of paradise looks as good as it does. And truth be told I’d wager Alderman Cochran has chimed in a time of two to make the magic happen.

I don’t know for sure but I’m just saying…

Nonetheless, no measure of governmental involvement can lift people out of a “ghetto mentality.”

Hell, yeah I said it.

Because that’s only way I can explain why someone who actually lives on my street would turn the parkway into their own personal trash can.

I don’t get why it’s so difficult for some people to pick up after themselves.

Then of course these are probably the same people who think its okay not to know where their children are at any given time.

We all know how successful that philosophy worked out around here.

My point is that when something goes wrong in the ‘hood the wailing and gnashing of teeth begin.

Community activists come out of the wood work and “demand” governmental accountability.

Well I have a news flash for you.

Why don’t those activists as well those members of the community hold each other accountable?
Why don’t we speak out as voraciously against shitty landlords who don’t perform adequate tenant background checks and rent to anyone with enough money (or government subsidy) that can afford their rent?

Why don’t we take the fight to them in their comfortable neighborhood as they make money off of ours?

And here’s the tough one.

Why don’t we try to convince the nice lady who lives down the street that her no account grandchildren who live with her do more harm than good to the neighborhood.

You know what I’m talking about.

Despite the fact no one wants to publically admit it, there’s always a home (or homes) on the block that harbors those asshole, layabouts who leech off of a family member and single handedly contribute to rise of crime.

Who bring their bootleg ghetto ass friends along with them and their collection of bad habits.

And when I say bad habits I mean felonious behavior.

I’m not advocating being unnecessarily nosy in people’s affairs but when the situation warrants questioning the status quo, you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable to do so.

After all closed mouths don’t get feed and bullets seemingly never hit their itended targets.

Turning a blind eye to the blatant foolishness that’s going on may one day come back to bite you in ass.

I know it’s not easy.

Nobody wants to be labeled as the self righteous Gladys Kravitz of the block.

But in this “Stop Snitching” atmosphere, perhaps it’s time to go back to some good old fashion community standards.

No I’m no going all conservative on you.

Then of course I don’t think our conservative friends have cornered the market on values and standards.

And no I could give a shit what two (or more) consenting adults choose to do in privacy of their home.

As long it doesn’t attract a negative illegal element.

As you see it’s a slippery slope.

My negative element could be your set of best friends.

The qualifier here is illegal. That’s the whole shooting match---if you’ll forgive the pun.

Ladies and gentlemen we’ve got to do better.

We must either individually or collectively hold those who seek to continue to marginalize our neighborhood accountable for their actions.

We have to want better neighbors who mind their children, throw their trash in the proper receptacles and live law abiding lives.

It’s not enough to hold an anti violence march.

We have to do better.

So the next time you’re up in arms at a CAPS meeting or find yourself thinking that the police aren’t doing enough to keep your neighborhood safe you need to reflect on what you’ve done to improve or eliminate a problems that surround you.

At the very least, you should at least be truthful with yourself.

Slow Burn

I so appreciate needing a dog team to navigate my neighborhood.

Why?

Because the owners of the many rental properties and vacant lots around these parts don’t believe in clearing snow from the sidewalks.

So I and the other pedestrians tend to walk in the street as most of the sidewalks are virtually impassable.

Can I tell you how fun it is to walk down Stony Island with cars whizzing past you wondering which one of them will hit a patch of ice and skid into you?

Especially a few days ago when their was so much fog, the ’hood looked like the movie set for Wurthering Heights.

Unfortunately, established businesses and institutions aren’t doing a bang up job either.

The gas station around the corner seems to think that they only need to plow out their parking lot and the sidewalk is the city’s responsibility.

Of course the school across the street is continuing to be a “good neighbor” by not shoveling an inch of snow on the sidewalk from Dorchester to Stony Island.

Not one flipping inch.

And that was the snowfall from last week.

God they’re so full of shit.

With today’s anticipated snowfall, we might not be able to use that side of the street until baseball season .

Methinks I need to jot off an e-mail to the alderman.

Let It Snow

It’s bad enough that the school across the street hasn’t thrown in one dime towards the new sidewalk and parkway that they’re legally responsible for.

What's worse is that my fantastic alderman used some of her menu money to make the new sidewalk happen.

So let’s recap, we have a private institution that has slowly but surely expanded it’s campus by shutting down city streets and purchasing buildings for the land.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

The issue is that when the school across the street expanded its campus they also expanded their responsibility for the parkways and the sidewalks of the buildings it purchased.

In short, the school is responsible for the parkway and sidewalk on my street roughly from Stony Island to Dorchester.

If you’ve been a long time reader of this blog, you know that the maintenance of the sidewalk and parkway on the south side of their campus and across the street from my home hasn’t exactly been high on the list of priorities.

It fell somewhere between screw and you.

It shouldn’t take concerned neighbors to point out that the trash and the weeds that come up to their hips might need to be tended to.

Okay, I give---it was me. I was (and am) the concerned neighbor(s).

Nonetheless, it’s not rocket science right?

But that’s all water under the bridge right?

The trash is being picked up (sporadically) and the grass is cut during the warmer months.

To quote Neville Chamberlain, “There is peace is our time.”

Not so much.

Unlike Neville, I’m going to hold you to the spirit if not the letter of your agreement.

Doesn’t common sense dictate that if you cut the grass and pick up the trash that you should also shovel the snow during the winter months?

We have this nice new sidewalk and it was encased in ice and snow during our first winter storm.

I shouldn’t have to even call over to say, “Hey, don’t you think it would be a good idea to shovel the snow and throw down a little salt?”

But I did. And in doing so I broke a promise I made to myself.

I told myself not too long ago that asking the nice school across the street to perform the functions on the south end of their property that they so willingly perform on other parts of their campus didn’t seem to be an effective way of getting things done.

On the other hand placing a call to my alderman’s office is.

So I’m not asking anyone over there to do anything anymore.

They should have the sidewalk and parkway just as pristine and landscaped as they do at their school’s entrance.

If not, I’m getting on the phone.

There are city ordinances regulating and fining owners for not looking after the sidewalk and parkway abutting their property.

If we’ve got to keep our little patch of Woodlawn trimmed, clean and clear so should everyone else.

Apparently there has been a change in the maintenance and groundskeeping department over there so I'm interested in seeing if there's more of a proactive attitude about the south side of the campus.

Being nice has gotten me nowhere with them, time for talking is done.

I was once told that the school was concerned about being a good neighbor. Yeah, and tomorrow I'm going to wake up and fit my high school cheerleading uniform. My ass.

I don’t think they’re going to like me very much by the time it’s all over.

Slumlord Ordinance

…Yet another reason why my alderman kicks your alderman’s ass. Why is she such a rock star?

The Righteous

I’ve finally found a good developer.

I searched high and low, kept my ear to the ground and even solicited you kind readers for potential candidates.

Naturally I wound up with nothing. It was as if the word “good” and “real estate developer” could never be used in the same sentence.

The person I’m about to tell you about not only exists, but has been sitting a few blocks away all this time.

The irony is delicious, no?

Ladies and Gentlemen I’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Van Horne and Greenline Development.

You may have heard about Mr. Van Horne on the Chicago Public Radio broadcast about Woodlawn last week. I remember meeting him at a fundraiser for my alderman.

He seemed nice enough but when we’re talking real estate development, I’m sure the title of this blog says it all. I have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to people who have the word “developer” in their job title.

But then I heard the Chicago Public Radio broadcast, found his website and had that warm fuzzy feeling.

Still not convinced, I called over to my alderman’s office and spoke with my contact.

“Is this Van Horne guy the real deal? “

“Believe it or not, yes he is.”

“Bullshit---there has to be something wrong with him---some major character flaw. Developers aren’t nice.”

“No really, he’s the real deal and his buildings are spot on. We’ve never received one complaint.”

“Bullshit---are you for real?”

“Yes I am. He’s a nice guy with a conscious who builds buildings that give people an affordable yet nice place to live.”

That statement left me in a quandary. After all, it goes against everything I’ve ever experienced in the “gut rehab” condo market in Chicago.

I was truly perplexed.

In the interest of disclosure, from what I understand Mr. Van Horne has also done some fundraising for my alderman as well as stumped on her behalf.

Normally my spidey sense would be tingling after such a ringing endorsement, but I actually trust the people in my alderman’s office. If this guy were a fuck up I doubt that the love would be there.

At some point I have to trust in at least one city political institution, right?

Plus I like the fact that he’s a socially responsible capitalist. There ain’t nothing wrong with that.

So I will exhibit something I so rarely do these days---trust.

I think this cat is an honest to god good developer. Apparently the only thing he can’t do is turn water into wine.

So if you’re in the market to purchase a condo and it’s offered by Greenline development, more than likely you’re headed down the right path.

Now that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do your homework like Woody told you to. Remember, there is no substitute for good old fashion fact checking. Always cover your ass.

But unless someone has credible documentation to the contrary, Mr. Van Horne may be the first developer actually given the thumbs up by “I Hate My Developer.”

Let’s hope we’ll be able to add many other names in the future.

My Dinner With Carlton

I knew I had to look and act like an adult.

After all I don’t go to aldermanic fundraisers everyday.

In the scheme of things, an aldermanic fundraiser is not on par with the Spielberg, Geffen & Katzenberg dust up they’re having out west for Senator Obama.

Nonetheless you do have to actually put your money where your mouth is and support the candidates that you actually respect.

Few politicians pass that litmus test. Fortunately for me my alderman does.

No I don’t have a case of idol worship but I do think she’s aces.

So off I tripped to her campaign kick off at the Seven Ten Lanes in Hyde Park.

There were few people that I knew but hell I’ll go anywhere but a white separatist’s meeting. Not knowing people in a crowd doesn’t really faze me.

My alderman was working the crowd and giving everyone the glad hand.

I actually started putting faces with names, generally behaving and chewing with my mouth shut.

You know---grown up stuff.

When I finally got a chance to steal a moment with my alderman to thank her for a job well done, that’s when I saw him.

I guess the fresh flowers dying should have been a sign.

There he was in the flesh, the title character of I Hate My Developer---Carlton Knight.

I continued my conversation with my alderman---slyly throwing in a “Why didn’t you tell me that he was here?”---during a pause in the conversation.

“Now Woody calm down.”

“Why does that man have the nerve to show his face here?’

I went to the bar to go get another drink.

A big drink.

I later found out that he is a regular on the black aldermanic fundraising circuit. Naturally everyone has to play nicey and not make waves in public. From some thinly veiled conversations with those in the know, he’s about as welcome as a case of the clap.

Then of course they could be feeding me a big load of bullshit as everyone knows my feelings for the man.

Hell it’s in the title of this blog.

I went for another drink.

Hopefully he’s still persona non grata in my ward and won’t be “developing property” anytime soon. Now for the rest of Chicago---Lord help them.

No words were exchanged between us. No glares. Glasses remained intact and knives were not thrown.

I was a perfect lady who was cussing under her breath.

Egads!

Why did I run into my developer at my alderman’s kick off campaign shindig last Thursday?

Holy crap!

More later.

Breaking The Fast

I received a phone call from my Alderman's Chief of Staff asking if I am free on Saturday to have breakfast with the Mayor.

It will be a small thing with about 25 people in attendance so it ought to be interesting.

Apparently the mayor wants to know what's going on the in the city and has a sit down in each of Chicago's 50 wards about once or twice a year with us "normal" folk.

I guess my alderman thought of me as I talk to her staff as much as I talk to my sister.

Note: I talk to my sister at least four to five times a day. Seriously.

I joked to my Alderman's Chief of Staff that I was going to walk in late adorned in a pink and teal suit with a monster easter hat and a toothpick hanging out of my mouth slap the Mayor on the back and say, "How you Doing?"

I should think bigger and bolder.

Perhaps I should start cracking Nasty Canasta jokes to see how down the Mayor is with his classic cartoons.

Better yet, I'm gonna Paul Wall up the joint.

While the possibilities to make an ass out of myself are endless, perhaps I should stick with the under the radar route.

I don't think anyone wants the Mayor to remember them in a bad way.

My Alderman Can Kick Your Alderman's Ass

This is why my alder(wo)man kicks so much ass.

Click on this link and enter in the name Leslie Hairston. Then click on the "Luring Retailers" story

Perhaps in a few years I'll be able to do most of my shopping within a two mile radius of my home

Dare to dream.