I recently received this letter from Senator Barack Obama's Chicago office:
June 1, 2007
Dear Woody:
Some time ago you contacted the Chicago District Office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama. Regrettably, due to the high volume of cases that we receive daily, your documents were inadvertently misplaced.
Just recently we came upon the correspondence you sent ot us in November. We apologize if the delay in our response has caused you any inconvenience and are contacting you now to determine if we can assist you at this time.
We deeply value all of our constituents' problems and hope that, if still in need of our help, you will contact us at 312-XXX-XXXX at your earliest convenience so that we can determin how best to resolve your issue.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
XXXX
Constituent Service Agent
U.S Senator Barack Obana
Note: I dropped that letter and the corresponding packet of information off in November of 2005.
Prompt consideration indeed.
Showing posts with label Sen. Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sen. Barack Obama. Show all posts
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Rich & The Infamous
Since the weather was so nice yesterday, a friend and I took a slight detour to indulge our house envy near our respective ‘hoods.
As you know I live in Woodlawn and he living in Washington Park so before our little trip up to the north side, we decided to split the difference and look at those super groovy mansions in Kenwood.
Note: While single families in Hyde Park are expensive; I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that you need your last two year’s tax returns and W-2’s to walk down the street in Kenwood.
It’s a touch pricey.
My friend pointed out the home where Black Islamic leader Louis Farrakhan resides as well as other properties owned by the Nation of Islam.
While the neighborhood is beautiful, the architecture and landscaping on the five properties wasn’t my cup of tea. It didn’t look like it fit in with the Victorians in the area.
Then of course the hard looks were we given by the Nation of Islam’s 24 hour, 365 day a year resident security presence on the street outside of the main residence didn’t really encourage drive by browsing.
Let’s suffice it to say that you’d rather get arrested by the Chicago Police than play a game of tough guy with these very serious, heavily (and legally) armed, dour gentlemen.
If you are lingering in the street without a clear destination or linger just a little bit too long, they will trot right over and ask you your business. More importantly they’ll ask you to move---and they mean right now. Not a minute from now.
I love a well dressed man---don’t get me wrong---those guards I saw yesterday were smokin’ hot .
But that whole not drinking, woman subservient cover my head thing just isn’t in my personal game plan---no matter how hot the man.
We wisely (and quickly) drove on.
Then we saw the house where the big dog lives.
Sen. Barack Obama’s hot ass Victorian mansion is the bomb diggity.
Apparently his books sold briskly ‘cause that pile of bricks ain’t cheap.
His house is beautiful and that is an understatement. Then of course I’ve always been a sucker for a wrap around porch.
I would have loved to drink in the beauty of that gorgeous house a bit longer but apparently the Senator has his own security parked across the street.
They're called the Chicago Police Department.
I would imagine now that he’s declared his presidential candidacy he’s eligible to received Secret Service protection to his person, his family and his house.
Now while I saw the blue and white across the street, I’d think it’s pretty safe to assume that the men in dark suits and driving dark sedans weren’t too far away.
After all you don’t want to let your home envy get you thrown in the slammer.
As you know I live in Woodlawn and he living in Washington Park so before our little trip up to the north side, we decided to split the difference and look at those super groovy mansions in Kenwood.
Note: While single families in Hyde Park are expensive; I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that you need your last two year’s tax returns and W-2’s to walk down the street in Kenwood.
It’s a touch pricey.
My friend pointed out the home where Black Islamic leader Louis Farrakhan resides as well as other properties owned by the Nation of Islam.
While the neighborhood is beautiful, the architecture and landscaping on the five properties wasn’t my cup of tea. It didn’t look like it fit in with the Victorians in the area.
Then of course the hard looks were we given by the Nation of Islam’s 24 hour, 365 day a year resident security presence on the street outside of the main residence didn’t really encourage drive by browsing.
Let’s suffice it to say that you’d rather get arrested by the Chicago Police than play a game of tough guy with these very serious, heavily (and legally) armed, dour gentlemen.
If you are lingering in the street without a clear destination or linger just a little bit too long, they will trot right over and ask you your business. More importantly they’ll ask you to move---and they mean right now. Not a minute from now.
I love a well dressed man---don’t get me wrong---those guards I saw yesterday were smokin’ hot .
But that whole not drinking, woman subservient cover my head thing just isn’t in my personal game plan---no matter how hot the man.
We wisely (and quickly) drove on.
Then we saw the house where the big dog lives.
Sen. Barack Obama’s hot ass Victorian mansion is the bomb diggity.
Apparently his books sold briskly ‘cause that pile of bricks ain’t cheap.
His house is beautiful and that is an understatement. Then of course I’ve always been a sucker for a wrap around porch.
I would have loved to drink in the beauty of that gorgeous house a bit longer but apparently the Senator has his own security parked across the street.
They're called the Chicago Police Department.
I would imagine now that he’s declared his presidential candidacy he’s eligible to received Secret Service protection to his person, his family and his house.
Now while I saw the blue and white across the street, I’d think it’s pretty safe to assume that the men in dark suits and driving dark sedans weren’t too far away.
After all you don’t want to let your home envy get you thrown in the slammer.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Woody Goes to Washington or How I Stopped Worrying and Made It a Federal Case
I went ahead and addressed my developer issues to both of my United States senators:
Senators Durbin & Obama:
As highlighted by the Chicago Tribune’s series of articles this week, mortgage fraud has become a blight on communities on the south and west sides of the city. While this threat is a blight upon emerging or rebuilding neighborhoods, I believe that there is another insidious plague that also threatens the stability of homeownership.
Shoddy or unethical real estate developers can also cause just as much damage to a community as an individual engaged in mortgage fraud. Questionable development of a property may later wind up costing its owners a significant amount of money as latent defects or other oversights are found. Additionally, when the twin specters of mortgage fraud and irresponsible real estate development are combined, it makes a difficult hole for most homeowners to attempt to climb out of.
The paperwork accompanying this letter will point of a few things, the first is that I believe (but cannot yet prove) that our condominium association is a victim of mortgage fraud. It seems highly suspicious that three individuals who are all in foreclosure combined to secure over 24 different mortgages on multiple properties. The on-line records from the Cook County Clerk’s office clearly show that XXXX, XXXX and XXXX are in the late stages of foreclosure due to the non-payment of their multiple mortgages. While these individuals very well have run across a spate of bad luck, it seems to be highly coincidental that the bad luck did not also extended to the mortgage on their principal residences.
Secondly it is clear that our condominium developer, XXXX, neither adhered to laws concerning the electrical wiring of our homes as well as his fiduciary duty to the other owners by allowing a debt that he incurred to eventually be shifted to the association.
You will read in an electrical report that we had done earlier this year that any and all standards for electrical wiring were either not followed so done so badly that the work now results in a fire hazard. The outstanding City of Chicago code violations regarding the porch were never repaired and as a result, the association had to levy a special assessment to pay for new back porches.
In fact the porches have been described by our porch vendor, The Porch People, as “imminently hazardous.”
As an association, there is no way that we should be dealing with these types substantial infrastructure issues three years after initial board turnover. I shudder to think about what may surface in the future.
Currently one of the only ways we a condo association can recoup any monies from our developer is through a civil lawsuit. I quite frankly don’t think that’s fair. Our association does not have the money for long term quality legal representation and what regulations there are about shoddy development have little if any criminal consequences.
In short, in the City of Chicago and in the State of Illinois an individual has more governmental oversight on the purchase and performance of his or her car than the roof over their head.
That is extremely disturbing.
Unethical real estate development can be slowed or stopped altogether if various levels of government enact legislation to either license developers or develop resources to allow interested consumers to check the accreditations or violations of developers. Moreover, sweeping changes in the law crimilizing developers who create a life threatening situation through inexperience or negligence needs to be considered.
Your prompt consideration in these matters would be gratefully appreciated.
Sincerely,
The Woodlawn Wonder
Next on the drop off list, Congressman Bobby Rush, Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul (don't you love the name) and Illinois Congresswoman Barbara Flynn Currie.
Yup, it's on and poppin'.
Senators Durbin & Obama:
As highlighted by the Chicago Tribune’s series of articles this week, mortgage fraud has become a blight on communities on the south and west sides of the city. While this threat is a blight upon emerging or rebuilding neighborhoods, I believe that there is another insidious plague that also threatens the stability of homeownership.
Shoddy or unethical real estate developers can also cause just as much damage to a community as an individual engaged in mortgage fraud. Questionable development of a property may later wind up costing its owners a significant amount of money as latent defects or other oversights are found. Additionally, when the twin specters of mortgage fraud and irresponsible real estate development are combined, it makes a difficult hole for most homeowners to attempt to climb out of.
The paperwork accompanying this letter will point of a few things, the first is that I believe (but cannot yet prove) that our condominium association is a victim of mortgage fraud. It seems highly suspicious that three individuals who are all in foreclosure combined to secure over 24 different mortgages on multiple properties. The on-line records from the Cook County Clerk’s office clearly show that XXXX, XXXX and XXXX are in the late stages of foreclosure due to the non-payment of their multiple mortgages. While these individuals very well have run across a spate of bad luck, it seems to be highly coincidental that the bad luck did not also extended to the mortgage on their principal residences.
Secondly it is clear that our condominium developer, XXXX, neither adhered to laws concerning the electrical wiring of our homes as well as his fiduciary duty to the other owners by allowing a debt that he incurred to eventually be shifted to the association.
You will read in an electrical report that we had done earlier this year that any and all standards for electrical wiring were either not followed so done so badly that the work now results in a fire hazard. The outstanding City of Chicago code violations regarding the porch were never repaired and as a result, the association had to levy a special assessment to pay for new back porches.
In fact the porches have been described by our porch vendor, The Porch People, as “imminently hazardous.”
As an association, there is no way that we should be dealing with these types substantial infrastructure issues three years after initial board turnover. I shudder to think about what may surface in the future.
Currently one of the only ways we a condo association can recoup any monies from our developer is through a civil lawsuit. I quite frankly don’t think that’s fair. Our association does not have the money for long term quality legal representation and what regulations there are about shoddy development have little if any criminal consequences.
In short, in the City of Chicago and in the State of Illinois an individual has more governmental oversight on the purchase and performance of his or her car than the roof over their head.
That is extremely disturbing.
Unethical real estate development can be slowed or stopped altogether if various levels of government enact legislation to either license developers or develop resources to allow interested consumers to check the accreditations or violations of developers. Moreover, sweeping changes in the law crimilizing developers who create a life threatening situation through inexperience or negligence needs to be considered.
Your prompt consideration in these matters would be gratefully appreciated.
Sincerely,
The Woodlawn Wonder
Next on the drop off list, Congressman Bobby Rush, Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul (don't you love the name) and Illinois Congresswoman Barbara Flynn Currie.
Yup, it's on and poppin'.
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