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Mayoral/Aldermanic Election - 5775/2015
CHICAGO’S MOST RESPECTED JEWISH PUBLICATION
Complete
Mayoral
and
Aldermanic
Coverage
Bob Fioretti, Willie Wilson
Chuy Garcia and Dock Walls
Jewish
Thank you JEWISH CHICAGO and AVY MEYERS for your ENDORSEMENT
battle
and
being a ACTIVE VOICE for the 50th Ward
residents to take out
Community
Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Jewish
for the
Alderwoman
Michele Smith
Seeks a
Second Term
PUNCH
#52
Shajan Kuriakose
Peter Sifnotis
Zehra Quadri
Look to Replace
Debra Silverstein
"The residents of the 50th Ward deserve strong, independent leadership that will represent our
values and priorities, not the special interests. I am supporting Shajan Kuriakose to be our next
Alderman as he has a plan to help businesses grow and ensure safety in our neighborhoods."
- Miriam Solo-Greenfield, Attorney & 50th Ward Resident
Many Battles of Interest
Taking Place in
Growing Jewish Wards
Find out who and where!
Mark Thomas challenges
Ald. Tom Tunney in the 44th
Dowww.friendsofshajan.com
we have a possible
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF SHAJAN
new Jewish Alderman?
2
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775
Jewish Chicago Election Analysis
by Avy Meyers
Early Voting
Election day is Tuesday, February 24, 2015.
Early voting starts Monday, February 9th and runs through Saturday, February 21st, according
to election lawyer extraordinaire James P. Nally.
He informed us that there are 51 early voting sites in Chicago, open Monday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. City residents who are registered to vote are able to vote in the location of
their choice. A government photo ID is required.
Five regional locations will be offer Sunday hours from 9 am to 3 pm.
Chicago polling places can be found on the Chicago Board of Elections website. The Cook
County Clerk’s website lists all the suburban locations in towns that are having elections. You
can check with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners at 312-269-7900, or the Cook
County Board of Election Commissioners 312-603-6769 for a convenient location near you.
Any registered voter can vote early, no special reasons are needed.
Absentee voting by mail has already begun. This year you can download an online application.
All applications must be sent to the appropriate election board, depending on where you live,
and they will mail the ballot to you. The voter may complete and mail this application to the
Election Board at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 600, Chicago IL 60602, it must be postmarked
by February 23, 2015.
If you apply and do not receive your absentee ballot or if you cannot return the ballot with a
postmark of Feb. 23 or earlier: Call 312-269-7967 on or before Thurs., Feb. 19 to alert the board
that you have not received your ballot; or go to the polling place assigned to your precinct on
Election Day on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
If you have the absentee ballot, that ballot should be surrendered to the election judges. If
the you do not have the absentee ballot, you may cast a ballot after completing an affidavit;
or Chicago voters who cannot vote on Election Day may use in-person absentee voting at the
Chicago Election Board’s offices at 69 W. Washington St., Lower Level on: Sunday, Feb. 22
from 9 a.m. to noon; or Monday, Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
No reason or excuse is needed to use in-person absentee voting.
Endorsement Criteria
Before I get started with the candidate rundown, it is important for everyone to know the
criteria we use in making our endorsements.
Just being Jewish is not enough, not even close to enough. If a Jewish candidate is pitted
against a non-Jewish candidate, and all things are equal in terms of their ability to do the job,
there won’t necessarily be any endorsement in that particular race.
There are some non-Jews who have done an absolutely superb job of taking care of both
Jewish concerns and the regular community. They will most certainly be endorsed, and yes,
even against Jewish opposition. If a Jewish candidate is well-qualified for the office, but does
not take care of real Jewish concerns for his or her constituents, he or she will not be endorsed.
If there is no real benefit to the Jewish community in a race, an endorsement might not
be made. There are political experts in regular newspapers and other media who perform that
function, though usually superficially and/or poorly. This is a Jewish publication and I focus on
Jewish concerns ‒ while paying full attention to society as a whole.
Mayor of the City Chicago
Chicago has it’s first Jewish Mayor in Rahm Emanuel, brilliant, abrasive and
forceful, who won a sweeping election victory in 2011, scaring off superior choices
like Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart who chose not to run.
Emanuel promised openeness, honesty, accountability and more. That never
happened. He can be a force of nature, but the end result isn’t usually good for anyone
but Rahm.
He proclaimed early that though he was Jewish, he was not going to be a Jewish
Mayor, he was going to be a Mayor who just happened to be Jewish. That’s a promise
he kept. A special thank you to former Alderman Burt Natarus who reminded me of
those words at the funeral of Alderman Berny Stone.
Emanuel was also the author of the disastrous Oslo Accords while in the Clinton
administration, which has haunted Israel from day one.
He has no Jewish cred in my book. Wish he did, but that’s reality.
To be fair, he inherited a world of problems and an impossible situation from his
predeccesors, especially former Mayor Richard M. Daley who started so brilliantly
and left in virtual disgrace and unpopularity.
Of course, that didn’t stop Daley from getting a huge pension, a high-priced
academic position and a plum job in the law firm that handled the disasterous 75 year
Parking Meter Lease that is costing the city government a fortune, driving people to
leave the city where they aren’t gouged by outrageous meter prices.
He left the city in serious debt general budget wise, and with hugely underfunded
pension funds that threaten the futures of city workers, retirees, and the citizens of
Chicago.
Emanuel claims he hasn’t raised property taxes. If that’s the case, why I am paying
50 percent more in real estate tax than when he came into office? And my West Rogers
Park home is still worth quite a bit less than its 2008 value.
The red light and speed zone cameras are an example of battering down people to
enrich city coffers. He has raised taxes on every Chicago phone to an unspeakable
amount. He is doing to his best to reduce the spirit, freedom, and safety of the good
people of the City of Chicago
Emanuel explains away that the schools have hiked their tax share, not the city.
Well, who runs those schools Mr. Mayor? He appoints the head of the Board of
Education and all of the board members, he wants credit for lengthening the school
day, increasing the hours children learn, closing down dozens of “under performing”
city schools to save money, and “better education” but won’t take responsibility for
their greatly increased taxes.
Emanuel is a student of the school of thought that say if you repeat the same lie often
enough, people will believe, accept and adopt it. When it comes to lying, Emanuel is
experienced and accomplished.
It works better than it should. Too many people are so busy in their own lives that
they don’t pay serious attention to the reality of the situation.
Emanuel is not a Chicagoan; he wasn’t born or raised here. Even when he was a
Chicago Congressman, he didn’t have a valid Chicago mailing address.
He doesn’t know the streets, he doesn’t know the people, he has no regard for the
people who live here, or their neighborhoods. It’s a shame he can’t be held personally
responsible for his reckless borrowing and fake budgets that sound like progress but
in reality are humongous lies.
When he and his school commissioner closed down those schools, and let me
emphasize, with a declining number of students and a huge city debt, there was
justification for that type of action. The problem is the way he did it. He didn’t engage
in meaningful discussions with the various communities involved to come to hard
decisions and solutions. He abritrarily dictated these actions in his ultimate wisdom.
Early on he showed more of a conservative, serious bent to try to manage
expenditures. He then saw how unpopular those ideas were and he started kicking the
can to ruin down the road like all of his predecessors.
The trouble is, the time to pay the piper for these actions is now upon us. The city’s
financial ratings have been repeatedly downgraded.
He claims he has made important personnel changes in the police department to get
more officers on the street. The truth is the city offered seriously attractive retirement
packages to get higher-paid, more senior, effective, and productive police officers
to retire early which. while alleviating that part of the budget, puts an increasingly
serious strain on police pension funds.
He says there are more policemen patrolling the street. He is a liar. I have been
chairing a community policing beat for 19 years, I know from talking to high ranking
officials and my own observations, as do so many without my access who just use their
eyes, that Rahm is a liar.
In fact, when watching the first Mayoral debate, there were several occasions when
Rahm spoke that I shouted the word “liar” to an inaminate object, my TV. It’s that
apparent if you really listen and keep track.
His challenger with the biggest war chest is “Chuy” Garcia, a former State
Legislator, County Commissioner, and now Alderman, i.e. a career politician.
In watching his performance at the debate, I found my self shouting the word “liar”
at a second candidate. He is getting his cash from the Teachers’ Union and when the
moderator asked if he wasn’t the bought and paid for property of the Teachers’ Union
who enrich them if elected, his non-believable response got me to actually rise to my
feet and emphatically point to TV the shout “liar.”
Whether you are bought and paid for by big business or bought and paid for by a
union, you are still bought and paid for, beholden, not looking out for the best interests
of your constiuents.
While it may seem more noble to be bought and paid for by a union, they have
fought tooth and nail to make it hard to impossible to rid the system of bad teachers
with seniority, and it’s the kids who are in those classes who are the real losers. That’s
not exactly admirable nor noble.
Then there is perennial candidate William “Dock” Walls who is going nowhere.
We are down to two challengers.
Willie Wilson, a highly successful businessman with a seventh grade education, is
the son of a southern sharecropper.
At one time he owned six McDonald’s and now has a thriving medical supply firm.
He has put $1.6 million of his own money into his campaign fund and is beholden to
no-one.
He is well meaning, good intentioned, has a lot of common sense and is certainly
owned by no-one. He wants to do well.
Wilson is not well spoken, but he’s easy to understand. He wants to look at city
expenditures individually with a fresh set of eyes and involve the public in the process.
I really like the guy. Wilson has yet to swim with the political sharks and that is a whole
other ball game. Still he is preferable to the above three, despite what the politically
correct press have labeled as his racist comment. The televised media wouldn’t know
what an honest comment is if it hit them in the face. I’m not defending the comment,
it’s just not that important. Real humans who don’t read prepared speeches written by
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775 Thank you JEWISH CHICAGO and AVY MEYERS for your ENDORSEMENT
and being a ACTIVE VOICE for the 50th Ward residents
PUNCH
#52
"The residents of the 50th Ward deserve strong, independent leadership that will represent our
values and priorities, not the special interests. I am supporting Shajan Kuriakose to be our next
Alderman as he has a plan to help businesses grow and ensure safety in our neighborhoods."
- Miriam Solo-Greenfield, Attorney & 50th Ward Resident
www.friendsofshajan.com
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF SHAJAN
3
4
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775
Chicago.
Elected School Board
This is not a Jewish issue in any way shape or form. I have nothing to say on the issue. It’s six
of one, half a dozen of the others.
Aldermanic Races
1st Ward
Take notice, write-in
Peter Sifnotis!
They say the best competition is no
competition, which is why our
alderman had me removed from the
ballot. You still have a choice for
true reform and progress in certified
write-in candidate Peter Sifnotis.
Take a stand against corruption and
business as usual and vote for the
candidate who will represent you
and your community!
1. Request a paper ballot
2. Fill in the circle or
complete the arrow
3. Write-in Peter Sifnotis
highly paid, lying speech writers aren’t always perfect. Big bleeping deal. Too many
delicate flowers with rediculous agendas abound.
Finally we have 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti. He has consistently shown
independence in his two terms in the council. He has true courage, he has stood up to
Daley and he stands up to Rahm and the rest of their motley crew.
I don’t always agree with him, but he attracted a supporting crew of intelligent,
honest, caring people who strongly support him. He wants to do well; he wants to
make Chicago a better place to live. He wants to face up to the city’s serious problems.
I’ve known him for years and he is very straightforward. He has the backbone to
get things done.
Jewish Chicago endorses Bob Fioretti for Mayor of the City of Chicago.
City Clerk
Susana Mendoza is running unopposed, yawn.
City Treasurer
Kurt Summers is running unopposed, not yawning this time. Summers is a flat-
out winner. A Harvard Business School grad, the man not only has brains, there is
something special about this guy, and if you are fortunate enough to meet him, you’d
know what I mean.
He’s in charge of investing the city’s money, which can be billions of dollars at times.
Despite running unopposed, he decided to visit all 77 of Chicago’s neighborhoods in 77 days.
Dean Alonistiotis, a very impressive individual in his own right, approached me to set up a
meeting for him with leaders of the Jewish community. I gave him the names and numbers of
various Rabbis and community leaders and they met at the Center for Torah and Chesed, Rabbi
Eichenstein’s shul on Devon and Troy.
The meeting was most productive, and there is a short video of it on Facebook.
Summers is young, bright, energetic, and an admirable human being.
Jewish Chicago enthusiastically endorses Kurt Summers for Treasurer of the City of
JEWISH CHICAGO Mayoral/Aldermanic Election Issue ©2015 All rights reserved
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our columnists and writers do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of Jewish Chicago. email - avy@ureach.com
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Cartoonist ................................ Jeffrey Littleton
The First ward, like so many Chicago wards, is gerrymandered in a strange
configuration that doesn’t by any means actually reflect specific neighborhoods. It is
configured to get the right votes to keep the establishment candidates in power and
keep certain sections of various neighborhoods out of the hands of others.
The south most boundary is Hubbard, it goes as far east as Ogden to the southeast
corner, and as west as Ridgeway around Armitage, and as far north as Clybourn north
of Diversey with significant holes and chunks in between belonging to other wards.
The Jewish population here is minimal. There are four candidates on the ballot.
The incumbent is Alderman Joe Moreno. There are very few things for which I
have a zero-tolerance policy. Zero tolerance policies is pretty much it. I don’t care
much for people who are rigidly intolerant, especially when it comes to bias against
legitimate religious beliefs.
When Chik-fil-A sought to open in his ward, he led the charge against them. Why?
Chik- fil-A is owned by a religious Christian family whose President opposed gay
marriage. It wasn’t that long ago that this was far and away the norm in this country.
Even Obama opposed it. The public tide has turned strongly and swiftly, unlike
almost anything else I in this country that I have observed. Television and the movies
powerfully shift people’s ideas, beliefs, and mores and they barely realize it. Even
though the Chik-fil-A crew has the Bible on their side, Moreno, together with Rahm
Emanuel, condemned and denied the franchise and didn’t relent until they agreed to
donate to gay charities and stop funding others who opposed gay marriage.
They spoke of not tolerating people and businesses with these beliefs and that they
had no place in this city, though they have basis for their beliefs in the Bible. Whether
they are right or wrong, the intolerance against holding a belief rooted in the Bible
is despicable. Their intolerance of other people’s religious tenet’s is horrific and unAmerican.
This is America--freedom of religion is a serious right. If people choose not to be
religious, that’s a matter between them and G-d, not the government.
As for freedom from religion, for people like Moreno and Emanual, that’s their
personal business, but they have no right to impose their anti-religious , G-d hating
atheistic beliefs on others. As I said, this is America.
Running against Moreno is Asian Attorney Anne Shaw, a bright, up-and coming
lawyer who has raised enough money to run a decent campaign. Her parents owned
a kosher Bressler’s ice cream store in Lincoln Village for many years, They catered
more Bar Mitzvahs than you can imagine.
Shaw is very bright and proactive.
Ronda Locke has been very active in the community with moderate funds.
Attorney Andrew Hamilton is likable and intelligent with a much smaller cache of
campaign funds.
Why do I mention funds? Without enough money, you’re not going to win a political
campaign. People are that strongly influenced by mailings, phone calls, robocalls, etc.,
which all cost serious money. Even if every word they hear and read are lies and
misrepresentations, voters continually fall for this nonsense.
Jewish Chicago endorses Anne Shaw for Alderman of the first ward.
2nd Ward
Incumbent Alderman Bob Fioretti has chosen to run for Mayor, leaving the seat
vacant, and there are some excellent challengers vying for the slot.
It is one of weirdest shaped, gerrymandered in the city. It includes the affluent
Streeterville neighborhood, which abuts Lake Shore Drive, and has pockets north and
south of North Avenue; it’s far western point is Oakley. To the south, it’s Chicago
Avenue, and to the north, Wrightwood. It looks like a funny-shaped barbell with tons
of holes and pockets. It is a varied conglomeration of pieces of neighborhoods of
highly varied income, ethnic, and racial groups.
There are a significant number of Jewish voters in the ward and some thriving,
growing Jewish synagogues and institutions.
There are six candidates on the ballot. In ballot position order, Steve Niketopoulos
is an impressive individual. He is on leave from doing community filming projects
for CANTV which airs my show in Chicago. His war chest is meager and that makes
things rough.
Bita Buenrostro is a Persian restaurant executive whose husband, Marcus is a
respected Chicago police officer whose beat at one time was in West Rogers Park.
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775 Buenrostro is intelligent and very knowledgeable, has a good command of her
community and speaks well. She has raised more than enough money to run a serious
race.
Brian Hopkins has a record of community involvement.
Alyx Pattison is an attorney who has raised a good chunk of change.
Cornell Wilson is an extremely impressive individual. He has served in the
Marines for eight years, had two tours of duty in the Middle East and achieved the
rank of Captain. He is very well spoken, well mannered and polite. It’s obvious he
is a straightforward honest individual. He is a lawyer with an excellent record of
accomplishment on many levels.
He has seriously reached out throughout the Jewish community, in his ward to
discover their needs, wants and vision.
His campaign manager, Sean Tenner, is no stranger to the Jewish Community,
having run a serious landmark winning judicial campaign for Judge Megan Goldish
that promises to change the nature of future judicial contests.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, another true friend of the Jewish community
has come out strongly in favor of Cornell Wilson.
Stacey Pfingsten has the smallest bankbook of the lot and that will seriously hamper
her efforts.
While are there some quality people involved in this race and every ward should be
so fortunate, there is one individual who stands out from the rest on multiple scores.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Cornell Wilson for Alderman of the 2nd
Ward. He is unquestionably an extremely capable individual who can’t help but
impress anyone who meets him. He has a great record of accomplishment and he has
done the best job of courting and involving the Jewish community. He is a clear-cut
choice in this election, and possibly the single most outstanding candidate I have met
and interviewed in this election.
PUNCH 51
MARK
T H O M AS
for
PUNCH NO.
51
ENDORSED BY:
5
ENDORSED
BY
44TH WARD ALDERMAN
AS A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH
COMMUNITY, IT IS IMPORTANT
TO ME TO RESTORE A SENSE OF
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY TO THE
44TH WARD.
32nd Ward
While there isn’t a substantial Jewish population in the Northwest sides’ 32nd ward.
I wrote up the 1st Ward due to my least favorite Alderman, Joe Moreno; I’ll write
about the 32nd because their Alderman is one of my favorites.
The Independent bloc in City Council is referred to as the Progressive Coalition,
though ideologically, that’s by no means an accurate term. The shining light of the
Independent bloc is 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack. He does a great job for
his constituents, votes his conscience and the best interests of the people in his ward.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Scott Waguespack for re-election in the 32nd
Ward.
I should also point out that 22nd Ward Alderman Rick Munoz does a very good
job though you’d have a hard time finding anyone Jewish in that Ward.
FED UP WITH CRIME? WANT YOUR VOICE
HEARD IN CITY COUNCIL? WANT A SHUTTLE
SERVICE FOR LAKEVIEW RESIDENTS?
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39th Ward
The 39th Ward does have a substantial, but not overwhelmingly huge, Jewish
population.
Once the virtual center of the Jewish community, the community has mostly been gone
from Albany Park for quite sometime. Telshe Yeshiva is in the area and Alderman
Marge Laurino and her late father before her, have always done right by Jewish
community.
Her early assistance to Northeastern Illinois University in their quest to eminent
domain significant stretches of Foster and Bryn Mawr between Bernard and Central
Park for dormitories and private development is troubling. They have plenty of open
land, declining enrollment, and it was built as a commuter school that has never had
a dorm.
The possibility of a co-ed dorm or a hipster bar or boutique across the street of
Telshe Yeshiva is troubling
Although Laurino’s friendship and aid to the Jewish community over decades is
something to be cherished, I like her challenger, Robert Murphy. He is a serious, hardnosed, good and honest government type.
If you are looking for a good government alderman who has no ties or obligations
and does well for his community Robert Murphy is your choice.
Jewish Chicago refrains from endorsing a candidate in the 39th ward.
40th Ward
There are a decent amount of Jewish voters in the 40th ward, which includes parts of
Edgewater, West Rogers Park and Peterson Park. Alderman Pat O’Connor is Rahm
Emanuel’s floor leader in City Council. While I am no fan of Rahm, it is a position of
power.
O’Connor is a strong and highly dependable friend of Jewish interests in his ward
and is strongly pro-police coming a family chock full of policemen.
He has been instrumental in helping numerous Jewish educational institutions, even
if they are not in his ward, and was a big help with the eruv. He actually knows more
about religious life than many Jews.
His only opponent has some money and backing from the teachers’ union, but hasn’t
run much of a campaign, and who cares? When you have someone as good as Pat
O’Connor, you keep and cherish him.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Alderman Pat O’Connor for re-election in
the 40th ward.
43rd Ward
There are lots of Jewish voters and institutions in this area that includes the Near
Northside, Lincoln Park and the southern part of Lakeview. With exceptions, it goes
from the Lake, up north to Diversey, and as far west as Lakewood. There are four
candidates on the ballot.
In ballot position order, Caroline Vickrey is an impressive challenger. She has a
record of accomplishment and community involvement. She has an excellent political
consultant in Phil Molfese who ran the legendary Grainger-Terry for many years.
We haven’t heard boo from Jen Kramer who has a decent war chest.
Incumbent Michele Smith is Jewish and involved in the Jewish community and
with her Jewish constituents. She has a great background as an attorney and is handson in her involvement in the ward.
While she is on good terms with Emanuel, she is by no means a rubber stamp and
has voted her own way on numerous occasions. That’s a difficult road, but she has
traveled it successfully and has been productive in the process.
She has strong support and a very talented campaign crew. She has impressive
endorsements.
Jerry Quandt’s campaign has never really taken off.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Chicago’s finest Jewish Alderman Michele
Smith in the 43rd ward.
6
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775
44th Ward
The 44th ward’s southeast corner is Diversey and the Lake heading up to Cornelia,
zigging and zagging north and west up to around Irving Park and as far west as
Ashland. It’s mostly Lakeview.
There is a JCC, Milt’s Barbecue for the Perplexed, Anshe Shalom, Anshe Emet,
Lubavitch, and a reform Congregation on Addison and the LSD, there is lots of Jewish
life there, not to mention Wrigley Field where there are a slew of Jewish vendors,
many graduates of Jewish educational institutions.
I’ve never been fond of the present Alderman, Tom Tunney. He pretty much
botched things with the Cubs’ rennovations and trying to mediate between the rooftop
owners and the Cubs. While you can argue the seriousness of those, he was unable to
make peace.
On a more serious note, neighborhood safety is becoming a real issue there, and that
is lot more serious than Wrigley Field, and I am a Cub fan.
Tunney has a huge war chest, but he is not as popular as he once was. He has always
ignored our requests for interviews.
Scott Davis has only about $12,000 in funds which isn’t close to enough to run a
viable campaign. Then there is Mark Thomas, a very bright, succesful, local Jewish businessman
with numerous businesses including the Alley stores in Lakeview. Friends of mine
that know and work with him say he is a very generous, good-hearted person who has
quietly helped an awful lot of people.
Mark Thomas has recently made a very serious charitable contribution.
He has been heavily involved in community and business life in Lakeview. Thomas
has some extremely competent professional people working for his campaign,
including Bridget Dooley.
Thomas is a successful business creator. Well-funded, he has a very realistic chance
to take Tunney down, and that’s fine by us.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses our lantzman, Mark Thomas for Alderman
of the 44th ward.
45th Ward
Not a lot of Jewish people in the ward on the northwest side conataining Jefferson
Park, Forest Glen, Gladstone Park and portions of Portage Park and Old Irving Park.
Incumbent Alderman John Arena has been anti-Rahm and is funded to a large
degree by labor unions. Despite being a local businessman, the business community is
very unhappy over the state of business in the ward.
Arena has had several incidents where he has publicly shown a seriously bad temper
and has been roundly criticized by the local press.
Michelle Baert gained popularity through her website, 45th ward Mom. Baert has a
good history of community involvement and I have always enjoyed working with her
campaign manager, Tom Stapka. She is a capable
woman.
Michael Diaz is underfunded and not making real
headway.
Lt. John Garrido has returned from a very
narrow loss to Arena four years ago. Narrow? Thurty
whole votes. Just 31 more votes and the 45th ward
would have had a bright capable, hard working civil
alderman and a much better outlook for economic
success.
Garrido is a Lieutenant in the Chicago Police
Department and in his spare time, got a law degree
from John Marshall Law School.
Garrido is highly respected and liked within the
Chicago Police Department. Most of the officers I
am familiar with know exactly who he is and are
rooting for him big time.
His supporters have stood behind him and grew in
numbers. 45th residents I hold in the highest regard
are backing him.
John Arena needs to retire from public life. I could
see backing Michelle Baert in another race sometime
in the future, but for now....
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses John Garrido
for Alderman of the 45th ward.
46th Ward
Uptown, Marine Drive, Weiss Hospital--there
is a definite Jewish presence in the neighborhood.
There were a number of terrific candidates in the
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775 2011 election, unfortunately the winner, Alderman James Cappleman was not one
of them.
Cappleman’s claim to fame, or actually infamy was trying to shoo away the
Salvation Army’s effort to feed the hungry. I can understand that the homeless and
hungry, and those living in destitution in SRO’s one room shoebox’s for the terminally
poor, are going to help the neighborhood return to the Gold Coast-type neighborhood
Uptown was nearly 100 years ago.
It’s on the Lake, it’s got a great park, some very desirable residences, but trying
to keep hungry people from getting meals? I’ll borrow John Kass’s Greek moutza,
spread my fingers and and go Nah Alderman Cappleman. He needs to be defeated and
drummed out of city life.
Keeping the hungry from being fed is inhuman and cruel.
Cappleman has two opponents. Denice Davis was was the chief aid to former
Alderman Helen Schiller, a Jew She knows how the city works and how to get things
done.
Denice Davis has children and grandchildren that live in her ward. She genuinely
cares about people and made a terrific impression on me.
Amy Crawford is a lawyer with the pretigious law firm of Kirland & Ellis and must
be awfully popular there, because the vast majority of her money come from fourfigure donations from the lawyers of Kirkland & Ellis.
She is bright, driven and, like Cappleman, she is gay.
Jewish Chicago endorses Denice Davis in the 46th ward Aldermanic race.
49th Ward
Rogers Park, and some of the eastern portion of West Rogers Park. There are is
decent sized, but very different Jewish community in the 49th ward.
Alderman Joe Moore succeeded Cook County Clerk David Orr in 1991. In 2007,
challenger Don Gordon forced Moore into a run off that Moore very narrowly won.
The word from all the political mavens in City Hall was that in 2011 Joe Moore
would henceforth be referred to as former 49th Ward Alderman, Joe Moore.
So how did Moore get reelected?
First he married Barbara Moore and even he will tell you an awful lot of people
attribute that union to a tremendous rise in his popularity,
Second, he invented Community budget meetings for the vast majority of the funds
the city makes available to every single one of the 50 wards in the city of Chicago.
He invited the citizens of the 49th ward to submit worthy proposals to imporve
the ward with the available funds. Moore held numerous public meetings where
community members could view the proposals in person and on his ward 49 website.
The members then voted for their favorite proposals, be it street repaving, sidewalk
repair, murals, dog parks or whatever valid proposals they felt they wanted.
The idea was hailed almost as much as mustard on a Chicago-style hot dog, and not
just in Chicago. While many Chicago Aldermen are following Moore’s lead, the idea
made such a hit that the idea is being adopted in cities across the country.
Moore has been invited to speak at numerous prestigious venues across the nation
and around the world, including Harvard University. It is probably the best idea that
has come out of City Council in eons. It renewed Moore’s popularity to new levels.
Moore has never ducked dealing with people, and as witnessed by many blogs in the
49th ward, there are some very strange, vocal, unrealistic people who are not rooted in
reality who get more attention then they are worth in the 49th ward.
By the same token, I have some very serious well-intentioned friends that are very
good people and who want Moore gone.
Let’s look at the alternatives. Although you only need 400-some valid signatures,
which is no big deal if you are running a serious campaign with a chance to win, a
7
number of candidates filed but lacked a valid number of signatures. It’s an incumbents
job to cull challengers. the law is the the law of the land. Even the election board warns
everyone running to have a good election lawyer, which is crucial.
If you can’t get 400-some legal signatures, and follow the clearly written rules that
a good election lawyer knows like the back of his hand, don’t cry and moan when you
are kicked off the ballot. Following the law requires a seriously good election lawyer
to lead you, and they are not that expensive. If he is available, I highly recommend
James P. Nally who knows election law inside out and outside in.
Why go to all the trouble of organizing a campaign when you are going to easily
be booted off the ballot and all you needed to stay on is the good advice from a
knowledgeable election lawyer.
I am so tired of qualified, good candidates getting booted because they are not
willing to pay the $2,500 or $3,000 to play the game by the rules. If you can’t raise
that money anyway, you have no business playing the game and enetering the race.
You are prepared to compete properly, you are going to be swallowed whole and I
have no intention of wasting my TV or Jewish Chicago space and time with people
who are goiung to obviously going to be on the election day ballot, or people who are
not running an aggressive campaign to win. It takes a lot of money and a lot of effort.
Voters are fickle--it’s stupid, but that’s reality. If you can’t raise serious money or even
try, there is no way I’m going to waste my time with your candidacy.
That brings to to Don Gordon 2015--The guy who came within a couple hundred
votes or so of Joe Moore, who, if he ran in 2011, might have had a serious chance to
win when Moore was considered all but finished by the downtown political brains who
understood true Chicago political reality better than any.
So four years later, eight years after his close try, Gordon decides to run, but refuses
raise a dollar of funds. He is flushing himself down the toilet, oblivious to reality
before he even starts.
Early on, I had no problem accepting any candidate who I felt would stay on
the ballot. Gordon and I are Facebook friends. I do over half of my Jewish Chicago
dealings on Facebook, friend me there.
Some of his supporters who I like, respect and are guests on the show, asked me
to put him on and support him. The vast majority of my guests approach me, not the
other way around. My nationally, state, county, and locally award-winning show is
well watched and I get tons of requests from serious candidates who are busting their
butts to win.
A Leader with Integrity
Punch No. 51
8
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775
ask to come on air, a request I would have granted easily, speaks volumes. My friends
you are supporting a lazy loser. Gordon could have vanquished Moore four years
years ago if he was willing to put in the effort and desire to run against him, when the
opportunity was really there.
Jewish Chicago endorses Alderman Joe Moore for re-election. Don Gordon is a
total waste of breath and time.
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Don Gordon isn’t trying to raise a nickel or run a serious campaign. So why are so
many of my foolish, well-intentioned friends and compatriots supporting him?
The 49th ward is a funny place with funny ideas. There seem to be two issues they
latch onto, the first which is the old Aldelphi Theater which was at 7070 N. Clark, In
the middle of new construction during the real estate bust, worked stop shortly after
excavation, it went on auction with no serious bidders and it’s still fallow years later.
Sorry folks, if it was cost-effective to develop there, it would have happened. Noone feels that way. Funny because one of the biggest criticisms of Joe Moore is that he
bends over backward for developers and builders,
Considering how run down and-crime ridden that neighborhood became, good
for him for replacing aging and run down structures with brand new buildings and
structures,
While crime in general is down, murder and shootings are skyrocketing due to gangs
the Cops can’t control due in large part to ridiculous court decisions thanks to groups
like the ACLU, especially the gang loitering law.
Getting back to Moore, suprisingly, Emanuel made him a serious Committee Head
and a member of his leadership group. From rank outsider who was suppressed by
Daley and company, he is now suppressing others, not crazy about it, but among
Emanuel’s allies, he is rare in listening to his crowd and being attentive and honest to
their concerns.
The other big complaint I see is the parking garage that Colonel Pritzker is
building.
I have zero respect for Col. Pritzker and think he is a real nut job. Still, as
a billionaire who is willing to invest serious money in a not-so-hotsy-totsy
neighborhood, I give him a thumbs up.
Parking is in short supply in that neighborhood and that parking garage can have a
serious use that will make life easier for neighborhood residents.
Does it change the neighborhood? You bet. Is it the same or better aesthetic as
what was? Probably not. But given the gangs and crime, new and upwardly mobile
development in a questionable neighborhood is a good thing.
If you only have two complaints about Moore despite all the positive things Moore
has brought, it’s your problem, not his.
Supporting a lazy candidate who is one of my Facebook friends and won’t even
50th Ward
This ward, consisting of most of West Rogers Park and part of Peterson Park, has
the largest Jewish population of any ward in the city. With an influx of young, religious
Jewish families, the Jewish population is once again on the rise, I would estimate that
right now a little over 40 percent of the voters will be Jewish, a higher number than our
actual population, but we as a people always vote in strong numbers.
The late Alderman Bernard Stone, may his memory be for a blessing, served
us well. Whether you liked him or not or found him abrasive or brutally honest, he
believed in helping worthwhile Jewish schools, institutions and synagogues whether
they liked him or not.
He did the same for worthwhile secular and ethnic institutions of other faiths, even
if he had no use for the people who ran them.
One of the biggest tributes I can give the late alderman, is that a number of his key
supporters and aides once worked against him. Stone knew how to turn his opponents
into his friends and allies. That is the mark of a great politician.
The same can not be said of Alderman Debra Silverstein and her State Senator
husband Ira.
The majority of the Jewish community voted for Berny Stone. Debra won due an
unusually large vote by the non-Jewish residents of the ward who were sick and tired
of Stone and wanted change.
Most of Berny’s backers had no desire for an antagonistic relationship with the
Silversteins. They voted, supported, and contributed to Stone out of loyalty for the
good he did for them and their schools and institutions.
A wise politician would have understood that this was a unique opportunity to
welcome these people to their camp, to embrace them and help them, encourage
their future support, to care for their needs and work for their success to make our
neighborhood a better place to live in and strengthen their popularity to levels of near
invincibility.
Unfortunately, the Silversteins don’t think that way. They are Jewish, they attend
an Orthodox synagogue, even if Debra and Ira never cover their heads and her skirts
are unfashionably above the knee. They are Jewish like us, and we as people want to
welcome and cheer for our own.
The Silverstein’s are a team; they work together; they plot and plan together, and
they care first, last and always about themselves and their bank accounts, not the good
of the community.
If they weren’t elected officials, it wouldn’t matter much, but they were elected to
be our representatives and champion our needs, causes, and concerns and make our
community a better place to live.
That isn’t even close to the case.
Rather than welcome Berny’s supporters into their camp, they viciously attacked
individuals and businesses mercilessly and cruelly. Hurting, crippling and even ruining
neighborhood businesses and institutions whose only crime was supporting a man who
had supported them and their efforts for over three decades. Not because they hated the
Silverstein’s, but because they owed Berny Stone a Hakoras Hatov, a well-meaning
return of favor to someone who did so much to help and champion them for so long.
Debra decided she didn’t like the aesthetics of Devon Avenue and immediately
demanded that signs that had stood for decades had to be taken down or changed,
and if they were to remain would be subject to a healthy fine/tax in a very unhealthy
business climate.
Overhanging signs such as those of New York Kosher that stood for over 60 years
as a neighborhood landmark and a source of business for a wonderful kosher Jewish
business that was struggling, was ordered to be removed. Removing that sign would
cost thousands and thousands of dollars. It would mean a loss of business. Even though
it might be a law on the books, it is a law that has always only been enforced at the
discretion of the Alderman, a law Berny Stone knew never to enforce. It didn’t hurt
anybody, it was good for business, and the few Jewish businesses remaining on Devon
Avenue weren’t exactly thriving.
When I wrote about the situation there (without interviewing or speaking directly
with New York Kosher’s owner) and similar actions toward other Jewish and nonJewish businesses, Debra Silverstein sent inspectors the very next day to these places
to write them up, fine them, and punish them.
One of these business owners came to me, holding back tears; it wasn’t his doing,
some things are a matter of public record, records I can easily look up. Debra’s actions
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775 are unspeakably cruel and heartless. They didn’t do a thing to hurt her; they were smart
enough to be frightened of her and not complain. I am not the least bit afraid of her or
her equally foul State Senator husband. It was my doing and their actions cruelly and
needlessly punished innocent people because I wrote the truth.
Understand that though I am attacking a fellow Jew, and it pains me to do it, I don’t
do it lightly and I have consulted with world-renowned Rabbis as to what I can do and
can’t do, and I am well within religious bounds to report these matters. I am cheered
on in my efforts to bring you the truth about the Silversteins by numerous Rabbis of
importance in our area, Rabbis who have seen first-hand the lies, treachery, and deceit
of the Silversteins, and know they do not belong in elected office in our community.
Some community Rabbis, leaders, and businessmen are actually under threat to
support and/or fund them and I mean threat. They’ll talk to me if given my word of
confidentiality, but why in the world should they have to live in fear of their Jewish
Alderman and Jewish State Senator? And the Silverstein’s are feared; they are not
loved.
They could have been everybody’s friend and a source of pride, but it is not a path
they chose to take.
There is so much that we as Jews have to fear in a world that is changing for the
worse. Having to fear our own for their own deification and power is inexcusable.
When I ripped them apart in print several years ago, Ira actually ran into numerous
stores on Devon Avenue, took all the Jewish Chicago’s and threw them into the street.
I have lots of witnesses including a synagogue Rabbi.
All that weekend untill the cleanup crew came Monday morning, hundreds and
hundred of copies of Jewish Chicago were flying and floating across Devon. It’s not
the first time Silverstein or his crew have tried swiping and tossing issues. I always
print extras because of their potential actions, and many storekeepers have told me
they watch out when they enter and make sure Jewish Chicago stays put.
The owners of GlenCrest on Touhy run one of the highest rated, best
kept, well run shelter care facilities in the state, let alone the area. While
people don’t much in general for nursing homes, GlenCrest get raves.
One of the owners made a four-figure contribution to Berny Stone. Ira Silverstein
sent State Inspectors over and they came down hard on them, causing them make to
physical changes that cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I didn’t discuss this with anyone at GlenCrest, some things are a matter of public
record and I know exactly where and how to look. If the Silverstein’s dare send an
inspector there to inflict more damage, I will personally go the appropriate authorities
and file a sworn affidavit to open an investigation.
I am already aware of active investigations of the Silversteins.
The Silversteins so enjoyed what I had to say about them four years ago that they
had a lawyer threaten to sue me for slander and libel.
I know the law well or I would have never survived in this business so long. The
Silversteins would have to prove I was telling deliberate lies and acting with malice.
Every word I wrote was true; they knew it too. I called their bluff. They were called out
by statewide media for their attempt to intimidate the freedom of the press guaranteed
by the Constitution of the United States.
If they want good press, all they have to do is act in a praiseworthy manner.
In fact, I actually read their lawyer’s letter on air and responded with an invitation
to come on air live, prove me wrong, and I would retract the charges. I never heard
back from them.
If you’d like to see it, google Ira or Debra Silverstein and click on video and check
out the 4 1/2 minute video entitled “Ira and Debra Silverstein Kindly Offer to Sue Avy
Meyer’s Brains Out.” It’s a very popular video.
Then there is the Wi-Fi building--a beacon of light and safe harbor for the Jewish
Community. I doubt renting out so much space to charitable Jewish institutions is a
source of wealth beyond belief. Their anchor tenant was the Illinois Department of
Employment Securities who rented out 35 percent of the building.
Well one of their owners made a $1,000 contribution to Berny Stone last election.
State Senator Ira didn’t like it; he instructed the agency not to renew their lease at the
Wi-fi building which at one time put them in danger of going Chapter 11.
Community leaders called on House Speaker Michael Madigan to rectify the
situation. It is unheard of for a legislator, even as powerful as Madigan, to intercede in
a district outside his own.
Give Madigan credit for doing just that and trying to help the Wi-Fi building
out. Alas, the Illinois Department of Employment Security had already made other
arrangements and the cause was lost.
Despite being a fellow Democrat, Madigan thinks so highly of Silverstein that he
has suggested to others that they run against Ira with his backing and blessing.
I hope that someone has already taken him up on that for the 2016 election.
One of Debra’s first actions was to declare a ban on new liquor licenses in the 50th
ward. In fact, the then, recently built Walgreens on Western Avenue near Grannville
had just been granted a liquor license.
9
Marty Levinson
“The greatest barber in
the history of barbers”
Avy Meyers
North Town News Magazine
Marty has a new Address
4716
W. Touhy
4716
W.Door
Touhy
Ave.
door to New
York Bagel & Bialy
Next
to New
YorkNext
Bagel
& Bialy
773-610-9268
The Law Office
of
James P. Nally, P.C.
Eight South Michigan
Suite 3500
Chicago, IL: 60603
tel 312-422-5560
fax 312-346-7999
Walgreens is a business that has always had responsible interactions with the
community and the police, and has always withdrawn or shortened their liquor sales
at police request.
These people invested a fortune in a bad economy to expand their business in our
neighborhood and Debra decides she needed to have their license repealed--that it
presented a danger to the community and would hurt existing liquor stores. Two of the
closest liquor stores it would supposedly effect: one has had its license suspended and
has been alleged at times to be a good place to score serious narcotics, and the other
specializes in selling 40 ounce cans and small shot bottles, something that appeals to
a tougher crowd and is an almost daily source of littered cans and bottles outside their
door.
She even demanded the police be present to testify against Walgreens, but the officer
who was commanded to show refused to lie.
The stupid thing is that you are not even allowed to appeal once a license has
been granted except for technical reasons and she trotted out about a dozen of the
neighborhood’s biggest malcontents to the hearing to issue complaints on grounds the
law does not cover.
Now many of the same malcontents can be found on neighborhood message boards
and other locales complaining bitterly about her.
In the meantime, Debra broke her word and took good care of an alcoholic
establishment--not just any establishment, but the Mark II on Western about a block
from Howard.
I have served on the 24th Police District’s Advisory Committee for over 20 years
and have heard repeatedly that the biggest trouble bar in our area is the Mark II during
late night. They posses a 4 a.m. liquor license; fights and more are not uncommon in
the late night hours. They owned a store next door and wanted to extend their bar into
that space and continue to serve alcohol in the expanded location until 4 a.m.
Well surprise, surprise, surprise, Debra Silverstein granted their request.
She dumps on a responsible establishment and breaks her own rule to grant liquor
privileges to a troubles establishment. I’m scratching my head.
Then there is Tamid Reality; many of you are well aware of them. They own
numerous large apartment buildings in West Rogers Park. They have been repeatedly
hauled into building court having rented to lowlifes who have been dealing drugs,
10
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775
harassing their neighbors, have been guilty of more violations than any other landlord
in our area.
They weren’t screening potential tenants, just taking whatever and whoever’s
money they could without regard for their neighbors. They have caused so many problems that nearby synagogues and Jewish institutions
went to bat and appeared at hearings to let the court know they are making life a living
hell for their congregants and neighbors.
A group of over 20 showed up in building court to show the court that action needed
to be taken against Tamid. Lo and behold, they got to court and who was defending the
worst landlord in West Rogers Park? Their State Senator, Ira Silverstein.
The officials in building court were in shock; they had never seen an elected official
representing a bad landlord against their own constituents.
Not only that, Tamid Realty has given Debra a four-figure contribution for her
campaign. Do you really think she has the community’s best interests at heart?
When Rabbi Doug moved out of Temple Menorah after the building was sold, he
rented a storefront at Touhy and California. Though the zoning was the same as other
synagogues on that block, he wanted to play it safe. He approached Ricky Rothner, the
Silversteins’ largest contributor to seek his aid in making sure it was a legal safe move.
Rabbi Doug had a part-time IT job with Berny Stone, and of course, he supported
him—nothing malicious against her, just supporting the man who helped him. At one
time he served as Berny Stone’s Rabbi.
Rothner, though sympathetic, told Rabbi Doug because he supported Berny Stone
he couldn’t approach Debra because she would never allow him to move in.
Rabbi Doug smartly approached Berny Stone who told him where to go in City
Hall to directly obtain an occupancy permit, which they granted him.
One day, as they were setting up the shul, Debra entered in a huff, demanded to
know what he was doing there and show her displeasure, Rabbi Doug showed her the
occupancy permit and stopped her evil intentions cold on the spot.
In the meantime, remember the Hot Dog place on Western north of Pratt that was
Fluky’s and then became U Dawg U. It is now a mosque.
At one of the community policing meetings I chaired, Debra and Ira attended, not
that either could look me in the eye and one of the neighbors went up to Debra and
asked her how that hot dog joint became a mosque.
Debra replied, “Isn’t it a shame”.
Well guess what? If you are going to turn a hot dog place into a mosque you need
some serious zoning changes. In Chicago, the alderman of each ward has total,
unquestioned sovereignty over all zoning matters.
The rent on that property when U Dawg U left was $100,000 a year. No one in their
right mind is going to commit to that expense unless they know they can legally move
in and operate.
No-one but Debra Silverstein could make the necessary zoning changes to make
that mosque a reality.
Debra was willing to totally stifle a synagogue from opening because the Rabbi was
loyal to his employer, and yet bent over backwards to allow a mosque.
I’ll let you figure that one out for yourselves.
When Berny created a TIFF to build the West Ridge Elementary School on Whipple,
Ira organized a meeting of over 30 Rabbis, teachers, and community leaders. Stoked
them to fear, that horrific filth could be entering our community from all over the city,
race baiting them and playing them. First, as a State official he was powerless to stop
this City action; and secondly, it had already been decreed that all the students were to
come from the immediate area which is pretty peaceful.
Public schools can provide terrific services to their communities, even if you don’t
send your children there.
The Jewish community could have had serious input into available services they
could avail themselves of if the Silversteins hadn’t frightened them so badly.
Now that the school is there and is not creating any real problems, the Silversteins’
are falsely taking credit for building the school and providing wonderful services to
the community. Look at their literature.
Ira, Debra, how low can you go? There isn’t a limbo contest you couldn’t ace.
About the only reality in Debra’s mailers are your name and address printed by the
mailing service.
I was alerted to the fact that a property on the 6500 block of Francisco applied for a
zoning change to R-4, the same zoning as Winston Towers-- a change that would allow
a dozen-story plus high rise on the 6500 block of Francisco,
For those of you who don’t know the block, it’s largely single family houses, twoand three flats. The property in question is a little over 4,000 square feet, nowhere near
large enough to build very much of anything.
I called the zoning board to find out what the story was. The person I spoke to was
very helpful and saw that something was obviously amiss. They offered to give me the
number of the Alderman’s office so I could speak to her.
I explained that I didn’t particularly get along with the Alderman and my call would
be most unwelcome.
The city worker started laughing hysterically and told me, no-one there can stand
Debra Silverstein--she is impossible to work with, is unrealistic in her demands, and
abrasive beyond belief. No-one in City Hall wants anything to do with her.
I have asked many alderman what their thoughts are on Debra. The nicest thing I
ever heard came from Alderman Pat Dowell who said, “She attends all the meetings.”
Even the aldermen who are forced by Rahm to endorse and/or help her can’t stand her.
They have warned local government agencies about how impossible she is to work
with and how unreasonable, unrealistic, clueless, and abrasive she is.
Their comments include, “in City Council she acts like she is
deer in the headlights.” “She has no clue what is going on.” “She’s
got quite a reputation here” and “I have never seen such cruelty
and venom.” She’s a practical joke who doesn’t belong, only she’s
anything but funny.
There’s more, but I can only afford to print so many pages, after all
Debra didn’t advertise, but oops, I must have accidentally forgotten
to mail her my advertising information. My bad, tsk, tsk.
I’ve interviewed more than a couple of dozen alderman, aldermanic
candidates, and city officials from across the city. Talked to local
motorists who work in areas. Virtually every other ward in the city
including some pretty scuzzy areas, have had better snow removal
and far less pot holes than we have in West Rogers Park and Peterson
Park.
I’ve heard rumblings that she is so looked down upon at City Hall,
that her office’s service requests might be shuffled to the back of the
pile. It could be that you are better off calling 311 on your own if you
really need to avail yourself of city services.
I could write an entire book about how the Silversteins’ are not
coming through for their constituents but it’s time to look at who else
is running, what kind of job they can do, and maybe most importantly,
how they can help the Jewish Community and our neighborhood as
a whole.
It would have been great if someone substantial from the Jewish
community was running. A decade or so ago, a lot of seriously good
people were interested, but didn’t want to go up against Berny Stone.
Four challengers filed their petitions to challenge Debra. The way
it works is that historically, if you can get the incumbent in a runoff,
over 95% of the time, the incumbent gets beat. A runoff occurs when
no one is able to achieve 50 percent of the vote plus one.
Jewish Chicago Mayoral Election 2015/5775 11
Conventional political wisdom is that the more and varied the challengers are, the
better chance you have of a runoff, the challenger running the best campaign gets in
the runoff and beats the incumbent.
That’s universal, indisputable political wisdom.
Two of the challengers got knocked off the ballot and are running as write-ins. The
rule of thumb is that only the incumbent is wise to challenge the opposition. It didn’t
quite work that way here.
Challenger Zehra Quadri filed challenges against all of the other challengers and
not the incumbent, Debra Silverstein, which made many suspicious that Zehra was in
league with Debra. We’ll get there.
One challenger who is known Hilaire Fuji Shioura, has not lived in the ward for a
year and was knocked off the ballot by Zehra Quadri on those grounds. He is running
as a write-in, but even in the impossible event that he wins, since he has not been a
legal resident of the 50th ward for a year, he would not be allowed to take office. So
scratch him.
Peter Sifnotis an eight-year Marine Corps Veteran with two tours of duty in the
Middle East, was also challenged by Zehra Quadri and is the only person Debra
Silverstein challenged.
Though a lot of work would be required to get affidavits, it looked like Sifnotis, of
Swedish and Greek ancestry, was going to win the day. The election board scheduled
the two different hearings in different places at the same time and Sifnotis attended
one, but didn’t follow through to the exact letter of a very complicated law and was
booted on that technicality.
He is running as a write-in, which is a shame, because he is a good-intentioned
intelligent, well-spoken individual and if he is the guy you like, definitely vote for him,
because every vote against Debra gets us closer to runoff she would lose.
There is a very specific procedure to be able write-in his name and have it count.
Please see his ad on page four for the details. These rules must be strictly followed.
Polls show Debra’s popularity is lower than Obama’s and that is pretty low.
Then there is Zehra Quadri, an Indian Muslim who runs a charity called Zam’s
Hope.
If G-d forbid Debra should win re-election, Zehra will deserve much of the blame by
needlessly filing against the other challengers, getting two knocked off the ballot and
costing the other time and money in what has become a needlessly vicious persecution
by her lawyer, who is not looked at with any respect by other election lawyers; he has
made a fortune suing people.
There is no way she is knocking the other challenger off the ballot. I am very
disappointed at her actions.
I’ve known Zehra for years through community-wide activities including community
policing and on more than one occasion she has been of major help in making an
activity succeed and for that I thank her and I am grateful.
By the same token, when she decided to run for alderman of the 50th ward, any
friendship can not play a factor in my evaluation. My obligation is to you the reader,
to bring you cold hard objective facts and evaluations and it has cost me friends
and customers over the years, but Jewish Chicago has never been more popular and
respected and I sleep very well at night because I know I am presenting you with a
truthful, honest product.
More than one person in the past has sought my friendship in the hope it would help
them to higher office and it just plain does not work that way and it never will. I am not
saying that is Quadri’s motive, I am just being open about how things are.
Zehra was told by more than one political maven that she should not run. Despite all
those Indian and Pakistani businesses on Devon, most of the owners and workers do
not live in the ward, are not citizens or are not registered to vote.
There are only about 1,000 registered Indian and Pakistani voters in the 50th ward.
Zam’s Hope is a nice charity; she helps feed people and helps them in various ways
though her advice isn’t always the soundest, but it is well intentioned. She means well
and enjoys helping people, but it takes more than that to be a good alderman.
She supported Berny Stone in the last election and as a result, Debra Silverstein
cut off all of her city funding to hungry and needy people. Yet Zehra still invites the
Silversteins to her annual event and has given them honor and awards, though people
in the Silverstein camp tell me they can’t stand her.
Zehra long has stated that she takes no salary from Zam’s Hope, which makes me
wonder how she survives. She has been out of work for significant portions of the
last four years. She had a middle management job in the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s
Office and while the story you hear from that office and Ms. Quadri are somewhat
different, it is factual that while in the employ of Dorothy Brown who was running for
President of the Cook County Board, Quadri was raising large amounts of money for
Toni Preckwinkle who was running against Brown.
What is indisputable is that Zehra was out of a job and despite raising large amounts
of money for Preckwinkle, she didn’t get a job from Preckwinkle after the election.
In Chicago politics, loyalty is everything, while Dorothy Brown is putting food on
her table, Zehra Quadri was working actively and effectively against her.
What would keep Ms. Quadri from doing the same thing to Toni Preckwinkle if she
became dissatisfied? Quadri is friendly with numerous politicians, but none of them
are endorsing her so far.
Despite my efforts and those of others, she doesn’t understand that these actions
made her persona non grata and someone a politician is afraid to trust.
Then there is the matter of her campaign headquarters and events. They are actually
not in the 50th ward, the headquarters being across the street is no big deal, she
indicated she is getting cheap or free rent, technically it would be considered an inkind contribution, but there is no mention of it in her financial statements.
As for events and gatherings, almost all of her events are being held at Julianna’s, an
Arab nightclub on Peterson near Sacramento.
I have been invited to these events but have no intention of ever entering an Arab
nightclub.
In a ward where over 40 percent of the voters are Jewish, your epi center for events
is an Arab night club. Seriously?
Then there are the financial filings, Quadri is printing literature and mailing literature,
having at least one event a week, has an office and none of this listed in her political
statements. She has made herself personna non gratta to all her opponents who closely
examine each other public financial filings. The only questions are how many of them
file charges and complaints against and how soon, likely before this publication hits
the streets. (Update as we prepare to go to press: The State Election Board has flagged
her to immediately submit her financial statements)
Of 184 aldermanic candidates running citywide, Quadri has the lowest amount of
funds according to her filings, minus $7,789.18 with no itemization of incoming funds.
She is looking at thousands of dollars of fines and public rebuke.
She has made no serious inroads in the Jewish community. She’s going to get
clobbered on election day and it’s going to be brutal.
That leaves us with Shajan Kuriakose an Indian Christian. Really, he is very bright
outgoing and capable. He is a financial expert and works in that capacity. He is 36
years old, has a terrific Jewish campaign manager with an excellent record of winning
campaigns, Aaron Sofian,
Kuriakose is running an aggressive campaign, ringing doorbells and meeting voters
face-to-face. He is winning lots of important friends in the Jewish Community, raising
a good chunk of funds--enough to run a serious campaign and make himself well
known.
He is making new friends and supporters on a daily basis; his campaign is gathering
steam and momentum and his father at one time worked for the 50th ward organization.
Don’t let his being Indian throw you, he is an American through and through, a hard
worker, a good speaker, and imaginative. He is a winner in life.
He is head and shoulders the best person for the job and the only logical and practical
choice to make positive things happen in our community.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Shajan Kuriakose for Alderman of the 50th
ward. Whether you vote early or on election day, do whatever you have to do to
vote for Shajan Kuriakose to make our community a better place to live and do
business and end the needless reign of terror and fear in the 50th Ward.
12
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
Cornell Wilson – Proud to be endorsed by
Jewish Chicago for 2nd Ward Alderman
As a decorated Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Cornell Wilson volunteered to put his
life on the line to fight terrorism in the Middle East, protect soldiers and help communities
plagued by violence. He knows firsthand the challenges facing the region and shares
deeply the concern of many Chicagoans for the safety of friends and family in Israel.
Jewish Chicago calls Cornell Wilson:
“One individual who stands out from the
rest…an extremely impressive individual
…a clear cut choice in this election”
“Straightforward, honest…a
lawyer with an excellent record of
accomplishment on many levels”
Paid for by Friends of Cornell Wilson
“He has seriously reached out throughout the Jewish community in his
ward to discover their needs, wants and vision…the best job of involving
the Jewish community”
www.CornellWilson.com
Rabbi Barry Axler
and Secretary of
State Jesse White
discussing their
support for
Cornell Wilson