Chicago Tuesdays: Coffee with Miguel and the Rahm Effect

Of course the big news the last day has been the Is-He-Or-Isn't-He of the Emanuel campaign, having been forced off the ballot, then back on again. It's kind of a false hope, to be honest, to oust him on a technicality. It's the part of politics that I detest - the fact that it's a game of loopholes and stats rather than policy that affects millions and millions of people.

Rahm campaigns by throwing money around and shaking people's hands at L stops. There's nothing substantial about him or his candidacy. In fact, I argue that he's Daley 3.0 (and Gery Chico would be Daley 2.5). But since he has name-recognition and naval carriers of money, the press has already lazily anointed him to be our next mayor.

Alas, there's some serious questions about his campaign that nobody in the mainstream press is bothering to ask:

• Who's giving him the money?
  
• What are they asking in return?
  
• What will be felt at the neighborhood level?
  
• Can or will he bring in jobs to the West and South sides?
  
• Will he reform TIFs that siphon off money from the schools and parks to create a control tool for the mayor?
  
• What can he do for the homeless and those ABOUT to be homeless?
• How can we expect him to further the interests of all Chicagoans when much of his funds come from outside sources (such as Hollywood)?
  

None of these important issues are being addressed. Instead, we're worried about technicalities. It does seem ironic, though. These technicalities tend to be the stock & trade of the Machine candidates.

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In related news, I got a chance to go to a coffee with Miguel del Valle and I ended up tweeting much of it. (Take THAT, 20th Century!) It follows, in reverse order:
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jasdye jasdye

"Homeless veterans... Those are two words that should never go together, huh?" #delValle

22 Jan Favorite Reply Delete

jasdye jasdye

CLC's topics would include computer, parenting, budgeting skills, etc. They would be in tandem with community organizations -#delValle

22 Jan

jasdye jasdye

CommunityLearningCenters (CLC) would use local school facilities in the evening to teach valuable skills 2 parents in community#delValle

22 Jan

jasdye jasdye

#delValle advos 4 CommunityLearningCenter, where comm orgs can partner w/ neighborhood schools to teach valuable skills to parents when ...

22 Jan

jasdye jasdye

#delValle defines Progressive as Wanting progress for ALL

22 Jan

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#delValle wants to bring more mass transit 2 city. We'll need to get rid of prking FAIL deal

22 Jan

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#delValle Courts are allowing corporations to run gov't and silencing ordinary citizens

22 Jan

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I will not allow anyone to buy and influence city gov't. #delValle

22 Jan

jasdye jasdye

Our democracy is not served well if the only ones to b elected hv 2 spnd millions 2 do it #delValle

22 Jan

This is what politics should be about...

Chicago Tuesdays: The Viability Issue

Miguel del Valle has just won the coveted Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO)* endorsement, as well as the endorsement from the Northside chapter of the newer (and national) Democracy for America (DFA).

According to del Valle's campaign website, IVI-IPO State Chair Alonso Zaragoza had this to say at the press conference:

“Miguel del Valle is the only progressive candidate in the field. With del Valle, Chicago voters finally have the opportunity to take back our city government from the special interests who have long had it under their thumb.”

The DFA wasn't so confident - which may have more to do with perceptions of winnability than actual credentials. According to Gaper's Block:

The DFA was not so absolutist, with a number of speakers in discussion acknowledging, in particular, Mosely Braun's progressive voting record. and at least one saying he supported Emanuel. While not one person at the DFA session spoke in favor of Chico (and one speaker said the former schools chief was "full of [it]" for saying he'd never gotten paid for public service), Emanuel came in for the harshest words, with one group leader referring to Emanuel as "Voldemort" and another simply referring to "he who shall not be named" (tho neither said why). By contrast, multiple speakers lauded Del Valle as a proven administrator and the candidate with

the least ethical or other baggage, "squeaky clean." Acknowledging Del Valle's apparent position as trailing in polls and money, supporters urged their colleagues to avoid the circularity of "viability" arguments and to instead take a stand that would communicate to a larger audience why Del Valle should be mayor. This argument was persuasive, with nearly 90% voting to endorse.

In the end, they went with the underdog. The man who, about a month ago, polled at about 3%.

But this brings us into the bigger (and national) issue about "viability" (why am I using quotes here? I don't know...). Politics in the US has a serious price, but it's treated as a game, and it's a sick and sad game.

We often proclaim that the campaign trail is like an interview process - a way for us to get to know our prospective clients well enough to judge who would be best at their prospective jobs. But it isn't. Because with the interview process, often the cream rises to the top. An employer may look at the stack of resumes on her desk and whittle (with any measure of qualifications) it down to 50%-10% of what it was, but after that, it's not generally the wealthier or more-well-known candidates who get the most face-time.

So the most "viable" candidates are then the people who do not mind returning favors for big money gifts. Since these people have money, they are seen as more likely to win. Therein, they receive more money, more press, and more accolades, further disappearing the best candidates.

Some of the best political candidates in recent years are the best option partly because they refuse to take corporate gifts and are thus not beholden to any other special interests than the people they serve.** But because they do not have those funds, they are not able to compete with the well-entrenched powers that do (and usually without reservation). This is so wrong

because access to City Hall is then given primarily to those who give the most for the candidate's coffers, are intimately connected to family, or have done business with the candidate. Another leading mayoral candidate, Gerry Chico, received millions - personally - from his law firm representing potential city clients before the city. Although he would officially sever ties with the lawyer and lobbying firm, that's a bit like Dick Cheney severing ties with Haliburton to become the vice president.

Stolen from Wired mag for a very different story.

Rahm Emanuel is a prime example of such powers. A millionaire himself who made his living in the bank industry and used considerable clout to clear the way for big business interests while a legislator and at the White House, Rahm would take (tight) control over Chicago at a time when big business interests should specifically NOT be given first ear.

In fact, the apparent trading going on between him vying for Richard Daley's mayoral throne while brother Bill Daley is primed to swap in as the new Chief of Staff only further solidifies the connection between the old Chicago Democratic Machine and the direction that the Machine is going and growing. If the old CDM was kept in place by droves and droves of patronage jobs, the CDM 2.0 is ordered by lots and lots of advertisements. City contracts to privileged few (at a major loss to tax payers) is the common thread (to mix metaphors).

* Wikipedia: Historically IVI-IPO was at odds with the Chicago Democratic Machine. During the 1980s "Council Wars," IVI-IPO sided with Mayor Harold Washington. Its adopted positions are generally liberal, and in recent years the organization, more often than not, endorses Democrats. It also endorses in primary races.

** A great example would be friend and Green Party candidate for IL Representative here in Humboldt Park, Jeremy Karpen. But... since he was running against Joe Berrios' daughter and Joe is the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party (a role that Daley I used to hold while mayor). The Berrios's get campaign funding from firms that represent clients that come before Joe in his role as Cook County Assessor, of course.

Chicago Tuesdays: More Miguel Plugs

First, there's this:

It had the look and the excitement of a political convention, and indeed it was: a convention of Chicago’s grassroots...

At the beginning of the New Chicago 2011 mayoral forum, held Tuesday evening at the UIC Forum, members took turns calling out their organizations from the podium, and in turn each section erupted in cheers.

It’s likely to be the largest crowd for a mayoral forum all season – well over 2,000 people — but for some reason, you won’t hear much about it in the city’s mainstream media...

In his opening statement, Del Valle drew the clearest line between his campaign and Emanuel’s, telling the audience, “You understand the need for a neighborhood agenda, not a downtown agenda, not a big business agenda, but a neighborhood agenda.”

When the candidates were asked about immigration reform, Del Valle drew the most sustained applause of the evening, attacking Emanuel as “the one individual most responsible for blocking immigration reform, as a congressman, as chief of staff,” continuing to a passionate crescendo over the rising cheers of the crowd: “How can we expect him to protect the residents of this city’s neighborhoods?”

He also made a clearest distinction with Emanuel’s program for schools: “We can’t continue to set up parallel systems of education, on one track selective enrollment, magnets and charters, on the other track neighborhood schools. It’s time to strengthen neighborhood schools.”

Then, here's your key to the audio for this conference referenced here. And some great shots from the event can be seen here.

And here's an interview with Dr. Quentin Young (a longtime hero, activist for equality, a big advocate for Harold Washington and single payer health care) on how Miguel can finish off Rahm in the qualifying race:

Q: What do you like about del Valle?

A: He’s atypically straight-laced, clean, effective and committed for a Chicago pol. None of the other candidates come close to Miguel for leadership both in the legislature [he was a state senator for 23 years] and as City Clerk. He hasn’t gotten rich; he doesn’t give favors. He was an early supporter of [Harold] Washington, and I think you can see in his style and politics—what Washington tried to do for the city...

Q: During the residency hearing, Rahm seemed so calm, so polite.

A: While Rahm conducted himself impressively, I don’t think he can withstand the give-and-take of the primary race. I think the part of him that I find politically unattractive—the boss mentality, "take no prisoners" attitude, will emerge.

Of course, the interviewer can't keep his mind off of Rahm long enough to keep it positive. But, for my Single-Payer Health Care-focused mind, there's some money right here:

Q: So what’s wrong with the new national healthcare plan?

A: It won’t solve any problems. Costs have risen since it passed and will continue to do so. Having a bill that squeaked through puts a break on serious reform. [Young blames Emanuel, “a powerful mobilizer of the Democratic vote,” for the three-vote margin in the House].

Q: Would you have been happier had no bill passed?

A: Yes, it would be better to have a clean slate.

How important is Dr. Young's endorsement? It's pretty big for progressives in the city. According to The Ward Room's Edward McClelland:

Young, the former chairman of medicine of Cook County Hospital, is a healthcare activist who heads Physicians For a National Health Program, a Chicago-based non-profit that lobbies for a single-payer health care system. A Hyde Park acquaintance of Barack Obama’s, Young sat on the committee Obama created to draft a health care plan that would cover all Illinoisans. Young’s Movement roots go deep: he provided medical care to civil rights demonstrators in the South, and protestors at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He also served as a physician to Martin Luther King Jr., Harold Washington and Studs Terkel.

The hits keep coming, of course. But without the big platform and name of an Obama staffer, without the resources of a millionaire politician intricately connected to big business who could pull ads out of his backside, with cold weather keeping people (like me) indoors, and with a huge gap that needs to be tightened within a few short weeks, can Miguel pull ahead to give Rahm a run for his money? I would like to believe so. All this positive media coverage only gives me more hope.

I mean, we're talking about a Chicago pol who didn't accept a security detail. I mean, how anti-Machine is that? We're talking a pol in the 21st Century who isn't taking money from mega-corporations or Chicago vendors. How gangsta anti-Machine is that? And what does the city need right now more than anti-Machine?

More here.