Posted on 06/25/2019 7:53:49 AM PDT by simpson96
When Willie Cochran ran for City Council in 2007, he looked like the perfect replacement for a crooked alderwoman.
After all, Cochran was a former police sergeant and business owner.(snip)
The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Cochran in 2007, pointing out that his top priority would be “restoring trust in the community.”(snip)
We gave Cochran points for being off to a “good start,” defined him as a community organizer and described him as “burrowing” in on issues such as housing and commercial development, and foreclosure relief.
Man were we hoodwinked.
After sucking up money from taxpayers in the form of paychecks and abusing campaign donations to pay for his personal obligations and gambling debts, Cochran was sentenced to a year and a day in prison Monday.
I’m not surprised that aldermen are still getting caught up in illegal schemes.
Still, you would think by now,the accusations would be few and far between given that dozens of aldermen have gone to prison.
During the sentencing procedure, Cochran played humble like most corrupt officials do.
“I am better than this,” he said, and described himself as a “community builder,” a phrase former Cook County Commissioner and now Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia used when he endorsed Cochran in 2011.
We were all bamboozled.
Maybe the power coupled with access to other people’s money makes elected officials go loco.
Cochran was indicted in 2016 and charged with 11 counts of wire fraud, two counts of federal program bribery and two counts of extortion.
He reneged on a plea deal in 2018, but in March, Cochran pleaded guilty to one felony count of wire fraud and admitted he took $14,285 for his personal use from a charitable fund he set up for needy children and seniors.
Since Cochran spent a big chunk of the money on gambling,
(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.suntimes.com ...
Funny, how that happens over and over and over and over... as long as the person on the ballot has a "D" after their name.
“Maybe the power coupled with access to other people’s money makes elected officials go loco.”
This is in a nutshell why so many are libertarian. Political power is a magnet for criminals with ambition.
I remember the "Cullertons" from my days on the NW side.
“Still, you would think by now,the accusations would be few and far between given that dozens of aldermen have gone to prison.”
When they only get a sentence like 1 year in jail, why would they care? They get to keep their graft, keep their pension, and keep their connections to get them another cushy gig when they get out of jail.
Besides, for a Chicago politician, going to jail is a rite of passage just like it is for mafia members. Once you do some time without ratting out the rest of the crooked gang, they know you are a “stand up guy” and you will be in line to move up the ladder.
Once upon a time when Chicago held local partisan political party elections which it no longer does . When that happened it firmly established one party control, If you lived in an established Chicago neighborhood you knew the ward you were in. Today that has radically changed because of perverting the concept of division. Burke’s ward boundaries is an example
COULD THIS BE WHY CHICAGOANS ARE SEEING RATS ?
The city of Chicago is composed of 50 wards which average out to around 72 precincts of about 350 or more voters in each precinct. Many are former villages incorporated into the city as the city grew. . A Chicago Alderman is in effect a mini mayor. They have input into who gets city services and now it’s how those services are being administered seem to be running into who’s ward is it ?.
What’s not being looked at is how Chicago wards have been redistricted. Chicago has had neighborhoods divided to create “Hispanic”residential sections going to Hispanic aldermanic and congressional (Gutierez) candidates and blacks going to black candidates.
Which apparently is the result of the turnover in the Freddie and Fanny mortgage collapse. As stable integrated areas changed into being unstable because of constant dwelling turnover.had the effect of breaking up a contiguous geographic continuity and community identity.
Because the wards affected which are really like small towns have had sections broken up into areas where if a problem arises in a given section of street which has one way traffic only. It may be two way a block down because it’s in a different ward. The same applies to all other city services including zoning and sanitation where garbage collection routes are organized by ward boundaries,
50 year Alderman Burke who is under federal charges for corruption ward is an example. Burke’s ward ,14th, needed remapping . The 14th was originally known as “Back of The Yards” Once the home of the famous Chicago Stock Yards where most food processors along with employee demographics have since relocated.
It was a compact area almost 15 plus city blocks square area composed mostly of single and 2 story frame and brick family dwellings mixed with scattered brick apartment units. Because of the construction, insurance rates varied and became known as the condemned as “redlining”. When the democrats also warily supported by the Bush 2 administration came up with the no 20% down mortgage removed. Areas in the ward dramatically changed in demographics. Many of those dwellings sold under those conditions went into disrepair or default.
Originally his ward headquarters and palace was on 51st street just west of Damen Avenue. Today’s palace is just off of Pulaski Road near the Madam Curie high school just off of Archer Avenue miles away.
His ward now consists of areas carved from parts of the 12th (known as Mc Kinley Park and Brighton Park) and parts of the 23rd (known as Archer Heights Garfield Ridge and Clearing) wards Miles from the original 14th That
In a former section of the 23rd ward now the 14th ward in the Midway airport area, 2 patrons in a local bar along Archer avenue were heard complaining about rats in their garbage. They felt it was because of the delay in garbage collection. Also heard the same beef about street snow removal. It has also played hell on zoning and because of the disruption of jurisdictions with the administration of city services such as streets and sanitation which the alderman (salary $120.000 plus allocations on local projects) do oversee and have input over.
By.employing this concept of remapping are residents are being denied the representation they should have ?
“Chicago ain’t ready for reform.”
“I am better than this”
No. No you’re not.
I’m sorry, but we are going to have to start hanging thieves.
There are too many of them, and they aren’t afraid of prison.
I live in West Eldson, just souhwest of Ald. Burke. This is true. I noticed during Bush II's reign my neighborhood changed dramatically. Blocks and blocks of Cape Cod's, and Chicago bungalows owned by old Europeans, quickly turned Hispanic. Where you had maybe two or three living in those homes before, in many instances became four adults or more, and numerous children packed into these homes. Most of these people should have never been given a home loan, and they dont have the resources for upkeep of the homes they have.
Some of them brought their drug business the the neighborhood, they felt the quiet of the neighborhood would offer some protection for their criminal deeds and were a store house for large quantities of drugs. Where before murders were unheard of, now we get the occasional drug/gang related homicide.
Parking and traveling around is nightmarish, it seems every home has three of four cars. Double parked cars blocking the streets. They drive like their personalities, no courtesy. Rats are running the alleys. Thank goodness I havent spotted la cucarachas yet.
The republicans in power were as much to blame for destroying once solid neighborhoods.
Retirement can't come soon enough. I will be leaving a once great city/neighborhood.
Glad you posted and confirmed what we went through Brother had house on 54th and Honore been dere done dat What I’m encouraging is this putting these pole signs up all over the place.
This posting by FR’s says it best and when printed up makes a good bumper sticker or poster;
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3749188/posts/#40
it reads CELEBRATE PERVERSITY each word is against a rainbow background. I suggest adding VOTE PERVOCRAT when you print it up and place that below the two words.celebrate, perversity.
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