OT: Election Disappointment

[BradleyBrave]

That the drunken councilwoman was re-elected.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1098991077/Akeson-Riggenbach-neck-and-neck

Interesting quote -

???I??™m gratified that voters in fact do remember the service they receive, and I plan to continue to do what I??™ve been doing, which is making sure the constituents get the services they need and deserve,??? Van Auken said.

I guess they remembered the service and forgot the attempt at a drunken abuse of power against some harmless college kids.

[ifarania]

I think most of her opposition (I can think of.. say, 6,000 people who would vote against her) isn't registered to vote in that particular district.

[BUBrave28]

Wow. Pretty disappointing, not to mention threatening. This old lady on a power trip has already made it clear to Bradley studens, in various ways, that she will be vengeful post-re-election. The good thing is, she will have her day in court, and she will lose (or at least plea-bargain given the indisputable video evidence to go along with BUPD testimony). Do you think that a conviction and/or plea out would have influenced the 8% margin to reconsider their stance? I'll bet they pick that edition of the PJ Star up from their steps and go, "Wow, and to think I voted this woman in, and then again!" People wonder why Illinois politics are so jacked and will continue to be.

Her opponent made a pretty good run at it and actually made this a race. With some more experience and possibly an earlier start I bet he wins hands down. I guess her supporting cast has enjoyed her years of mediocrity. In the end, just like two people involved in a marriage, they deserve each other.

[Chico]

Maybe most voters are smart enough to not vote concerning one issue.

[BradleyBrave]

Maybe most voters are smart enough to not vote concerning one issue.

True, but wouldn't an attempted abuse of power warrant one questioning whether or not one was fit to hold office?

[Murph]

Maybe most voters are smart enough to not vote concerning one issue.

True, apparently 1,388 voters appreciated her desire to keep their neighborhood quiet. Remember there are 2 sides to every story and I haven't heard her side, I'm sure it will be much different than what has been posted here.

[tornado]

low turnout..but then these spring elections always have low turnout...

that's why they always put the tax referendums on the spring ballots....as it becomes easier for a small focus group to get motivated and show up in good numbers and have a disproportionate effect in getting unpopular tax hikes passed...kinda like the museum tax.

Personally, I am about fed up voting to raise taxes on myself...
if they can't make the schools and the government work with the billions and trillions they already have, then more money won't solve it either.

[it's boogie time]

Barb can pretty much thank Sigma Nu for helping her get re-elected. Let's face it, most townies don't like college kids and they like fraternities even less. So no matter how bad she bungled up the whole mess on Fredonia, she was seen as someone that stepped up against the frat boys. While most see a drunk women making an *** of herself, many D2 voters see someone standing up to the college kids and not taking any crap from the police.

If it would have been an election based on issues, she would have lost since she has done very little based on what she got elected for last time (garbage tax, station 11, Ren Park).

[BradleyBrave]

True, apparently 1,388 voters appreciated her desire to keep their neighborhood quiet. Remember there are 2 sides to every story and I haven't heard her side, I'm sure it will be much different than what has been posted here.

'Their' neighborhood? Newsflash - A university has been there over 100 years. Not a single voter in that district has. It's a college, not a convent. If one moves there thinking it's going to be quiet, they're ignorant. It's about as silly as residents who move into Wrigleyville complaining about night games. I guess they must not have noticed that they're moving blocks away from a major league baseball stadium.

[ifarania]

two things.

1. Bradley kids are very cooperative with the neighborhood, in my opinion... Especially compared with other college atmospheres. I live next door to an elderly woman, across the street from two young families, across the street from a Bradley legend, and next door to an off campus sorority house.. I know all the 'townies' by name and we all get along. They've never complained about me, I've never complained about them.. And the house of 6 or 7 girls have always been respectful and limited their (rare) parties to Friday nights. So I don't understand why we're such a nuisance, given the fact that BU has been here for at least a generation longer than any of these people.

2. Tornado- I agree that these self-imposed sales tax hikes are annoying. They're a tax on the poor to fund playgrounds for the rich (e.g., poor people pay a higher percentage of income on consumption of necessary goods than the affluent or middle class). A sales tax is a regressive tax, plain and simple.

[Murph]

'Their' neighborhood? Newsflash - A university has been there over 100 years. Not a single voter in that district has. It's a college, not a convent. If one moves there thinking it's going to be quiet, they're ignorant. It's about as silly as residents who move into Wrigleyville complaining about night games. I guess they must not have noticed that they're moving blocks away from a major league baseball stadium.

Newsflash....The homes in that neighborhood are much older than 100 years and residents have been there longer than any student. As for Wrigleyville, many of those people have been there before night games were ever started, they don't like drunks pi$$ing in there yards after a game.

[SFP]

two things.

2. Tornado- I agree that these self-imposed sales tax hikes are annoying. They're a tax on the poor to fund playgrounds for the rich (e.g., poor people pay a higher percentage of income on consumption of necessary goods than the affluent or middle class). A sales tax is a regressive tax, plain and simple.

Infarnia you are an Economics major using those big concepts. I was one also! Not all sales tax are regressive. Sales tax on things that cost society money on the back-end or are not necessary to live (i.e. alchohol, cigerates, TVs, cable service) in the long run saves money for all regardless of class.

What T is saying more then anything else is that the government already rakes in enough money to do their job and that anymore money would be only going to more wasteful policies. I agree with T 100%. Ask the school system how much is going into their overhead compared to private schools? The administration of the inept public school system is completely bloated and dysfunctional. Ask any teacher.

[BradleyBrave]

Newsflash....The homes in that neighborhood are much older than 100 years and residents have been there longer than any student. As for Wrigleyville, many of those people have been there before night games were ever started, they don't like drunks pi$$ing in there yards after a game.

Are the homes voting? Does the Morron House cast a vote? If there is documentation of an actual house raising a complaint, I would love to see it. However, not a single resident in any of those houses has been there longer than the school. The last time I checked, colleges are full of college kids. College kids are traditionally between 18 and 22 years old. If one thinks it's going to be a quiet neighborhood, then maybe they're the 'Morron'.

As for Wrigleyville, most of the people have NOT been there before night games (which started over 20 years ago). A majority of the residents in Wrigleyville just moved there within the last 2-3 years, usually right out of college, and will move out of there within the next 2-3 years. Those who have purchased residences there have purchased them within the last 10 years. Again, the ballpark was there well before they were, as was the team. Those same people also complain about noise and traffic. Those were both there before night games, and those 'people' that you seem to think have a gripe.

It's like moving next to an airport and complaining about the airplanes, or moving next to a railroad and complaining about the trains.

[ifarania]

Infarnia you are an Economics major using those big concepts. I was one also! Not all sales tax are regressive. Sales tax on things that cost society money on the back-end or are not necessary to live (i.e. alchohol, cigerates, TVs, cable service) in the long run saves money for all regardless of class.

What T is saying more then anything else is that the government already rakes in enough money to do their job and that anymore money would be only going to more wasteful policies. I agree with T 100%. Ask the school system how much is going into their overhead compared to private schools? The administration of the inept public school system is completely bloated and dysfunctional. Ask any teacher.

If you're talking about a luxury tax (high price items only), you're right. But a sales tax generally impacts those of lower incomes to a greater degree. I have asked teachers, and overhead problems aren't the biggest concern.. It's the way we generate revenue based on isolated districts, allowing Dunlap to have a ton of money while Manual/Woodruff get much less.. Sure, pensions and overhead are an exceedingly large expenditure that hinders progress, but don't we have enough of a problem getting people to become teachers? Overhaul that system, fine.. But overhaul the inequitable revenue streams that leave too many kids in weak schools...

Government overhead isn't always a problem... When it comes to healthcare, private insurers spend 20 to 30 cents of every dollar on overhead, while medicare/medicaid only spend 2 to 3 cents of every dollar on overhead... So I don't know if you're entirely right about educational overhead (my sister is a veteran high school teacher, several friends in education, etc.)... The opposite has my attention: too little revenue has been a problem on a federal level, especially because presidents 43 (and currently 44) have been tax cutters and big spenders at the same time.

Book it. Heh.

[SFP]

Infarnia I'm not sure what you are trying to say. Taxes on items that do not do a body good and will cost society more in the long run should be taxed to off set those cost is to me good policy. I do not care if it hurts the working class more. Maybe they will smoke and drink less which would be better for their health anyway.

Now on the school issue, when I'm talking about overhead I am pinpointing to the exess of administrators plus their staff and consultants needed to run the system, not teachers. The administrators tend to make a lot more then teachers. IMO teachers are not paid enough in our society and I'd probably like to see a merit system put in place and funding for all year round classes.

I have seen the numbers before but cannot recall them but the funds allocated for the administration of some school districts is greater then what the teachers make in those districts. I'd like to see funds go directly to the maintenance and the teachers of schools then the policy makers.