"By your critique, I'm assuming that you find "self-employed" people problematic? As opposed to what? The corporation employed person (with the owner being the self-employed one to despise) or the government employed worker?"
No, Jen..the problem with "self-employed " people who follow the cult of Ayn Rand is that they are not what they think they are - independent people who produce and are not dependent on others, society or government
The examples I cited were real estate and insurance agents. I have met many of these people who spout Randian nonsense and think that they are independent....but would real estate agents exist without a government that could issue deeds, or courts that could enforce contracts? Insurance companies would not be trusted if courts were not around, or if they were not required to invest their reserves in AAA rated government securities.
And most important...what the "self-employed" often don't understand ....is that no "producer" can exist without customers ( the Collective, as Ayn would say) - unless they are self-sustaining subsistence farmers (this is pre-capitalism).
Capitalists need labor....labor can exist, and has existed, without capitalists. Wealth does not "trickle down" from the Mitt Romneys and Paris Hiltons of the world, but flows up from people who work.
Great response. In this particular case though, I would be comparing the actions of Ann Rainey to the government officials in the book who impose restrictions on legitimate business in order to seize more control.
By your critique, I'm assuming that you find "self-employed" people problematic? As opposed to what? The corporation employed person (with the owner being the self-employed one to despise) or the government employed worker?
I find your related topics hilarious. Creationism, cults, astrology- LOL- You really should leave your bubble and talk to some people with opposing viewpoints on economics.
For example, my husband, a self-employed person who does believe in the Austrian school of Economics, has a blog on economics that you can find here. He doesn't get paid for this in any way. He just does it to educate those who would like to better understand the truth behind what is preached by the mainstream media. And yes, we do believe a gold standard would be best for the general public, as it removes the ability of the government to print money in excess and give it to the banks for 0% interest, who then turn around and lock in government bonds at a fixed rate return- Essentially, a direct transfer of wealth from teh taxpayer to the banks. .
But I undestand if you don't want to read anything too complex or try to understand a viewpoint that is different than the average Evanstonian liberal. After all, we do have all that flouride in the water, and you know that flouride is also an ingredient in Prozac. LOL.
Sad,that life is gone at such young age. But a simple Google search of his name has revealed he was a drug dealer, theif, and repeat offender of law. I only wish Evanston Community would take this boys death as a lesson to teach many youth at risk aroung in the same age group that are becoming "the hoodrats" and hanging out on the street corner trying to make a quick buck illegally!
TheOriginalAnonymous1 wrote a lot of stuff....but you didn't answer Jen's question:
Question : Who is John Galt anyway?
Answer: A fictional character in the 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Rand is popular among antisocial teenage boys and "self-employed" people such as real-estate and insurance agents, who consider her a "philosopher" (in the same sense that Antonin Scalia is a "legal scholar" and Dennis Miller is a "comedian") . This "philosophy", which goes by the name of "objectivism" (not to be confused with "Scientology") extols the virtues of "the producer who lives by his own effort and does not give or receive the undeserved, who honors achievement and rejects envy." While this is similar to the "philosophy" of W. Mittens Romney , it differs in that it claims to reject religion (even though it is essentially a religion) and does not even pretend to be concerned about the common good (cf: Thatcherism).
Most teenage boys tend to outgrow this "philosophy" once they move out of their parents' basement, get jobs and actually experience capitalism, have kids of their own, have parents who rely on Medicare or Social Security, or themselves become aged. Rand herself collected Social Security and Medicare after she was diagnosed with lung cancer (a lifelong smoker, Rand denied the connection between lung cancer and cigarettes, and considered government warnings to be a socialist conspiracy, much like present-day climate deniers).
So we end up with more low-income drivers [*] who, instead of ponying up for this additional coverage, will instead choose to drive without any insurance whatsoever. Yeah, gimme more of that.
[*] I was going to use the phrase "poor drivers" but then realized that Evanston already has large flocks of expensive cars operated by poor drivers.
Sorry, but the alderman for that ward is hell bent on not allowing any more liquor licenses in the ward. So when it closes, there is no hope for bars at that location. The license disappears.
For the time being, the bar nearest to Siblings is McKellins which is 800 meters to the south at California/Touhy.
I haven't been in there for a while, but it is a much nicer joint than Siblings, which always struck me as a bit dodgy. McKellins is a standard Chicago-style neighborhood tavern.
What exactly is the proof that Ann Rainey had any influence in this decision? Don't you think that failure to be in compliance with Chicago's fire code requirements for wiring in a bar might have something to do with the bar's closing?
And do you really think that the bar in the article is close to Ward Eight or that they are seeking to attract the same customer base? Please feel free to visit both and report back on location and the customer base. Just like any two businesses, just because they sell products in the same general category and are on the same street (many, many, many blocks apart) does not mean that if one closes that the customers will naturally go to the other. You really should get in the car and drive between this bar and Ward Eight. Or pull out a map.
Would you prefer a big fire in the dark of night in a bar on a busy street? Then we would hear the howls about the oh-so lazy, stupid city employees who didn't do their jobs to close this fire trap.
How does this mesh with veterans, disabled (physiical, post-tramactic, emotional) or not ? I assume Illinois, if not Federal, already have laws on veterans hiring.
I fondly remember the Beef and Stein at Howard and California/Dodge.
It was one of the few what I call pubs. Beer, peanuts and great food.
I know no one would belief this but [1970s] weekends and holidays you got a rib-eye steak, Screwdriver or Harvey Walbanger, English Muffin, hashbrowns and eggs for $2.00 !!
Places like that---clean, no bands, well-behaved crowd, etc.---are really missed. It was of course very popular when Evanston was dry and even until the meal to get a drink requirement existed. NU students loved the place.
I hope this means a nicer bar will end up there...for those of us at the west end of south Evanston/Rogers Park, there aren't a whole lot of walkable options of any kind. Besides Gulliver's, which is good but pricey, there's the new sushi place and the new vegetarian place (Big Twist, destined, I fear to follow in the footsteps of the last two failed restaurants in that location) and that's pretty much it. I wany a decent restaurant and/or bar to walk to - is that too much to ask?
This is one way to guarantee that the city "investments" in all the Howard bars are good- Push the competition out of business through government pressure!
I'd rather the City Council were more specific in their ban, and more efficient. Why don't we combine our drone ban with our nuclear-free zone, and have a ban on nuclear drones?
Howard Handler cites many examples of when renting a house, for a short term, makes sense:
a family whose house is being repaired, a family visiting the hospital, a researcher visiting NU for a few weeks, etc...
I agree that letting people rent houses for a week would be a good idea, so I think that REALTORS ( sorry...that's REALTORS® ) are correct in opposing this ordinance.
But I can think of another option...instead of renting houses...for people who need short-term housing. Something that would apply to all of the situations above....
Maybe we could get something like Extended Stay in downtown Evanston. A place where visitors could stay for a week or month on a short assignment....without having to pay for all the extras like daily maid service and swimming pools at the Hiltons.
We have an empty lot on Chicago Ave. where the Heil & Heil building used to be...that seems like a nice spot for a Residence Inn, Extended Stay, or similar longer term hotel.
Don't worry, Howard, the city does nothing to enforce its existing zoning and property standards codes so if people want to rent property in those senarios they will still be able to.
A call to the city to complain about these matters doesn't get looked at for weeks--by the time they investigate all of the scenarios you described will no longer be occuring so property owners have no fear of being penalized for not following the new ordinance.
PBS NewsHour had a story [see below] about a Maine Middle School that had a robtics building and competition as first part of a 'practical' [as in hands on] education in science. Ultimate goal was to develop a useful energy saving [e.g. windmill] or other type of application.
Several female students were scared of failing--- 'I know nothing about electricity', 'I've never used a drill', etc.
Before the end---even on the first project---they were not only 'in to it' but seemed to be having the time of their lives.
Very impressive. I wondered how well this could translate to other school----cost and teachers. At least for the teachers, it appears they were existing staff.
I do hope our council will end this nonsense once and for all. This entire string of events is the result of one person complaining about one house, which all agreed was clearly a situation that our existing laws could have addressed. If there was ever a case of a solution looking for a problem, it is this. We do not need any new laws here, and they will certainly only spark litigation and frustration. Please, please, let this go away, and put our government's focus on real problems and issues that impact the people of Evanston
This staff-proposed approach is a big step backwards. The proposed ordinance essentially prohibits all rentals for periods of less than 30 days unless the property owner applies for and receives a special use permit. If adopted, the following scenarios would be essentially outlawed:
- A property owner that sells their home but rents the home from one week from the new owner until the seller's new home closes.
- An Evanston family, whose home was impacted by sever flooding, that rents a vacant home down the street while their home undergoes renovation.
- A family from Florida that travels to Evanston for specialized medical treatment for their child and rents an apartment for two weeks.
- A visiting researcher from Europe that travels to Evanston for a two week period to collorabate with a Northwestern Univ. professor and rents an apartment for that time period.
This ordinance seeks to burden and stifle the entire community instead of narrowly addressing the types of properties of concern – those running quasi-hotels in residential neighborhoods. Instead of a very narrow approach, this ordinance casts a wide net that will detrimentally impact Evanston's real estate and economy. It should be soundly rejected.
Howard Handler
Government Affairs Director
North Shore - Barrington Assoc. of REALTORS
Around 2 million to redevelop?, LOL! Talk about a lowball number.
What is all this talk about some developer coming in and paying more millions? Didn't the city put out an open, public, RFP on this, isn't Pritzker the only one responding? Pritzker is actually generous in his offer, the market has proposed and offered nothing else, therefore that is market price. Simple fact of life.
If you look at the city web site and check the maps that show property subdivisions, most of Lighthouse beach is behind the Art Center as is the path down to the lake and the beach house with showers and toilets. If they sell off the property there is no beach, no bathhouse, no road leading in from Sheridan and no parking lot. You would have to start over on the undeveloped park land to the north of the parking lot, build new facilites and figure out how to get in from Sheridan.
The NIMBY's should be all Evanstonians who use that park and the beach telling our City fathers and mothers: NIMBY.
We have seen from the old Kendall College property what happens when someone wants to build. The NIMBY fight every idea. If they 'agreed' on an idea, as soon as someone would taken them up on it, they would revise their goal. I bet if a developer offered to put duplicates of their houses on the Kendall lot, they would still object.
Pritzker could always give-up [on doing anything with the property and the city] and tear the house down, the land would sit vacant for years but their taxes would be reduced---and revenue to the city would be decreased---not what the city/taxpayers need.
"All in all the low-ball offer was truly a low-ball offer. I have not asked any developers, but if they could divide up the land into smaller lots much like the homes to the south or like the ill-fated developer of District 65 tried to do with main building and other stuff on same site, or even Lohr Park over along Ridge, they would make a profit immediately if they got the land for the amount now being discussed, even before they sold a single home or unit, i.e., just on the land sales. Of course, much like the hotel, we lose the last piece of lakefront truly accessible to the public between the south end of NU and the City limits."
I say, forget the "landmark" business....please permit developers to subdivide, and build some nice new tax-generating houses or condos on the lake where the dilapidated mansion now stands...
BUT...
keep the beach! With its public access!
It would be hilarious to see people buy houses at the new Lighthouse Estates Subdivision....and then watch them act like NIMBYs every summer when they find out that people are using the neighboring beach! They would INSIST that the beach be closed to protect the sanctity of their "residential" neighborhood. They might even find one or two (but no more than two) sympathetic aldermen.
"By your critique, I'm assuming that you find "self-employed" people problematic? As opposed to what? The corporation employed person (with the owner being the self-employed one to despise) or the government employed worker?"
No, Jen..the problem with "self-employed " people who follow the cult of Ayn Rand is that they are not what they think they are - independent people who produce and are not dependent on others, society or government
The examples I cited were real estate and insurance agents. I have met many of these people who spout Randian nonsense and think that they are independent....but would real estate agents exist without a government that could issue deeds, or courts that could enforce contracts? Insurance companies would not be trusted if courts were not around, or if they were not required to invest their reserves in AAA rated government securities.
And most important...what the "self-employed" often don't understand ....is that no "producer" can exist without customers ( the Collective, as Ayn would say) - unless they are self-sustaining subsistence farmers (this is pre-capitalism).
Capitalists need labor....labor can exist, and has existed, without capitalists. Wealth does not "trickle down" from the Mitt Romneys and Paris Hiltons of the world, but flows up from people who work.
Great response. In this particular case though, I would be comparing the actions of Ann Rainey to the government officials in the book who impose restrictions on legitimate business in order to seize more control.
By your critique, I'm assuming that you find "self-employed" people problematic? As opposed to what? The corporation employed person (with the owner being the self-employed one to despise) or the government employed worker?
I find your related topics hilarious. Creationism, cults, astrology- LOL- You really should leave your bubble and talk to some people with opposing viewpoints on economics.
For example, my husband, a self-employed person who does believe in the Austrian school of Economics, has a blog on economics that you can find here. He doesn't get paid for this in any way. He just does it to educate those who would like to better understand the truth behind what is preached by the mainstream media. And yes, we do believe a gold standard would be best for the general public, as it removes the ability of the government to print money in excess and give it to the banks for 0% interest, who then turn around and lock in government bonds at a fixed rate return- Essentially, a direct transfer of wealth from teh taxpayer to the banks. .
But I undestand if you don't want to read anything too complex or try to understand a viewpoint that is different than the average Evanstonian liberal. After all, we do have all that flouride in the water, and you know that flouride is also an ingredient in Prozac. LOL.
Sad,that life is gone at such young age. But a simple Google search of his name has revealed he was a drug dealer, theif, and repeat offender of law. I only wish Evanston Community would take this boys death as a lesson to teach many youth at risk aroung in the same age group that are becoming "the hoodrats" and hanging out on the street corner trying to make a quick buck illegally!
IS your head stuck in the mud anonymous1, the original? I mean honestly. Inferencing, it's an important life skill.
It's my understanding that miniature cameras are so small and lightweight that they can be attached to a kite.
Will the city council consider banning kites next?
TheOriginalAnonymous1 wrote a lot of stuff....but you didn't answer Jen's question:
Question : Who is John Galt anyway?
Answer: A fictional character in the 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Rand is popular among antisocial teenage boys and "self-employed" people such as real-estate and insurance agents, who consider her a "philosopher" (in the same sense that Antonin Scalia is a "legal scholar" and Dennis Miller is a "comedian") . This "philosophy", which goes by the name of "objectivism" (not to be confused with "Scientology") extols the virtues of "the producer who lives by his own effort and does not give or receive the undeserved, who honors achievement and rejects envy." While this is similar to the "philosophy" of W. Mittens Romney , it differs in that it claims to reject religion (even though it is essentially a religion) and does not even pretend to be concerned about the common good (cf: Thatcherism).
Most teenage boys tend to outgrow this "philosophy" once they move out of their parents' basement, get jobs and actually experience capitalism, have kids of their own, have parents who rely on Medicare or Social Security, or themselves become aged. Rand herself collected Social Security and Medicare after she was diagnosed with lung cancer (a lifelong smoker, Rand denied the connection between lung cancer and cigarettes, and considered government warnings to be a socialist conspiracy, much like present-day climate deniers).
Related topics:
Austrian economics, gold standard, creationism, climate change denial, anti-fluoridation movement, anti-vaccine campaigners, flat earthers, Laffer Curve, abiogenesis, homeopathy, Obama "birthers", 9-11 "truthers", cults, astrology, Republicans.
So we end up with more low-income drivers [*] who, instead of ponying up for this additional coverage, will instead choose to drive without any insurance whatsoever. Yeah, gimme more of that.
[*] I was going to use the phrase "poor drivers" but then realized that Evanston already has large flocks of expensive cars operated by poor drivers.
Sorry, but the alderman for that ward is hell bent on not allowing any more liquor licenses in the ward. So when it closes, there is no hope for bars at that location. The license disappears.
For the time being, the bar nearest to Siblings is McKellins which is 800 meters to the south at California/Touhy.
I haven't been in there for a while, but it is a much nicer joint than Siblings, which always struck me as a bit dodgy. McKellins is a standard Chicago-style neighborhood tavern.
What exactly is the proof that Ann Rainey had any influence in this decision? Don't you think that failure to be in compliance with Chicago's fire code requirements for wiring in a bar might have something to do with the bar's closing?
And do you really think that the bar in the article is close to Ward Eight or that they are seeking to attract the same customer base? Please feel free to visit both and report back on location and the customer base. Just like any two businesses, just because they sell products in the same general category and are on the same street (many, many, many blocks apart) does not mean that if one closes that the customers will naturally go to the other. You really should get in the car and drive between this bar and Ward Eight. Or pull out a map.
Would you prefer a big fire in the dark of night in a bar on a busy street? Then we would hear the howls about the oh-so lazy, stupid city employees who didn't do their jobs to close this fire trap.
How does this mesh with veterans, disabled (physiical, post-tramactic, emotional) or not ? I assume Illinois, if not Federal, already have laws on veterans hiring.
I fondly remember the Beef and Stein at Howard and California/Dodge.
It was one of the few what I call pubs. Beer, peanuts and great food.
I know no one would belief this but [1970s] weekends and holidays you got a rib-eye steak, Screwdriver or Harvey Walbanger, English Muffin, hashbrowns and eggs for $2.00 !!
Places like that---clean, no bands, well-behaved crowd, etc.---are really missed. It was of course very popular when Evanston was dry and even until the meal to get a drink requirement existed. NU students loved the place.
This only means our auto insurance rates will go up.
Drivers always have the choice of paying for full coverage if they want more insurance. We have it.
Thanks for nuttin Mrs. Fine.
I hope this means a nicer bar will end up there...for those of us at the west end of south Evanston/Rogers Park, there aren't a whole lot of walkable options of any kind. Besides Gulliver's, which is good but pricey, there's the new sushi place and the new vegetarian place (Big Twist, destined, I fear to follow in the footsteps of the last two failed restaurants in that location) and that's pretty much it. I wany a decent restaurant and/or bar to walk to - is that too much to ask?
This is one way to guarantee that the city "investments" in all the Howard bars are good- Push the competition out of business through government pressure!
Who is John Galt anyway?
Will the Aldermen be banned from droning on and on?
I'd rather the City Council were more specific in their ban, and more efficient. Why don't we combine our drone ban with our nuclear-free zone, and have a ban on nuclear drones?
Howard Handler cites many examples of when renting a house, for a short term, makes sense:
a family whose house is being repaired, a family visiting the hospital, a researcher visiting NU for a few weeks, etc...
I agree that letting people rent houses for a week would be a good idea, so I think that REALTORS ( sorry...that's REALTORS® ) are correct in opposing this ordinance.
But I can think of another option...instead of renting houses...for people who need short-term housing. Something that would apply to all of the situations above....
Maybe we could get something like Extended Stay in downtown Evanston. A place where visitors could stay for a week or month on a short assignment....without having to pay for all the extras like daily maid service and swimming pools at the Hiltons.
We have an empty lot on Chicago Ave. where the Heil & Heil building used to be...that seems like a nice spot for a Residence Inn, Extended Stay, or similar longer term hotel.
Don't worry, Howard, the city does nothing to enforce its existing zoning and property standards codes so if people want to rent property in those senarios they will still be able to.
A call to the city to complain about these matters doesn't get looked at for weeks--by the time they investigate all of the scenarios you described will no longer be occuring so property owners have no fear of being penalized for not following the new ordinance.
Have at it!
PBS NewsHour had a story [see below] about a Maine Middle School that had a robtics building and competition as first part of a 'practical' [as in hands on] education in science. Ultimate goal was to develop a useful energy saving [e.g. windmill] or other type of application.
Several female students were scared of failing--- 'I know nothing about electricity', 'I've never used a drill', etc.
Before the end---even on the first project---they were not only 'in to it' but seemed to be having the time of their lives.
Very impressive. I wondered how well this could translate to other school----cost and teachers. At least for the teachers, it appears they were existing staff.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/jan-june13/learning_05-06.html
================
The following night the NewsHour had a program on hands on science at San Francisco's Exploratorium Boasts Fun, Interactive Science.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june13/science_05-07.html
I do hope our council will end this nonsense once and for all. This entire string of events is the result of one person complaining about one house, which all agreed was clearly a situation that our existing laws could have addressed. If there was ever a case of a solution looking for a problem, it is this. We do not need any new laws here, and they will certainly only spark litigation and frustration. Please, please, let this go away, and put our government's focus on real problems and issues that impact the people of Evanston
This staff-proposed approach is a big step backwards. The proposed ordinance essentially prohibits all rentals for periods of less than 30 days unless the property owner applies for and receives a special use permit. If adopted, the following scenarios would be essentially outlawed:
- A property owner that sells their home but rents the home from one week from the new owner until the seller's new home closes.
- An Evanston family, whose home was impacted by sever flooding, that rents a vacant home down the street while their home undergoes renovation.
- A family from Florida that travels to Evanston for specialized medical treatment for their child and rents an apartment for two weeks.
- A visiting researcher from Europe that travels to Evanston for a two week period to collorabate with a Northwestern Univ. professor and rents an apartment for that time period.
This ordinance seeks to burden and stifle the entire community instead of narrowly addressing the types of properties of concern – those running quasi-hotels in residential neighborhoods. Instead of a very narrow approach, this ordinance casts a wide net that will detrimentally impact Evanston's real estate and economy. It should be soundly rejected.
Howard Handler
Government Affairs Director
North Shore - Barrington Assoc. of REALTORS
Around 2 million to redevelop?, LOL! Talk about a lowball number.
What is all this talk about some developer coming in and paying more millions? Didn't the city put out an open, public, RFP on this, isn't Pritzker the only one responding? Pritzker is actually generous in his offer, the market has proposed and offered nothing else, therefore that is market price. Simple fact of life.
Sell it now.
If you look at the city web site and check the maps that show property subdivisions, most of Lighthouse beach is behind the Art Center as is the path down to the lake and the beach house with showers and toilets. If they sell off the property there is no beach, no bathhouse, no road leading in from Sheridan and no parking lot. You would have to start over on the undeveloped park land to the north of the parking lot, build new facilites and figure out how to get in from Sheridan.
The NIMBY's should be all Evanstonians who use that park and the beach telling our City fathers and mothers: NIMBY.
We probably won't get a better deal for the city.
We have seen from the old Kendall College property what happens when someone wants to build. The NIMBY fight every idea. If they 'agreed' on an idea, as soon as someone would taken them up on it, they would revise their goal. I bet if a developer offered to put duplicates of their houses on the Kendall lot, they would still object.
Pritzker could always give-up [on doing anything with the property and the city] and tear the house down, the land would sit vacant for years but their taxes would be reduced---and revenue to the city would be decreased---not what the city/taxpayers need.
"All in all the low-ball offer was truly a low-ball offer. I have not asked any developers, but if they could divide up the land into smaller lots much like the homes to the south or like the ill-fated developer of District 65 tried to do with main building and other stuff on same site, or even Lohr Park over along Ridge, they would make a profit immediately if they got the land for the amount now being discussed, even before they sold a single home or unit, i.e., just on the land sales. Of course, much like the hotel, we lose the last piece of lakefront truly accessible to the public between the south end of NU and the City limits."
I say, forget the "landmark" business....please permit developers to subdivide, and build some nice new tax-generating houses or condos on the lake where the dilapidated mansion now stands...
BUT...
keep the beach! With its public access!
It would be hilarious to see people buy houses at the new Lighthouse Estates Subdivision....and then watch them act like NIMBYs every summer when they find out that people are using the neighboring beach! They would INSIST that the beach be closed to protect the sanctity of their "residential" neighborhood. They might even find one or two (but no more than two) sympathetic aldermen.