Students didn't vote because they feared being named in another lawsuit. This fear has been expressed in several articles published in The Daily Northwestern.
So, I guess the lawsuits did their job, even if they were indeed dismissed by a judge AND the Evanston City council.
"The south Evanston area targeted for the program, part of the 8th Ward, is bounded by Howard Street on the south, Asbury Avenue on the west, Oakton Street on the North and the CTA tracks on the east."
So the City wants to put more "mixed income" housing (read: heavy on the low income housing) in the 8th Ward. Not again! We already have far more than our share of low income housing.
Doesn't the City have any other options for improving the quality of life in south Evanston?
Mr. Anonymous -- you must have been one of those contested voters in the 6th precinct of the 1st ward during that infamous election.
FYI the court did not throw the case out or dismiss it, it was remanded back to the City Council, which had already compromised itself by having donated money for legal defense to the the contested alderperson. There was then the issue of an unblemished quorum. It was too expensive at that point to go on for a long legal battle to ascertain legal jurisdiction.
Get your facts straight.
As an exercize, when not honing up on NPV, compare the statistics of the 6th precinct 1st ward over the last two elections. Same candidates. You will notice that in this last election the number of student votes and irregularities is down. Is it due to student indifference, lack of housing points or perhaps NU being a bit more cautious of its non-profit standing?
The only shenanigans with that election involved frivolous lawsuits filed by the losing candidate making ridiculous claims of vote buying and fraud. Those lawsuits were quickly dismissed by a judge.
NU students have a right to vote in Evanston elections if they choose to. Deal with it.
I hope the city does not spend half of the money on art exhibitions to go on the front of each house and the other half on mahogany desks and gold plated faucets !
Does anyone know if Evanston has to pitch in money for this grant? If so, how much?
Reply:
The proposal makes no mention of any match required from the city. On the contrary, it says the program will permit the city to spend up to 10 percent of the federal funds received on the city's expenses in administering the grant.
-- Bill
Precincts 8 and 9 of Ward 7 encompass the NU campus. Only 15 votes were recorded. They were the youngest precincts, however, I was not including them in my analysis.
The "average birthday" of voters in the 7th precinct was 8/19/1957 and 4/28/1953 in the 5th precinct. To put that in perspective, only a dozen precincts in all of Evanston had average birthdays in a decade other than the 1950's.
I see that Mr Who Knows What??, a founding member of Expiring Minds, must have forgotten the 1st ward NU shenanigans in the prior election, with housing points, students voting from different addresses, celebration dinner, dual registrations here and in their states, etc. but then again selective perception does help one's cause.
Most NU students concerns are transient, few will remain here after schooling and have no vested interest, especially as to financing.
BTW certain wards are effectively, though legally, "gerrymandered" or adjusted to avoid "disparate impact" as part of the Civil Rights Act.
If the City of Evanston would like to stream the city council meetings, it doesn't need to cost $30,000. My department at NU could do it for a lot less than that per year -- and the meetings could be viewed on-demand as well as live. Oh, and people would be able to send questions in electronically during the live sessions, and via email during archived sessions.
Whoever's responsbile for this through the City Council is welcome to contact me at jodi (dash) fox (at) northwestern (dot) edu.
Vito says:
"It also does not hurt to have NU on your side. (Ms. Grover's "neighborhood precinct was the second youngest." - students?) Note that there is an interest in redistricting again, to make NU students a "statistical minority" -- making sure that the 1st, 6th and 7th wards have NU as an influence."
Students play a minimal role in municipal elections. Most just don't care about silly municipal issues (like Zbesko's campaign to 'save' the Civic Center). They only show up when provoked - like when the 'Fair Share' clowns try to tax NU.
As for the gerrymandering efforts to make NU students a 'statistical minority' by spreading them over 3 wards, I wonder how anyone can justify that. What would be wrong with having one ward with a high - perhaps even majority - NU presence?
If the NU students elected an alderman who was putting NU interests ahead of the rest of the city's, then the other 8 aldermen would certainly be able to outvote him, if the other 8 were competent. ( Just like if an alderman or two whose wards are near the Civic Center site tries to put NIMBY interests ahead of the City's, the other 7 or 8 aldermen should oppose the petty special interests.)
Why shouldn't NU students have an alderman who pays attention to their concerns?
Enquiring minds wonder if anyone consider it acceptable to gerrymander the wards to minimize the influence of African-American voters.
One must be involved with the "official" power structure: LWV, DPOE, COC, etc.
It also does not hurt to have NU on your side. (Ms. Grover's "neighborhood precinct was the second youngest." - students?) Note that there is an interest in redistricting again, to make NU students a "statistical minority" -- making sure that the 1st, 6th and 7th wards have NU as an influence. Involved NU and ASG students get nice rewards, remember Jane Lee, a Krasnow protege?
John - Jane won the election because she out campaign you. She clearly went out and got people to vote for her. I saw her on the train platform a few times. She had far more yard signs out than you.
I do not think the issue was women voters as you state, she just out campaigned you period.
As we all know the issues or ones ability is not going to get them elected - it is about who you know here, those with the machine connection clearly are more likely to win.
But lets focus on the real issue at hand - the city budget. I was not at all impressed with what went on the other night at council.
Actually I have interviewed at almost every school on the north shore, skokie, niles, lincolnwood, des plaines, and CPS and District 65 had by far THE WORST teacher contract all around...salary, health insurance, work hours, salary movement, etc. Even with this new contract, they are still the LOWEST paid despite the board contribution to pension plans. For example, Bachelor's, no experience is only $38,000 (D65)where Lincolnwood is $49,000 and 95% coverage of health care!!!! HUGE difference people! In terms of professional development, do your research...EVERY school district has PD days and most have a weekly shortened day to accomodate it and parents must learn to deal with it. It's crucial to your children's education. Please let up on D65 teachers.
"The other proposal would end operation of the recycling drop-off program at James Park"
Do they mean the occasional electronics recycling events, or the regular weekly hours at the recycling center?
The city should continue the weekly recycling drop-off. Many Evanston residents (this commenter included) live in multi-unit buildings without a recycling contract. If we couldn't haul our recycling over to Oakton, it would end up in the landfill.
Don't worry Al - the council and the mayor are planning a big tax increase.
The 4.5 million hole in the budget translates into a 11% property tax increase. Add in the increase they want in water bills - and it might we a 15% increase.
The council members have no plans and worst yet they are wasting staff time on going to look at items very tangential to the process.
Interesting math. One bag per week at $2.50 would be $10.00 not $36 per month. Since when do you mow your lawn EVERY WEEK from, what, April through October?
10 bags of leaves is $25.00, but where does the $277 come from?
I don't want this plan, but for heaven's sake keep your arithmetic straight.
I see now that I am not the sole public member of the commission. There are 3 members from the public, and one user of senior coupons. From the taxi industry, there is one owner of a taxicab company, one independent taxicab owner, and one taxicab driver.
I suspect that Mr Who Knows What??? and Confused and Dazed?? are one and the same, harping about NPV and NIMBY's and probably imagining my appearance on ECMC. (BTW I do not have a program or have been on ECMC other than a rare comment at a Council meeting.) Are you sure that is a real medicine you are taking?
I encourage Mr Who Knows What??? to have his own show, preferably between 10pm and 11pm, that should help diminish the need for Ambien. The rooster could find employment elsewhere.
Do you have something against Haiti, rabbis, or religion for that matter?
PBS no longer needed? My, my. Are you an arch conservative who wants to put liberal media off the air? What are children going to watch during the day? MSNBC?
You Tube? Donate your cookies for every possible pop up ad?
EvanstonNow, where people hide under cloaks of anonymous names, afraid of the sunlight or embarassment. Ann Rainey's 8th ward chat boards do quite well without that.
Just think, with some training at ECMC, you could have your own program to get your "message" out.
With a private service we will have to pay a two dollar sticker for a bag of grass.The bag itself cost 50 cents,the sticker is two dollars total is $2.50 a bag.
Small lawn one bag a week $2.50 a week,$36 dollars a month 7 months x 36 = $252 dollars a year
When fall hits you can have a avg of 10 bags of leaves which = 25.00 total season $277.00 dollars, and this is for a small home in Evanston. Average home will be paying over 300.00. I see were this is going...
Reply:
As it stands now the staff-recommended option is NOT to charge for the first "three bundles and four bags or two yard-waste carts" picked up from a house each week.
-- Bill
Students didn't vote because they feared being named in another lawsuit. This fear has been expressed in several articles published in The Daily Northwestern.
So, I guess the lawsuits did their job, even if they were indeed dismissed by a judge AND the Evanston City council.
Did anyone get a different assessment than 4% in Evanston?
If all property got 4% that would indicate no effect - since the rate of taxation will just be adjusted up.
"The south Evanston area targeted for the program, part of the 8th Ward, is bounded by Howard Street on the south, Asbury Avenue on the west, Oakton Street on the North and the CTA tracks on the east."
So the City wants to put more "mixed income" housing (read: heavy on the low income housing) in the 8th Ward. Not again! We already have far more than our share of low income housing.
Doesn't the City have any other options for improving the quality of life in south Evanston?
Mr. Anonymous -- you must have been one of those contested voters in the 6th precinct of the 1st ward during that infamous election.
FYI the court did not throw the case out or dismiss it, it was remanded back to the City Council, which had already compromised itself by having donated money for legal defense to the the contested alderperson. There was then the issue of an unblemished quorum. It was too expensive at that point to go on for a long legal battle to ascertain legal jurisdiction.
Get your facts straight.
As an exercize, when not honing up on NPV, compare the statistics of the 6th precinct 1st ward over the last two elections. Same candidates. You will notice that in this last election the number of student votes and irregularities is down. Is it due to student indifference, lack of housing points or perhaps NU being a bit more cautious of its non-profit standing?
The only shenanigans with that election involved frivolous lawsuits filed by the losing candidate making ridiculous claims of vote buying and fraud. Those lawsuits were quickly dismissed by a judge.
NU students have a right to vote in Evanston elections if they choose to. Deal with it.
I hope the city does not spend half of the money on art exhibitions to go on the front of each house and the other half on mahogany desks and gold plated faucets !
Does anyone know if Evanston has to pitch in money for this grant? If so, how much?
Reply:
The proposal makes no mention of any match required from the city. On the contrary, it says the program will permit the city to spend up to 10 percent of the federal funds received on the city's expenses in administering the grant.
-- Bill
Precincts 8 and 9 of Ward 7 encompass the NU campus. Only 15 votes were recorded. They were the youngest precincts, however, I was not including them in my analysis.
The "average birthday" of voters in the 7th precinct was 8/19/1957 and 4/28/1953 in the 5th precinct. To put that in perspective, only a dozen precincts in all of Evanston had average birthdays in a decade other than the 1950's.
An interesting discussion about the history of homeopathy can be found on the website quackwatch.org
Follow this link for a discussion of homeopathy.
Those who wish to learn more about homeopathy should also visit quackwatch.org's sister site, homeowatch.org
W. Knows,
Doctor of Naturopathic Mental Enquiry
Member, American Academy of Phrenology
Certified Foot Reflexologist
I see that Mr Who Knows What??, a founding member of Expiring Minds, must have forgotten the 1st ward NU shenanigans in the prior election, with housing points, students voting from different addresses, celebration dinner, dual registrations here and in their states, etc. but then again selective perception does help one's cause.
Most NU students concerns are transient, few will remain here after schooling and have no vested interest, especially as to financing.
BTW certain wards are effectively, though legally, "gerrymandered" or adjusted to avoid "disparate impact" as part of the Civil Rights Act.
Oh well...
This is the best article I've ever read in my life, and I'm fifty-six.
If the City of Evanston would like to stream the city council meetings, it doesn't need to cost $30,000. My department at NU could do it for a lot less than that per year -- and the meetings could be viewed on-demand as well as live. Oh, and people would be able to send questions in electronically during the live sessions, and via email during archived sessions.
Whoever's responsbile for this through the City Council is welcome to contact me at jodi (dash) fox (at) northwestern (dot) edu.
Vito says:
"It also does not hurt to have NU on your side. (Ms. Grover's "neighborhood precinct was the second youngest." - students?) Note that there is an interest in redistricting again, to make NU students a "statistical minority" -- making sure that the 1st, 6th and 7th wards have NU as an influence."
Students play a minimal role in municipal elections. Most just don't care about silly municipal issues (like Zbesko's campaign to 'save' the Civic Center). They only show up when provoked - like when the 'Fair Share' clowns try to tax NU.
As for the gerrymandering efforts to make NU students a 'statistical minority' by spreading them over 3 wards, I wonder how anyone can justify that. What would be wrong with having one ward with a high - perhaps even majority - NU presence?
If the NU students elected an alderman who was putting NU interests ahead of the rest of the city's, then the other 8 aldermen would certainly be able to outvote him, if the other 8 were competent. ( Just like if an alderman or two whose wards are near the Civic Center site tries to put NIMBY interests ahead of the City's, the other 7 or 8 aldermen should oppose the petty special interests.)
Why shouldn't NU students have an alderman who pays attention to their concerns?
Enquiring minds wonder if anyone consider it acceptable to gerrymander the wards to minimize the influence of African-American voters.
John,
One must be involved with the "official" power structure: LWV, DPOE, COC, etc.
It also does not hurt to have NU on your side. (Ms. Grover's "neighborhood precinct was the second youngest." - students?) Note that there is an interest in redistricting again, to make NU students a "statistical minority" -- making sure that the 1st, 6th and 7th wards have NU as an influence. Involved NU and ASG students get nice rewards, remember Jane Lee, a Krasnow protege?
The Chicago Way, but a bit more subtle.
John - Jane won the election because she out campaign you. She clearly went out and got people to vote for her. I saw her on the train platform a few times. She had far more yard signs out than you.
I do not think the issue was women voters as you state, she just out campaigned you period.
As we all know the issues or ones ability is not going to get them elected - it is about who you know here, those with the machine connection clearly are more likely to win.
But lets focus on the real issue at hand - the city budget. I was not at all impressed with what went on the other night at council.
Actually I have interviewed at almost every school on the north shore, skokie, niles, lincolnwood, des plaines, and CPS and District 65 had by far THE WORST teacher contract all around...salary, health insurance, work hours, salary movement, etc. Even with this new contract, they are still the LOWEST paid despite the board contribution to pension plans. For example, Bachelor's, no experience is only $38,000 (D65)where Lincolnwood is $49,000 and 95% coverage of health care!!!! HUGE difference people! In terms of professional development, do your research...EVERY school district has PD days and most have a weekly shortened day to accomodate it and parents must learn to deal with it. It's crucial to your children's education. Please let up on D65 teachers.
"The other proposal would end operation of the recycling drop-off program at James Park"
Do they mean the occasional electronics recycling events, or the regular weekly hours at the recycling center?
The city should continue the weekly recycling drop-off. Many Evanston residents (this commenter included) live in multi-unit buildings without a recycling contract. If we couldn't haul our recycling over to Oakton, it would end up in the landfill.
Don't worry Al - the council and the mayor are planning a big tax increase.
The 4.5 million hole in the budget translates into a 11% property tax increase. Add in the increase they want in water bills - and it might we a 15% increase.
The council members have no plans and worst yet they are wasting staff time on going to look at items very tangential to the process.
How about try out free option that is earth friendly?
Creating backyard recycling system will make job easy. Just dump leave and yard in recycle system in the corner of yard.
Why do we really to collect yard waste? Let it become your composite soil!!
Here is great info.... Take a look at this solution.
A better idea is to not throw away you grass clippings. It's better for your lawn and saves you and the city some money.
Interesting math. One bag per week at $2.50 would be $10.00 not $36 per month. Since when do you mow your lawn EVERY WEEK from, what, April through October?
10 bags of leaves is $25.00, but where does the $277 come from?
I don't want this plan, but for heaven's sake keep your arithmetic straight.
I see now that I am not the sole public member of the commission. There are 3 members from the public, and one user of senior coupons. From the taxi industry, there is one owner of a taxicab company, one independent taxicab owner, and one taxicab driver.
Sheridan Road - FINALLY!
It's been a true embarrassment and irritant.
I suspect that Mr Who Knows What??? and Confused and Dazed?? are one and the same, harping about NPV and NIMBY's and probably imagining my appearance on ECMC. (BTW I do not have a program or have been on ECMC other than a rare comment at a Council meeting.) Are you sure that is a real medicine you are taking?
I encourage Mr Who Knows What??? to have his own show, preferably between 10pm and 11pm, that should help diminish the need for Ambien. The rooster could find employment elsewhere.
Do you have something against Haiti, rabbis, or religion for that matter?
PBS no longer needed? My, my. Are you an arch conservative who wants to put liberal media off the air? What are children going to watch during the day? MSNBC?
You Tube? Donate your cookies for every possible pop up ad?
EvanstonNow, where people hide under cloaks of anonymous names, afraid of the sunlight or embarassment. Ann Rainey's 8th ward chat boards do quite well without that.
Just think, with some training at ECMC, you could have your own program to get your "message" out.
You would get used to the mask or hood.
With a private service we will have to pay a two dollar sticker for a bag of grass.The bag itself cost 50 cents,the sticker is two dollars total is $2.50 a bag.
Small lawn one bag a week $2.50 a week,$36 dollars a month 7 months x 36 = $252 dollars a year
When fall hits you can have a avg of 10 bags of leaves which = 25.00 total season $277.00 dollars, and this is for a small home in Evanston. Average home will be paying over 300.00. I see were this is going...
Reply:
As it stands now the staff-recommended option is NOT to charge for the first "three bundles and four bags or two yard-waste carts" picked up from a house each week.
-- Bill