Here is the press release.
49th Ward Aldermanic candidate Jim Ginderske today has notified DevCorp North, a tax exempt organization, that continued campaigning for incumbent Joe Moore is a misuse of its resources, and places the organization's tax status as a non-profit at risk.
"In a strongly-worded letter by my attorneys," Jim Ginderske says, "I have demanded that DevCorp North immediately cease and desist these campaigning activities. I have provided several specific examples of this conduct, and I am aware of other instances. The business of local community organizations is the betterment of the community, not electioneering for Joe Moore."
This measure gives DevCorp North the legal basis to operate independent of Mr. Moore’s cynical practices. Ginderske 2007 encourages all area non-profits who are receiving pressure from the Moore campaign to take heart from this new accountability. Unburdened by undue influence, they can now concentrate solely on serving our neighborhood.
Ginderske 2007 further calls upon Moore to draw a clear line between publicly funded 49th Ward services and his privately funded campaign activities. A prime example is a recent community event hosted by Alderman Moore's city office at which electioneering materials were distributed to participants.
* An alderman’s first priority is providing the services our neighborhood desperately needs, not political self-promotion. Diluting official business with such things as appeals for campaign cash is a disservice to the entire community.
Blognotes: Wow, someone's been reading the Hell-Hole and does something about it. Finally, a candidate puts his attorney to work on DevCorp North - telling them to stop being the Alderman's personal Political Action Committee (PAC). Saves me a few bucks.
Updated: ORIGINAL DOCUMENT TRANSMITTED BY EMAIL & HAND DELIVERY
Ms Sandi Price-Director of Development
DevCorp North
Re: Demand to cease and desist favoritism to a political candidate
Dear Ms Price,
Please be informed that I represent Jim Ginderske, a candidate for Alderman of the 49 th Ward. We are writing to inform you that you are engaging in illegal activity by specifically promoting the candidacy of one candidate for Alderman of the 49 th Ward, the incumbent Joe Moore, and we request that you stop.
Should you refuse to cease this favoritism, we will take steps to have the appropriate governmental agencies require you to do so. To be clear, we seek only that you treat all aldermanic candidates equally either by promoting and informing your members and the public of all campaign activities of all aldermanic candidates or none, as you wish.
I am informed that DevCorp North’s Web site recently ran a notice announcing Alderman Moore’s campaign-funded Web site www.Ward49.com (which plainly solicits campaign contributions and political activity favoring the incumbent) and DevCorp North’s Web site currently links that campaign-funded Web site along with the publicly-funded Web sites for the 40 th and 50th Ward service offices which do not politically promote the incumbent.
While we understand that it is not within your control to prevent Alderman Moore mixing his public duties and campaign activities, your response to such a cynical tactic is required either to be the promotion of all candidates equally or the promotion of none.
Likewise, DevCorp North’s Web site recently contained a news story respecting the recent Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival crediting Mr. Moore as a sponsor but not mentioning the Mr. Ginderske who was also a sponsor.
Similarly, we are informed that DevCorp North recently sent out an email promoting Alderman Moore’s Back To School Picnic which was a campaign event, paid for by campaign funds, at which political literature for Alderman Moore was distributed.
I also understand that the Ginderske campaign asked DevCorp North to equally promote a similar event, a cook-out, hosted by the Ginderske campaign and that you refused.
Again, we request that you cease and desist in this unequal treatment and we assure you that we will take adverse action if you do not.
Footnote: Gee, I didn't get this bent out of shape when DevCorp North left me off the same sponsorship list.
19 comments:
If you give someone a pass when they do something wrong, they’ll never change.
I have not picked a canidate yet, but I do have to say that this is the second point James has scored in my book. The first being heading down to the marina meeting in the far-south side, and demanding a meeting in RP.
Thanks to James for this important effort!
"Create claims"? But read the legal document below the press release – that's where the claim comes from, not off this blog.
Let's focus on the real issue. I'd like to see how DevCorpse responds to the letter.
Mr. I Have Issues said....>"that's where the claim comes from, not off this blog. "
Please check your facts again.
Mr. I Have Issues said....>"that's where the claim comes from, not off this blog."
Or check here.
Leave it to Craig to take credit where credit ain't due.
Way to go, Craig. You sure made things happen by posting an article that Hugh wrote.
RPGF - what's the deal? Did Hugh write the article? If so, I believe he would have said something, or Craig would have given credit. If Hugh "broke" the story first, Craig would only have to acknowledge Hugh if he could not verify the story independently, which is what he did.
So, as I asked before, what's your deal?
Correction: I was referring to this link that Craig mentioned above.
If Hughey and Craigie noticed this - why didn't they send a cease and desist letter? Everyone likes to bitch, but no one does anything.
What's Devcorpse response? Anyone know?
Getting member information published is one thing. Having the stooges from DevCorp passing out your literature and giving an inordinate amount of free publicity to Moore's grandstanding is quite another! I was a member of DevCorp and paid dues faithfully. The benefits of belonging were negligible. They do not promote businesses they promote development. That's right the developers that Joe Moore is so freaking fond of hanging around and who line his pockets.
DevCorp is great at promoting Joe Moore and themselves. Those biz arts meetings extort from small business owners who go to great expense to feed a bunch of free loaders comped by DevCorp under the premise of networking and building a bigger client base. A literate person could read the information for themselves without having to attend useless meetings.
Rogers Park needs a real chamber of commerce. DevCorp is a part of Moore's machine. They can point to the Gateway Centre as a "shining achievement" and hey check out that power washer that hasn't washed away any of the dog or people poop that dot the walks of the SSA's they manage. It's about time that someone called Moore on his coercive tactics and told his lap dog (DevCorp) to stop fetching for him.
I'm not interested in arguing who's scoop this is. I am grateful to Craig and Jim and Thomas and RPCAN and everyone who helps throw some sunshine on the severe obstacle to progress in our neighborhood embodied by DevCorp North.
But for the record, here's how it went down:
In some of my earliest conversations with Craig, when I was first getting to know him, he kept telling me what a corrupt organization DevCorp North was. Eventually, I looked into it. Turns out he was right. They are corrupt. You can look it up.
By the way, this happened a lot when I looked a little deeper into things Craig said.
This was years ago. At this point it is clear that sunshine is not sufficient, pointng out the law and asking for change is not sufficient, DevCorp North believes they are above the law. So thanks again to James and Craig.
Worse than no community development corp in your neighborhood is having one that takes the funding and makes it disappear.
Runestone said......>"Having the stooges from DevCorp passing out your literature and giving an inordinate amount of free publicity to Moore's grandstanding is quite another!"
You mean like this.....and this?
EXACTLY like that and that! Moore always seems to be in the company of one of the Stooges. Rene Camargo in particular seems to be a part of Moore's entourage. He follows so close I wonder if he can taste Joe's cruelty free lunch!
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