It's election time and expect to see lot's of campaign signs all over the 49th ward real soon. Signs like that blue and white re-election sign from Alderman Moore (Slum-49) in the window of Soo Liquors.
Ah, Soo Liquor's, one of the worst neighborhood businesses on Morse Avenue is proudly showing their support for Alderman Joe Moore this election cycle. And why not?
When community leaders go to CAPS meetings to complain about Soo Liquors and their bad business practices, having the Alderman on your side helps.
I'll give you a example.
A couple of years ago, the neighborhood complaints were piling up so high on Soo, the angry neighbors went to the CAPS meeting wanting to close down Soo Liquors. Why?
* The street gangs were hanging out in front of Soo Liquors openly drinking. When they finished their brown bag specials, they would throw the trash on the ground. Bottles would break. A mess would occur.
* Not only that, some were openly street gambling and openly selling dope in front of the doorway of Soo.
* You could also catch them throwing up, peeing or passed out. Sometimes the open air drug market salesmen would openly shoot at each other with guns when something went wrong. Stuff the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce frowns upon.
* When the police officers in their squad cars would drive by to check out the action, the open air drug market salesman would hide inside Soo Liquors business as to not get busted.
Alderman Moore's CAPS puppet Kevin O'Neil had a few of us real angry neighbors sign official looking complaints and had them notarized by Gregory Altman at a CAPS meeting. But somehow those notarized complaints never made it to the Liquor commission. Somehow Kevin dropped the ball. Either on purpose or by accident. Did he REALLY forgot to mail them as he said? Or did Alderman Moore have Kevin O'Neil conveniently lose them to cover up a huge problem like he did for Jay Johnson and the missing smoke detectors?
Does this pattern of covering up problems for your campaign contributors make you happy or sad? Is that what you want in your Alderman? Soo Liquor does.
Blognotes: A closer look. Is that the 'Broken Heart' we see?
3 comments:
Soo & Han Inc.
doing business as
Soo Liquors
1420 W. Morse
Chicago, IL 60626
to Citizens for Joe Moore
$1,000.00 on 3/3/2003
$500.00 on 2/12/2001
$500.00 on 12/31/2001
$500.00 on 3/9/2000
$500.00 on 11/17/1999
$3000 since 1999
Illinois State Board of Elections Campaign Disclosure Search Engine
Just like Helen Shiller in the 46th Ward, the aldermen have severely underestimated their worth to local businesses.
It only costs $3,000 over a 7 year period to purchase your alderman? Amazing return on investment that must be!
The aldermen should raise their rates.
Or, like Helen Shiller, you can have your son or some other relative who is a lawyer represent local businesses for city related business, like obtaining liquor licenses.
It's better to keep it all in the family.
Liquor stores seem to be the only business Joe can bring to the ward. He has lifted a moratorium on Clark Street that has been in place for years. It was lifted to transfer the license of a new store owner from the previous owner. Community meetings were supposedly held, flyers put up, and the new owner given a 6 month trial period. Never mind he got busted for selling to a minor in April, he was granted a license in May. Then he decides he will rent the storefront on the corner and expand to a huge package goods store. People complain to Joe. Joe's office says everything was done by the book, nothing can be done. Luckily the residents do not listen and protest to the liquor commission. The license is denied. An appeal is scheduled for January. Since the moratorium has been lifted La Bonita at Clark and Pratt wants a license. Most people don't know this as their license applied for sign is on the floor under the garbage can.It's been there for weeks despite calls to 311 and me telling them it needs to be posted in plain view. They make like it fell off the window. Funny how the tape on the re-elect Joe Moore sign seems to hold so well. See if the neighbors don't know about it, maybe they can sneak a third store into the 6700 block of Clark Street. There's only 5 in the 6400 to 6700 block right now.
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