Chicago Tonight: Alderman Joe Moore, Don Gordon, with first time moderator Christian Farr.
Christian Farr: It is a contest between a high profile incumbent known for the "Big Box" ordinance and foie gras, and a challenger who accuses him of being out of touch. The main issue in the 49th Ward is development. New condo's have sprung up in some areas, there are empty storefronts in others. The 49th Ward sits in the far northeastern corner of the city, and includes Rogers Park, Edgewater, and parts of the West Ridge communities. And now joining us tonight in the order they'll appear on the ballot are Alderman Joe Moore, who has been alderman of the 49th Ward for sixteen years, and next to him is Don Gordon, a community activist and former banking executive. Gentlemen, welcome to Chicago Tonight. Alderman Moore, let's start with you. Talk about this runoff election. Fifty-two votes just shy of that fifty percent that you needed.
Joe Moore: Actually, fifty-one, but who's counting.
Christian Farr: [laughing] What's your reaction to that? Why do you think you came up short?
Joe Moore: Well, look, this election is really a seminal election in Rogers Park and Edgewater. It really is a choice between two different views of where the neighborhood should go. Both Mr. Gordon and I want the neighborhood safer, we want business improvements, but where we differ is where are those improvements, who are those improvements going to be for. I have had a long record of supporting affordable housing, of fighting to make sure that my neighborhood is home to everyone, fighting for living wages to make sure the people in my neighborhood, particularly those who are working two or three jobs to make ends meet, are able to earn a decent wage so they can support their family. My opponent, on the other hand, is supported by big business Republicans. Over seventy percent of his campaign funds are being donated by one Republican donor, a big business Republican named David Herro. And Mr. Herro is someone who has backed President Bush, has backed the Republican National Committe to the tune of twenty-five thousand dollars, and has supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an organization that has smeared John Kerry and helped re-elect George Bush. Those are the kind of people that endorsing Mr. Gordon.
Christain Farr: Let's give Mr. Gordon a chance to respond to this...
Joe Moore: Sure.
Christian Farr: ...because this came up in a television commercial that you put out, Mr. Moore. Talk about this sixty-thousand dollars from Mr. Herro.
Don Gordon: I think it's important to understand, first of all, Christian, why the two of us are sitting here and why we're in this runoff. The citizens, the residents of the 49th Ward want an alderman who is focused full-time on the issues of our community and not an alderman who rents himself out to special interests. The citizens of the Rogers Park community, the 49th Ward, want an alderman who is more concerned about the war that's going on Howard Street and on Morse than the war in Iraq. Who's more concerned about the fact that we have suffering in our community rather than the suffering of the ducks. And alderman who's more concerned, and I think this is important because if we need to make this distinction here...because the citizens want an alderman who's more concerned about creating living wage jobs in our community rather than wasting the time in City Council punishing, with legisation that punishes the Big Box retailers, so this is...
Christian Farr: Well, you've touched on two issues, Big Box and foie gras...
Joe Moore: Well, maybe Mr. Gordon should answer your question...
Don Gordon: So, I will. I will answer your question. The reason I...
Joe Moore: ...and I think the people of the 49th Ward wants someone who represents them, not the big business interests, not the downtown interests, not the people that are...
Christian Farr: Well, let's talk about that...
Joe Moore: ...trying to keep people from earning a living wage.
Don Gordon: So, let me answer your question.
Christian Farr: Let's talk about the foie gras. Let's talk about the foie gras issue right now. You were big on this, big on the ban. Mr. Gordon said this was, sort of, misdirected. What do you say to that?
Joe Moore: Look, the only person who's making foie gras an issue is Mr. Gordon. The bottom line is I don't apologize for that ordinance. It was an ordinance that was against animal cruelty. I believed in it. When the City Council heard the facts of that ordinance they passed it by an overwhelming margin, forty-eight to one. And then we moved on. I'm prepared tonight to talk about the 49th Ward. I'm here to prepare to talk about who is going to represent the interests of the 49th Ward and who is going to represent the interests of big business and Republican-style politics. And my opponent has taken...
Christian Farr: Well, what about the development issue? What about the development issue?
Joe Moore:...my opponent has taken sixty-thousand dollars of money. That's more money than any, most wage-earners in the 49th Ward earn in a year.
Christian Farr: Well, why did you think it was necessary to spend that money to put a commercial on to talk about that, because, I mean, we're talking about one ward and doing a commercial for that.
Joe Moore: I'll be happy to tell you why, because I wasn't going to be Swift Boated. I wasn't going to have someone try to define me and throughout the whole course of the first round of the elections I held back. I didn't attack anybody. I just tried to stay on the issues. But I didn't want to be...end up like John Kerry, who didn't respond to some cheap, sleazy attacks that were the besmearching of his war hero record, and as a result lost the election. I'm not taking anything for granted...
Christian Farr: Well, well, let's give Mr. Gordon a...
Joe Moore: ...and I think people need to know, since Mr. Gordon wants the job of alderman, they need to know who Mr. Gordon is and who he represents, and, and who supported him.
Christian Farr: Well, let's give Mr. Gordon an opportunity to respond to that sixty-thousand dollar interest that he's talking about.
Don Gordon: You know, it's really interesting because David Herro has given to both political parties and I think it's also intereting to see who some of the people are on the list that David Herro has given to, not the least of which is Jesse White, Edwin Eisendrath, Lisa Madigan, and, oh, did I mention Barak Obama. He's given to all of these candidates and a whole slew of democrats and that doesn't make them Republicans any more than it makes me a Republican.
Joe Moore: And he gave, and he gave...
Don Gordon: Excuse me, and, I'm sorry, am I talking here?
Joe Moore: ...and he gave Barak Obama's Republican opponent...
Don Gordon: Can I get a chance to complete what I'm saying? Do I get a chance
Christian Farr: Let's give Mr. Gordon a chance to finish that. Go ahead, finish what you're saying, Mr. Gordon.
Don Gordon: You know, the fact is is that, the fact is is that this alderman doesn't get to decide who is and isn't a Democrat. The voters get to decide. And David Herro gives to both Democrats and Republicans. He gives to both sides, as I've said, not the least of which is Barak Obama. So I think this is point that needs to be clarified, here. And this doesn't make any of us who take money from him a Republican.
Joe Moore: And why did David Herro donate sixty-thousand dollars to Mr. Gordon? Mr. Herro doesn't have any business interests in the ward, he doesn't live in the ward, and by Mr. Gordon's own admission didn't even know Mr. Gordon before the runoff election. He gave to Mr. Gordon because he feels Mr. Gordon shares with him an ideological belief in Libertarian kind-of politics and against the Living Wage ordinance. Mr. Gordon had the opportunity to support this ordinance and he declined. Instead, he sided with big business, he sided with Wal-Mart, he sided with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, he sided with the Republican Party. I, on the other hand, sided with working men and women. I sided with labor. I sided with community organizations that were interested in having their constituents earn a living wage so they can support their families. The choice in this race couldn't be more clear.
Christian Farr: Well, let's talk about that a little bit. Let's talk about this because you had a campaign event recently with Miguel del Valle, the City Clerk. He was there, and of course, he's with the Mayor and you've been at odds with the Mayor on a variety of issues. Sort of strange bedfellows here?
Joe Moore: Not at all. Mr. del Valle, Senator del Valle, now City Clerk del Valle has had a long record of support for progressive causes. We are natural allies. He has been a strong supporter of living wages for people. He's been a strong supporter of having government serve the many and not the few and, on the other hand, we have, you know, Mr. Gordon here who is against the living wage ordinance, is against increased city funding for public transportation and, most inexplicably, he's against the blue light cameras that police say have made our neighborhood safer.
Christian Farr: Well, let's let Mr. Gordon respond to that. The blue light cameras, as well as this living wage...the Big Box ordinance. Respond to that, please.
Don Gordon: This isn't a black and white issue. When...Just because somebody is not in favor of the ordinance that this alderman introduced in City Council it does not mean that you are against the living wage. I am certainly not against the living wage. I believe that there are more effective ways to be able to achieve that, and to achieve that on the ground, in our community, and to create living wage jobs in our community for the residents of our community, and I've gone on record in saying that. I'm certainly not against a living wage. I can't believe that anybody would be against a living wage. It's the approach this alderman uses. The second issue you're talking about is the blue light issue and I know that he's been running the ad over and over again.
Joe Moore: The Mayor's a very strong support of it and the Police Department really believes in it.
Christian Farr: Let's let Mr. Gordon respond to that.
Don Gordon: And if the Alderman would at least take a look at some of the reports that are out there, some of the studies that have been done on the ineffectiveness on blue lights to be able to reduce crime, then I think that he would at least have a different opinion of this. The fact is...
Joe Moore: Well, you know what, I'm going to take the stand that Mayor Daley...
Don Gordon: OK, I'm going to...
Joe Moore: ...who supports blue lights, the Police Department, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Chicago Police Sergeant's Association, all of who supported my candidacy, and, quite frankly, the majority of residents of our neighborhood, who have been horrified to hear that my opponent wants to get rid of the blue light cameras. We just had a drug bust down in Howard Street just the other day. A drug bust that the lieutenant who oversaw these arrests said the blue light camera on Howard Street helped provide information and evidence that they were able to use to make those arrests. We can't take away that important tool of the Police Department and Mr. Gordon, apparently decides on his own, despite the fact that Mayor and the Police Department and the city residents are in support of that, to say that we shouldn't have those. I think you should...
Christian Farr: All right, well, let's talk about this development issue because we pointed this out in the intro that you have a problem with this. You think that not enough development is going on in areas like Rogers Park.
Don Gordon: Let me clarify something since I got stepped on when I was trying to complete my answer on the blue light. The fact is is that I question the effectiveness of the blue light because there's been so many studies that show that it's not effective. The fact is is that what is shown as being effective is more resources on the ground and if you talk to residents in the community, and if you ask their opinion of which they want, they want to see more police on the ground...
Joe Moore: It's not an either or...
Don Gordon: So, I don't get to...I don't get to complete this?
Joe Moore: Don, It's not an either or proposition.
Don Gordon: Yes, it is...
Joe Moore: Are you going to agree with the Mayor of the City...
Don Gordon: You know what, this is...
Joe Moore: ...and the majority of the residents who want the blue light cameras, and the Police Department, or are you going to look at some study? I don't even know what study you're talking about.
Don Gordon: The...
Joe Moore: i think our...
Christian Farr: Look, wait, we've got one minute to go...we've got one minute to go. I want to go to Mr. Gordon right now. Your last minute pitch here, because April 17th is right around the corner. What would you say to voters?
Don Gordon: I would say...What I would say to voters right now is you need to get out and vote next Tuesday and the choice here is between a person, such as myself, who's running for alderman and wants to be focused on this community, full-time and a half, on the issues that are relevant to our community. That's the difference between the two of us, because I look at it as a full-time and a half job with focus on the issues relevant to us.
Joe Moore: And the determining...
Christian Farr: Do you think you can win this?
Don Gordon: Yes I do, absolutely.
Joe Moore: And the determining factor in this is whose side are you on? I am on the side of working men and women, I am on the side of renters, I am on the side of people who want affordable housing. Mr. Gordon is...
Don Gordon: That's why we've lost all of the affordable housing in the community, right?
Christian Farr: OK
Joe Moore: ...is on the side of big business. We have one Republican on the City Council, we don't need two.
Christian Farr: OK, that's it gentlemen, we've run out of time. We have run out of time. We've run out of time. Thanks to both of you.
Joe Moore: My pleasure.
Christian Farr: Again my thanks to Alderman Joe Moore and Don Gordon.
BLOGNOTES: Hey Alderman Moore - Who's the SEIU goon you had 'pumping you up' in the 'Green Room' tonight? Sounds like the same guy who tried to sexually assault a 49th ward resident.
20 comments:
How many times must the alderman interrupt before he realizes that he's not giving Gordon a chance to speak? Just like every 'community' meeting on development in Rogers Park. It's just that - a meeting. Not a public discussion. If you raise a point that questions his position or challenges the righteousness of the project, he'll take the mic and say 'next question please.' Aren't the people supposed to be in control of him, not vice versa? How many times has Joe Moore admitted any mistakes he's made?
Joe Moore wants to cast Gordon as a Republican because he thinks that's his best chance, rather than lay out a plan of action for HOW he's going to get anything done. And I mean a TRANSPARENT, DELIBERATIVE process, not something behind closed doors or Q&A 'community meetings' where people can only ask questions and not deliberate amongst themselves. Think about it - there is presently no venue for public DISCUSSIONS or DELIBERATIONS on anything concerning development!
Without a transparent, deliberative process on development involving the citizens of Rogers Park, everyone loses EXCEPT Moore, developers and special interests (e.g. Morse Theatre development, pending Top Hat condo development).
There is NO incentive for Moore to change his tactics if he wins again. The residents of Rogers Park don't seem to collectively want a deliberative process of development, so he has no choice but to believe (very often wrongly) that he has the best interests of the residents in mind.
I hope people in RP vote for who they think will do a better job, for the WHOLE community, rather than take Moore's bait of using politics. The only reason Gordon needs to accept big donations is because Moore, like all previous elections, uses so much money for his campaign (from often questionable sources).
And I'm saying all of this, even though I'm not eligible to vote in Chicago!
Sorry for the rant, but this is just ridiculous. All registered voters in Ward 49, please take control of your community. After doing sociological research in Rogers Park for 5 months, all I can say is you must be brave and VOTE - take a chance on someone new! If Gordon sucks (which won't happen), you'll be able to kick him out next time! That's what voting is about! Enough with the status quo!
With utmost love and concern for all the residents in Rogers Park, I hope to see everyone at the polls on April 17th,
-Robert (senior majoring in economics and sociology at Northwestern University)
I must say that when JM just rolls over people like an angry mob of lynchers, I find it annoying...
Usually...
But not tonight- thanks be to whatever unusual gods watch over ole 49 that he finally treated Don Gordon like the insignificant, wimpish, pouty, head-shaking, arrogant, inexperienced annoying little man that he is! And that Gordo didn't have time to pull up that big pile of papers he was sitting with so he could appear learned and important, and not just steal ideas from Ginderske's website. Jim is soooo tragic according to BH, but let's see- the challengers steal and reformat his ideas onto their/his website, the man actually took on the thankless task of trying to replace Jay Johnson with somebody who actually attempts to care about and help his community, and has in no uncertain terms in conversations I have witnessed laid out the alderman's shortcomings to him- expletives included. Perhaps the person who actually attempts to speak some truth to power will get a couple laughs when Don Gordon has faded from the public consciousness. And perhaps even Joe should get kudos for choosing NOT to put Gordos past bankruptcy filing on camera.
Moore kicked the lil wannabe beat alderman's ass...
and beat is what he will soon be!
can't wait to wake up on the 18th and know i won't ever have to see his angry lil mug on another flyer.
when the choice is bungler or bitch- i will take the one who at least has the humility to work with his shortcomings over the one who thinks he is so right he can solve things with sticks!
and if i wanted a mob of white, angry, paranoid, neurotic, ego-crazed self-protective zealots who serve afternoon tea with roses to the gay people as if they are the token guest at the table, and banannas to folks from "The Jungle"? i'd never have moved from the suburbs of Iowa either.
when his parade goes past my house, i may just sit in my window like that newspaperman in "To Kill A Mockingbird" in case they come too close!
my dog is bigger than theirs...
i hope there are hecklers...
wonder which Gordonites will show up at his $200 a pop fundraiser? such the man of the people.
maybe Jane Freer invited George Bush and they can pop the bub and swap tales of world domination.
what fun!
Joe was a real a-hole on that show last night. He said all kinds of things he knows aren't true about Don Gordon. I suppose it's all a game for him. Everything I hate about politics. Disgusting.
Don Gordonis a good man who cares about the ward and will do a fine job as alderman. Joe is a craven politician who aspires to higher office and will do whatever it takes to get there. We'll see what the voters have to say next Tuesday.
Craig said...Who's the SEIU goon you had 'pumping you up' in the 'Green Room' tonight?
I'm not sure I understand this reference?
Christian Farr is a horrible moderator.
Don did not take control when he had his opportunity to speak. He let Joe Moore walk all over him. I am very disappointed.
Come on, Don, you've got to represent yourself better than this.
For one, why didn't you bring up all of the contributions that Joe Moore has gotten from outside Rogers Park? Craig has provided a wealth of information on that topic in this forum, as I believe Hugh has. Moore owes a lot more to special interests than you. You should be playing this up.
e!
I agree with you that Farr is not much as a moderator. Don made points against the gutter level street fighter by 1) not stooping to Moore's tactics, 2) Remaining calm and on message and 3) dealing pretty well with the fact that the original deal was a solo interview with the most experienced host.
Don Gordon is a knight in shining armour compared to Joe Moore. Joe bullied his way hogging as much air time as he could while Don looked reasonable, calm and stable.
Joe looked like a talking bobble head and didn't make much sense. And he was on the defensive the whole time.
Don is a neighbor. How nice would it be to have a REAL neighbor for Alderman? Not someone who just resides here and collects a big paycheck so he can do what he likes on our dime.
Craig,
that "blog note" was a horrible thing to say. I'm disgusted.
Maybe you should put disclaimer about pontetially offensive material like your neighbor at rogers park bench.
Just a suggestion. Really.
Wow. Where to begin?
From the beginning, with that snide "51, but who's counting?" remark, Joe Moore set a sarcastic and arrogant tone. He then proceeded to frame the election in terms of an "us" vs. "them" polarity: he, the progressive and caring candidate, is FOR the little people, and is very concerned about the living wage, too much development, and the retention of affordable housing. He then insinuated that Don Gordon, who has received some money from people connected to Republican causes, is the precise opposite: FOR big business, out to destroy the little guy.
From the beginning, Moore offered only generalities designed to induce fear in what is obviously an important part of his electorate: the underprivileged and those who support them. He set up red herrings (Swift Boating, funding sources) to avoid talking directly about the real issues. Never once did he outline a specific new policy or talk in detail about something he would do to improve the ward in the future. He was so busy working to paint Gordon in a negative light that he neglected to say anything positive (beyond the most vague statements) about his own campaign.
He certainly was effective in backing Gordon into a corner: Gordon HAD to answer his questions about funding, living wage, and the blue lights, or risk appearing to avoid the topic. Unfortunately, because of Moore's tactic of constant interruption, he rarely had a chance to fully explain himself on any of these issues.
When Gordon DID have a chance to speak, I was impressed with what he said. I, for one, AM more concerned about the war on Howard and Morse Streets than the one in Iraq. I would have loved it if he had more of a chance to elaborate on how he wanted to fix up those areas. I also would like to see more police presence in key areas of Rogers Park -- although I am one of the residents who also likes the cameras.
I also would have liked to see a meaningful discussion about development in Rogers Park. This is a huge issue; I would like to hear more about the candidates' intentions, beyond the usual hysterical "my opponent is going to take away affordable housing!" rhetoric.
Ultimately, I thought that Joe Moore came off looking like a bully who used deflection and interruption to try to direct the flow of the debate. The moderator was disappointing in his inability to rein in Moore's misbehavior. Gordon looked like he was trying, but caved a bit to Moore's tactics; also, a debate setting is not the most conducive to articulating a nuanced point of view (such as Gordon was trying to do when discussing the living wage ordinance and the blue light question). Unfortunately, such a setup favors those with tasty little soundbites that appeal to key segments of the electorate. This not only favors the slick and experienced politician, but it also helps remove any meaningful and deep discussion from the public realm.
I feel that Moore's tactics are transparently awful. If I could vote in this election (and believe me, I wish I could, because the 49th Ward's problems are south Evanston's problems), I would support Gordon. Howard Street and the North of Howard neighborhood has been stewing in neglect for decades, and Moore shows no sign of wanting that to change. Maybe Gordon is exactly what we need to shake things up.
Face it. Joe Moore lies. He'll say just about anything to keep his job so that he can sit back down for four years.
Anyone else notice that Joe is incapable of looking you in the eye? That speaks volumes.
Anyone have a clue as to what Joe has planned for RP in the next four years if he wins? No? That's because Joe has no plan. He doesn't care about Rogers Park. It makes no difference to him. He simply wants the paycheck.
Don really screwed the pooch. Why not bring up the fact that 60% of Moore's money comes from outside the ward. And the fact that 60% of Moore's money is at least 4x Herro's contribution.
Oh well, on to the polls.
A couple things:
First Mr. Moore, $100,000 for a TV commercial is 40% more than the $60,000 from a guy who tries to buy influence from both parties, which is still more than most wage earners make in the 49th, according to you.
Second, who was the alderman of the 49th ward when we lost all of the affordable housing to horrible condo owners like me? Oh, yeah, that's right, Joe Moore.
If it's not Joe Moore's fault that this happened because it's beyond the power of the alderman to stop this type of turnover, then why bother to (incorrectly) define his position on affordable housing in the first place?
FYI I bought a condo in Rogers Park for exactly these three reasons: what RP is (a rich, diverse neighborhood), what RP is not(Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Bucktown/Wicker Park), what it can be (a fantastic place to raise a family in a safe, diverse community with quality schools and businesses).
BTW:
perfecto said...
And perhaps even Joe should get kudos for choosing NOT to put Gordos past bankruptcy filing on camera.
Very, very classy.
Perfecto is scraping the bottom of the barrel. There's plenty of nasty gossip about Joe to go around but notice no one ever posts about that because we have decency.
Moore looked like the most popular dog in Rogers Park, the pitt bull!
More manure from the Mooron - not surprising.
I wish that Don had politely pointed out how much of Joe's $$$ comes from outside interests.
Joe spent nearly all his time attacking and very little time on actual issues that are relevant to the ward. Don did address relevant issues, when he was able to get a word in between all of Joe's interruptions.
The community needs a more transparent and deliberate process for zoning and development, parks and other issues that will play a big role in shaping the future of the 49th ward.
Right on SouthEvanston!
Bottom line .. JM looked scared. Which is why he was so hysterical in attacking Don and interrupting the discussion. He has lost control... and is desperate to save his job. He's been in a downward spiral for YEARS! Less and people are voting for him.
Maybe if the community felt his support and help there would be no run-off.
He has been asleep at the wheel for so long he doesn't know where put
his wards' priorities... Foie Gras? PLEASE. Iraq? Egads... He sounds like a Miss America contestant... not a City Alderman.
Joe on the side of renters? You choke while you laugh,hearing this.
Just ask anyone who was ever caught up in one of the numerous "stealth" conversions that have been done in this ward, just how much on the side of renters Joe is.
You can be properly protective of bldg owners'property rights and still enforce the laws put into place to protect renters from mistreatment and real endangerment by condo developers who A)do not honor the requirement for at least 120 days notice (which is not enough, anyway)B)who start work that makes the bldg dangerous and unsanitary while tenants are still on the property, and C)use intimidation and sometimes step legally over the line to unauthorized force (unauthorized evictions, etc)to force tenants out of the bldg before the notification period has passed and before tenants can locate suitable housing.
This sort of misbehavior on the part of condo developers has been the rule rather than the exception during the Mooron's reign.
I believe a property owner has the right to convert, but I believe that the owner must follow all the laws made to protect vulnerable renters in this situation. These laws are made because it's recognized that you can't just move out as easily as you can, say, walk out of a store where you are mistreated.
Joe has been VERY protective of sleazy rehabbers and developers, way beyond respecting their property rights. Special tax breaks, and the right to violate reasonable laws are NOT anyone's right.
Joe has NOT been protective of anyone- renter, condo buyer, or even developer- who is not one of his cronies and contributors.
Good points Chris M.
As you know, Joe didn't do gutter gossip about Don's personal finances on Chicago public television because a)his handlers told him it was off message for that audience [that show wasn't just for us - read the transcipt again] and b)the blog disinformation squad, like "perfecto" here, could do it right here in the ward to try and do damage in the election.
Ever stop to think why Joe's TV ads are running on network? This is unprecedented. You think that's just to soften up the voters of the 49th ward? No. He's trying to kill a bunch of birds with that stone.
Smearing Don on a blog IS trying to get to just us. It's dirty tricks. Don't let them play you.
nuwildcat07 - Thanks for those great observations and comments.
I understand your frustration and share your opinion on what the solution is.
Would love to learn more about your research. Please write to me anytime at rrouilly@yahoo.com
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