Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Neighbor Furious Over "Special Population" Parking

Alderman Moore……….

So you decided to spend menu money meant for the whole ward, to serve a few. While the rest of us pay for our garage and off street parking – most of the time way more than $ 69.00/month!

How many constituents do you have that you voted with only 100? Did you forget Sheridan Road residents? $ 89,000 benefited what percentage of your constituents?

Why do you continue to support those that refuse to pony up their share of life expenses? Lake front living was never meant to be free – or exclusive to those living along the lake?

Why do you think what you did is fair?


This is a campaign issue to be remembered – you have just disengaged all Sheridan Road parkers who pay for their parking – they don’t expect the Alderman to provide free parking –their reward for paying their way in life is to watch you give what they pay for to others for free!

You should use that money to fix the potholes on Sheridan road –to control the parking signals so residents can exit their driveways, especially weekend evenings.

I hope the City is right at those meters at 9AM issuing tickets –weekends included –make sure they move their cars so the people west have parking spaces when they come to the lake.

The lake and lakefront parking is for everyone.

And yes you correctly understand you have really annoyed me with this “special population” decision.

Jim

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

does anyone know why people were hula-hooping on morse/greenview the other night? there were several adults hula-hooping on all four corners for quite a while. not sure what that was about?

Unknown said...

I couldn't agree with you more! I called and emailed the Alderman's office also. Of course, I got the "I will pass the information on to the Alderman" form letter response on phone and email but it's important to let them know. I also asked them to pay for my parking spot.
You are right too, I didn't think of the fact that people should have those spots to park and enjoy the lakefront - isn't that what the park district should be using them for?

Clark St. said...

Of all the idiotic crap Moore has pulled over the years, this may be the worst!

Rolling over & playing dead for some developers - What alderman hasn't done that?

Allowing the Adelphi to get torn down 7 replaced with a hole in the ground - It's happened even to "good" aldermen.

Sneakily passing a ban on foie gras - Again, every alderman has pulled that stunt!

But stealing tens of thousands of $$$$$$ from the ward's meager annual budget for improvements to give a few well off people free parking - Outrageous beyond belief!

If this happened in any other ward, that alderman would be run out of town on a rail after being tarred & feathered!

Which come to think of, is an excellent idea to do to him!

Craig Gernhardt said...

Dear Jim,

Thank you for your e-mail on the lakefront parking agreement. It wasn't an easy decision. None of the options we faced were perfect, since we didn't deal the cards. We didn't even get to cut the deck.

I think most people will agree that parking is one of the biggest issues that affects quality of life in Rogers Park and Edgewater. Just like street surfaces or alleys or street lighting. Only maybe more so. Preserving free nighttime parking at Loyola and Leone (which is no different than spots on a residential street--these aren't "leased private spaces") will not only benefit the families from the 123 cars which will find room, but hundreds more residents to the west, who will not have their street parking impacted by the certain domino effect that paid night parking at Loyola would engender.

You raised the question of other uses for the menu money. To us everyday folk, $89,000 sounds like a lot. But actually it doesn't buy much. The Daley administration sets the price of infrastructure improvements available through menu money, and even the simplest projects are wildly expensive. For $89,000, we can repave a little less than 3 blocks of a side street or buy a little more than a block of new street lights. And each of these improvements, although welcome, would also primarily benefit specific residents--not the entire ward. (And we still have well over a million dollars left to spend.)

It's a trade-off, of course, but because of the crazy budgets and the price of infrastructure improvements--and the parking needs of our neighborhood -- it was a trade-off that didn't "cost" us as much as it initially would seem.

Thanks for writing and I hope this helps.

Joe Moore

Man On The Street said...

Side note: I saw Moore and some woman out in front of the Starbucks on Sheridan next to the old movie theater with a card table and some sign with "satellite office" on it. They were beckoning people over but I wasn't sure what for. I was driving by.

Unknown said...

The useless mope was standing outside the Starbucks on Sheridan this morning trying to greet people and shake hands.

I sat inside and drank my coffee for quite some time and didn't see many folks interested in even shaking his hand.

You would think he would get it through his head that 18 years of ineptitude tends to eliminate any warm fuzzy feelings among voters.

Kyle Hillman said...

This is nothing more than the squeaky wheel. 100 people got his attention, and they were rewarded for it. Do I agree with it? no..not in the slightest and you probably couldn't find too many more people who are adamant about saving parking in the ward then me.

But if you want something done in this ward, organize... It is clear from my time living in RoPa that the needs of the many never outweigh the needs of the vocal few.

floss said...

"To us everyday folk, $89,000 sounds like a lot"

Joe has the nerve to nerve to refer to himself as "everyday folk" ??

You are an ass, Joe.

The North Coast said...

The writer of this letter said it better than I ever could.

But will we all remember in 2011? Will we get off our duffs and go to vote in February?

Somehow I doubt it. I have spent 12 years in this nabe listening to denunciations of our Aldercritter, yet when you ask these people, did you vote, you find out they didn't bother because "you just replace one bum with another" or "that election was just soooooo nasty, I didn't want any part of it".

So don't scream if you don't vote. If you want this guy out, give his opponent a chance, no matter how unpromising he looks. At this point, I'd support the first bum that walks through the turnstiles at Loyola, who at least might be teachable. I'd vote for anybody and anything besides our incumbent and any of his aides, supporters, or sidekicks.

RP Free Speech said...

I have told you all, and showed his true self, for almost a year now, of the Alder-Joker.

Most of you did not believe me, thought I was just kidding or doing satire.

Joe Moore hasn't done much to help either the 49th Ward or Rogers Park in EIGHTEEN YEARS, has he? But, he's sure made money for himself (and now, the Barb), hasn't he?

SOCK says it right: IDIOTIC CRAP!

And I have the proverbial 'sneaking suspicion' that Moore's votes were the result of voting FRAUD. Hmmm....

Instead of railing against him, VOTE HIM OUT!

There is someone, other than the invisible Don Gordon, who would like to be your alderman...who can put Rogers Park back on the map...who is interested in maintaining the credibility of the 49th Ward.

WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THAT PERSON?

newgarder said...

Who could that be?
Wait...wait I see something.When I close my eyes I see a shape.
A form that appears to resemble a letter--yes letters!
That's what these images are.
They have to be.
I see a C.I think its a C.
Followed by an R and an,a..I-G.
Definitely an"IG".
There's an A as well-wow,this is really weird.
CRIGA? What's that? Hmmmmmm.
Hold on!
There's more:G,another G or maybe it's the same G-who knows?
Wait.
There's an E.
An E and an R and an N followed in rapid sequence by an H A.
Then I see an R and a,and a T
What letters have I seen so far.
C-R-IG-A-G-E-R-HA-R-T.
I don't know-I don't know.
Boy,is this divining thing exhausting but a burning bush told me what I gotta do-or was it Miss Sally and her magic mirror.
I hope this was meaningful somehow.
Perhaps those voices will stop now.

Razldazlrr said...

I always vote but I have always followed politics, although it has become more painful to watch in the past few years. So, if even a few people vote - we need to get the word out that it's a vote against Moore. He must really think people are a bunch of idiots to believe that letter he wrote. I'm sending him the invoice for my parking this month!

The North Coast said...

Given the results of the last few elections, we haven't given Moore any reason to think we're NOT idiots.

Let's show him we aren't in 2011.

academic one said...

You wanna be against Moore, fine then be against him but don't use speculation as part of your argument (rich lakefronters vs poor). Charging for night parking would have impacted the entire neighborhood, not the so called well to do along the lake. You cant park on Sheridan during the winter because its a snow route sooooooooo where do these cars go to park overnight? DUH they park wherever they can (for free) cuz they don't own a parking spot. They would have spilled west into the not so well to do areas, thus giving everyone fewer parking spots to compete for. I live a block away from the lake, drive a 25 year old car, am on a fixed income, rent an apartment, cant afford to pay for private parking and use Loyola Parks overnight parking when I cant find anyplace near my home. Drive down Sheridan at night and you see taxi cabs parked up & down the street. Glad all you gripers consider me and these hard working cab drivers as well to do.
The "well to do" aren't the only ones that use Loyola parking at night.

Instead of slamming Moore, slam the Park district for their new policy. Families who can least afford to pay for recreation will now have to fork over money just to use our lake front parks during the day (not just Loyola Park).
Fault the park district for creating a stratified society. Families whose only summer vacation is grilling at the lake front now are getting burned again. You wanna fault Moore for something find a valid argument that will convince people to vote for someone else .......... this isn't it.

Craig Gernhardt said...

==this isn't it.==

It sure is. Joe sold out our Menu Money. The rat bastard.

FYI: Sell your car if you can afford it. Take the CTA. Don't come here and whine about not finding a place to park. You get no pity from me, you elitist.

academic one said...

Elitist? What part of my post was elitist? The part where I say poor people wont be able to use the lake front parks because the park district is charging to park in parks, or was it the part that said cab drivers wont be able to find parking spots? Orrrrrrr is the part where you expect only people who can afford private parking keep their cars and those who cant sell theirs. Who in effect is the elitist?

Razldazlrr said...

academic - I really don't understand why you think you deserve free parking provided by the park district (or now everyone's money provided by Moore).
This is like other neighborhoods in the city, when it becomes too congested you:
1. pay to park your car 2. drive around until you find a spot 3. handicapped parking.
If none of those work - you don't have a car and take public.

I agree with one of the other posters - what about the people who want to come enjoy the lake and can't find a place to park because of the people that think these lots are their private parking spots?

academic one said...

Razldazlrr - Whether you have a car or you don't, most are missing what is happening with pay to park in parks. Seems that slamming Moore is more important than resolving the issue, which is that the public is getting screwed once again by the Park District this time. If you're unhappy about how Moore used the menu money then become involved and change the parameters as to what projects/items the monies can be applied to. He had the discretion as to how to use it. Really what you should focus on is why he had to use the funds. AGAIN the Park District is going to charge for EVERYONE to park in the ALL the parks. Moore was trying to maintain the status quo (in our park). Overnight parking in Loyola Park AND throughout the city was free until the LAZ agreement. The same thing will happen to the parks as has happened with the LAZ meters. People will just stop frequenting these areas. Albany Park retailers are already noticing a drop in customers since the meter rates have been raised. Ya I know, so what? Its more important to slam Moore. DUH ........ fewer sales means less sales tax, more businesses going bankrupt, and then higher taxes to make up for the loss of sales taxes.

You're concerned that people cant enjoy the lake because locals are parked in lots but are not concerned that they wont be able to afford the parking fees in ALL the parks. The free parking in Loyola park is effective from 7pm to 9am when the park is least used or closed.

Advocating that you pay for private parking instead of addressing over congestion or depleting parking spots is just what developers and gentrifiers want. Reside on Morse took away 6 parking spots just to make their building look grander but because Craig likes them, he doesn't make it an issue. Bet you can pay Reside on Morse for a parking spot.

If you want to slam Moore, slam him for voting on the LAZ vote in the first place and opening the door for the Park District to follow LAZs lead.

'Broken Heart' Past Blogs