On February 6th a group of neighbors are holding a informative meeting regarding a dog park (DFA) in Rogers Park. The meeting will be held at the Glenwood, 6962 North Glenwood. It starts at 3 PM.
The flyer states the effort is in part with Joe Moore's Participatory Budget Process. As much as I like dogs, that doesn't light my fire knowing that menu money would be going to a dog park.
As some may know, Margo Hackett and I attempted to bring one of these type of leash-less dog parks to Rogers Park a few years ago. The process is maddening. The "hoops and rings" you have to go through make it nearly impossible to even find the right space. Then there's the money. These things cost about $150,000 to build.
And... You can't just show up at the dog park without permits and current shots for fido. You know our government. You have to have a current permit and a up-to-date tags before you go. Otherwise, you may face a hefty fine of up to $500.
Anyhow, I wish this group luck. Just don't look for my support if any tax dollars are used. I'd rather see the money go to more foot patrol police officers on Morse Avenue.
29 comments:
years ago I shot you an email about a parking lot that the city took form my building on the lake front (albion & the lake).
Its still empty, just growing weeds. It would be a perfect location for a dog park, its even already fenced in.
The park district still owns it. They have no real plans for it. Absentee landlord.
I'm not a big fan of dog parks. To put lots of dogs in a fenced in space when they don't know each other and then they are expect them to socialize just doesn't always work. In my experience, there were so many people that just walked in and let their dogs go and then talked on the phone or to other people and paid no attention to their animals - it drove me crazy! (just like how nuts it makes me now when people are talking on their phones or texting while they walk their dog). PAY ATTENTION!! If it's not a really large space - what's the point? I would rather keep my dogs on retractable leashes.
This year's property tax bills ought to make us reconsider the way we're allocating tax revenues. Owners of $50,000 shanties in nabes like Englewood and Gage Park are being slammed in the gut with tax bills as high as $5000. Our poor and lower-middle income homeowners are being DESTROYED, and many of the poorest will end up homeless as a result of the last round of property tax hikes.
In such a context, every expenditure of tax money needs to be questioned, and any non-essential project needs to be scuttled. We're going to have to make some very tough choices from here forward if we want to keep our city running properly without taxing the population into complete financial ruin.Look at your last property tax bill- what unnecessary civic amenity or service would you part with to lower that bill and still maintain the basic services we badly need?
This means the dog park here in RP, the new library in Edgewater, and dozens of other low-priority and unnecessary civic improvements ought to be scuttled in order to make sure our essential services such as police and fire protection, and essential infrastructure maintenance, are adequately funded, AND to avoid more property tax increases.
Off topic but hey were from Louisiana and I thought you might like this.
Dear Miami ,
The Saints are coming. And so are we, their loyal, long-suffering and
slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.
While there's still time to prepare -- although a few hard-core Who Dats
will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won't arrive until Thursday or
Friday -- we thought we'd give you a heads-up about what you should expect.
First things first: You need more beer.
Yeah, we know. You ordered extra. You think you have more than any group of
humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You don't.
New Orleans was a drinking town long before the Saints drove us to drink.
But it turns out beer tastes better when you're winning. (Who knew?) So
let's just say we're thirsty for more than a championship; adjust your
stockpiles accordingly.
And look. When we ask you for a go-cup, be nice to us. We don't even know
what "open container law" means. Is that anything like "last call"?
It's Carnival season in New Orleans (that's Mardi Gras to you), and we'll be
taking the celebration on the road. So don't be startled if you walk past us
and we throw stuff at you; that's just our way of saying hello.
Oh, and sorry in advance about those beads we leave dangling from your palm
trees. We just can't help ourselves.
February is also crawfish season, and you can be sure that more than one
enterprising tailgater will figure out a way to transport a couple sacks of
live mudbugs and a boiling pot to Miami .
When the dude in the 'Who Dat' T-shirt asks if you want to suck da head and
pinch da tail, resist the urge to punch him. He's not propositioning you.
He's inviting you to dinner.
And if you see a big Cajun guy who looks exactly like an old Saints
quarterback walking around town in a dress ... don't ask. It's a long story.
We know that crowd control is a major concern for any Super Bowl host city.
Our advice? Put away the riot gear.
Reason No. 1: Indianapolis is going to lose, and their fans are way too dull
to start a riot.
Reason No. 2: New Orleans showed the world on Sunday that we know how to
throw a victory party. We don't burn cars. We dance on them.
Reason No. 3: Even if we did lose, which we won't, leaving the stadium would
be like leaving a funeral, and our typical response to that is to have a
parade.
Speaking of which: If you happen to see a brass band roll by, followed by a
line of folks waving their handkerchiefs, you're not supposed to just stand
there and watch. As our own Irma Thomas would say, get your backfield in
motion.
And hey, Mister DJ! Yes, we know you've already played that stupid Ying Yang
Twins song 10 times tonight, but indulge us just one more time.
To us, "Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)" isn't just a song; it's 576
points of good memories. It's the sound of a Drew Brees touchdown pass to
Devery Henderson, a Pierre Thomas dive for first down on 4th-and-1, a
Garrett Hartley field goal sailing through the uprights in overtime.
It's what a championship sounds like. You may get sick of hearing it. We
won't. Encore, dammit.
Inside Sun Life Stadium, you may find your ears ringing more than usual.
We're louder than other fans. Seven thousand of ours sound like 70,000 of
theirs.
Don't believe us? Ask the 12th man in the Vikings huddle.
Some people think it's just the Dome that heightens our volume. But you're
about to discover a little secret: We can scream loud enough to make your
head explode, indoors or out.
It's not the roof. It's the heart.
Well, OK, and the beer.
Susan Poag / The Times-Picayune
Don't be surprised if there are more Saints fans outside the stadium than
inside. A lot of us are coming just to say we were part of history, even if
we can't witness it up close. The Saints are family to us, and you know how
it is with family: We want to be there for them, whether they really need us
or not. Because we know our presence will mean something to them, whether
they can see us or not.
Come to think of it, seeing as how you're taking us in for the week, we
pretty much regard you as family, too. So we're warning you now: If you're
within hugging distance, you're fair game.
Hugging strangers is a proud Who Dat tradition, right up there with crying
when we win.
Most sports fans cry when their teams lose. Not us. We've been losing
gracefully and with good humor for 43 years. Tragedy and disappointment
don't faze us. It's success that makes us go to pieces.
Hurricane Katrina? We got that under control. The Saints in the Super Bowl?
SOMEBODY CALL A PARAMEDIC!!!
So anyway, don't let the tears of joy freak you out. We're just ...
disoriented.
OK. Let's review:
Order more beer. Throw me something, mister. Suck da heads. Wear da dress.
Stand up. Get crunk. Hug it out. Protect your eardrums. Pass the Kleenex.
Hoist the trophy.
See you at the victory party.
Faithfully yours,
The Who Dat Nation
where would this dogpark be?
We have one of these flyers up at my store... And while I also support the efforts to create a dog-park, it raises to my mind the topic of Aldermanic Menu Money.
If I'm short on cash, I don't go out and buy stuff! So of course I question how, with ALL levels of government operating at such a deficit, are we even finding cash to keep spending?!?
Now is NOT the time for everyone to be fighting for their cut of the pie! The money doesn't actually exist... STOP SPENDING IT.
Want to try a cutting-edge experiment? How about we, as the 49th Ward, lead the city in controlled spending and cutting costs! Damned near every household in the city is ALREADY doing it... Why doesn't the city itself give it a shot?
My hope is that Joe Moore was mis-quoted when talking about his plans for the funds, because when I read, "We’ll just go down [the list of projects] until we run out of money."... I swear that a chill went down my spine.
i can literally think of a million areas of focus in rogers park that $150k would be better spent on...and i love dogs too. this is a terrible idea, but comes as no surprise.
Timothy:
Why not talk with Bill Morton, the 'president' of Rogers Park Chamber of Coomerce, about this?
I am certain that he, as a dog-owner (a despicable term), he may be able to help with your dilemma. He can be e-mailed at rogersparkchamberofcommerce@gmail.com
A woman in my church is associated with g group interested in bringing the dog park to the 'hood. I jokingly thought, "Why not have a cat part?"
I wish that group luck, but, like others here, I believe their efforts would be better used working to bring something to RP that the neighborhood really needs.
I've said it before and I'll say it again:
The idea of putting a million dollars at the disposal of each of our 50 aldermen to use on whatever neighborhood project s/he deems most urgent or that strike his fancy, is ludicrous.
Moore wants a dog park, and Mary Ann Smith in the 48th is hoarding her discretionary fund for a totally unneeded new library while the axle-breaker pot hole at Granville& Sheridan goes unrepaired.
The "discretionary" funds ought to be remitted to the city, and these funds should be used to make urgent repairs and needed improvements to our essential water, street, and sewer infrastructure. There should be no question of yet another park or library or other luxury being built while the facilities we have are adequate, and while our water and sewer infrastructure is very aged and urgently needs replacement.
Can we, as citizens, organize for a referendum that would force these Discretionary funds to be returned to a city fund that would use thse funds strictly for urgent repairs and upgrades of essential water, sewer, and road infrastructure? This seems like an urgent issue to me, given the age and deteriorated condition of our water and sewer mains.
Woof
however you would have more people out walking there dogs
Theres the foot traffice
more foot traffic
more safety.
Im not a huge fan of dogs
atleast in my place, but
hey its okay, people should have a nice dogpark.
where would the dogpark go
anyways?
nc- the city has been repairing the water mains and sewers for the last 10 years. there is still work to do, but wringing your hands as though no one has noticed this situation but you shows that you are just addicted to outrage.
My dearest neighbors,
What a wonderful idea for Rogers Park! However, I don't quite understand the necessity for a leashless park since almost all dog owners know that we can use the lakefront park and beach for that purpose. I just welcomed a fifth dog to my growing family and would welcome another place where we can go to play with our doggie neighbors.
And what is all the fuss with the cost? That is why we pay our taxes. So the government can take care of our needs. I am not surprised that the wonderful and wise Joe Moore might get behind this project.
Thanks to all of you who offers ideas on how to accomplish this extrodinary goal. I am already excited.
Leave it to "been there" to mount a snide personal attack.
While I'm sure most of the citizens have noticed how decrepit our infrastructure has become, our local political leaders only have eyes for their pet projects. While I personally like dog parks and love the library, I have to question the priorities of our leaders when they shoot our money on needless luxuries during the worst downturn in 80 years.
Been there, you once stated that you have condos for sale, which means that you are more affluent than most of the citizens of this city, including me. It's possible that the monster tax hike has not caused you undue suffering. Well, I know of three people in my circle, people who are not at all affluent, who must sell their houses because they can't meet their property taxes. You see, they could not have anticipated the massive escalation in their house payments due to their taxes doubling in five years, and are thus forced to sell at the worst time possible. A couple of these people are underwater on their mortgages and will take terrible losses because they are forced to sell at an inopportune time.
And our water and sewer infrastructure needs MUCH work. Our transit is steeply underfunded, and so is our police department. Chicago still has no emergency preparedness plan in place.
And, while most of our citizens, especially those who work in the private sector, are being furloughed or are taking reduction in hours and pay, our politicians still continue to vote themselves pay raises, and to fund unnecessary projects that could surely wait for better times.
I'm willing to sacrifice public amenities that I would enjoy in order to keep the city solvent and give our people a break on property taxes. After all, I've had to make enough personal sacrifices to balance my personal budget over the past few years.
Why do our politicians not realize that the taxpaying public is not a bottomless pit and the point has come where we simply cannot give anymore?
Dogs are trustworthy animals.
When I start walking along the sidewalk I've learned to trust that soon I'll have to step around some recently digested dog food.
What is the purpose of a disposable diaper if it's discarded on the concrete half a step from the green garbage container anyway;isn't there a dog law about that.
nc, i have no idea what you are talking about. i have no condos. i own my own home, and that's it. and i pay my taxes the old fashioned way. with a smile.
big cities are about more than sewers. if you only worry about the bread, and think that circuses are a luxury, you end up with neither. it is what makes us humans and not apes.
I enjoy watching gorillas at the circus also.
Or the zoo.
Whichever.
bow-wow-ow-ow-OW-OUCH!!
Been there, circuses are for times when you have the money to spare,not when you are verging on insolvency. If the city had no financial problems and if property taxes were low, I wouldn't have a problem with this project. But when I'm cutting back on every unnecessary expenditure in my own life and deferring the purchase of items I would really like to have, for fear of my job and my future, I, like most citizens, have lower tolerance for public extravagance.
In case you have not noticed, the United States is bankrupt, the state of IL is one of the 5 states in the deepest financial trouble, and the City of Chicago has a seriously undermanned police department, and transit that has once more reduced its service.
And, while YOU may be affluent enough to pay your taxes a smile, many poor residents of this city are NOT smiling as they put their crumbling little houses in Englewood and Garfield Park up for sale for whatever they will fetch, because they can't pay the taxes on them. Homeowners in these neighborhoods, who are low-wage earners or poor retirees, are getting tax bills for $3000 to $5000.
You often posture as "compassionate", yet how compassionate is it to confiscate the homes of our working poor and cash-strapped retirees to fund unnecessary expenditures?
I believe in civic amenities such as museums, libraries, zoos, well-tended beaches, and parks. But we are already quite adequately supplied with those things, and if we want to be able to hold onto them and fund them adequately in the future without destroying our most vulnerable citizens financially, then we are going to have to tighten the belt during this most difficult time-a time in which most of us are not getting raises, or are getting salaries and hours cut, or are getting laid off of jobs that will never come back.
Therefore, the alderman's discretionary fund should be kept in reserve against urgent necessities, not wasted on needless frills. We could also spend that $150K improving the parks and beaches in this neighborhood, which are in need of some attention.
Fuck you, been there. That second paragraph of your last post amounts to a bigger pile of shit than all the stray dog turds in Rogers Park combined. You're a caricature. And a lame one at that...
FYI: Please don't confuse Billyjoe's Brain with regular ole' Billyjoe, who may incite other commenters, but certainly doesnt use foul language when he posts.
The menu money can only be used for structures, not services (like foot patrols). The dog park is only one proposal -- the entire ward will vote for the items they want to spend the money on.
If indeed the menu money is only to be used for "structures" or capital improvements, then that is reason enough for all menu money for all 50 wards to be returned to the city so it can be used for necessary service, including the maintenance of the "structures" we already have, which either are not well-maintained, or have been forced to cut back their operations because of budget problems?
What's the use of replacing a perfectly adequate library building with something larger when the library operating hours have been cut back because of budget constraints? What's the use of building another park when we can't even maintain the ones we have properly? Rogers Park has a number of little neighborhood parks that are sorely in need of improvement and our beaches need work.
We need to work on the way we allocate money in this city.
From what I've read, ward menu money was created because the city (Daley) only funded projects of favored aldermen. I agree it's a stupid system. But what can you do in such a corrupt system?
Three points:
1.) Ward money is city infrastructure money allocated to each ward, this is not by any means, the majority of the money the city uses for infrastructure improvements like street lighting, street resurfacing, drainage pipes, etc. It does have its advantages in that it allows money to be allocated by the politicians in the neighborhood who should know what the biggest issues are. It also allows the residents to hold Alderman accountable when their street is filled with pot holes. (Passing blame away from the mayor's office to the alderman is much more likely a reason it was created rather than to stop corruption of infrastructure money as city controls a whole lot more cash then menu money.)Unfortunately, jsut like alot of what goes on in this city..decisions often get decided poorly on the aldermatic level as well.
2.) The dog park is one of as much as 50+ projects that are being considered from street resurfacing, security cameras, lighting all the way to public art and bike trails for menu money. While I am for a dog park in the ward, it will not be what I vote for in using ward menu money on. The neighborhood has far more important needs, and I think dog parks are better created from citizen participation with the park district then through public funds.
I serve on the Public Safety committee and have been amazed at how serious these people have taken to their job. Walking the streets of Rogers Park at night cataloging poor lighting, reviewing the merits of police cameras and looking at crime statistics as well as 911 call reports.
Most of this committee has been about recommend street lighting and I hope some of you will join me when the time comes to support improvements in public safety in the ward when using ward menu money funds.
In my opinion, both a library and a dog park ARE public amenities and SHOULD be paid for by my tax dollars. To say that you get a library over pothole repairs implies that there's one and only one pot of money that someone can tap into, and that it's an either/or proposition. Neither are true, and to say so is frankly simple-minded.
And I live in 48 and am no fan of Mary Ann Smith, for the record.
The dog friendly area was ward resident's idea, not Moore's.
FYI, for all of you with strong opinions on the matter of how the ward discretionary money should be spent, you can get on the next steering committee, or individual committee, for next year's round.
At the very least, you can vote. In fact, voting age starts at 16.
The dog park passed the ward vote. It's a done deal.
I attended neighborhood meetings, and voted on the participatory budgeting polls. The Parks and Recreation Committee was the only committee that seemed largely focused on pushing an agenda, as opposed to pursuing the will of the ward.
That's how we ended up with the commitment for a dog park, and nothing specifically for CHILDREN - from the efforts of the Parks And Recreation Committee.
I think the dog park is a good thing, actually. I just note the committee was mostly elderly and gay citizens who seemed to care little for doing anything for ward children.
Regarding Rachael Slur's remark that dog owners know they can use the lakefront parks and beaches to run their dogs offleash: That is against city code. That is against park district code. That is irresponsible behavior. If you don't have private space to run your dog, or a dog park nearby, sufficient to keep your dog healthy and happy, you shouldn't own a dog. Your selfishness translates into a reduced quality of life for an innocent dog.
If you're that lonely, get some therapy, so you can have some meaningful and fulfilling human relationships.
I'm regularly accosted by off leash dogs at those areas, and I don't appreciate it.
Dog owners who allow their dogs to jump on me are risking their dogs' death or injury in a most gruesome manner, as I act in self-defense.
I've owned dogs. I NEVER walked my dogs on anyone's front yard. I kept them on the public parkway. I NEVER allowed them to jump on strangers. They stayed on leash in public areas.
I loved my dogs, but I respect myself and other human beings enough to manage the dogs responsibly.
I hope there are more dog parks available over time, because it's not the dogs' fault that city dwellers are selfish enough to own them in inappropriate settings.
I also hope that next year, with my involvement, the Parks and Recreation Committee will actually contribute something directly benefiting ward children.
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