Discussing Don Gordon (with RogersParkBooster)

NOTE: RogerspParkBooster has – again – demonstrated a fine writing ability. RPBooster’s comments (below) are long but well worth reading. I have inserted my own responses as “NOTE:” throughout. RogersParkBooster has left a new comment on your post "Why not start now Don?": What utter hypocrisy on the part of David Fagus - the ultimate Cook County Shadow Master and Democratic Party Machine Leach. To say his name is to hear the sucking sound of a fat do nothing government patronage worker masquerading as a middle manager, living far beyond the value he brings to the tax payer in return for shilling and campaigning for the likes of Joe Moore “most likely while he is on the public time clock.” NOTE: I agree that we should all work against the Democrat Party Machine. And you Tom “once a young campus Reaganite” how far you have fallen from your youthful principals if you would give credence to this pretzel logic. How can you possibly raise moral issues with the likes of Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton, and then give philosophical support to the twisted prevarications of a Chicago Machine squid like Fagus? From kickback parking at the Block building to his kickback job in county government, he should stand as the poster-boy for everything that is wrong with Chicago patronage politics. NOTE: First, as noted in the piece you are responding to, I would not normally agree with David Fagus. Frankly, I believe he is as dishonest as they come. But now and then even a hack like Fagus can ask a legitimate question. To repeat that legitimate question is hardly giving “philosophical support” to Fagus and his Machine. Look through the archives of my blog and you will see that I have been rather unkind to Fagus & Friends, and will give them no passes in the future. Second, I was never a “young campus Reaganite.” I never claimed to be! I graduated college nearly four years before Ronald Reagan was sworn into the Presidency for the first time. I said I was a conservative student activist, yes, but working on strictly local campus issues; my group did not get involved in national issues. Tom “your guy (Jim G) is a good fellow; “he raised good issues.” Don Gordon has listened to those issues, and agrees with many of them. “Jim lost” its time for you and all of Jim’s supporters to jump on over to the winning team and help bring real progressive change to the 49th “and at the same time bring to a permanent end any possibility of Joe Moore ever attaining higher office and doing to the rest of the country what he has done to our neighborhood. NOTE: Which “winning team?” The one that got 29% of the votes? Or the one that got 49.33% of the votes? Last time I checked, Adams and Ginderske were parts of a trio that, combined, garnered just over 50% of the vote. When you say “team,” are you omitting those voters? Or do you only mean the 29% that voted for Don Gordon? To un-spin all this foolishness, I will clearly explain what Don Gordon has promised to do. But first, let’s put this entire Fagus nonsense in the bright light of day. Don raised something in the area of $40k, and happily, with that tiny amount of money, has helped to force a run-off. Joe raised something in the area of $450k (not counting drug dealer cash, which Joe forgot to put on his D-2). Joe had influence to sell, and his D-2 numbers reflect it. Don had no influence to sell, and furthermore, he declared early on he never would be for sale. His numbers reflect it. Why? Because, if elected, he would no longer take donations. The Jay Johnsons of the world have no incentive to try and buy him today. Don is not for sale today and will not be for sale in the future. But it is clear “Joe Moore has been vacuuming up hundreds of thousands of dollars in declared and undeclared donations for the last two years. His influence is for sale to all comers. And Joe Moore has been buying votes at $10 a shot. The cost of a grocery store cash card “the cost of a pathetic bingo card. Don needs an office and telephones and the most basic organizational structure to prevail on April 17th. He hasn’t been vacuuming up cash with promises and threats for the last few years. It is nonsensical to expect that he would not accept donations in his attempt to rid the 49th of this strangling machine presence. He hasn’t been in office for 4 years to set aside future campaign expenses, nor has he had four years to gain the understanding and support of a firm majority of the voters here. It will take a few years before people realize what profound lies Joe Moore and his operatives have spun for so long. It will take less time for people to realize what a decent man Don Gordon is. NOTE: You wrote, “Don raised something in the area of $40k, and happily, with that tiny amount of money, has helped to force a run-off.” You seem to forget that there were two other men running, and together they forced the run-off. Had Ginderske and Adams not been in the race the picture would be very different today. Four years from now Alderman Gordon may face a DNC-backed opponent with unlimited cash. Then what? What you say sounds good, but why isn’t Don out there saying this himself? If Don goes out and says this loudly, it “will take less time for people to realize what a decent man Don Gordon is.” But again, “if elected, he would no longer take donations.” John McCain worked very hard to reform campaign contributions. Now that he’s running for President, however, he has indicated that those laws are really not so hot and he will be skirting around them every way he can. It’s like a guy out stealing hubcaps and assuring us during the theft that once he gets these little babies put on his own car he will never, ever, cross-my-heart do this again, really, trust me. Suggestion: Don Gordon should give away ALL developer donations and corporate donations to the same Little League groups that Joe Moore claims that he gives campaign cash. Now THAT would make a statement and would, frankly, be worth twice the value of the cash in the public relations points he would gain. Over the next four years, Don has pledged to act as the only campaign contributor to his re-election in 2011. That money will come from his aldermanic salary, which will, I believe, be his only substantive source of income. Other than his own contributions, he will not accept donations. It is very very simple “Don will not be for sale “his office will not be for sale “Zoning will not be for sale “Don Gordon’s protection will not be for sale to slum lords and drug dealers. The Jay Johnsons of this world will not be free to run slums in the 49th that kill innocent children a half dozen at a time, knowing that they have already bought the alderman’s support and protection. My God Tom “who is the friend of the poor? One of Joes’ best pals (Johnson) killed an entire family and then ran and hid behind Joe’s skirts and Joe stood up in front of the press and told us all what a fine fellow Johnson was. NOTE: For round figures, Don Gordon would gross $113,000 as an alderman. After taxes, he would be left with approximately $73,450 (at 35% tax rate). I assume that Don and Bonnie Gordon buy groceries, buy toilet paper, gasoline, pay electric bills, gas bills, property taxes, sales taxes, pay automobile insurance, health insurance, and on and on and on and by time you take out all of those expense, RPBooster, how much money will Don Gordon have left? Not enough to mount another campaign, that’s for sure. One good mailer costs upwards of $10,000. One! So after Don Gordon has saved up $30,000 after four years in office, what kind of campaign will he be able to run? Not a very effective one, especially if he faces a well financed opponent in four years. Unless Don can access at least $200,000 of personal wealth in four years, his promise of a donation-less campaign in 2011 is ridiculous. Don Gordon WILL NOT be on the take as is Joe Moore every waking minute of the day. NOTE: Define “on the take.” You mean like taking money from developers? Don Gordon WILL NOT sell influence as does Joe Moore. NOTE: Define “sell.” It’s not always money, you know. Favors can be bartered with no exchange of cash. Don Gordon WILL NOT shake down legitimate business people through intimidation as does Joe Moore. NOTE: Says you. How do we know? Don Gordon WILL NOT build a massive undisclosed (and quite illegal) slush fund of cash - much of which comes from gang and drug operations which Moore then shields from the law. Moore uses that cash to buy votes, buy gimme cash cards at Dominick’s, and to pay for his army of otherwise unemployed poor people who electioneer and intimidate at the poles. What would Joe do on Election Day if these folks had decent jobs instead of being poor and forgotten? Is their vote worth a $10 cash card? Is their vote and 14 hours standing in the cold on Election Day worth $100? That is exactly what their vote and their human dignity is worth to Joe Moore. Mr. Fighting for a living wage. What an unspeakable cynical hypocrite. Nothing but an old style tried and true machine politician. NOTE: Wow, as much as I loathe Joe Moore, even I would not accuse him of being funded by gangs and drug operations. You’re right about the Dominick’s cash cards, but can you prove that Moore is on the take from gang drug lords? Jeez, if you have the proof, man, go to the Feds with it! So Fagus and company are feeling the pressure, and will try anything to discredit Don Gordon. Joe Moore and his thugs will be trying every dirty trick, and telling any lie they can think of to somehow maintain their strangle hold on the businesses in the ward, the renters in the ward, the poor folks in the ward, the less advantaged in the ward. They will use scare tactics, racial slurs, misrepresentations, and lies. They will break the voting and campaign contribution laws. They will most very likely do worse. NOTE: Fagus, Moore and Company is undoubtedly feeling some pressure, but let’s not kid ourselves. This is a speed bump on Joe Moore’s road to Bigger Things. Are we to believe that Gordon and Company are not feeling pressure? Of course they are; I hope they are, for they would be fools not to. Is Joe Moore a known liar? Yes. Has he flouted election law? Yes. And yet virtually half of the voters voted for Joe Moore. Look at my precinct map, which I colored red and maroon for Joe and greens for Don. Unless every single Adams voter and every single Ginderske voter comes out again and, again, votes against Moore, Don cannot win. That will not happen. That is not my hope, it is a prediction. I hope I am wrong. But know this: Between now and April 17, inertia will set in. Voters who are not already bored with the election will be. The turnout will be smaller than it was on February 27. That works to Moore’s advantage. Can Don win? In theory, yes. But he and his organization have a lot of work to do, and if they change their tactics and strategy NOW they can pull it off. Problem is, Don is not asking the right people for advice. A number of voters know Gordon lieutenant Michael Harrington, who is probably more of a political liability than he is a vote getter. Harrington is seen as being even farther to the left than Moore and his false Progressives are. Like it or not, I am not the only conservative in the ward. Harrington should be dumped forthwith, publicly and loudly. The truth is obvious. So obvious, that if a person does not see, it is simply because they want to believe the lie. NOTE: The truth is often, but not always, “obvious.” One obvious truth is that Joe Moore has a huge Machine behind him. Don Gordon does not. More inconvenient truths: Joe Moore will continue to use unethical means of electioneering; one hopes that Don Gordon will continue not to. Joe Moore has a bigger name recognition and – believe it or not – is trusted by more voters than Don is. This is undeniable, as proven by Moore’s 49% to Gordon’s 29%. If you don’t see this, it is simply because you want to believe a lie. An effective coach will – must – criticize his players’ performance harshly and without prejudice. A writer needs an editor who is willing to hurt the writer’s feelings in the course of constructive criticism. To continue to sell Don Gordon as the be-all, end-all final solution to our problems is foolhardy. He needs constructive criticism as much as he needs your support. Don Gordon has earned our support over the past 25 years. It is time the community stood up and said Rogers Park can be a much better place for everyone living here. Tom, you should do your part to help bring about this constructive change. NOTE: He’s done a piss-poor job of telling us how he has “earned our support.” RPBooster, I agree that 16 of Moore is too much. Please do not misunderstand me. Gordon is preferable to Moore. I ask these questions because, like so many, I honestly seek satisfactory answers. I haven’t gotten them yet. Good slogans just don’t cut it. But let’s keep the dialog and conversation open. Please write again. Vote for positive change, honest and transparent government in the 49th ward on April 17. Vote for Don Gordon. NOTE: That’s a good slogan.