July 21, 2010 - The 46th Ward aldermanic race has one less contender today. Gerald Farinas, a self-described Republican,
is out of the race. The 27-year old announced yesterday on his website (
see below) and on
his Twitter page that he was shutting down his campaign. (Nothing at his
Facebook page as of 2:15 p.m., July 21.)
The still-crowed contest now has at least four (maybe five) people hoping to replace
incumbent Helen Shiller (presumed to be running but she hasn't announced; and insider rumors are swirling that she may not).
1) James Cappleman ("life-long Democrat" who claims to be independent but
kisses Machine butt by his own admission);
2) Michael Carroll (CPD officer with a
very impressive background);
3) Molly Phelan (tax attorney who gained fame locally for her fight against Shiller's TIF funding of the Wilson Yard project; more about Phelan
here and
here);
4) Don Nowotny (Streets and Sanitation muckety-muck and Machine cog; see
here and
here);
5?) Jesse Wilson (Probably not really a candidate and has not filed, but rumors fly at
online gossip trough Uptown Update).
From the Farinas campaign website:
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
WE'RE SORRY TO END OUR CAMPAIGN
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dear friends and neighbors:
It is with deep regret that our campaign has come to an early end. Since Gerald’s October 11, 2009 announcement, his small but dedicated team has met with many wonderful people in our neighborhoods at bus benches, train platforms, school playgrounds, coffee stops with cops and firefighters, and picketing with construction and hotel workers. Thanks for the lunches and dinners, and the occasional ice cold glass of Dr. Pepper that Gerald loves so much! But he loved the conversations more! He absolutely loved meeting so many great neighbors like you!
We know there were many who had no confidence in what we were trying to do, some proclaiming our ship was sunk before it even launched. Still others have shared that this is the year for a dark horse. But the odds are against us. Our community is not ready for real, bold, innovative change that it needs. It looks like it won’t vote for something that’s too new to them. The field is too crowded and our good message is being drowned out by well-funded veterans of Chicago ward politics with massive appetites for the title of “Ward Boss” and deeply entrenched divisions among neighbors.
We have learned this, though. Gerald, nor any neighbor of our Ward, does not have to run for alderman to make the case for a new, strong and more efficient anti-crime program, education reform with uplifting after school programs for latchkey kids, greater senior citizen advocacy and safer senior living communities, and the roll-out of a more aggressive pro-small business and pro-main street campaign to pull our neighborhoods out of localized economic depression and put neighbors back to work.
(From http://geraldfarinas.com/)
WARNING!!! If you visit Farinas's website, you'll see "Click here to continue reading" - DO NOT CLICK THAT LINK: IT GOES TO A PAGE THAT CONTAINS A VIRUS.
RELATED:
Letter From Gerald Farinas Lake Effect News (May 12, 2010)
July 21, 2010 - The 46th Ward aldermanic race has one less contender today. Gerald Farinas, a self-described Republican, is out of the race. The 27-year old announced yesterday on his website (see below) and on his Twitter page that he was shutting down his campaign. (Nothing at his Facebook page as of 2:15 p.m., July 21.)
The still-crowed contest now has at least four (maybe five) people hoping to replace incumbent Helen Shiller (presumed to be running but she hasn't announced; and insider rumors are swirling that she may not).
1) James Cappleman ("life-long Democrat" who claims to be independent but kisses Machine butt by his own admission);
2) Michael Carroll (CPD officer with a very impressive background);
3) Molly Phelan (tax attorney who gained fame locally for her fight against Shiller's TIF funding of the Wilson Yard project; more about Phelan here and here);
4) Don Nowotny (Streets and Sanitation muckety-muck and Machine cog; see here and here);
5?) Jesse Wilson (Probably not really a candidate and has not filed, but rumors fly at online gossip trough Uptown Update).
From the Farinas campaign website:
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
WE'RE SORRY TO END OUR CAMPAIGN
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dear friends and neighbors:
It is with deep regret that our campaign has come to an early end. Since Gerald’s October 11, 2009 announcement, his small but dedicated team has met with many wonderful people in our neighborhoods at bus benches, train platforms, school playgrounds, coffee stops with cops and firefighters, and picketing with construction and hotel workers. Thanks for the lunches and dinners, and the occasional ice cold glass of Dr. Pepper that Gerald loves so much! But he loved the conversations more! He absolutely loved meeting so many great neighbors like you!
We know there were many who had no confidence in what we were trying to do, some proclaiming our ship was sunk before it even launched. Still others have shared that this is the year for a dark horse. But the odds are against us. Our community is not ready for real, bold, innovative change that it needs. It looks like it won’t vote for something that’s too new to them. The field is too crowded and our good message is being drowned out by well-funded veterans of Chicago ward politics with massive appetites for the title of “Ward Boss” and deeply entrenched divisions among neighbors.
We have learned this, though. Gerald, nor any neighbor of our Ward, does not have to run for alderman to make the case for a new, strong and more efficient anti-crime program, education reform with uplifting after school programs for latchkey kids, greater senior citizen advocacy and safer senior living communities, and the roll-out of a more aggressive pro-small business and pro-main street campaign to pull our neighborhoods out of localized economic depression and put neighbors back to work.
(From http://geraldfarinas.com/) WARNING!!! If you visit Farinas's website, you'll see "Click here to continue reading" - DO NOT CLICK THAT LINK: IT GOES TO A PAGE THAT CONTAINS A VIRUS.
RELATED:
Letter From Gerald Farinas Lake Effect News (May 12, 2010)
