I am beginning to believe that he set this up deliberately to embarrass the Council, particularly Lowery and Strickland. He is now jerking our chain, which is not the act of a leader, or even an adult. Unless the Mayor provides a new letter confirming retirement on July 30, he will not go.
I believe these actions are the actions of someone who is no longer stable enough to hold the office of Mayor. I believe an ouster suit challenging his capability to serve could be made, and succeed. I don't want it to ever have to come to that, but his actions are injuring this city to a point from which it may never recover.
Your thoughts?
13 comments:
I think the more time he gives Strickland, the better he will do.
sbanbury
I hate to say it, but he's a democratically-elected batshit insane mayor. We know what we have to do to get him out of office, but don't have the strength of will to do it.
If the plan was to make sure we get rid of the Mayor, this resolution is worthless, and very possibly counter productive.
Willie Herenton reacts when threatened or when, in his mind, someone is disrespecting him.
He will probably stay in office past 7/30 just to show those "haters" that they can't boss Willie Herenton around.
I want Herenton out of office as much as anyone but when will those in the public spotlight learn to lie low, keep their mouths shut, and let Willie go out on his own terms. I don't particularly like it that way but we will get rid of him faster that way.
Somebody should dig up the clip of WH on Aaron Brown Nightline on CNN a couple of years back where he was pleading for extra Homeland Security funds because Memphis was being short-changed. He said it's a transportation hub and it's very important that we have funds to defend against an attack.
God forbid a tornado, an earthquake on the New Madrid fault, etc. or a terror attack should happen while we don't know who our leader is and for how long. I don't think it's likely to be the latter, but either of the first two could happen, and 9/11 happened on an election day.
Speaking of natural disasters, where was WH during the power outage?
What is your alternative to a "democratically-elected ... mayor?" You may not have voted for him anymore than you did for George W. Bush, but until Herenton is defeated at the polls, is elected to Congress or drops over dead, what specifically and concretely do you propose to do? Writing blogs provides an emotional outlet and talk of a "movement" may be verbally satisfying, but as Sean Connery asked Kevin Costner in _The Untouchables_, "what are you prepared to do? Given the film's basis in Chicago your affection for its well-run and managed city government, I might think you would draw upon examples from there as a place to start.
Let's all wait til 30 July and enjoy the summer.
Well, I DID write Richie in for mayor in 2003...
No, I mentioned the ouster suit up above, that is a solution. We are not going to treat him like a god because he hasn't been one since 2004.
Not that he was before then, but he at least was a good, if occasionally infuriating, Mayor up until then.
Good, then let's have privately-run parking meters that jack prices beyond imagining with utterly no oversight on the part of Chicago's government. Let's also have a Mayonr who arbitrarily signs an agreement to pay for the Olympics without consulting the City Council populated overwhelmingly by members of his own "D" party. Let's also have a Mayor who wants to cut police and fire services, can't find money to clear ice off residential side streets in January, can't adequately repair potholes described by the Tribune as moon craters and, at the last, God knows what else the well-run, efficient and above board Chicago city government has accomplished under "Richie." I once liked him, but after having seen the effects of his efforts over the past year, I would absolutely and without hesitance vote for any Republican candidate in the next mayoral race. Would my candidate win? Of course not. But the results of one party goverment are one party self-righteous arrogance so palpably obvious to anyone who isn't so totally impressed with his Barry Bonds-like excuses for a place where he has never lived.
I never said Richie was perfect did I? Heh.
I agree, the Olympics obsession has turned into his Great White Whale (and you thought YOU were the only one with literary references!) and it could lead to his, and the city's downfall.
@ anon 9:52 am:
One alternative is, as Tom says, enjoy the summer until the end of the month and hope he goes away.
If our enjoyment ends then due to his reneging again, then we get started on a recall petition, which can't per the city charter be submitted to the election commission until January, and then hold a recall election when the next general election is held (I think that would be May - but not sure if it has to be the next city general election or just any next general election). In the meantime he gets to keep playing cat and mouse with the city, but we ignore him and go about the business of dealing with the issues we face - but put in place the means to cut off at least a year and a half of the torture with a recall....by the voters.
Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #462
General Ross unveils a new and very unorthodox strategy for dealing with the Hulk. Ross orders his men not to fire, nor even pay any attention to the Hulk. When asked why Ross explains, that the Hulk is like a child acting out in reaction. The Army chasing him for all these years only escalated the situation, giving Hulk the thing he really wants, which is to prove that Hulk is the strongest one there is.
So once Ross ignore the Hulk, to the point of paying no attention to his rants and roars. The Hulk, very confused leaped away.
I'm just saying.
The Cracker shows common sense and perspective! Might ought to put a Bear Blue Letter "P" on a chain around his neck, parade him into downtown Chicago and have him displayed for Richie and his Reverend Dimmesdale minions to see!
Perhaps we could even have the Cracker assume a small outpost away from the center of the Great Metropolis, have him invite his flock to greater and more enriching political and ideological illumination, only to have them indicate that any such efforts will inevitably result in his damnation. Maybe, a la Theron Ware, he can move to the great "liberal" bastion of which he is so fond and sell insurance.
If he likes Richie so much, may we suggest that he pack his bags and move to Chicago? Excuses will continue along with one-party hegemonic corruption, but at least the Cracker will have discovered a form of consistency. In good ole Baptist language, maybe the discovery of such consistency will open his eyes.
I hope you're wrong ....
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