Bryan W. Alaspa 1Da Mayor
August 10th 2009 13:25
Chicago is a town that loves to complain. It does so internally, as I have mentioned before, and we don’t like to have people form other cities coming and complaining about us. If you were born and raised here, you can complain about the weather and the city and how it’s run, but shut-up if you are from another town, especially New York.
Chicagoans love to complain about Mayor Daley. What is funny, however, is that every time there is an election and he runs, he manages to win again. In Chicago, the actual election is what would technically be called a primary election in other cities. The Republicans in this town have not managed to launch an actual competitive campaign against the incumbent for decades. So, whoever wins the Democratic primary in Chicago is going to be the Mayor. Daley has managed to do that again and again and again.
His father was the same way. The first Mayor Daley ran this town with an iron fist and became the second most powerful Democratic politician after the President for a time. His city was run so efficiently and with such ruthlessness it became known as a “Machine.” The city flourished under that rulership, however. Much of the city skyline as it is now was started under that Mayor. When he died in office in the mid-70s, however, things kind of went to hell in a hand-basket. People fled the downtown area like it was the second Great Chicago Fire or something.
That changed when his son, the current Mayor Daley, took control. People love to complain about him being a tyrant, but I like him in office. I feel safer with a Mayor in charge who isn’t afraid to pick up the phone and call the electric company when the electric company is having trouble maintaining power to people’s homes during a heatwave and screaming at the utility. We don’t have rolling blackouts and brown outs here in Chicago since about 1999 when the Mayor read the electric company the riot act.
I like his stand on gun control. I don’t think people should be allowed to walk around carrying guns like this is Deadwood. I think if that happens you end up with a lot of innocent people shot over silly things. It’s been proven that if ordinary people get into gunfights anyway, the adrenaline and nerves make them worse shots than a spastic blind man. Most of those famous gunslingers you’ve read about couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat.
I like the fact that he has done things to try and make the city look beautiful. To me, this is what a government should be doing. The city feels safer and it looks gorgeous. I love when friends come in from out of town and I show them around and, at some point, they say, “Geez, Chicago really is a beautiful city.” Millennium Park rocks and I love showing people. We don’t have garbage on the curbs like they do in New York and we don’t have cockroaches walking down the sidewalks like they own the place like they do there either.
Sure, he is notorious for his temper and for being a bully. Yes, his entire administration is run under a patronage program where it’s who you know and not whether or not you are qualified. I agree that his command of the English language was spurious to start with and has gotten worse over the years.
You know what? I don’t care. I love living here and I like having him in charge.
Chicagoans love to complain about Mayor Daley. What is funny, however, is that every time there is an election and he runs, he manages to win again. In Chicago, the actual election is what would technically be called a primary election in other cities. The Republicans in this town have not managed to launch an actual competitive campaign against the incumbent for decades. So, whoever wins the Democratic primary in Chicago is going to be the Mayor. Daley has managed to do that again and again and again.
His father was the same way. The first Mayor Daley ran this town with an iron fist and became the second most powerful Democratic politician after the President for a time. His city was run so efficiently and with such ruthlessness it became known as a “Machine.” The city flourished under that rulership, however. Much of the city skyline as it is now was started under that Mayor. When he died in office in the mid-70s, however, things kind of went to hell in a hand-basket. People fled the downtown area like it was the second Great Chicago Fire or something.
That changed when his son, the current Mayor Daley, took control. People love to complain about him being a tyrant, but I like him in office. I feel safer with a Mayor in charge who isn’t afraid to pick up the phone and call the electric company when the electric company is having trouble maintaining power to people’s homes during a heatwave and screaming at the utility. We don’t have rolling blackouts and brown outs here in Chicago since about 1999 when the Mayor read the electric company the riot act.
I like his stand on gun control. I don’t think people should be allowed to walk around carrying guns like this is Deadwood. I think if that happens you end up with a lot of innocent people shot over silly things. It’s been proven that if ordinary people get into gunfights anyway, the adrenaline and nerves make them worse shots than a spastic blind man. Most of those famous gunslingers you’ve read about couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat.
I like the fact that he has done things to try and make the city look beautiful. To me, this is what a government should be doing. The city feels safer and it looks gorgeous. I love when friends come in from out of town and I show them around and, at some point, they say, “Geez, Chicago really is a beautiful city.” Millennium Park rocks and I love showing people. We don’t have garbage on the curbs like they do in New York and we don’t have cockroaches walking down the sidewalks like they own the place like they do there either.
Sure, he is notorious for his temper and for being a bully. Yes, his entire administration is run under a patronage program where it’s who you know and not whether or not you are qualified. I agree that his command of the English language was spurious to start with and has gotten worse over the years.
You know what? I don’t care. I love living here and I like having him in charge.
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