Meet Ald. Brian Hopkins The Gentry Liberal of the Liberal Gentry

"It (softball fields) really ties up the park for hours a day all summer long," Hopkins said. "You don't even want to be on the running track because you'll be hit by a fly ball."

Gentry Liberalism - "Gentry liberalism combines four basic elements: faith in postindustrial “creative” financial capitalism, cultural liberalism, Gore-ite environmentalism and the backing of the nation’s arguably best-organized political force, public employee unions. Obama rose to power on the back of all these forces and, until now, has governed as their tribune."

To the doctrines of Gentry Liberalism I would add the concept of the smart city - that high-density living in the core, rather than suburban sprawl, is the optimal design for the modern urbanopolis.

Chicago was a city of villages, called neighborhoods occupied by African Americans, Lithuanians, Croatians, Serbs, Poles, Italians, Irish and Germans.  The city center, the Loop, was where you might go to work, take the bus, or L home to your neighborhood - West Lawn, Clearing, Englewood, or Hegewisch.

Real estate, banks, TIFs, University of Chicago social scientists, Northwestern journalists and Shakman exempted public grifters, as well operators of gyms, bike fascists and empty nesters bought into city center living.  The south Loop, west of the Loop and Goose Island became choice real estate, once Richie Daley was convinced to knock down the Jets.  HUD sprinkled FHA tenants out into Englewood, Gresham, Lawndale, Austin and the immediate suburbs to cut off white flight.

This Progressive, affluent and self-concerned coalition changed the Chicago landscape, language and lifestyle.  Neighborhoods became communities.  The Fort Dearborn Massacre became a battle and the verbal "shootings" were padded with the modifiers gang-related and police - to ensure media purity of language and litigation surety.  Fried boneless chicken breast is not a Chicago Value. Bike lanes replaced everything, Divvy stations took up parking spaces and fruit flavored IPAs replaced beer.

A few weeks ago two of the more idiotic members of City government put their dainty toes in the waters to see how a private army of real estate cops would fly.  One of these worthies is Alderman Brian Hopkins!  Along with Proco Joe Moreno, Hopkins shares the Wicker Park community, as hipster-doofi barons.  Proco Joe, at the prodding of Rahm Emanuel, made a national joke of himself ( always a good litmus test for a Progressive - see Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley) when he thundered against fried boneless chicken.

Well, Brian Hopkins is plunging into similar notoriety with his indictment of 16" Chicago, Clincher softball ( God, I hope it is that and not the dweeb-happy 'play with gloves' variety) being played in Chicago Parks.

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) told the Chicago Park District board last week that he would prefer a "grassy meadow" over the ball fields at Lake Shore Park, 808 N. Lake Shore Drive, citing concerns from neighbors who say its adult softball league has outgrown the quaint park surrounded by luxury high-rises.

I would prefer a greasy cheeseburger smothered in grilled onions basket with cheesefries over a new bike lane any day, but that ain't about to happen.

Parks are for people not some hipster doofus with a sinecure. The mission of the Chicago Park District is to:

• Enhance the quality of life in Chicago by becoming the leading provider of recreation and leisure opportunities
• Provide safe, inviting and beautifully maintained parks and facilities
• Create a customer-focused and responsive park system that prioritizes the needs of children and families 

Looks like Brian fails the sniff test on all three infinitives; undaunted the Progressive crank is undeterred:

"It ( people playing a team sport) really ties up the park for hours a day all summer long," Hopkins said. "You don't even want to be on the running track because you'll be hit by a fly ball." HIKE THAT SKIRT!
The park has two diamonds that are primarily used by an adult coed league run by Chicago Sport & Social Club. Hopkins said the diamonds "are not really in an ideal place" for the league, which has some "pretty good players" who often hit the ball out of the park.
"One ball hit the side of a CTA bus not too long ago," he said. "It's an accident waiting to happen." ( emphases, sarcasm, sexist irony and parenthetical notes my own)

Think of the Buses, People!!!!!!!!!

Hopkins ends his appeal with that grand old Progressive chestnut -The Children, "If you want to use the field to teach your kid to kick a soccer ball, throw a Frisbee, lay a blanket down for a picnic, you can’t,"

Send your kid with other kids to the prairie like normal people. You picnic in a Chicago mini-park?  Vote this clown down.

These clowns really are too much, but not nearly as "too much" as the voting Chicagoan who goes along with our protected morons.