Showing posts with label Policy v.Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Policy v.Politics. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Rahm Ready - Policy Power! There Should Be “No Petticoats in Politics.”

Date night for Jane Addams and Ellen Starr -Progressive Icons

From the moment that manly Miss Jane Addams stabbed her political sponsor*, Alderman Johnny Powers, in the back ( repeatedly by the way) and managed the media of her day, people who could never manage to get three people to vote for them in a public election have driven Policy. Policy is the governmental Yin to the Yang that is Politics.

Policy is cooked up by academics. Politics is the response to life's practical necessities. Policy is Progressive and Politics is practical government's hand maiden. However, the 19th Century Short-Haired Women and Long-Haired Men are today's Progressive. When policy purges politics, Progressives retain Power.

When a popular vote on public policy is an impossibility, Policy gets worked through a compliant legislature or at best the courts. Polling is applied and pie-charts spice policy. Today in Kristen Mack's fine Chicago Tribune caveat Chicago nonprofits fund Emanuel team's transition:Leading foundations agree to cover $200,000 in costs, we get a glimpse into the progressive policy wheel being set up. Qui bono? Not us helots that's fer dang shure! The usual 1960's SDS crowd of Cadillac Commies and real estate moguls will do handsomely.

Rahm Emanuel is going to cut aldermen from 50 to 25 and the media shouts up high Hosannas! Rahm Emanuel's transition will be funded not out of 'political coffers,' but from 501(c)3's dodging the political restrictions of federal laws under the camoflage of 'Policy.'

"There must be a constructive structure to develop policy priorities so that the next mayor enters City Hall with a plan to address a slew of pressing problems — an annual $500 million budget deficit, a $600 million pension shortfall, a public schools system in need of reform, depressed morale among the police force, and public transit infrastructure that requires massive capital investment," the proposal reads.

Each committee is staffed by a consultant with the Civic Consulting Alliance and a transition team employee, who will be primarily responsible for a final public report.

Between now and April 15, the committees will meet, identify candidates for key appointments and develop an initial approach for the budget, according to the proposal. By May 2, Emanuel's transition team will prioritize initiatives and publish a transition plan, including a 100-day road map and long-term policies.


E.g. - here is sample mission statement for the Harris Public Policy Institute at University of Chicago:
Our Mission
To understand and influence public policies by conducting policy-relevant research and preparing talented individuals to become leaders and agents of social change. To serve as a liaison between the academy's research on public policy questions and practitioners in the field.


This Policy gambit has been a long time cooking with many chefs ( activisits, distinguished professors, gutless political hacks, lawyers and opportunists) and has stripped the power of politics locally and nationally. There is much more on the way - what we eat, what we drink, how we worship, what we are allowed to read, what is taught, who goes to jail and who is bullet-proof is determined by Policy.

*Removing Alderman Powers from office, Jane Addams told the sober gentlemen of the Society for Ethical Culture, would be no simple task. It would require a fundamental change in the ethical standards of the community, as well as the development of a deeper insight on the part of the reformers. These latter, she pointed out, with all their zeal for well-ordered, honest politics, were not eager to undertake the responsibilities of self-government 365 days a year. They were quite willing to come into the nineteenth ward at election time to exhort the citizenry, but were they willing to make a real effort to achieve personal relationships of the kind that stood Johnny Powers in such good stead?


Policy and Progressives - grab your hat and put both hands in your pockets and reach around for that wallet! That will be impossible.

For Progressives who would not part with a personal penny to a pan-handler, nothing is impossible - once you ditch original thought, quit reading, and accept the doctrines policy will hand down. We are going to pay plenty.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Race for Mayor Is Going to Be Ugly - Really Ugly


Michael Sneed got a scoop of WHUP Ass for her Friday Column - the word that Terry Peterson will be Rahm Emanuel's Campaign Manager. Terry Petersen ran Mayor Daley's recent wildly successful stomping of candidates. I imagine that it knocked Tom Dart back on his pins a bit, but Dart is a smart tough guy, from tough stock and training.

Tom Dart worked under the only person that I can think of who did not make any money in public service - former Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan. Michael Sheahan was one of the very first recipients of the Axelrod/Emanuel school of Policy assault. They barely ruffled his whiskers, but since Sheahan retired they have honed their craft on Republicans, recalcitrant Blue Dog Democrats, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Ohio Plumbers.

The signing of Terry Peterson is a coup. Mayor Daley is sitting this one out? I think not.

Tom Dart had a great mentor in Mike Sheahan. He'll stand the blows, but they will shower down like rains of this past summer. Michael Sheahan stuck his neck out and helped Mayor Daley get elected as Cook County States Attorney and as Mayor.

Mayor Daley has hosted the National Democratic Convention, made Chicago look like Paris and act like Somalia, placed his close aides in positions of national power ( David Wilhelm, Bill Daley, David Pouffe, Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarret, Desiree Rogers, Arne Duncan and most importantly David Axelrod), brokered the ascent of President Barack Obama, and has retired.

Retired but obviously not out of game. Mayor Daley represents the triumph of Policy over Politics. I believe that Richard M. Daley eschewed Ward level politics for Policy in order to distance himself and his works from the people of Chicago.

I can not remember the last time Mayor Richard M. Daley set foot in the 19th Ward - one of the last powerful Wards along with the 47th, 11th, 13th, and the decimated 10th. These were the Politics Wards that gave Richard M. Daley the 5th floor.

All other Wards are mere geographic delineations of racial and ethnic boundaries, or centers of tourism. They are Policy Wards.

Policy Wards require State and Federal tax-dollars. They operate by dint of media propaganda and rallies of angry folks. Policy uses anger. Politics uses obligation.

Obligation is much more difficult, rather inconvenient.

For all of the mythology about the power of these Politics Wards ( 11th, 19th, 13th, 47th and the decimated 10th), they are little more than minor baronies of public service, until an election requires foot soldiers.

These Wards made Rahm Emanuel and Congressman, Mike Quigley a Commissioner and managed to keep County Government moving despite the daffy meanderings of Todd Stroger.

Like Mayor Daley, Rahm Emanuel does not to set foot in a Ward. He will operate out of treasury and via NPR, WTTW,Columnists, Chicago Magazine, Oprah, the BGA already stocked with Andy Shaw,SEIU National and Illinois, UNITE, home and away and our transient Agenda voters.

Unlike Mayor Daley, Rahm Emanuel will need Post-Shakman door bell ringers, shoulder punchers and back slappers, palm card hustlers and therefore is no doubt worming into the ears of Committeemen and disaffected, frightened non-Shakman City Workers. Mayor Daley retained Politics and political operatives for elections.

Terry Petersen is the key and, to my way of thinking, Daley's endorsement of Rahm Emanuel for a continuation of Government via Policy. CAPS trumps Cops, Wrought Iron and planters over snowplows and garbage trucks, Pritzker Pavillions over safe streets.

Tourists love the look of Chicago, until they leave a Bucktown bar at 2 A.M. and then it is the cops fault.

CPS pays for a day of Wilco tunes at Soldier Field and black males drop out of school.

Side Streets remain buried under snow and Pam Zekman is worried that there might be some guy who spent the previous 72 hours plowing main streets and ramps to the Dan Ryan catching a few winks in his truck! CBS Exclusive -wasted dollars! Over time robbers!

Let's Policy Up! Oh, let's do!

Well Policy it will be. Will Daley back Rahm?

But Daley has said publicly he will not support anybody, and I have been assured by those close to Daley that he will not change his mind.

Rose believes this is naive thinking for a race taking place in Chicago.

"Rahm is really looking to Daley to give him serious help," Rose said. "When Rahm won his congressional seat the first time, he did it with Daley's army. Daley says he's going to stay out of it, but what is important is not what Daley says, but what Daley does.

"Daley is Rahm's primary key, and Obama is Rahm's runoff key."


That is from MSNBC, POLITICO's jowely Roger Simon trotted out, no doubt, by Dave Axelrod. Posted by the always compliant Policy Drips of the Sun Times Editorial Board. If it bleeds it leads and if it concerns a cop send the cop to prison. Simple. Policy.

Daley chose Rahm. The Washington Boys, Rahm and Comb-Over Dave Axelrod will not and do not need to meet the Bushas at Bobaks, or glad hand the Gonzales Brothers at HopLeaf, or nail a few Pierogi and Cod with the Dumbrowski Brothers at Club 81 in Hegewisch, or spoon pasta with Nello and the helots of the 19th Ward. They will send e-mails, Twitters and winks out to the editorial boards, icon columnists, University think-tankers, and Coalitions Aplenty about Mike Madigan, Lisa Madigan, Tom Dart, Pat Quinn, Cardinal George, Tyra Banks, Eddie Money, Spoons Lanigan, or Lester Balick's smelly dog and destroy them!


Nothing personal; it's Policy.

It's Ugly - as ugly as a bathtub full of eels.