It's almost over... for the mail delivery person who will be on Workers Compensation from lugging the anti (_______, fill in the blanks) ads from the Rahm people and Rahm's clones... to the materials asking for a vote for the candidates, from ward to City Hall... February 24, 2015 is ELECTION DAY!
Everyone in Chicago knows that the weekend before an election is the key time to complete your canvass (for your candidates), prepare your GOTV workers, tell the "minuses" on your canvass that the voting is really "a week from Tuesday" (honest, it's been done for years), and otherwise celebrate the democratic process. And so, just as night follows day, on Friday, February 20, 2015, one home in Chicago's 45th Ward (ours: disclosure, both this reporter and his wife are registered voters; see the joke at the end of this article), received a total of seven -- seven, as in SEVEN! -- mailings about the looming February 24 municipal election.
One of the many "Arena" mailers not endorsed by John Arena came from SEIU. The mailbox was FILLED. In addition to the 23 mailings we've received since the election season became officials after the New Year's Eve festival of guns ended, on February 20, the Schmidt house at 5132 W. Berteau on February 20 received:
-- One large color mailer reminding us that John Arena, our incumbent alderman, "wants to raise income taxes, property taxes, AND create a New Commuter Income Tax" (paid for by Chicago Forward, which is "independent and not authorized by any candidate or candidates' committee..."
-- Two large (8 1/2 by 11) color mailer reminding us what a tax, spend and lie liberal Bob Fioretti is. According to one of those two mailers, Fioretti has "bad judgment," "can't admit he's wrong," and is a "tax dodger..." The picture has him in a Dodger uniform, with "Tax" written on the jersey above the word "Dodger." That one is paid for by "Chicago for Rahm Emanuel." A second mailer by "Chicago for Rahm Emanuel" reminds those of us who didn't remember that "Bob Fioretti voted FOR the parking meter deal..." So in case we missed it, we are told, "Bob Fioretti. Wrong on parking meters twice. Wrong choice for mayor..."
Then there is the question of whether our incumbent alderman, John Arena, has created and encouraged small businesses in the 45th Ward or destroyed them.
-- According to "Citizens for Garrido," (one of Arena's three opponents), Arena is the reason "over 200 businesses CLOSED and MORE EMPTY STOREFRONTS are on the way..."
-- But, according to the SEIU Illinois Council PAC ("not authorized by John Arena and John Arena is not responsible for the activities of this committee..."), "Thanks to Alderman John Arena new small businesses and jobs are coming in and existing ones are getting the support they need..." That colorful mailer depicts three of those new small businesses and reminds readers that John Arena knows how to (ALL CAPS), CREATE JOBS!
One of the many events for John Arena in the course of the election campaign between New Year's Eve and Election Day was "Poles for Arena." But the burdens on the postal service didn't end there on just one block in the 45th Ward on February 20. There were also two (TWO, to stay in the genre) mailings on behalf of Arena opponent Michelle Baert. According to Baert, "Only one Candidate is talking about Job Creation..." (apparently something different from either destroying or assisting "small business"). Baert's colorful mailer (again, 8 1/2 by 11) depicts everybody -- doctors, lawyers, but no "Indian chiefs" in a kind of model-posed graphic depiction of all the jobs to be created once the JOB CREATOR is elected. Two of those people are wearing hard hats, two are wearing blue scrubs, one (who must be the doctor) is wearing white scubs, and the others are various uniforms which supposedly depict all the jobs that will be "created" if the voters of the war elect Baert. One thing about those 13 models in the Baert ad: not one of them is African American.
That one was paid for by "Friends for Michelle Baert", whose office (at 5617 N. Milwaukee) is a couple of blocks from John Garrido's (which is at 5940 N. Milwaukee).
But that wasn't all.
There was also a mailing in a regular business envelope with the return address STANDING UP FOR WOMEN and addressed to "Ms. Schmidt" at our home address. "STANDING UP FOR WOMEN"? Perhaps a new feminist organization wanting to talk with "Ms. Schmidt"?
Sorry: That's Michelle Baert's feminist side showing. Inside is a letter from MICHELLE BAERT FOR ALDERMAN discussing how electing Michelle Baert will be "protecting women and families..." (nine bullet points) and also a note from "Katie" (someone named "Katie Special" (no address, phone number, or other contact information) saying we should vote for Michelle AND vote in favor of the four referendums on the ballot. According to our sister, "Katie," Michelle, "an amazing woman running for alderman... in a field of 3 other men..." will be the one to do things for "women." Among those things will be to work against "domestic violence, human trafficking and rape..."
And so it goes.
A Chicago election, the mailbox in one home in one ward the day after the President of the United States came to Chicago to dedicate a "national park", and, if anybody missed it, to remind Chicago's African American voters (who apparently don't exist in the 45th Ward) that America's first African American President wants voters to vote for Rahm Emanuel.
And there are still three mail delivery days to go before the polls close on February 24.
We may or may update the Schmidt house mailings before the election. But the irony for those paying for the mailings is that both registered voters in this home by February 20 had already voted -- early voting. So... all of this stuff burdening the mail delivery system will remain in the collection for our children to use for "show and tell" at election time. Forever? Well, at least until Chicago forgets how the municipal election of 2015 easily became the most expensive municipal election in Chicago history. And maybe America's?
