The Creation of a Food Desert: A story of Political Rivalries, Legislative Vengance & Racketeering in Chicago. In 4 Parts. It is sadly true. Part 1/2
PART ONE : THE BACKSTORY
First, let me explain my greatly abnormal upbringing. It is only the older I get that I appreciate the complexity and strangeness of it.
I grew up in a brick house on Chicago's Northwest Side. The best memories of my upbringing involve going to my next-door-neighbor's house. He had previously been a photographer for the Chicago Tribune from the 1930's until the 1970's. He had rooms and rooms full of Photos collected over a lifetime. Chicago history. From The Chicago Gang Wars of the 1920's, to a night he and his wife went to the Biograph to see Manhattan Melodrama, only to be the first press on-scene when Dillinger was killed.
I relished opportunities to bound next-door and hear a story, look at old pictures, and learn something of the world, often foregoing "normal" social interaction to hear about Frank Nitty, Al Capone, the things that were, and how they changed. I was 4 when I started going over there... I was desensitized by photos and stuff by the time I was 8. I called him Grandpa Hank, and her Grandma Jo. They were an odd sort of adjunct to the family you acquire by circumstance. I come from a dysfunctional family, and their warmth and guidance was something that wasn't offered at home...
Last week, I found myself on the street on which I grew up. What I saw affected me, so I took a walk around, then investigated all other information that may help me figure out why some of these things happened. Why all of the Grocery stores closed, and why the crime rate in the neighborhood I grew up in has multiplied every year on record since 1997 (conveniently when we moved to the Suburbs ). I believe all of these things are rooted in a political fight that was waged in a crude manner in my neighborhood 18 years ago.
We had a close relationship with our local Precinct Captain, who is now in a Suburban Police Department. His boss, the Alderman, knew all of us, however one year that office was in danger of being lost in the primaries to a very young political upstart.
PART TWO : THE SUMMER OF 1991
The year was 1991. The Bulls were forging towards their first championship on the backs of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. And the 31st Ward was in-battled in a massive Democratic Primary. The long term Alderman was running for City Council. It became a heated battle between Ray Suarez, and, well this guy. That summer was a heated foot-race to know and be known within my neighborhood. I remember parts of it very well, I was 8 at the time. I remember Rod and his wife, Patti, going door to door down Fletcher, asking for donations and support. He had freaky hair in terms of 1991 standards.
Ray Suarez ran against him vigorously, with radio ads and TV interviews. They charged that the man affectionately referred to as "Blago," was a Political Opprotunist, and married Patti(whose Father, Richard Mell, is on the Chicago City Council for political reasons). It got dirtier. Blagojevich charged that because Suarez had been a City Hall Insider for sometime. He was inside the pockets of, at that time, first term Mayor Daley. While knocking on doors one night the two men ran into each-other and had a street-corner debate at Nelson and LeClaire one night.
Now, as a kid I didn't understand most of what was happening around me. On Mother's Day at the beginning of that summer I was hit by a car, and spent the month of May in the hospital. The Precinct Captain who was very close to us, made sure the city installed a stop sign at the corner of Fletcher & LeClaire. The stop sign has since been hit by a car... While in Children's Memorial Hospital, Rod Blagojevich sent me a "GET WELL SOON" card. 16 years later he attempted to defraud the chairman of the same hospital, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Election Night Came: Blagojevich lost. But he wouldn't go down without a fight... Ray Suarez still retains that seat.
The corner they had the argument on, as well as my house got redistricted 2 years later.
First, let me explain my greatly abnormal upbringing. It is only the older I get that I appreciate the complexity and strangeness of it.
I grew up in a brick house on Chicago's Northwest Side. The best memories of my upbringing involve going to my next-door-neighbor's house. He had previously been a photographer for the Chicago Tribune from the 1930's until the 1970's. He had rooms and rooms full of Photos collected over a lifetime. Chicago history. From The Chicago Gang Wars of the 1920's, to a night he and his wife went to the Biograph to see Manhattan Melodrama, only to be the first press on-scene when Dillinger was killed.
I relished opportunities to bound next-door and hear a story, look at old pictures, and learn something of the world, often foregoing "normal" social interaction to hear about Frank Nitty, Al Capone, the things that were, and how they changed. I was 4 when I started going over there... I was desensitized by photos and stuff by the time I was 8. I called him Grandpa Hank, and her Grandma Jo. They were an odd sort of adjunct to the family you acquire by circumstance. I come from a dysfunctional family, and their warmth and guidance was something that wasn't offered at home...
Last week, I found myself on the street on which I grew up. What I saw affected me, so I took a walk around, then investigated all other information that may help me figure out why some of these things happened. Why all of the Grocery stores closed, and why the crime rate in the neighborhood I grew up in has multiplied every year on record since 1997 (conveniently when we moved to the Suburbs ). I believe all of these things are rooted in a political fight that was waged in a crude manner in my neighborhood 18 years ago.
We had a close relationship with our local Precinct Captain, who is now in a Suburban Police Department. His boss, the Alderman, knew all of us, however one year that office was in danger of being lost in the primaries to a very young political upstart.
PART TWO : THE SUMMER OF 1991
The year was 1991. The Bulls were forging towards their first championship on the backs of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. And the 31st Ward was in-battled in a massive Democratic Primary. The long term Alderman was running for City Council. It became a heated battle between Ray Suarez, and, well this guy. That summer was a heated foot-race to know and be known within my neighborhood. I remember parts of it very well, I was 8 at the time. I remember Rod and his wife, Patti, going door to door down Fletcher, asking for donations and support. He had freaky hair in terms of 1991 standards.
Ray Suarez ran against him vigorously, with radio ads and TV interviews. They charged that the man affectionately referred to as "Blago," was a Political Opprotunist, and married Patti(whose Father, Richard Mell, is on the Chicago City Council for political reasons). It got dirtier. Blagojevich charged that because Suarez had been a City Hall Insider for sometime. He was inside the pockets of, at that time, first term Mayor Daley. While knocking on doors one night the two men ran into each-other and had a street-corner debate at Nelson and LeClaire one night.
Now, as a kid I didn't understand most of what was happening around me. On Mother's Day at the beginning of that summer I was hit by a car, and spent the month of May in the hospital. The Precinct Captain who was very close to us, made sure the city installed a stop sign at the corner of Fletcher & LeClaire. The stop sign has since been hit by a car... While in Children's Memorial Hospital, Rod Blagojevich sent me a "GET WELL SOON" card. 16 years later he attempted to defraud the chairman of the same hospital, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Election Night Came: Blagojevich lost. But he wouldn't go down without a fight... Ray Suarez still retains that seat.
The corner they had the argument on, as well as my house got redistricted 2 years later.
posted by Brian Sosin at
11:27 PM
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