The Creation of a Food Desert: A story of Political Rivalries, Legislative Vengance & Racketeering in Chicago. In 4 Parts. It is sadly true. Part 2/2

Part Three : A Very Vague Overview Of The Next 15 Years and My Personal Run In With RODDY

NOTE ALL OF THE IMPORTANT THEMES WITHIN BLAGO'S POLITICAL LIFE:

1992, Rod ran for and won a spot in the Illinois House. Instead of mud-slinging, he used his past experience as a Prosecutor (who knew?) to his advantage. The District Blagojevich had won was previously held by someone under indictment for Tax Evasion.

1996, Blagojevich Runs For ILLINOIS' 5th Congressional District. He beats Michael Flanagan, who had only been in office for two years, because Dan Rostenkowski was charged by the Government with Postal Fraud.

2002, Rod Blagojevich, fresh off of being the only IL Democrat in the House or Senate to Vote for the Iraq War, ran for the Governorship. All any Democrat needed to do to win was somehow tie the Republican to the current Governor, at the time, George Ryan. While Ryan was States Attorney there was massive fraud in the DMV, and a lot people bought licenses. After some disastrous crashes the FEDS began investigating. By this time Ryan was Governor, and was sinking in the polls. It was a cakewalk of an election.

In 2003, the Cubs, my Cubs, made it to the NLCS against the Marlins. My Father, through a lot of people he knew got us 3rd row tickets. Sitting behind us was Governor Rod Blagojevich, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and a bunch of rude people. Rod remembered my Father's name from the car accident I had had years earlier. Then he realized it was me. I had changed in 12 years. NO- THIS WAS NOT THE BARTMAN GAME...

At the time I was attending Columbia, and I asked him about flaws in the ILLINOIS FILM BILL. The Flaws I referred to were regarding the bills strength when it came to larger budgeted projects, but weaknesses when it came to Independent Film. He said the bill was "the best we could have gotten done right now."

PART FOUR: MODERN DAY

Now, I revisit this neighborhood, decimated by an uptick in Gang Violence. Where have the politicians been who has long held a power control over the neighborhood?

Well, after his election Ray Suarez began a long-running internal power struggle with Richard Mell, because of what he had said about Mell's daughter 18 years previous. Services in the neighborhood after 1995 started becoming scarce. When the CTA chose to reduce services (instead of cutting Executive Pay) in 2007 the Northwest and Southwest Sides were hit hardest. Suarez went to the Capitol Building with a large group of Aldermen in September of 2006, pressing for more statewide financing of the RTA. Blagojevich was, by all accounts, curt, and left the meeting early.

Blagojevich’s response, rooted in his opponent questioning his marriage fifteen years previous is somewhat abnormal. Policy briefings, legislatively speaking, are all required to be held with a sitting Governor present. As a result, only one more group of Aldermen made the attempt to go to Springfield. Suarez was not with them.
Blago approved a state bill, granting the CTA more State Cash. However, they did begin cutting select services on the Northwest and Southwest Sides. Noticeably routes like the Central Bus routes were cut dramatically, as were ¼ of Belmont busses.

Albertson’s® knocked down the Jewel® I lived around the block from in 2003 and built a new store. With the service cuts in the CTA, and the discontinuing of the Laramie in 2006, the new store closed in late 2006. Albertson’s® invested $3,000,000.00 into that neighborhood, their store stayed open less than 22 months.

The other Grocer in the area, Dominick’s®, on Central closed not too long after the new Jewel® went under. Due to low patronage from a non-existent CTA in the area, now the neighborhood has a CVS® Pharmacy. It regularly only has 2 cars in the lot. Other stores that have closed because of this: Aldi’s® and Cub Foods®.

The nearest grocery store is 2 ½ miles away now, it used to be around the block from the house on Fletcher, where I saw my childhood pass by me. The neighborhood is officially a Food Dessert, only fast food lighten Belmont, nothing is the same. Nothing stays the same.

My question in closing: Why is this contentious race between Blagojevich and Suarez not on either man’s Wikipedia Page? Public perception may, perhaps, be an endearing thought. Memories fade… People forget things, and stories get fudged. But the above is sadly true. :(