Heather Steans. The bitter little woman who had some flunkies kick me out of her bitter little victory party on February 5 now has more to be bitter about - a dirty little secret has been revealed: Steans is tied to TIF money via her wealthy family's foundation. Does this sound like "progressive" politics to you?
Steans was recently selected by the local Democrat Machine to run for the 7th District State Senate seat that was vacated by Carol Ronen in January. Ward committeemen from the 46th, 47th, 48th and 49th wards [had] 30 days to appoint someone to fill the rest of Ronen's term for the district that includes East Rogers Park, Edgewater, Ravenswood and Uptown. Steans outspent her opponent, Suzanne Elder, by a margin of nearly 20-1, yet managed to take only about 60 per cent of the vote. Steans paid dearly for her win. She will need to pay more to stay in office.
According to a report by Lorraine Swanson, "[A]sked about the campaign contributions totaling over $750,000 to national, state and local elected officials given individually by Steans' husband, Leo Smith, or in both their names, Steans called the figure "overblown." (The actual figure donated between 1998 and 2006 is $758,613 according to the Illinois Board of Elections' campaign disclosure statements.)"Steans has to run for re-election in November, but she is unopposed. The Invisible Republican Party of Illinois is putting nobody up for the 7th District seat. Suzanne Elder could run against her, but only by declaring herself an independent, a Republican, or a Green. (The Greens, by the way, would not back Elder because they are cowed by the Democrat Machine in these parts.)Heather Steans is being outed as just another corrupt politico. Many of knew she was - and is, and will continue to be. Just looking at the crowd she hangs with - David Fagus, Auntie Jan Schakowsky, Jimmy Ginderske, 49th Ward Ald. Joe Moore, 47th Ward Alderman and abuser of eminent domain Eugene Schulter, Larry Suffredin (and all the street thugs lurking at her party), tells you what she is. Can you judge someone by the company they keep? Yes, actually, often you can. Steans hangs with a dirty crowd of dirty people with dirty fingers poking into dirty deals.Within the past week we learned this disturbing news: "TIF, a financial tool used to improve an area by developing new properties, is being proposed by the Steans Family Foundation, which aims to revitalize Chicago’s West Side, including North Lawndale. If the proposed TIF redevelopment plan is approved, property taxes in the area would freeze for 23 years. The TIF then receives funding from a portion of the residents’ property taxes."
Why did Heather Steans not reveal this little bombshell prior to February 5th? Well, duh. She kept it hidden in her purse because she knew damned well that many voters - perhaps enough to have made a difference - would have held it against her.But slippery tricks with TIF money is not unusual in Chicago, and the gang that Heather Steans hangs with is very adept at funneling TIF money into their own pet projects. It will be interesting to watch what other dirty secrets we will learn about Democrat Heather Steans. If she's as similar in spirit to her political allies in the local Machine, we can anticipate many.
Can somebody analyze her D-2s? Hat tip to Broken Heart.
by T. Mannis
A graduate of Loyola University Chicago was arrested Monday after he was observed on the Rogers Park campus with a disabled gun he had signed out of the theater department, Chicago police said.
The incident occurred about 2:20 p.m. when a student in the school's student union reported that the man was "displaying a prop gun used in theatrical productions," Officer JoAnn Taylor said.
The man had signed the .38-caliber Smith & Wesson, disabled with lead poured into its barrel, out from the prop room of the theater department, police said.
