Whereas, my name is Mac McIntyre. Whereas, I’m a resident of DeKalb’s 3rd Ward. And, whereas our alderman’s absent, I have declared the 3rd Ward… mine.
I will represent change. I can promise that. In fact, I am hereby announcing, since I am taking over the 3rd Ward, that I will not attend city council meetings in person but rather in digit (h/t Paul Kallembach) and then I’ll blog about it.
Yeah, I know. That’s against the rules. So? Now that I have taken my seat the legal department will agree with me. Whereas, we are a Home Rule community y’all can go and click this link.
I’ll tell you this. The 3rd Ward’s going to look a lot better than it does now. The entire ward seems like it has been under a TIF since before Prather field was lit. Except for a stretch of Sycamore Road commercial and the downtown, oh yeah, and whatever that triangle thing is on that Pleasant Street corner — there ain’t much of return on that investment — from the 3rd Ward point of view.
Yes, I’ll be reclaiming some of that magical TIF money for use in fixing some alleys and streets and for putting some 3rd Ward people back to work. We’ve got a lot of poorly insulated homes, vacant homes and homes that need some front porch work. We need to come up with a local voucher program to help get those things fixed.
The 3rd Ward has a lot of folks in the trades living here. Its got a lot of merchants who do a lot of business when the trades people are working. Its just common sense. What’s that I said about change?
Rumor has it a lot of local government employees don’t live in DeKalb. That’s not right. Seems like we should use a little of that magical TIF and/or CDBG money and help some of them buy, fix up and move into those growing number of foreclosed homes throughout the city. Did I mention those in the 3rd ward?
Now there goes the neighborhood.
When I do show up to a city council meeting in person rather than in digit I won’t mind sitting between Brendon Gallagher (4th) and Tom Teresinski (2nd). They’re both really good with the numbers. When I need to take notes I’ll just copy theirs.
Ssssh!!! Enough with the rules discussion, you muckrakers!
Now before the conservatives start celebrating (because rumor has they would) and liberals start lining up to stand in front of my Mitsubishi Mighty Max truck (because my not-so-favorite political professor emeritus would tell them they must) to stop me, I have a confession to make.
I’ll be a big spender.
The way I see it, if we’re having to raise taxes on everyone to pay for things like pensions and health care coverage for anyone, then everyone should get those same benefits — for the same price. Anyone who thinks you can’t please everyone all of the time mark your calendars.
That thud you just heard was Rudy Espiritu. Could somebody check on him?
OK. So just in case we can’t afford my Plan A then I’ve got Plan B ready. That plan does not include throwing our hands up and crying about not being able to control those costs and its a state mandate crap. Its our job to control those costs because it takes a community to raise a community and too many living in this community can’t afford it anymore.
So everyone that says we can’t control costs should just resign because, well, we can’t afford them. And I ain’t raising taxes on anyone until most of everyone can afford it. I don’t care how pretty the lipstick is.
One more guarantee. I won’t put in more hours than you folks pay me for. Its a part time gig. Great benefits so I figure I ought to at least study my back up material before meetings in person or in digit. But the minute I think we have to micromanage the staff I’ll be making motions left and right to fire them. In fact, the first motion I’ll make is to add the following ‘whereas’ to each and every ordinance and resolution we pass that requires us to spend more than we are taking in:
“Whereas, because we have to do this, we will fire one administrator.”
We’ll get to bottom-up solutions in a hurry.
There’s a good chance that I won’t be electable by 2011 or anytime sooner. So that’s why I already assumed the sale and took the 3rd Ward over.
Don’t worry. I’ll grow on but not off of you.
Any questions? Well, have it…
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23 Comments
<h2>The wheel is there. It does not need to be reinvented. The wheel would get city permits moving again and some construction folks back to work doing rehab.</h2> — emphasis mine
Hmmmm… Be careful Kay. With logic and thinking like that people might start thinking you'd make a good alderWoman. Combine that with the well known fact that I am "out there," and voters might rise against my coup de tat. Hmmmm…
Hi Drip2, I am not sure what the end result is with the wages.
A long time ago I wrote about programs in Savannah and Charleston in which there was community rehabbing of private properties. The rehab programs involved no interest loans to homeowners willing to fix up properties and as those loans got paid back, then that money 'revolved' and became available to loan out to others. One of those programs allowed homeowners to purchase beautiful plaques that they could place on their house with the year of the rehab. The plaques came with paperwork listing everyone involved with the restoration. One of those programs also involved art students from a nearby university, who gained valuable work experience.
The wheel is there. It does not need to be reinvented. The wheel would get city permits moving again and some construction folks back to work doing rehab.
Thanks, Ivan… maybe I should go with something like this…
I, Mac McIntyre, having coup and de tatted myself to the position of Alderman, Ward Three in the City of DeKalb, County of DeKalb, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR that I will support and obey the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, the State Statutes and the Home Rules of the City of DeKalb and that I will faithfully and openly discharge the duties of Alderman to the best of my ability.
I probably shouldn't have had that cabin office built on the parking lot corner before swearing in but what the heck its TIF money.
I agree. We do need to update the oath and once that is done we should have all elected and appointed employees and officers reNew that oath as a commitment to change.
Speaking of wages Kay, with such a track record of non-payment, just who did pay the workers wages?
HELP!
The following is the actual oath that Victor Wogen took upon being sworn into the city council. I can understand mentioning the US Contstitution and the State of Illinois Constitution but where does it mention the ordinances and laws of DeKalb? We are a Home Rule community that does have some differences between the Illinois Constitution and DeKalb right?
I, Victor Wogen, having been elected to the position of Alderman, Ward Three in the City of DeKalb, County of DeKalb, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of Alderman to the best of my ability.
According and following the State of Illinois' Constitution, shouldn't Victor Wogen be gone? Maybe we need to update the oath that is taken here in DeKalb to mention DeKalb and it's laws and ordinances.
Lynn: unfortunately, I DID have a sip of coffee just as I was reading the Rudy Line.
For my Nov. 28th post, make that the lowest quoter not bidder.
Darn it! I forgot my parachute, Sal.
Hey, it is EASY to be the lowest bidder when you do not pay prevailing wages!!
Hi Sal, a man of few words.
GERONIMO!!!!!!
Hey the nice thing about this is Santa Mac is that if the parents tire of waiting with their kids they can go and treat themselves to something hot and sweet and the DeKalb Confectionary.
Now, did they misorder the number of ornamental benches or do many of those who work at city hall love to have a seat when they frequent the DeKalb Confectionary for italian ices, sea monsters or those tastey caramel apples? Is this how the city got these owners to change their minds about the downtown renovation? I think there is a little room for some of the downtown businesses to feel left out in all of this construction. I mean really, four ornamental benches right in front of this business directly facing each other.
And I'm to believe that Wogen was the least expensive to bid from all of the phone calls? Biernacki admitted that he gets it but why penalize him or some other city manager by lowering the amount to where he can write a check without council approval. He doesn't get it. I could have subcontracted several different crews to do the same "emergency work" that was necessary but I wasn't called. There are several very qualified masons in this community who are actually hands on contractors that would have loved to bid this work.
I'm tired of hearing Biernacki say that Wogen/Masonry works saved the community dollars compared to who? There was not a fair and public bidding to even make that an accurate statement.
The city council needs to step up. 3 aldermen need to make the motion that an investigation will be performed into this matter. How the City of DeKalb could hire someone they knew was in trouble with the state concerning payroll issues and paying prevailing wages. How they could allow a company to do work for the city without proper bonding and insurance certificates on file. Were we even covered in case of a severe casulty would have occurred? Stringing the 231 Lincoln Hwy job alone was against the law. Over $37,000.00 worth of work for one demolition divided into 3 separate contracts.
How often has this same type of stringing occurred with other projects within the city? We won't know until their is a full investigation into the matter or does it actually go beyond the city manager. Maybe the next mayor and council can make sure that this is their first order of business if this mayor and council doesn't take it seriously.
One of my first acts was to order up an office for my 3rd Ward coup de tat. I had them build it on the corner of 2nd and Locust on the circle of the Van Buer Plaza. For those who haven't met me or seen my picture I'm the bearded overweight guy inside the cabin. If you doubt my support for this bid just watch the lines of people outside my office on weekends. I'm not much into campaign promises but if you bring your kids, and they're being nice, they can tell me what they'd like under their tree and I'll pass the word. I've got connections.
MAC, you would be a great seat filler, maybe the 3rd ward would actually have a voice at the CC meetings. I am with you guys in spirit!
"That thud you just heard was Rudy Espiritu."
Glad I wasn't sipping coffee when I got to that line.
Sounds like some real leadership, go and get them! I would go down and ask the city council to impeach the absent member and have a special election for the third ward. Mac has my vote.
Looks good to me. Time to coral them in. Sometimes I feel like going up to some of those on the council and (lightly of course) tapping them on the head and well here's out it would go……. (knock, knock, kncck) HELLOOOOOOOOO! Is there anyone in there? (knock, knock, knock) I SAID HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO! Anyone home? When are you going to start getting it? Wogen is finished! The good people in the 3rd Ward have a right to have someone sitting in the 3rd Ward chair Mr. Mayor. What is it that you really do again Mr. Mayor? Hello, Hello, Hello do you hear me?
In all seriousness though, this is a serious matter and the 3rd Ward has not had proper representation for a long time. I do wonder how legal it is that major votes on matters that concern all including those in the 3rd Ward are being voted on and without the 3rd Ward being represented. I think this fire needs to be made a bit hotter for city hall.
Forget the Velvet Revolution, this looks like a Cowboy Hat Coup!!!!!
Have at it Mac, and good luck. The music stopped and the seat was empty so I believe it’s yours. At least that’s how I interpret home rule. Make it up as you go, right?
Mac, when you stage your coup, please make sure that the tanks do not mess up the streets any worse than they already are. But, if they rolled over a certain "skating rink" few people would care, quite a few would cheer, and since it is always empty, nobody would be hurt.
I'm behind that take-over 100+% 🙂
Go get-um buddy if i can help just let my know !!!!!!! your bud Dw 814 north 14th street
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Mac: your title need work. At the least Colonel Mac McIntyre or possibly General Mac McIntyre.