Helping to Keep Uptown in Squalor since 1987
- Helen Shiller is said to be shrewd. I believe it, after she voted against a pay raise, yet accepted it. She gets to have her cake and eat it too:
Shiller asserted that the raises were too high and that all city workers who make $85,000 or more either should have their pay frozen or get less than 4 percent annual raises. Nevertheless, she said she would accept the extra pay.
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- Helen takes credit for a 50% reduction in 1999 hate crimes in Lakeview, i.e. a reduction of 11 crimes. She didn't do much about the 880 other violent crimes in District 23 though (Source: The Chicago Tribune cites 880 total violent crimes in District 23 in 1999):
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- Not only is Helen responsible for 11 fewer crimes, she tackled another issue crucial to Uptown residents: Motorcycles on Lake Shore Drive. The owner of this website isn't too pleased about it though:
This unrepentant Marxist has blocked positive development in the 46th ward for years, to keep her political base of winos and welfare recipients corralled in Uptown. Her co-sponsoring of the Lake Shore Drive motorcycle ban shows she is more concerned that derelicts be allowed to drink wine on Wilson Avenue, than motorcyclists be allowed to use the highways that are paid for by their tax dollars.
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- A helpful reader alerted me to this article with recent quotes by Sandra Reed slamming Shiller's record on crime:
According to police Information Collection for Automated Mapping (ICAM) records, statistics show there were 57 arrests for crimes at the Wilson Ave. el station in the last three months of 2002, more than double any other station between Fullerton Ave. and Howard St. Coming in second, yet still ahead of any other North Side Red Line station, was Lawrence Ave., with 21 arrests. The Wilson Ave. stop accounted for nine times more crime than the average of all North Side Red Line stations and all Brown Line stations in 2002.
Can it be coincidence that one of the most unsafe CTA stations on the north side is less than 400 feet from the current alderman's office," Reed said addressing a crowd of supporters huddled in the cold outside the Wilson Ave. station. "I think not. While crime is dropping across the City, crime rates at the Wilson Ave. station continue to soar.
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- I received a flier for Shiller in the mail recently. On the cover in bold letters it says "Diverse Stable Unified." Unfold it once, and the bold headings read "Maintaining Diversity, Fighting For Stability, Leading Towards Unity." Unfold it completely, and the biggest boldest letters of all say "Smart Development." Raves are quoted from The Chicago Free Press (3) and The Windy City Times (1). A quote from The Chicago Tribune concedes her skill at "working City Hall." The flier fails to mention the issue of crime. My interpretation of her platform is that she intends to continue to impede or block as much development as possible, with a few exceptions, such as subsidized housing. This will slow the flight of her constituents.
Development: An astute reader, offended by the quotes from WCT endorsing Shiller, phoned them to complain. The WCT returned the call and left a message saying, in part: "this is not a quote that has been in our paper in the last two and a half years, or under our ownership." For more information, see the email sent by Anonymous03 on 01/29/03.
View Cover of Flier, View after Unfolding Once, View the Misleading Quote
- This quote is from The Chicago Reporter at the time of Shiller's victorious 1999 campaign:
In Uptown, 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shller, whose lonely votes against Daley's budget four times running earned her the title "Miss 49-to-1" among some, said she mobilized grass-roots volunteers to counter Democratic Ward Committeeman Sandra M. Reed's political connections.
In some precincts, the Reed forces were "10, 15, 20 people deep with people from outside the ward," Shiller said on election night. "But the voters made it very clear they wanted an independent alderman."
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- The Sun-Times was surprised at Shiller's change in attitude:
It was inevitable, in a way, that it would come to this. Still, when the moment arrived, it had to give one pause.
Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) endorsed Mayor Daley for re-election Saturday. Daley reciprocated by endorsing Shiller.
The last squeaky wheel in the City Council had been greased.
The last independent voice had joined the chorus.
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