How is the Chicago of 2011 the same as the Chicago of 1976? (Cicero: crime, neighborhoods)

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Indeed it was. Back then a little guy could get a favor and the money was spread around so a lot of people got a taste, now the corruption is hidden and most favors go to the well connected. My father, who was just a regular guy but a dedicated Democrat received a few favors such as having a city crew remove a tree from the back yard and having a city crew run a new gas line from the alley to the house, both at no cost to him save his family's votes and his talking up the Democratic party in the neighborhood, things he'd have done anyway. I don't think a fella like him would get favors like that today.

Paying off a copper when you were pulled over was beneficial to the offender; the bribe was cheaper than the fine and you didn't have to take a day off (and most working class people didn't get time off with pay) to go to court.

When an Irish Catholic in Chicago does a friend a favor it's corruption but when a Wasp does another Wasp a favor it's "good government". I like a little personal low level corruption, it's good democracy. Often so called reform just strengthens the control of a professional governing class that seeks to isolate itself from the people's will as spoken in the result of elections. I also find it interesting that the reformers changed the rules just as Blacks were positioned to start getting a good cut of the action.

I feel better now.

Great post, you should feel better.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Part of me agress with IrishTom -- the current environment is such that "non-connected" employees at every level of City and State government are spending more time "indictment proofing" their files than actually doing work. Meanwhile the professional crooks that head up firms that pave roads or run pension funds are still padding out their fees and contracts under the ridiculous premise that they provide some "unique service" to skirt normal bidding practices. It is disgusting and wasteful.

On the other hand the "efficiency" in slipping a traffic cop a $20 was a gateway to the slippery slope that eventually saw high ranking police allied with professional jewel thieves and hit men for stakes much higher. The minor ethical oversights rather quickly escalated into scams that cost insurers millions and even saw a few people lose their lives. Hard to say there is no harm in such cases...

You & Tom both killed it. The opposite sides of the same coin, IMO.

[cubssoxfan]

Manigault & Irish Tom, thanks for the memories. I remember hitting the bars around Rush & Division in the mid 80's and my buddy got pulled over twice. First time, he only had to mention 2 names before the cop warned him and let him go. The 2nd time he had to run through about 6 names before it worked. I remember Dad telling me about the "preferred currency" wrapped around the license and how confusing it was when this was "phased" out. I also remember a fraternity brother being stupid enough to try this in the suburbs. Had to leave a good party and bail him out of the Niles Police holding cell. Not only did he try the "chicago way" but he was stupid enough to talk back and get surly with the cops. You just don't do that if your street smarts are working.

[jwaiter]

So that's all the differences?

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

So that's all the differences?

Museum campus, the new East side, South Loop and Dearborn Park residential and west loop residential. No more Brachs, US Steel, Wards or Donnelley -- goodbye factory jobs!

State street had Goldblatt's, Sears, Wards, Fields, Bonds, Carson's and (I think) 'O'Connor and Goldberg'. OK, there's a new Sears and Macy's but the rest are gone. Thank heaven Roberto's is still open. Somehow shoppers survived without a North Bridge or Water Tower Place.

There's the new Gleicher Center. There's life at Navy Pier, North Pier and Midway airport. Neighborhood theaters shut all over -- including the Howard, Grenada, Rhodes, Garfield and Hyde Park. The 400 seems to be holding on.

Forty years ago Lake Shore Drive had reversible lanes -- which caused a depressing amount of head-on collisions. The gun club was on the lake front putting lead shot in the water.

Forty years ago the CTA bus drivers made change and gave transfers. The fare boxes just started to accept dollar bills, which were regularly chewed up. The transit lines spent millions of dollars collecting money and getting it to the bank, although they had only a rough idea of how much money was collected. Nevertheless, some Metra lines did use computer fare cards.

McCormick Place was on its second re-building and there was a McCormick Inn at the Lake Shore Drive 23rd street exit. The ramps are still there but the exit is not. In a pioneering move in 1975 a few banks had ATM's which dispensed cash only -- in envelopes containing $25. You could choose to receive one or two envelopes -- that was it.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

So that's all the differences?

Well amongst other things in 1976:

1) there was a lot more sex for sale on the streets and in the bars.
2) there were a lot more bars.
3) there was more covert gambling going on.
4) there were more Jewish type deli/restaurants.
5) there were a lot more jobs in the manufacturing/industrial sector.
6) there were more parochial schools.
7) there were more streetgangs.
8) there was still good fishing on the lakefront.
9) there were a lot more diners that served biscuits and gravy.
10) there was less traffic and more parking.
11) there were more dangerous, and unfit cops wearing a badge.
12) there were a lot more movie theaters.
13) there were fewer homeless/street people.
14) there was more crime.
15) there were more pool tables, juke boxes and condom dispensers.
16) there were more Lithuanians, Italians and Southerners.
17) there was more air pollution.
18) there were lots more bakeries
19) there were more neighborhood/church carnivals.
20) there were more music stores and head shops.

Pleases read:
The poster is in no way advocating any unlawful or immoral conduct and cannot be held responsible for those who may pursue these behaviors after reading this.

[snoylekim]

A few additions :
There was only one Giordanos ... and I think they had a BYOB license ...
There was a bar in Hyde Park that featured live jazz ( the Valhalla) , and a Hillbilly bar on the slide downward ( The Sun Dial) ..One was friendlier to the academic community than the other..you guess which one ..
Continuing the Banking/ATM theme ..Illinois had banking laws that were decidedly unfriendly to branch banking ..Chase ?? Citibank ?? fugetabboutit !! ..But, there were more neighborhood taverns that would cash checks for regulars...
I think the Chicago Coliseum still hosted an occasional event ..
There were no recent dynasties or even upcoming ones for Chicago Sports Teams .. the late '70s weren't the best years for the Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks.. A rare playoff appearance was what we could look forward to ..But, there was this young player named Walter that was starting to get our attention ..
The Eddies Burke and Vrdolyak were considered the 'young turks' of City Council
WXRT was on only after dark ...
And, trivia for those of you from that era :
Which Local TV Show featured 'Take Five' from Dave Brubeck as the opening theme melody ??

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by snoylekim

A few additions :
There was only one Giordanos ... and I think they had a BYOB license ...
There was a bar in Hyde Park that featured live jazz ( the Valhalla) , and a Hillbilly bar on the slide downward ( The Sun Dial) ..One was friendlier to the academic community than the other..you guess which one ..
Continuing the Banking/ATM theme ..Illinois had banking laws that were decidedly unfriendly to branch banking ..Chase ?? Citibank ?? fugetabboutit !! ..But, there were more neighborhood taverns that would cash checks for regulars...
I think the Chicago Coliseum still hosted an occasional event ..
There were no recent dynasties or even upcoming ones for Chicago Sports Teams .. the late '70s weren't the best years for the Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks.. A rare playoff appearance was what we could look forward to ..But, there was this young player named Walter that was starting to get our attention ..
The Eddies Burke and Vrdolyak were considered the 'young turks' of City Council
WXRT was on only after dark ...
And, trivia for those of you from that era :
Which Local TV Show featured 'Take Five' from Dave Brubeck as the opening theme melody ??

Nightbeat, with that old stonefaced newsman Carl Greyson.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Indeed it was. Back then a little guy could get a favor and the money was spread around so a lot of people got a taste, now the corruption is hidden and most favors go to the well connected. My father, who was just a regular guy but a dedicated Democrat received a few favors such as having a city crew remove a tree from the back yard and having a city crew run a new gas line from the alley to the house, both at no cost to him save his family's votes and his talking up the Democratic party in the neighborhood, things he'd have done anyway. I don't think a fella like him would get favors like that today.

Paying off a copper when you were pulled over was beneficial to the offender; the bribe was cheaper than the fine and you didn't have to take a day off (and most working class people didn't get time off with pay) to go to court.

When an Irish Catholic in Chicago does a friend a favor it's corruption but when a Wasp does another Wasp a favor it's "good government". I like a little personal low level corruption, it's good democracy. Often so called reform just strengthens the control of a professional governing class that seeks to isolate itself from the people's will as spoken in the result of elections. I also find it interesting that the reformers changed the rules just as Blacks were positioned to start getting a good cut of the action.

I feel better now.

Tom, I never regretted greasing a palm in my life and I did it often. I never paid off a cop, because I generally didn't like cops. Chicago style payola extended well into the private sector also. If you wanted to drive a cab, truck etc., you often had to "enrich" a dispatcher, mechanic, or gas jockey. Most any service rendered, was rendered faster and more efficiently after a few bucks was handed off to the laborer who dispensed that service. Restaurants, grocers, auto supply stores and on and on. All kinds of businesses paid "extra" to get what they wanted.

This system was symptomatic of an era where wages were meager and the working galut had to get creative to improve his quality of life.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by snoylekim

A few additions :
There was only one Giordanos ... and I think they had a BYOB license ...
?

There was a Giordano's on the East Side, on 106th near Indianapolis. I got sick as dog from eating there in 1979 when we were rebuilding a blast furnace at Wisconsin Steel. I should'a stuck with the Golden Shell.

I think it was the weekend late night movie on Channel 9 that used "Take Five".