Has Daley finally lost his mind? (Chicago, Chicago Heights: best city, apartment, renters)

[j33]

Okay, I admit to voting for the guy but the past few years things have seemed to really go downhill. Now, I can't blame him necessarily for things like the gang shootings on my street, but lets think about this. As a city resident there are four things very important things to me:

1 - Public transportation. I don't own a car (even though I probably could afford one), and even if I did, still couldn't drive it to work because it would be too expensive to park it in the loop.

2 - Being able to afford to live here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting a palace, hell, I don't even care if I own my apartment, but if you nickel and dime me to death, I won't be able to afford to even do that ... so, if I'm paying every penny I make into your fees, rent, and taxes, how on earth do you expect me to enjoy the perks of living in a city (e.g. going to the theater, museums, good restaurants, etc)

3 - Safety. I don't like thugs, I don't like them hanging out on my street, I don't like them mugging people (someone just got jumped last week leaving a local pub), I don't like them shooting each other. I just simply don't like them.

4 - The existence of decent jobs. I'm no fan of bending over and kissing the butts of the corporations that are (sadly) running the country, but lets face it, if there are no jobs in your damn town, it is a bad, bad thing (see Detroit).

... none of these things seems particularly important to King Richard these days.

.... I'm not particularly keen on living in the burbs and probably never will be (I'll move to a smaller city before I move to the burbs). I'm in my mid-thirties and have lived in Chicago for over a decade, this is not the rantings of someone who just moved out of her parents basement, but I don't know how much more of this nonsense I'm willing to take.

.... and no, I do not care about the Olympics, if we get them, great, but don't destroy my city in the process of begging for them.

[coldwine]

You do realize that, comparatively speaking, we are the best city in America for all of those things mentioned above, right? We don't have NYC's crippling inability to manage it's overwhelming population and vastly expensive housing, or, well, everyone else's transit issues.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by coldwine

You do realize that, comparatively speaking, we are the best city in America for all of those things mentioned above, right? We don't have NYC's crippling inability to manage it's overwhelming population and vastly expensive housing, or, well, everyone else's transit issues.

When you combine a massive tax increase with the impending major CTA crisis, the city isn't looking all that great right now.

[toedrag]

You obviously havent lived in NYC. The rents in NYC are crazy and too buy is even crazier atleast Chicago allows people an opportunity to live in the city...Chicago is affordable comparing to other cities.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by j33

4 - The existence of decent jobs. I'm no fan of bending over and kissing the butts of the corporations that are (sadly) running the country, but lets face it, if there are no jobs in your damn town, it is a bad, bad thing (see Detroit).

sorry, but if you cant find a job in chicago you cant find a job anywhere.

-chicagoland has 66 fortune 500 headquarters.
-largest high tech and IT employment in the US
-major transportation and distribution center- 3rd largest intermodal port in the world
-10th on UBS' list of the worlds richest cities
-2nd largest labor pool in the US
-2nd largest central business district in the US
-most balanced economy in the US

[j33]

Uh ... I have a fine job, a great job in fact, and have never had any trouble finding a job the entire time I've lived here (since I moved here from Chicago Heights in 1992 ... you want trouble finding a job, look for one there). I want it to stay that way.

Oh, did I just commit the cardinal sin on this board and criticize our 'great leader'?

I am well aware of the advantages of Chicago over many other cities which is why I continue to live hear despite having friends and family try and talk me into moving to places like nyc and boston on a semi-regular basis. I just want it to stay that way, and I'm not sure I like the direction Chicago is going, that is all. .... sheesh.

One thing that has always mystified me is how some people don't seem to every want to examine or discuss what is wrong with a city and/or its leaders and scream 'fowl' to those who do. Surely I am not the only one who is scratching her head at the proposed tax increases and the impending destruction of the CTA as a viable public transportation system? Surely I am not the only one who has thought about what it means to have your property tax skyrocket and the continuing squeeze on the middle class we have left, the dismal condition of the school I live a few blocks away from, the alderman who I know is so easily bought, the teenager who was gunned down on my street, the dubious benefits of the TIF program, the continuing lawsuits and accusations of corruptions that cost the city tens of thousands of dollars to fight or settle, etc etc.

But heaven forbid I say anything, least I be labeled a 'Chicago hater' ... give me a break.

[j33]

Originally Posted by toedrag

You obviously havent lived in NYC. The rents in NYC are crazy and too buy is even crazier atleast Chicago allows people an opportunity to live in the city...Chicago is affordable comparing to other cities.

I'm well aware of this. I have loads of friends who live in nyc, and was just in new york city not two weeks ago, and will be going to Boston for thanksgiving, so I know these things well. I'm interested only in discussing the proposed tax and fee increases in Daley's new budget on top of the potential county increase in taxes and fees and the governmental mismanaging of Chicago and cook county. I don't care what other cities are doing, I want to talk about this one.

[oakparkdude]

Aren't Chicago property taxes still considerably lower than in the suburbs? If I recall correctly, the Chicago property tax levy (the portion of the tax bill going to the city of Chicago, ie not the schools, not cook county, etc) has remained flat for several years.

That being said, if the city didn't have out of control TIFs, much or all of the tax increase would be unnecessary.

[supernerdgirl]

thank you for bringing this up, j33. I know I just moved here so I hope you don't judge my opinions too harshly ... The things you have listed are the same things I look for as well. The CTA mess is making my head spin. I moved here because i wouldn't need a car. I live practically ON TOP OF the Red Line because that way i wouldn't need a car. I refuse to live in the burbs because cookie cutter USA is where I came from. I guess the only thing I can do is get some more cash flow coming in somehow...

Now as far as what Daley's proposing, i really have no problem with the SUV sticker thing. In fact, I think that one is hilarious, since I hate the things. The liquor and bottled water thing - fine, whatever. If I want to a. get wasted and/or b. not drink tap water and I have to pay a little extra, oh well. I don't own any property but i'm sure that the property tax will trickle down to us lowly apartment renters somehow.

[mdz]

From what I understand (in the paper today), 80% of the Chicago budget is health care for employees and ex-employees, personnel costs and pensions. And it's getting more expensive by the day.

This is the problem. Until we get a handle on health care, until we get a handle on perks offered to the city/state/government employees, we're doomed.