Let’s start this treatise with commentary about Rahm Emanuel, the current and 44th Mayor of Chicago since 2011. Mr. Emanuel has been dedicated to public ‘service’ for most of his working life. For many political ‘hacks’, the correct translation of ‘public service’ is ‘public sophistry.’ Prior to serving as Mayor of Chicago, Emanuel was the 23rd Chief of Staff of Obama’s White House from 2009 to 2010. Rahm also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2002 to 2009. During the 1990’s Rahm Emanuel was selected to be President Clinton’s Financial Director during his campaign. In 1998, he left government to become Managing Director of an Investment Banking firm in Chicago. Clinton appointed him to the Board of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (Freddie Mac); during this period it has been reported that Mr. Emanuel accumulated about $18 million.
On September 4th, 2018, Rahm Emanuel announced that he would not run for the office of Mayor for another term. There are at least 13, mostly Democratic candidates vying for the job vacated by Rahm. Former Police Superintendent Gerry McCarthy, former Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas and Bill Daley, brother of former Mayor Richard Daley have donned their running shoes for their campaign sprints to the Chicago Mayor’s office.
Prior to Emanuel’s eight-year stint as Mayor, Richard M. Daley served from April 24th 1988 to May 16th, 2011 and his father served as Mayor from April 20th, 1955 until his death on December 20th, 1976. The 11th Ward in Chicago (of 50 Wards) has been lead by a Daley for the past 60 years. Now, Bill Daley (mentioned above) is hoping to be the third Daley to perform Chicago’s mayoral duties.
Rather than cast aspersions about any of these Mayors, let’s take a look at some of the evils being carried out in Chicago during the past few years. There have been crimes by politicians and public workers including federal, state and city employees. A report published by the University of Illinois, Chicago, Department of Political Science entitled, “Patronage, Cronyism and Criminality in Chicago Government Agencies” dated February 2011; 350 crimes with names of persons guilty of Bribery, Burglary, Civil Rights Violations, Conspiracy, Contract Fraud, Drugs, Extortion, Gambling, Intimidation, Kickbacks, Mail Fraud, Pay for no-work, Perjury, Prostitution, Racketeering, Tax Fraud, Theft and Voter Fraud.
The most recent number of murders in Chicago may have been triggered by the development of freeways that caused many houses to be demolished where high-rise subsidized apartments were built. These actions may have caused segregation and bitterness. Gang formation took place, drugs and guns began to proliferate in the ‘60’s and Chicago was losing population as employment opportunities leveled off. Homicides increased annually from 1963 and reached its zenith of 716 in 1969.
The 1969 total of homicides was eclipsed in 1974 with 970. Perhaps Rahm Emanuel can’t find a political solution to random murders (529 in 2018) and teacher’s strikes that he has had to deal with. In our current contentious political environment it seems that our government leaders think there is a political solution to all things objectionable.
It is shocking that the United States is the only highly-developed nation in the world that has cities listed in the murder rate (per 100,000) of 50 cities of 300,000+ in countries not-at-war. Those cities are Baltimore, St. Louis, New Orleans and Detroit. Although Chicago had more murders, their rate because of population size kept them from being in the top 50 worldwide. Of the other 46 cities, 3 are in S. Africa, one in Jamaica and one in Puerto Rico. The other 41 cities are in Central and South America.
Have we lost our way in this great nation? Why are so many of our urban areas killing grounds for maniacs? Our ‘nuclear’ family structures are disappearing; 40% of all childbirths are to single women (72% among Blacks). Our schools are in the avaricious grasp of unions that look out for teachers but ignore the education process. Schools have become discipline mills not teaching academies. Cops are becoming enemies of the people by default.
Is there a living politician that can save Baltimore & Chicago & Detroit & New Orleans & St Louis?
Dick Baynton