CC-Conservative

Comments

Calumet City has been heading in the wrong direction for the last 10 yrs. Mayor Michelle along with the rest of the tenured alderman, clerk, and treasurer are to blame for ineffectively addressing issues. Crime is up and increasingm home values are down, and we've lost and are losing more businesses. Foreclosures have no been addressed by her administration which created the unsafe property conditions that she and her team cite they've been resolving through demolitions. Our credit rating (municipal bond rating) is low (B). Taxes and fees are too high and unstainable. The River Oaks Mall has and continues to deteriorate. A recent news article with the Better Government Association cited how Calumet City has wasted and continues to waste immense sums of money and how its current leadership abuses their offices. The city is in $91 million in long term debt obligations according Walter Jacobson's CBS reporting and we've lost businesses and are losing more (ex... Carsons, Lane Bryant, car dealerships, Wickes to name a few). Mayor Michelle and her administration have not attracted jobs or economic opportunities for our city. She and her administration haven't hosted any workshops/events/programming to attract economic opportunities.

Its obvious those commenting against the option to choose different for us (Calumet City) don't reside in Calumet City because if they did then they could identify with these issues and lack of solutions. Also regarding the substantial compliance argument, it means meeting most of the requirements with reasonable compliance and not precision under the law. Why the city expends time and immense resources to suppress freedom of choice is unbeknowst to me and many other residents.

If we're going to do better we need new leadership and focus. I'm not saying Brian Wilson and his team have all the answers but its about choice and his team's platform is movement in the right direction. If it hasn't happen in the last 8 yrs under them then why would we believe Mayor Michelle and her team could get the job done now especially when they're touting all their accomplishments. Accomplishments which have resulted in increased crime, a depressed real estate market, loss of businesses, higher fees/taxes, local unemployment rate of 13%, and poor quality of living standards. She and her team continue to deceive and take residents on rides we can't afford. To ponder otherwise is a glorification of ignorance and oversimplification of our problems. We need big changes.

She has never allowed anyone to compete fairly for her municipal seat. The previous mayor was removed by finite ballot number in election court by Bert Odelson and she continues the practice to this day. She does not govern well but collects a handsome compensation package.

February 07, 2013 10:04 am on Wilson slate reinstated on Feb. 26 primary ballot