The trains run on time in Skokie. Snow is plowed in a timely manner. Garbage gets picked up. The tax base is varied and strong. The fire department is one of the best. Unlike Mussolini’s Fascist Party, which famously claimed to make the Italian trains run on time, but didn't, most government services seem quite efficient in the big village west of the North Shore Channel. But like Italy under the
I covered Skokie for 13 years, and saw a couple of concerted attempts to put slates opposing the Caucus Party's together. They generally lost because they were a) incompetent at creating platforms that weren't "we hate the old guys, (& they're not white enough") , b) incompetent at campaigning, even the ones with a fair number of dollars to spend, or c) provably not great at public service via previous stints on other boards. Some of them only started opposing slates after they tried for a Caucus position and didn't make the cut.
The folks in power have successfully kept more opposition slates from forming by finding potential opponents and bringing them into the Caucus fold. It's not, precisely, anti-democratic, but it's not, precisely, democratic. It's an odd duck, politically. However, I trust Schechter when it comes to talking about diversity and affordable housing and I trust her concerns about lack of slate diversity. I don't support term limits; I've seen what that can lead to. But I think staggered terms should be enacted. And while I don't believe in wards (a few meetings at Evanston city council impressed that on me), I like the hybrid board idea. I'll be interested to see what happens in this referendum effort.
Also, there's one thing that we as journalists need to emphasize in this sort of situation - the lack of local news coverage. Back when Pioneer Press was able to put 2 reporters on Skokie, and cover all the boards - including the Niles Township board - readers paid attention, and came out to vote. Lack of coverage inevitably leads to lack of transparency and lack of electorate interest.
Thanks for letting me yammer on; once again, your commentary made me think.
The way it's set up, a candidate either has to win the imprimatur of the slaters or find 6 friends to run with. I don't think opposition candidates should have to found a political party
I think the idea of staggered terms could put paid to that, or at least minimize it, which is why it's a good idea. And I repeat my belief that if there was more local news coverage, you'd have more political activity on the part of voters.
Dumb question: why doesn’t Skokie have a local newspaper? The one out out by the tribune (skokie review?) is mostly adds and a wash of all suburban crime news. Like, if I wanted to read a weekly paper that says who’s retiring from the schools, how the Niles North soccer team is doing, what’s the status of the traffic reconfigurations, where do I go? Skokie groups on Facebook are good, but hit or miss. Many other websites promote racist profiling of neighbors. The village should be big enough to support a local rag, right? I think this would help voter turnout tremendously… to know what’s actually happening!
Nope - not a dumb question, an important one. As a former Pioneer reporter who spent 13 years on the Skokie beat, I can only mourn what Pioneer's serial owners (Sun-Times/Trib) did as they gutted the Skokie review, and left it a husk of what it should be. Reporters and editors on the ground have always been unable to sell their higher-ups on the importance of local news and the proper staffing thereof; that willful ignorance on the part of owners and bean counters has only grown, like some sort of poisonous weed.
It’s so sad! Is there any hope of an independent paper? I grew up in a suburb of Boston that had an AMAZING local paper. It’s a little “ra-ra hometown”, but it covers all the serious news too. The town is 1/3 the size of Skokie and manages to put it out weekly.
You Might try looking at The Record, a nonprofit news organization currently covering North Shore communities and looking to expand to nearby communities if it can increase its donor/subscriber base. It was founded by reporters/editors of the former 22nd Century papers after that died (much as Block Club Chicago was formed by former editors/reporters of DNA Info.) They have kept local news alive along the North Shore, and they might consider Skokie if they can grow their base. I subscribe, even though I don't live on the North Shore, because they need that support. Good luck!
When I ran and won my seat in the School Board in 1995 there was no caucus, giving the residents a choice on who to elect and who can run. No one received payment for serving. I encourage everyone to get involved in their localities. It is so important. Great article!
The writer of this article failed to note that other than the Village of Skokie trustees, all other elected offices in Skokie, including the park district, school boards and library board are independent and staggered.
I covered Skokie for 13 years, and saw a couple of concerted attempts to put slates opposing the Caucus Party's together. They generally lost because they were a) incompetent at creating platforms that weren't "we hate the old guys, (& they're not white enough") , b) incompetent at campaigning, even the ones with a fair number of dollars to spend, or c) provably not great at public service via previous stints on other boards. Some of them only started opposing slates after they tried for a Caucus position and didn't make the cut.
The folks in power have successfully kept more opposition slates from forming by finding potential opponents and bringing them into the Caucus fold. It's not, precisely, anti-democratic, but it's not, precisely, democratic. It's an odd duck, politically. However, I trust Schechter when it comes to talking about diversity and affordable housing and I trust her concerns about lack of slate diversity. I don't support term limits; I've seen what that can lead to. But I think staggered terms should be enacted. And while I don't believe in wards (a few meetings at Evanston city council impressed that on me), I like the hybrid board idea. I'll be interested to see what happens in this referendum effort.
Also, there's one thing that we as journalists need to emphasize in this sort of situation - the lack of local news coverage. Back when Pioneer Press was able to put 2 reporters on Skokie, and cover all the boards - including the Niles Township board - readers paid attention, and came out to vote. Lack of coverage inevitably leads to lack of transparency and lack of electorate interest.
Thanks for letting me yammer on; once again, your commentary made me think.
The way it's set up, a candidate either has to win the imprimatur of the slaters or find 6 friends to run with. I don't think opposition candidates should have to found a political party
I think the idea of staggered terms could put paid to that, or at least minimize it, which is why it's a good idea. And I repeat my belief that if there was more local news coverage, you'd have more political activity on the part of voters.
That's got to be the case.
Dumb question: why doesn’t Skokie have a local newspaper? The one out out by the tribune (skokie review?) is mostly adds and a wash of all suburban crime news. Like, if I wanted to read a weekly paper that says who’s retiring from the schools, how the Niles North soccer team is doing, what’s the status of the traffic reconfigurations, where do I go? Skokie groups on Facebook are good, but hit or miss. Many other websites promote racist profiling of neighbors. The village should be big enough to support a local rag, right? I think this would help voter turnout tremendously… to know what’s actually happening!
Nope - not a dumb question, an important one. As a former Pioneer reporter who spent 13 years on the Skokie beat, I can only mourn what Pioneer's serial owners (Sun-Times/Trib) did as they gutted the Skokie review, and left it a husk of what it should be. Reporters and editors on the ground have always been unable to sell their higher-ups on the importance of local news and the proper staffing thereof; that willful ignorance on the part of owners and bean counters has only grown, like some sort of poisonous weed.
It’s so sad! Is there any hope of an independent paper? I grew up in a suburb of Boston that had an AMAZING local paper. It’s a little “ra-ra hometown”, but it covers all the serious news too. The town is 1/3 the size of Skokie and manages to put it out weekly.
You Might try looking at The Record, a nonprofit news organization currently covering North Shore communities and looking to expand to nearby communities if it can increase its donor/subscriber base. It was founded by reporters/editors of the former 22nd Century papers after that died (much as Block Club Chicago was formed by former editors/reporters of DNA Info.) They have kept local news alive along the North Shore, and they might consider Skokie if they can grow their base. I subscribe, even though I don't live on the North Shore, because they need that support. Good luck!
When I ran and won my seat in the School Board in 1995 there was no caucus, giving the residents a choice on who to elect and who can run. No one received payment for serving. I encourage everyone to get involved in their localities. It is so important. Great article!
The writer of this article failed to note that other than the Village of Skokie trustees, all other elected offices in Skokie, including the park district, school boards and library board are independent and staggered.