Gotta Love Chicago Politics--Elitism At Its Best

legion · 05-21-2008, 11:33 AM

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/960265,CST-NWS-mell21-web.article

Quote:

Mayor Daley said today he's all for the idea of temporarily re-opening gun registration in Chicago -- not as a favor to Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), but to get a realistic handle on the number of guns in Chicago.

A former hunter, Mell is proposing a one-month amnesty after he forgot to re-register his arsenal of shotguns, rifles and pistols as required every year by the ordinance he helped to pass.

During the month-long window, gun owners who attempted to re-register their guns between May 1, 2007 and April 1, 2008 only to be rejected on grounds the registrations had lapsed would be allowed to re-register without penalty.

You've got to love it when politicians change the rules to suite themselves or to cover their own asses.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

If he fails to register them to the cops come and seize them?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

As much as I liked some aspects of living/going to school in Chicago, I'm also glad I don't still live there. Very weird, foreign-country kind of feel. Mayor Daley is deified there - his mug and name is slapped all over everything in the city from billboards to busses to street signs to whatever. The Chicago City Flag is flown EVERYWHERE, sometimes alongside the U.S. flag, sometimes without the U.S. flag. I swear if Chicago isn't an autonomous Provence or whatever, they certainly want to create the perception that it is.

VERY snobbish attitude between Chicago and "the suburbs" too. I was practically strip-searched at the Chicago City Library just to get a library card there in order to prove that I actually lived in the city, not one of the surrounding/supporting suburban communities.

Cool place, but it demands a certain level of fanaticism from those that live there, much the same way that a lot of foreigners from despotic countries will still rabidly defend "their country" even though they know it's a corrupt, third-world society that's crumbling (and that's why they left it to come here, but they don't discuss it - I'm sure you all know someone like that). In spite of this and the obvious corruption/division between the "elite" and "everyone else", they continue to cling to it in an almost utopian way. So too is the attitude of Chicago folks to their city/government at times. It's very odd.

Back on topic though, yes I'm not the least bit surprised that "convenience exceptions" for the politicians there are being touted again. After all, rules are for the peasants/serfs, not the members of Chicago's ruling class, right?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Oh, another thing - if you ever want to REALLY have some fun with someone from Chicago, tell 'em you like their city but "it's not quite as exciting/cultural/fun/good/diverse/whatever as New York".

Chicagoians have HUGE insecurity complex about their "second city" status in comparison to NYC. I used to do that just to have fun with people out there (even though privately I'm not a particularly huge fan of NYC). It was just fun to get the reactions. Be careful though - a couple of times people got REALLY pissed about it!

Again, very odd, the whole fanatical loyalty thing. . . I'm surprised Chicago hasn't formed its own army frankly. . .

m21sniper · 05-21-2008, 01:39 PM

Ah, yes....the Emperor Daley and the fiefdom of Chicago, bang-bang.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I can't imagine living there. I hope the DC gun ban ruling turns Chicago's gun laws upside down.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-21-2008, 02:22 PM

I lived on the north side off the lake for a few years, 95-97. shots fired at 2AM in front of the apartment were frequent, but not as much as the regular sightings of pimps holding up the strung out whores walking along the lake.

I kid you not.

I miss Chicago a lot.

9dreizig · 05-21-2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

I lived on the north side off the lake for a few years, 95-97. shots fired at 2AM in front of the apartment were frequent, but not as much as the regular sightings of pimps holding up the strung out whores walking along the lake.

I kid you not.

I miss Chicago a lot.

Those were of course from legal guns owned by law abiding citizens,, ( the ones the gun control nuts want to eliminate right ?? ).. Oops should that have been in green ? I mean some people would actually think that were the case!!

gprsh924 · 05-21-2008, 05:03 PM

Hopefully I am two short years away from getting a job in the city and living downtown...I cannot wait. I love Chicago, although I will say NYC is an awesome city too.

speedracing944 · speedracing944's Garage

What is this registration you speak of?

Speedy

legion · 05-21-2008, 05:42 PM

The City of Chicago has required all guns in the city to be registered since the mid-60's in order to be legally owned. In 1980, they "closed" the registration. No new guns could be registered.

This has effectively outlawed the private ownership of firearms in the city--except for a select few that have had guns registered since 1980. (Just imagine if you had to "register" to exercise your freedom of speech--and then that registration was closed.)

So it turns out that one of the politicians who passed the ban back in 1980 (and who so happens to be father-in-law to our corrupt governor) forget to register his guns. Now he is trying to get a very specific law passed that will forgive his mistakes.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

So it turns out that one of the politicians who passed the ban back in 1980 (and who so happens to be father-in-law to our corrupt governor) forget to register his guns. Now he is trying to get a very specific law passed that will forgive his mistakes.

I think it's equally sad that ANYONE is allowed to be a politician for 28+ years. He needs a real job.

pwd72s · 05-21-2008, 06:08 PM

Chicago politics would LOVE Oregon's "vote by mail" system....

legion · 05-21-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Chicago politics would LOVE Oregon's "vote by mail" system....

What are you talking about? Whole precincts in the city have voted absentee for decades?

tabs · 05-21-2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

What are you talking about? Whole precincts in the city have voted absentee for decades?

Every reesident of Chicago gets to vote even ones that have been dead for 100 years.

MRM · 05-22-2008, 04:13 AM

To be more accurate, this isn't an example of elitism. It's an example of the petty coruption that has been a part of Democratic machine politics since at least Tammany Hall. The tpe of corruption which conservatives and Republicans have been proud that their party didn't run machines or do this type of thing. Until recent years, at least, when the new Boss started looking like the old Boss. Boss Connor, that is.

legion · 05-22-2008, 10:54 AM

And a follow-up:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/964373,CST-NWS-mell21web.article

Quote:

Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue today decried the "double standard" that prompted Mayor Daley to endorse the idea of temporarily re-opening gun registration in Chicago after a request from Ald. Richard Mell (33rd).

"We have retired police officers who have a right to carry concealed weapons across the country, and they're being barred from registering their weapons in Chicago. We've taken one of these cases to Circuit Court. Dick Mell has taken his case to the City Council," the union president said.

"Whether he knows it or not, the mayor, by this agreement [to endorse a temporary gun amnesty] is establishing a double standard. One for members of the City Council, the other for everybody else."
...
On Wednesday, Donahue questioned the mayor's motives for endorsing the change. If the goal is truly what Daley says it is, then the amnesty window should be permanently re-opened for existing gun owners, the union president said.

"If they're looking to find out how many guns are in the city, leave it open. Why set a window on it? Do it for everyone who has an existing gun," Donahue said.

legion · 06-05-2008, 12:12 PM

And the law, as actually passed...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-dick-mell-gunsjun05,0,2542506.story

Quote:

Ald. Richard Mell got a City Council committee to approve a change to a Chicago law on his behalf Wednesday, but argued it would benefit thousands of other city residents who, like him, simply failed to renew their gun licenses.
...
Re-registration of the guns would have to occur within 4 months of passage of the ordinance by the full City Council, which could come as soon as Wednesday.

Mell, a hunter and gun collector, sought the change after he forgot to renew his registrations and was told he could not do so because the deadline had passed.
...
Committee Chairman Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th) said he expected another amendment to be drafted that would allow retired police officers to register newly purchased handguns. Federal law allows retired officers to carry concealed weapons, but city ordinance allows them to only re-register their old service revolvers, not new weapons.

It looks like what they are going to do is fully open the registration to anyone for four months. I wonder if this is the beginning of the end of Chicago's gun ban?