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Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Larry Diaz — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:26:45 -0000

Angelo Torres used to work for Cease Fire.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Chicago Cynic — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:56:52 -0000

I'm just sayin,

Couldn't agree more. If everyone waited to deal with the symptoms until the disease has been cured, the whole world would be pretty darned miserable. CeaseFire is an important attempt to treat the symptom (violence) of poverty/drugs and an all too prevalent gangs.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

I'm just sayin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:13:26 -0000

Ceasefire also gets dollars from Cook County, the Feds and other private groups. It's simply not enough. I'm sorry but if somethings working to address the violence in communities (not just Chicago) let's continue to do it. One thing I am sure of...we've lost the war on crime/drugs so long ago. Remember "just say no?"

Well the fact of the matter is guns/drugs/crime are related. You might also add poor education, lack of social programs, lack of access to health care, high unemployment are all a recipe for what fuels the underground economy. Ceasefire workers have been on the other side of the law and this is one way for them to make amends and help the community that they have offended.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Cassandra — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:18:36 -0000

Numbers can be arranged to say anything.

But if Ceasefire is that great, I'm sure they won't have any difficulty attracting private donations to replace the money the guv cut--in an entirely reasonable decision, in this case. Our taxpayer pockets are not bottomless.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

cermak_rd — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:07:04 -0000

I've seen them throw the annoying pity us, pity us marches after someone gets shot. I find the marches annoying because I don't believe they do a lick of good other than allowing the residents to let out their anger. But I have also heard about some quieter work they do, one on one, with gang leaders and members to try to keep peace between the gangs and make sure misunderstandings don't lead to needless violence. I can see why that might be considered desireable, but I'm not sure it's a good idea because what you then have is a better organized gangland environment. The drugs trade seems to be at the root of the problem, it's the cause of the territorialism and most of the violence of the gangs. Until we can deal with that, if we can deal with that, groups like CeaseFire can do a little around the edges, but they can't fix the problem.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Chicago Cynic — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:48:18 -0000

Cassandra and Amy,

Unfortunately you don't know what you're talking about. CeaseFire has a tremendous track record of success, a record that has already been validated not only by extensive anecdotal evidence, but also by an ongoing study at Northwestern University.

The program is headed up by a world renown epidemiologist (Gary Slutkin) who decided to take a different approach to combatting inner-city violence. The results have been tremendous which is why the program is supported by a huge array of civic leaders from Cardinal George to Mayor Daley, and why demand for the program caused them to expand their reach well beyond Chicago. It's a real tragedy that this has become caught up in Rod's follies. And while Sandoval's rhetoric maybe OTT, his point is absolutely valid.

As to the audit, it's important to keep in mind what they did and didn't say. This isn't a Chicago State situation where anybody is accused of spending money for personal use or for buying gold-plated toilets. The auditor's primary point was that there was a lack of proper accounting for a small percentage of the funds spent. Nobody was accused of getting rich at the public trough.

The CeaseFire folks have already acknowledged that the auditor raised good points and that they will change their accounting practices accordingly.

And no, before anyone asks, I don't work for them. But I'm familiar with the organization and am a fan of their largely thankless work.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

BLAH — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:45:41 -0000

Do you honestly think CeaseFire managers make six figures. Common now. Let's paint this picture: housing in Chicago is expensive, so if your lower or middle income then you really can't afford to live in a nice neighborhood or send your kid to a nice school (let alone a private school and because our tax system is regressive, more of a percentage of your pay goes to taxes than a more wealthy person). So you live in a neighborhood where gang members "rule", no matter how many police patrol the streets. The only thing your kid sees are gangs and violence so that's who they end up turning to.

Right now all big urban cities are faced with drugs, gangs and more violence than ever before and it's not because everyone just let's it go, it's because kids grow up in this environment and that's all they know. Of course there are community members that try to change it, but we are talking about gun violence and drugs, gangs are not going to listen to a few community members and no law (thanks to the NRA) is going to prevent it.

That is why a group like CeaseFire is so necessary. Read their annual reports. They actually have reduced crime, not only in Chicago neighborhoods, but around the state.

"CeaseFire as welfare for gangs" sounds absolutely uninformed and ridiculous. How about tax expenditures as welfare for corporations or the war as welfare for contractors or Medicare as welfare for seniors.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:39:45 -0000

There is something very fishy about this whole program. Doling out money to "former" gang members to talk to current gang members about not shooting each other? That's a job?

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

fedup dem — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:37:42 -0000

Senator Sandoval makes a sensible statement! Why didn't the TV stations break in with a news bulletin upon learning this? My poor heart can barely withstand the shock!

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

amy — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:46:24 -0000

News reports on the Ceasefire controversy have
provided some insight, but not complete analysis,
of the actual work provided by Ceasefire....numbers
of contacts made, that kind of thing. I hope that
some reporter actually digs into the audit report
and tells us exactly how many person to person
contacts (not people at marches) were made
by this group for the HUGE pot of money they get
from the State. The few contact numbers that were in the articles were freakishly low. A nice chart
would clarify for all. If the quantifiable action
is really so small, think how much more could have
been done by hiring more police with the money! The police department has lots of contacts in
these neighborhoods. Imagine what the shooting
would be like if police were pulled from
neighborhoods. Maybe the Ceasefire strategy
is more appropriately a part of some government
human services department.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Cassandra — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:02:01 -0000

Ceasefire sounds like a lot of prevention programs. A lot of hype, nice six figure salaries for the top people, lots of funny money getting spread around, poor (or worse, crooked) management of the money, and lots of taking credit for results which might well have occurred without the program.

The U. of Illinois seems to have a stake in this as well. Will they be held accountable for all the mismanagement? They should, but they won't.

As to the dead gang members...sorry for the families, but how about survivors taking responsibility for your own lives and neighborhoods instead of expecting the govt and various do-gooder groups to do it for you. I don't know which gangs they belonged to, but urban Chicago gangs are hardly unsophisticated or stupid. They know what they're doing and they know it's dangerous. And they're rich.

We overburdened taxpayers need to stop supporting
programs like Ceasfire, which function as welfare for gangs. Let the gangs use the drug money for local social programs if they want them.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Patriot — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:00:12 -0000

In addition to vetoing CeaseFire's appropriations, the Governor has yet to sign SB1397, "Jessica's Law," which was sent to him on 8-9-07.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Anon — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:41:20 -0000

Senator Sandoval is the most obnoxious member in the history of the GA. Inflammatory comments like the one he made here should never come from the mouth of a person whose name is preceeded by the word "Senator." Rather than blaming the governor, Marty needs to try to be part of the solution. He is very alone in that chamber, and I cant remember the last time that he was part of the solution, and not part of the probolem.

I hope that somebody gives him a race and calls him out on all of his BS.

Re: Sandoval blasts Blagojevich on veto, but there’s more than meets the eye

Just Sayin' — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:38:28 -0000

Dear WBBM news,

I know you're just a TV operation, but c'mon. It's free "rein."

Thank you,
The Management