The history behind the incident can be rather detailed, however, for the sake of brevity, I shall only detail some of the items that led to it.

We all heard the expression, "That's Chicago Politics!" With it comes the connotation of negativism. Frankly, I don't like the image that is implied with the expression and work hard to correct any misconceptions others may have. Unfortunately, in the process of working to correct those false conceptions, one often times gets labeled. The labels come from those who want to perpetuate those "old time" politics and remain in complete control - like little demigods. Of course, they feel threatened when someone like me points out the truth about things.

In August of 1998 I fought for a railroad crossing. I, as well as several thousand other drivers, would constantly face a problem with potholes that adorned the Grand-Narraganset railroad crossing. The railroad (Canadian-Pacific) was willing to pay for the replacement but a section of Grand Avenue would need to be closed for the repairs. It was a little over 125 feet long, across all of Grand Avenue.

The street in question is in a ward controlled by an old-time boss named Alderman Banks. Banks had four businesses sign a letter, I was told, that was given to Mayor Daley. The four businesses are: PetSmart, Home Depot, Jacobs Twin Buick, and Pep Boys.

I called the State of Illinois, Transportation Department, as well as the Federal Government. Each of them returned my call and said it seemed like a local political issue. Apparently the Alderman didn't want it done.

I, along with three other people, set up an Informational Picket at the railroad crossing. We informed people to call Alderman Banks to get the railroad crossing fixed. Within two days a call was received from Alderman Banks by Rudy Villareal; Rudy was not one of the people who picketed, in fact, he was unemployed at the time. Shortly afterwards, Rudy got a job with the city.

Alderman Banks relinquished and the railroad crossing was fixed.

The photos showing the conditions are in the process of being incorporated into this web site.

During his campaign for Alderman of the 29^th Ward, Carothers utilized an old tactic of the former "machine." The tactic is intimidation. This was understandable because his father, who was also a politician under this current mayors father - Richard J. Daley - and also served time for embezzlement, had his fingers in the campaign.

We would post articles that appeared in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times that were not in support of Carothers. Carothers' people, in turn, would come in and take them down. We would continue to put them up, they take them down until, one day, they sent someone to Apple Pantry (located at the corner of Fullerton and Monitor) who represented themselves as a lawyer and he pulled the information down. He handed the owners a business card. His name is Bruce Adelman. He informed the owners that they cannot put those articles up because that supports a single candidate. The owners are peace loving people who were born in the same town as Gandi. Needless to say, they were quite afraid.

When I heard about it I immediately set up a picket at the corner of Fullerton and Monitor Avenues. The sign said, "Stop Intimidation Now!" I stood on that corner from 7 AM (the time Apple Opened) until 5 PM. I had to stop the picket just to warm up; it was 21 degrees as a high. I did that for the final two days before the election.

In my conversations with many people I noted a common thread and that was the rat problem that climaxed in August of 1999. These rats became so bold that they would come out during the day, maybe look at you, and then go on their merry way. There were lots of them to boot.

I started a picket on the corner of Fullerton and Central Avenues in September of 1999. I did so after filing many complaints with the city and having Rodent Control come out to bait.

The picket forced the new Alderman Carothers to have a meeting at Major Hall, on the corner of Grand and Major. Before the meeting we had agreed to a 7:00 PM starting time. This was then changed, after I passed out information, to 6:00 AM.

I was not invited to sit at the table with the officials but rather stayed in the back of the room. When someone from the audience asked who the precinct captain was, one of Carothers people asked, "Where do you live?" Carothers then said, "We'll find out in a minute." At that point I spoke up. I told the audience that Carothers does not have precinct captains that is the role of the Ward Committeeman, Danny K. Davis.

Carothers got all flustered and said, with the earmarks of Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" routine, "I will appoint whoever I want as precinct captains." I said, "No, Carothers, you don't have the authorization of the Democratic Party to appoint precinct captains - Danny K. Davis does."

The meeting ended rather abruptly.

There was one incident that occurred during the picket that should be noted and that is as follows:

One day on my way back home from the picket I noticed the gate to the front of my house opened. Usually I go through the back and into the house but since this gate was open, I decided to go through the front.

When I got to the gate I noticed someone opened the side gate to the property and was standing in back. I called out to this man by saying, "Can I help you?" His reply was, "I'm with the Building Department. I'm an inspector."

I told him, "Good for you. Do you have a warrant to be on this property?" "No," he replied. "Then please leave."

He started asking questions to which I replied, "I'm not going to do your homework for you! Have a nice day."

This event occurred after Carothers tried to have me arrested during the picket. He called the Commander of the 25^th District and was told that the man on the corner was not violating any laws. Carothers then tried to call Congressman Davis. He was told pretty much the same thing. So, what Carothers did, was use an old fashion tactic his daddy probably used, and that was to send in the Building Department.

When I called the Building Department I was told that inspections are put in a que. I then asked how is it that two houses on this block that were reported in March of that year did not get inspected yet but mine did? They couldn't answer that question. Boils down to this: Carothers violated the Shackman Decree by using a city employee to do his political dirty work. It's an old trick and just a different form of intimidation.

Whereas most people might get scared over this, I feed off of it and it simply provides me more incentive to fight such wrongdoing. Such misuse of power should not be allowed.

So, as you can see, Carothers has no great love for me.

On September 21, 2000 I called 311 to request a special pickup of material that was left in my garage from the Great Chicago Flood of 1997. The reason it was still in my garage was the day of the special flood pickup the garbage truck was full. The sanitation workers were suppose to come back to pick up the rest but never did. So, before I put any of this material out I called 311 to request a special pickup.

The following day, which is a regular pickup for my block, I just happened to drive past my alley and noticed the garbage truck loading waste. I passed behind my garage and noted nothing was taken. I caught up to the garbage truck and asked one of the men why the garbage was not removed from the apron of my garage. They told me they were told not to remove it.

I then backed up to my garage to unload some groceries. A car pulled up behind me and a man got out. He flashed a badge. I requested to see it, again. He said, "I'm an inspector." My question to him was, "Do you work for Streets and Sanitation?" He said, "Yes." I then pointed out to him Streets and Sanitation does not employ any inspectors. At that point my cell phone rang. He wanted to know who I was talking with. I told him "That was none of his concern." He then went to the car and pulled out a camera and took a picture of the material in front ofmy garage. When I asked him his name, he refused to give it to me. His license plate is F313360. I will find out his name later. He then drove off. The garbage truck had circled the block and the material was removed.

Shortly afterwards I called 311 and talked with a lady named Urian. She set up a conference call to the 29^th Ward Streets and Sanitation Office on Grand Ave. Mr. Johnson was not available because he was out in the field, the secretary said, but when Urian started to ask a question as to why a "coordinator" was involved, Mr. Johnson was all of a sudden there.

When Johnson picked up the phone he was not aware that I was online. When Urian questioned him, his comment was that he was aware of the problem and then said, "That guys a trouble maker." At that point I said hello to Johnson. I wish I could have seen his face!