Response to Don Gordon's Political Obituary

Don Gordon recently published an open letter to Joe Moore that was posted on "The Broken Heart of Rogers Park," here is my response. I've posted it here in case blog administrators remove the post.

This letter is too little too late from a clearly floundering campaign.

Don claims to have been an activist for decades. Other than a notably abandoned Rogers Park Conservancy project, what else has Don been involved in? Was he involved in the effort to elect David Orr alderman? Did he get involved in Harold Washington's historic campaign? Did he help elect Jan Schakowsky or Barack Obama? Did he help bring CAPS to the ward, or Blue Light Cameras for that matter?

He decries Half-Truths, but refuses to acknowledge the words posted on THIS VERY blog by some of his most ardent supporters? Craig, to his credit, had the appropriate response, that the comments were shameful. Why doesn't he just come out and state the obvious, that when people say things like "section 8 housing is like underbrush, and needs to be burned," that it's disgusting and should be condemned.

You claim that Joe Moore's campaign is claiming that you'll tear down low income housing, which it isn't. The fact that Don Gordon wants to wait a year to release an affordable housing plan speaks for itself.

No one is suggesting that Don Gordon is racist. What ACORN is stating is that Don Gordon supporters have made hateful comments towards low income housing residents, and Don has refused to distance himself these people.

To say that people like Toni Duncan (North Coast), Hugh Devlin (Hugh), and Laura Louzander (Paradise) are not associated with your campaign is an outright lie. These people campaign for you on a daily basis, and at least two of the three were actively campaigning on 2/27.

The Joe Moore campaign has leveled serious attacks on the Don Gordon campaign, mainly that Don Gordon does not support the Living Wage ordinance, which 77% of the ward voted in favor of last election, and that Don Gordon opposed the Blue Light Cameras, a point which Don emphatically reinforced on the second Chicago tonight debate.

David Herro donated more than twice as much money to Jack Ryan, one of Barack Obama's GOP opponents. Of the money that David Herro has donated to political campaigns, a vast majority has gone to Republican candidates and causes. To say that he donates across the political spectrum is a gross distortion. It is more accurate to say that David Herro has a history of giving to Republicans, those opposed to the living wage, and a few big Democrats.

I urge Don Gordon to provide a list of projects he was associated with prior to the year 2003, after which his community involvement would have been entirely geared towards building a resume to run for office.

Don Gordon's campaign won't stoop to polarizing rhetoric because it's not neccessary to stoop. They've been stooping all along. Gordon supporters are positively vicious in their insinuation and distortion of the truth.

Gordon ends his charming obituary with an interesting byline, "Democratic Candidate for 49th Ward Alderman." I challenge Gordon to name all the Democratic campaign (besides Bobby Kennedy's) that he has worked on. If he's such a wonderful Democrat, I'm sure he has something to show for it.