“Nothing gets done when we’re just telling each other how wrong we are,” Enzi said in his farewell address to the Senate in 2020. “Just ask yourself: Has anyone ever really changed your opinion by getting in your face and yelling at you or saying to you how wrong you are? Usually that doesn’t change hearts or minds.” (Late US Senator, Mike Enzi)
Politics is no longer about accomplishment. Politics is proving who is right or wrong. Politicians prostitute themselves to the panderers of the news media pushing their agendas versus what is needed. They are right, everyone else is wrong. The word compromise is profane, vulgar, and obscene. Working together for the common good is seen as treason to a cause.
Over the past few years, the Chicago City Council turned into an ideological battleground with caucuses whose members are idiots adhering to ideology. There is a Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, Progressive Caucus, Democratic Socialists of America Caucus, and probably a few more. They have an imaginary warrior mentality, fighting windmills like Don Quixote. For some in these caucuses, fighting is more important than getting things done.
Each caucus has its own agenda. When alderpersons join a caucus, they pledge fealty to the cause. Being down with the cause is more important than doing their jobs. Every day they drink the Kool-Aid to forget who they represent.
Some alderpersons recognize their responsibilities and work hard for all the people. They listen to their constituents and promote and vote on ordinances that may go against their caucus agenda. They get censured by their caucus, but the censure is meaningless. They were sent to do a job and they do it.
Unfortunately, to many in the caucuses jump on causes just to be popular. They do not care about the cause, effect, or the cost. Being popular like OnlyFans performers is all that matters. They suck in the public and political contributions.
Alderpersons are not only responsible for their wards. They must try to resolve citywide issues. There are constituencies throughout the city who rely on City Hall to take care of their issues. They range from commerce and industry, the financial sector, big corporations, other businesses of all sizes, real estate developers, and other people and entities who rely on City Hall to handle their needs.
We, the citizens in this city, shake our heads, wondering what the hell some of these people are doing. We pay these people six figure salaries for what is defined as a part time job. The least they can do is leave their protest mentality at home and work for all the people in their wards and the other constituencies in the city. If they do not like something, don’t vote on it. But spare us from rhetorical extremist populist horse manure.
They should spend more time working and less time being media whores. Maybe they forgot who pays their salaries and funds their lavish benefits and perks. They should be reminded.
In a perfect world, caucuses would be banned. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Political caucuses are a major flaw in city governance. The City Council is no longer accountable to the people. In a caucus members must think alike, so no one is thinking.
Circus is a better word instead of caucus. The caucus aldercreatures are entertaining and like circus animal acts they leave manure in their wake.