Why? During the "REPORTS-COMMUNICATIONS" portion of the regular council meeting he finally made a follow-up statement about the ongoing (?) community projects in the Third Ward. The alderman did encourage people to help out with painting and light carpentry on several homes. However, during the earlier Committee of the Whole Meeting, he voted "yes" to delay the September 1st effective date of the smoking ban out of fear that it would hurt business in local bars and taverns. This is putting economics before public health. Moreover, it flies in the face of the research that has already been done. As Mayor Van Buer pointed out, DeKalb has/had the opportunity to be a leader on this issue, and yet Alderman Wogen chooses money over people's ability to breathe clean air.
For more information on the smoking ban (and the possible creation of a new Class A liquor license): "DeKalb smoking ban still begins Sept. 1"
For more information on the smoking ban (and the possible creation of a new Class A liquor license): "DeKalb smoking ban still begins Sept. 1"
20 comments:
I'm not trying to score points with the Wogen camp (nor do I want to), but when the Third Ward has quite a few businesses in it, I'm not 100% surprised that Wogen voted on the side of the businesses in his ward.
What was the final vote? I wasn't able to watch the meeting tonight, but this would be the second time he's come down on the wrong side of an important issue.
Oh-for-two might get you a spot on the Cubs, but it's really not good for a rookie alderman.
It is yet again another example of a broken promise by Wogen that he would vote like Kapitan.
That part is sad, indeed.
All personal animosity aside, I often wonder how a person, any person, can live with themselves when they get caught (in a very public way) being dishonest with people.
I know that in those times in my life when I wasn't fully in command of the truth, not only did I pay dearly for the mistake, but I felt bad about it for a long time (and still feel bad about it, years later).
It's like the line uttered by the David Carradine character, Bill, in "Kill Bill, Vol. 2":
"Some things you do ... can never be undone."
The businesses this applies to are bars. The restuarants have already had to comply months ago. I find it a very hurtful decision on his part to vote yes when his father-in-law died from complications after surgery for lung cancer.I for one was glad to see that the others except Wogen and Gorski voted not to extend the date.
conan, I'd really like to see your name on the ballot in 2011. You try to please every single person in the 3rd ward! There are a lot of businesses/bars in his ward and the owners came to Wogen to ask for his help in postponing the City ban until Jan.
The bar/restaurant owners told Wogen that their customers were telling them they would take their business elsewhere or to Sycamore for the next 4 months. Wogen was only trying to help them out, by keeping tax dollars in DeKalb.
Shame on him for trying to help others out. Nothing will ever be good enough for you, Conan.
The problem with Wogen's vote is that the public health experts brought in to testify when the smoking ban was enacted clearly stated that there is no empirical evidence that smoking bans adversely affect businesses. Surely, Wogen went back and read up on the issue before he cast his vote.
In addition, Wogen's vote also means that he is willing to put the interest of the businesses in the ward ahead of the health of non-smoking patrons and employees (who are exposed to the second-hand smoke for their entire shift).
A politician has to weigh the good of the many (the health and well-being of the citizens) against the needs of the few (bars who will suffer, maybe, a temporary reduction in business).
We see too many national politicians do the oppopsite, and we should expect more from our local politicians ... they are supposed to be more "like us" than people like Hastert and Obama.
Wogen had a chance to vote for the people of DeKalb, especially since the statewide ban is going to be coming January 1. Instead, he chose to support a short-term fix to uphold the bar owners' bottom line.
Let's see ... two votes that had to do with money ... and in both cases, Wogen voted for the proposal that would put more money into someone else's pockets.
Not an inspiring start.
Well, now we know where the proposal came from that wasted everyone's time. As the mayor said, all that was already fought about already.
Brien is correct--Wogen went against the people of DeKalb who already fought about the smoking issue in the past and went for what a few people wanted, and it was all about putting money over health. Now we just might have our answer as to what goes on in KJs.
P.S. I wonder if any of those bar owners were among the invisible "backers" of the postcard . . . . .
A former mayor once said that being mayor was something that one had to do, to get the payoffs from the local liquor establishments.
Brien, you stated that Wogen had the chance to vote for the people of Dekalb... Well, Brien, the only people that bothered to come forward to express their feelings were restaurant & bar owners. You, too could have expressed the way you feel, but you chose not to.
Be realistic- How is Wogen expected to know how ALL the people feel, especially if they do not voice their opinions, including yourself?
I would really like to see you run for Alderman in 2011. We'll see if you can keep every single person in DeKalb happy!
you seem to know it all, conan!
I want you on the ballot in 2011, along with Brien!
The thing is ... the people of DeKalb had already spoken on this issue when the original ban was enacted.
The previous set of aldermen had already discussed this, and the bars were given the longest possible time to comply with the 9/1 date.
Why should I have gone to Wogen to express anything about an ordinance that was already in effect? Why didn't he take it on faith that the discussions held previously had covered all the ground necessary for the aldermen at that time to make a decision?
Let's say that I was alderman. A bar owner approaches me and asks me to help get an extension. I'd listen, but I would also know enough of the history of the ordinance to know that al of that owners concerns and questions had been asked and answered.
I would be polite, but would tell the bar owners that opening up the same can of worms would yield little good, would only serve to aggravate the general public, and would not sit well with my fellow citizens in the Third Ward (whose voices had been heard in the initial go-round).
If that means that the bar owners refuse to pony up some campaign cash in 2011, so be it. But some battles are not worth re-fighting, and Wogen needed to be smart enough to see that this one wasn't going to do anything but rile up people.
Keep in mind, now, that Wogen's vote on this issue now has him firmly in the sights of the anti-smoking "lobby" in DeKalb ... not all of whom live in the Third Ward. He's angered more than just us with this one.
How many more un-savvy votes is it going to take before he realizes that he needs to vote with care on important issues? Especially those involving the city's money, or money in the pockets of local businessmen.
As to running for Alderman, I would realize going in, that I could not keep everyone happy.
Balance is required. Sometimes, you can gain balance within a single ordinance that makes both parties somewhat happy (compromise is always about everyone going home both happy and sad). At other times, you have to side with one portion of your constituency, but you would try to balance that out on another issue later.
On the smoking ban issue, it's a lose-lose. If you bring it up again, the citizens get upset because it appears (and again, appearance is everything) that you're ignoring their wishes. If you refuse to bring it up again, the businesses get ticked because it appears you're ignoring them.
You have to pick and choose which things you believe in from Day One, and try to steer your course as close to those beliefs as possible.
Wogen already strayed when, after identifying himself as a "taxpayer watchdog", he voted for a huge pay increase when one was not requested by the consultant. Oops ... so much for being careful with the tax dollars.
He's all for making the Third Ward a "better place to live". Okay ... then explain how granting an extension to not enforce the smoking ban makes the Third Ward a better place to live ... when Third Ward businesses want to allow a harmful health hazard to continue? How does that make the Ward a better place to live?
So, twice he has strayed from the "core values" he stated in his campaign. Is he much different from most other politicians? Probably not.
But he's trying to live like a Chicago alderman ... in a town and ward that wants no part of that type of behavior from its politicians.
He simply hasn't gotten the message, and I honestly think that he never will, and that he really doesn't care if we like it or not.
He thinks he's the big fish in the little pond.
Seems like folks forget that this is still a working/farm/college town, not uppity St. Chas.. All this talk about rejuvinating DeKalb and they pass a smoking ban. As far as a reduction in business, have a talk with the bar owners in Springfield, IL. I have had such an opportunity to speak with a few...the ones that are still open, that is.
I'm a smoker and I agree that there shoudn't be smoking in restaurants but a tavern? Give me a break! That's exactly where you should be able to smoke. There have been times over the years that I have left a bar that was to smokey. I was not slighted in the least. It should be the bar owner's decision. If I don't like it there, I have every right to move on. If you don't like smoke at a bar, then go to a non-smoking bar. I don't like country music so I don't frequent those establishments. Simple.
I applaude Mr. Wogen for supporting the local busineses and trying to uphold their right to make their own decisions concerning what happens in their place.
Well, at least Sean is more intelligent that the usual people who write as Anonymous. But, the problem in DeKalb is there are people who wannbe Naperville and they don't get it. Then there are the delusional merchants who think J.C. Penny's or big box stores are going to come back to downtown. They don't get it either. Another group just hates all of the college students, blames them for everything, yet doesn't mind taking their money.
Sean, this isn't about the bar owners deciding their own fate.
This issue was made moot when the governor signed the statewide smoking ban BEFORE the issue came up before the Council.
No, this is about the bar owners wanting to "get back" the four months they think they're "losing" because DeKalb's ban takes effect on 9/1/07, not 1/1/08. This is about them trying to squeeze more time from the city on an issue that had been decided long ago.
I think Wogen punted the pooch on this one by even bringing it up. There was no general support on the Council, and very little support from the public. He only served to alienate non-Third Ward residents with his total lack of knowledge of the politics of the situation.
Of course, that's what happens when you haven't the savvy to understand how politics works, when to fight the good fight for good causes, when to let sleeping dogs lie.
That's what happens when someone else helped get you elected, and that's what happens when you need *them* to tell *you* what issues are "important".
Wogen's come down on the wrong side (by large margins, I might add) of the two most "important" decisions made by the Council thus far.
He's listening to the wrong people, and has so alienated the most rational citizens of the Third Ward that he has no one with good intentions and good advice on his side.
I hope he'll look back on his only term with fond memories. He's the only one who'll have such memories.
What do you mean by "wogen's listening to the wrong people"? Those people who you are referring to have a business that resides in the 3rd ward! Those supposed "wrong people" were the ONLY ones that bothered to voice their opinions to Victor BEFORE the council voted on that issue.
If it were so important to you, Brien, why on earth didn't you speak up beforehand?
Now you want to complain AFTER the fact. You, along with everyone else had an equal opportunity to tell your alderman how you felt on the subject... YOU chose not to. Period.
"If it were so important to you, Brien, why on earth didn't you speak up beforehand?
Now you want to complain AFTER the fact. You, along with everyone else had an equal opportunity to tell your alderman how you felt on the subject... YOU chose not to. Period."
Are you an idiot? It is a question, not an insult. It is only an insult if the answer turns out to be "yes." Those of us who actually knew what went down the first time the smoking ban went around knew what was going to happen the second time around, too. We knew Gorski would vote for it. Is she a smoker (past or present) herself?
By the way, if Wogen is stupid enough to run in the next election, *if* he gets any money from the business owners, not too many of them live in the Third Ward, so they can't even vote for him. HA! It's the votes that count, not the money.
If Wogen is stupid enough to run in the next election, don't forget there will be a record of all of the comments back to the voters who live in the Third Ward. You people are really helping him out! Keep it up! You're doing great work to get him out of office, eventually!
Have a wonderful day! :-)
I don't see why the council couldn't wait until the Jan. 1 statewide ban (Which I think is ridiculous).
Also, people seem to forget that a tad more than half the voters in the 3rd ward voted for Wogen even after the flyer came out. This suggests that he has many more supporters than some of you folks think.
I will tell you this. Mr Wogen was more help to me in his first month in office then Mr. Kapitan ever was. And yes, I did ask for help from Kapitan several times and he didn't have the decentcy to return my calls/emails in a great time of need. I don't expect miricles from my ward rep.. I do expect them to be as helpful as possible when I do need them. Mr. Wogan has done this.
Your criticism of former Alderman Kapitan is a fair one - many people had a similar experience with him and it's inexcusable. That said, I don't recall him ever lying to the community (but you can correct me if I'm/we're wrong).
-Wogen Watch
The problem was the City set up e-mail for Kapitan on their Web site and I have yet to meet one person who said he knew how to use it. If that was the case, then he should have gotten rid of it.
But, I would rather have a do nothing alderman than a liar alderman.
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