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News :: Elections & Legislation |
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400 Support Petition for City Council |
Current rating: 0 |
by Ricky Baldwin
Email: baldwinricky (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!)
Phone: 217-328-3037
Address: 801 E California, Urbana IL 61801 |
06 Dec 2004
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Thanks to everyone who helped and continues to help, we got 16 times the required number of signatures to get on the ballot for the February 22 primary! |
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 6, 2004
Over 400 Support Petition for City Council
(Urbana) City Council candidate Ricky Baldwin this morning handed in his petition for inclusion in the February 22 Democratic primary with over 400 signatures, more than 16 times the required 25 signatures for Ward 5. The community activist and former union representative, now stay-at-home-dad, said it was gratifying to talk to so many of his neighbors who share his point of view on city government.
“Of course a number of people just say everything is fine at first,” Baldwin said, “But if you get them talking a fair number also say they want to see downtown Urbana developed in a sustainable, responsible way that is balanced with neighborhood preservation, as opposed to outward sprawl. They want a representative who will take their concerns seriously even if he or she disagrees with them. And I talked to many, many of our neighbors who favor a citizen police review board as a more objective oversight body for the police. In fact I didn’t talk to a single person who said it was a bad idea.”
Baldwin is an active member of the Coalition for a Police Review Board, as well as a member and volunteer for Champaign County Health Care Consumers and other local grassroots groups. Baldwin has also been involved in various worker justice efforts in the area, including local protests against discrimination and overtime violations at Walmart and the Graduate Employee Organization organizing drive. Baldwin also organized local protests against conditions in tomato fields in Florida and is involved with the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort in town.
He has been a community activist all his life, ever since his hometown in rural Corinth, Mississippi, refused to accept a proposed nuclear power plant when he was 14.
“Our city leaders just wouldn’t listen,” Baldwin recalled. “They treated us like dumb hillbillies who didn’t know what we were talking about. But we won.” Baldwin says that taught him that ordinary people, if they work together, can have an impact. “It also taught me the importance of government that is open and responsive to the people they supposedly represent,” he added.
Prior to coming to Urbana-Champaign, Baldwin was active in a number of grassroots campaigns in Mississippi and then in Buffalo, NY. Baldwin worked as a union representative in Buffalo, first for the Communication Workers of America, then for the Service Employees International Union. He was involved in an effort to establish a citizen police review board in Buffalo, as well as other grassroots activities, until the birth of twin sons Sammy and Izzy, when Baldwin decided to quit his job to stay home and raise the boys while his wife went to work for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Contact: Ricky Baldwin 328-3037 |
This work is in the public domain |
Comments
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by Julia
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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Ricky--Would you describe yourself as a "progressive Democrat" , a "moderate Democrat", a "conservative Democrat" or other kind of Democrat? Your interests and activities also seem very compatible with those of the local Green Party, so how would your positions differ if you were running as a Green candidate instead of a Democrat? I'm finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between progressive Democratic candidates in Urbana and Green
Party candidates. Can someone clarify how these two groups differ?
Also, Ricky, as a city council candidate, what would you like to see for the future of Philo Road economic re-development and what do you think are appropriate types of development for the Orchard Downs property? Downtown Urbana seems to be well on the road to sustainable, mixed use development but it's not clear how things will proceed in other areas of the city. |
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Sticking People with Labels |
by Dose of Reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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Somehow it doesn't surprise me that the first one to comment on Ricky's article is one of the mayor's stalking horses, Julia. And somehow it is no surprise the first thing she wants to do is start sticking labels on people.
That's pretty much par for the course under the mayor's regime -- rather than address the issues, like Ricky is doing quite well, Julia immediately sinks into the mayor's peculiar habit of attempting to redbait anyone that doesn't toe the mayor's line.
Get back to the issues, Julia. |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by goodriddancegipper
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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First of all, a hearty congratulations to Ricky for his successfully getting on the ballot for the February 22 primary. Ricky is a highly intelligent, committed, decent and upright individual who certainly deserves the full support of the people in Ward 5, as well as everyone in Urbana. If and when he is elected, I'm quite confident that he will do a tremendous job on the city's behalf.
Regarding one of the follow-up posts, I'm not sure what the relevance is if Ricky, through his political positions, is "difficult to distinguish between [a] progressive Democratic candidate...and [a] Green Party" candidiate. Is this to say that the candidates and their positions should not intermingle? is this to cast the progressive Democrat as the fringe of a tolerable candidate, and the Green as outside the pale of political respectability? I for one like the city's progressive political climate, and think that if we on the left are to be effective politically at any and all levels, we should be spending less time ascribing labels to prospective politicians and more time discerning and promoting what positive attributes they have to offer. In Ricky's case, there are many attributes that should attract people who choose to describe themselves as progressive Democrats or Greens. These, to me, are more relevant issues in a period of radical right-wing rollback of the twentieth-century's liberal social agenda, demonizing of people deemed to be politically indecent and intolerable, and hijacking our national political discourse through grass-roots campaigns and noxious rhetorical tactics. These overriding concerns to me far outweigh any relevance in distinguishing between progressive Democrats and Greens. |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by Julia
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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Dear Dose of a Reactionary,
Actually, I'm not the first to pose the Urbana Green/Progressive Democrat question. Coincidentally, Jennifer Walling of the Prairie Greens asked the same thing today: She wrote: "A lot of people have been asking me lately, exactly who are the Greens? And why are they different than progressive democrats?" She is considering making it a topic of a Green Tea; does that make her an ally of the mayor?
The current split among local Democrats is very relevant to the mayoral and council races as well as to county board activities. To many voters, "progressive" Democrats in Urbana seem very similar to Greens in Urbana. Now that there's a three-way race in the Democratic primary for mayor,and Republicans really aren't a factor in the mayoral race, the distinctions among the various factions of Democrats and Greens will be very important as people make their decisions.
I'm not trying to insult the Greens in Urbana; I just want to know what makes them different from the Progressive Democrats in Urbana.
As far as addressing the issues, two of the most important issues facing the next council will be the re-development of the Philo Road corridor and Orchard Downs. |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by goodriddancegipper
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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I have to agree that economic development in the Philo Road area is an important issue, not simply because I live near it. Pardon my ignorance but, being new to the area, what would constitute "appropriate types of development for the Orchard Downs property?" Have there been specific proposals for Orchard Downs?
Whatever they are, I am interested to hear candidate Baldwin's opinions on these and other issues. |
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In Response to goodriddance |
by Julia
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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I believe this is an accurate description of the Orchard Downs project: The U of I has hired consultants to develop a plan to renovate and/or rebuild family housing units, and to join the City of Urbana in a yet-to-be-announced development that includes housing and possibly commercial development. The area in question is bounded by Race St., Windsor Road., Orchard St. extended, and Florida Ave. The consultants solicited neighborhood input a while back. It's a big project with significant environmental and economic impact, especially on the neighborhoods directly north and east of OD. |
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Julia, Julia |
by Dose of Reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 Dec 2004
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Julia,
My assessment that your questions constituted nothing but red-baiting (or is it really green-baiting?) on behalf of the mayor is based on your appearance here in support of the mayor during the ill-fated +2 debacle. Since you have proven yourself as out of step with Urbana as Tod, I suspect your motives here, also.
What is the point of your question about differentiating Green from Dems? First of all, there is quite a bit of overlap between the two groups of voters in Urbana, but far from either complete overlap or agreement between them. The only thing important is that a large segment of Urbana's voters hold views more in consonant with progressive Dems and Green than they do with the mayor, who claims he is still a Democrat, despite his constant attacks on his fellow party members.
Second, as of yet, there are no Greens running in the Urbana city election, as far as I know. So your question is virtually irrelevant in the context of Ricky's candidacy. He's running as a Democrat. Are you implyiong that he is lying? Because that is sure what it sounds like to me.
The only others making a big deal out of a virtually irrlevant question like you asked are Tod and the News-Gazette's editorial board. Given our recent experience with exactly this alignment of the stars -- you, Tod, and the News-Gazette -- and its lack of connection with political realities in Urbana -- given your group's misleading characteriozation of +2 as being something that people in Urbana wanted -- it is hard to take anything you bring up as an "innocent, good faith" question.
Finally, if there is any question about anyone's party affiliation, it should be asked of _Tod_.
He's the one attacking his fellow Democarts, backstabbing them for what he hoped was his personal gain. He's the one claiming that the work they did in building up Urbana was actually his alone in both his puiblic statements adn in his fudnraising literature...which is completely ridiculous.
He fought tooth and nail to sink the library project at several key points, removed library board members that stood up to him, and now he is claiming the new library as one of his major accomplishments? The dude is definitely on some kind of drugs. Or is it just his overwhelming hypocrisy that blinds him to reality?
And Laura Huth and Danielle Chynoweth are the ones who have sparked downtown redevelopment, not him.
And Tod is the one the Republicans did everything except directly endorse in the Sunday News-Gazette.
If there are questions about the party affiliation of any of the candidates, the first one to be asked should be Tod.
Tod, are you really a Democrat?
Because he sure acts like a Republican. |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by Joe Futrelle
futrelle (nospam) shout.net (verified) |
Current rating: 0
07 Dec 2004
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Did someone say "Green"?
http://www.greenparty.org/values.html
Join us! |
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Open, Responsive Gov't, Sustainable Development |
by Ricky Baldwin
baldwinricky (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 Dec 2004
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Julia,
If you have suggestions I’d like to hear them. I have my ideas, but I am only one person and not running for dictator, after all.
To answer your question, I like to think I’m independent-minded but also collaborative in the sense of working well with others. Progressive, I think fairly obviously. As for the differences among the various party labels, progressive Democrat or Green, conservative Democrat or Republican, who cares? The important question is how we can work with one another to address our needs. Urbana has some very good plans for development, developed by progressive Council members as someone pointed out here, that stand in need of implementation. And more plans need to be developed, for Philo Rd and Orchard Downs as you mention. To do that effectively we must ensure that government is not only thoughtful but open and responsive, that is, democratic.
So, for example, when a group of citizens petitions for access to public resources like UPTV (which has plenty of open timeslots, and requested action costs the city not a dime, and there is no opposition even) I think it is incumbent on the city officials involved to do their dead level best to accede to that demand unless there is a very good, substantive reason not to -- and if there are such reasons, let’s hear them. But quibbling for months over specious reservations is no way to conduct the people’s business.
I think a good example of appropriate development is the ongoing expansion of the Urbana Free Library, much beloved by the residents of Urbana and a popular attraction of “foot traffic.” The library expansion makes Urbana a more pleasant place to live, contributes to the basic democratic goal of an informed public, and it makes downtown a better place to site a business. Surreptitiously shaving off ten feet to round off the budget is the opposite of both responsible government and sustainable development. Reasonable people can disagree of course, but they should be able to do so in the open and then own up to the position they took. At any rate, the expansion is an investment, and investments must be made in order to progress.
Yes, I think the city is making some progress toward sustainable development, thanks to a progressive Council members again as someone has pointed out here, and mixed-use development is a major part of that. But the development of downtown has only just begun, and the process takes constant shepherding through the political minefields. I think this will take the kind of vigilance, problem-solving and conflict resolution that I exercised on a daily basis as a union rep.
The mall development, for another example, is a step in the right direction, in my opinion, although I would have it somewhat differently. The best applications of mixed-use development are in traditional neighborhoods, with an emphasis on what’s in walking distance. A movie theatre and a small drug store are examples of the kind of things I’d like to see in or near the mall, if at all possible. At any rate, the mall only scratches the surface of the development plan developed by some Council members -- which I think is a very good plan, although I have reservations about a few specifics.
We need to work as hard on a plan for Philo Rd at Orchard Downs, two very different problems. The first question is what the nearby residents need in order to make the area around their homes more of a neighborhood and less of a single-use “pod”. It will be a difficult problem to solve now, especially with the planned Walmart already scaring off businesses like IGA.
But basically Philo Rd calls for an emphasis on using space that is already built-up before breaking new ground; encouraging “foot traffic” by creating reasons for people to be in the area even if they aren’t shopping, like office space or apartments above shops; making resources more accessible to potential investors, such as an information packet like the one that is part of the downtown plan and judicious use of tax incentives. Recent marketing research has it that big box stores aren’t doing well in this kind of site, so maybe what’s really needed is a new street down the middle of what’s now a parking lot and a sort of mini-Main Street development where the empty buildings are now -- small storefronts, a mini-park, food court, brick plaza, those kinds of things -- a “node” as the urban planners call it. These are just ideas. I think the best approach would be to create a task force, with Council members and residents, business folks and unions, to hammer out a proposal to float around, have public input, and see what we can agree on.
And to be honest, I haven't heard enough of substance to make up my mind on Orchard Downs. Again I think a collaborative approach is best, as open and democratic as possible, but it seems to me that what might be needed there, beyond basic sprucing up, is a careful plan that preserves the woodsy, garden and playground environment they have, while adding a few places that residents can walk to for their daily needs -- a small corner store and café, maybe, or something on that order where the people who live there can buy milk, bread, a few things, but that won’t disturb the residential character of the area. And once again, I have ideas, but I am just one person; what is needed is to work together on these problems, which is a skill I believe I have honed over the years.
I’d be glad to discuss this with you further if you want to call me at 328-3037 or email me at baldwinricky (at) yahoo.com. Do you live in Ward 5? Where are you? Do you have particular suggestions or just a general interest?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Ricky |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by Brandon
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 Dec 2004
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Mr. Baldwin -
Congratulations are in order on getting 400 signatures on your petition. This is no small feat considering only 744 people voted 4 years ago in Ward 5 out of 2949 registered voters at that time. Hopefully We will see in increase in voter turnout in April as we did in November.
Our current council has yet to really adress the crime problems that are prevalent in parts of Urbana. Are you familar with the intersection of E Washington and Lierman? What ideas do you have to clean up what is quickly becoming another Lakeside Terrace? This is a real problem in our community. One that should be adressed on a local government level.
Our previous Alderwoman never did much to do anything about this neighboorhood. Nor did any of the other council members. However, they did find time to create an Anti-War declaration, provide funding for a wireless network for downtown, and countless other things that, while being nice and all, didn't do a whole lot for the citizens of this community.
I realize that you campaign is only starting, but these are questions that I will be asking of every candidate before voting.
Good luck ... |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by oh, come on
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 Dec 2004
|
Does the mayor of dogpatch, bumpass Urbana, Illinois reeeealy have a "regime", or "stalking horses"? Give me a break! There's such a thing as taking yourself too seriously, kids.
Or, maybe not. Maybe "Julia" is really an agent of the shadow government. Maybe I am! How would you know? |
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Intersection and wireless technology |
by Ricky Baldwin
baldwinricky (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
10 Dec 2004
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I think this is a good discussion. I can’t check it every day unfortunately, and I think face-to-face is best. Also, as this article gets older and moves farther down the list, I think we will have less access to the thoughts of others. But just for starters…
Brandon, thanks for the question on E Washington near Lierman. I don’t have all the answers on that either, but I think the problem goes beyond that particular intersection. I have friends who live on S. Poplar, for example, who woke up one morning recently in the wee hours to find a man with a knife in their bedroom demanding money.
I think there are a number of factors contributing to the problem, related to poor planning, poor policy and perhaps others I haven’t thought of. What I’d propose is to get together a group of nearby residents and talk it over, set up a meeting with relevant government representatives (law enforcement, etc.) and gather some facts, look at what other communities have done in similar situations, what has worked, what has failed, and see what we can come up with.
Some of the questions I’d ask to begin are: What do nearby residents think they need? Who among them is willing to work with others to improve the situation? What organized groups are already addressing some of the issues, and can they be helpful? What has been tried, if anything? What specific types of crimes are occurring in the neighborhood and in what proportions? Are there design flaws that can be addressed? What role does the jail play, proximity, policy upon release, etc.? And, always of course, what are we leaving out?
But first and foremost, do you know anyone who lives in that vicinity who would be willing to talk to me about this, and how do I reach them?
The question on wireless technology is different, I think. Ali has emailed me privately, and we have been discussing it, but neither of us really seem to understand the technical questions. Probably a number of people associated with this website do. My understanding has been that this network, if that is the right term, was made available to the city for free and that no one stands to make a dime off of it. The question of “nodes” are where they are sited is new to me, as again I do not understand the technical details as well as I hope our sitting City Council Members and the Mayor do, their having discussed it for some time. I would like to know more, but I will say that if I had been on the City Council at the time this was discussed, I would have asked questions until I had a handle on this before making any judgment. Questions such as Ali’s would be helpful in that context in formulating my own questions. I hope he asked them of someone at that time, and I hope someone will always ask me these types of questions before I make important decisions. If I haven’t thought of them, they will help, and if I have, there is no harm done.
Ricky
328-3037 |
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Re: 400 Support Petition for City Council |
by J
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Dec 2004
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I think that Ricky's suggestions for economically reinvigorating the Philo Road are interesting ones. However, I do wonder what chances for success there are for increasing foot traffic to current sites with, hopefully, new stores. I live near the closed IGA store, and while I thought the store was nice, clean, well maintained at least on the inside, and it had a very nice variety of goods, it was almost always empty whenever I went in. It seems to me that in order to increase foot traffic through this area, and there is a fair amount of it near Sunnycrest, we all must consider how the spatial layout of homes and businesses together, and the economic conditions of the people in this area, affect the opportunities for overall economic improvement around Philo Road. It seems obvious to everyone also that this must be sustainable, and many who live near the Philo Road area have modest incomes. The result of this thus far has been that certain areas of Urbana, primarily downtown, have sustained businesses more successfully, while others that are on the outskirts have become mainly residential areas as a result of businesses closing. I would be interested to see if the income levels around Philo Road have changed, or grown as quickly as other parts of Urbana over the past ten to twenty years. This also might help to tell us how many businesses in Urbana we can attract and more importantly sustain. |
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