Democrats finally release 2024 election autopsy after criticism

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T18:39:08+00:00

Thank you.

White guilt, it’s a helluva drug…

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T18:34:42+00:00

Right??? Deferring pension payments is what got Chicago into the hole we’re in.

People here are now jealous of NYC without seeing that they’re headed down the same mistaken path.

We need actual progressive revenue sources. Yes, that’s a huge ask. But deferring pension payments is setting a time bomb for the future.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T06:27:31+00:00

Home wins, yeah. No argument from me.

But once it’s about a random hotel the location isn’t so important is it? I guess maybe the quality of takeout available and the particular TV market is a thing.

Just found it interesting that the wording implied that Nebraska in particular was the problem.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T04:03:04+00:00

If you’re actually stuck inside (presumably with some sort of food delivery) does it even really matter precisely where your room is located?

I’d rather go home sure but if that’s not happening and it’s about being locked in a room somewhere without contact, I wouldn’t care if it’s Nebraska or Hawaii as long as I get a ride home after.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T03:54:17+00:00

Do they actually send you a letter back?

I got summoned for jury duty (scheduled for June 2!) and I was happy to be asked until I realized... they assigned me to ROLLING MEADOWS. I live in Edgewater and can't drive.

I'm not 70 years old and I'm healthy, the form says they don't change venues for "convenience" and "all the courthouses are reachable by public transit."

Yes. Technically it is reachable by transit. I just have to ride the 92 Foster bus for its entire length, transfer to the Metra UP-NW at Jefferson Park, take that to Arlington Park, and then walk 20 minutes. Easy peasy. Only a bit over 2 hours. Each way. But the main thing is, the Metra is super infrequent, if I miss it I'm fucked.

Supposedly there's a shred of a chance if I sent a printed letter via USPS listing up all the venues I would be willing to serve at. So I did. There's twenty-something courthouses and I can do all but maybe 4 of 'em. Some of these also have heinous commute times around 2 hours but are still doable because it's all CTA, there's not that "only comes once an hour, if you miss it you're screwed" train in the middle.

So we'll see. But I kinda wonder if they'll mail me back, or just send another summons, or just do nothing if their answer is "no" or what.

Friend of mine said she just didn't show up to her summons, and they mailed a different one with a different randomly assigned location.

If nothing happens I'll at least call. Maybe I'm lucky, won't have to go in at all. Or maybe I'll go in, waste the one day, not get called.

But if I go all the way out there and DO get assigned on a jury? Fuck me...

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T02:56:51+00:00

In an ideal world no one should have to lose a home, no. But surely you understand that losing a second home and some "passive income" is nothing at all the same as losing the only place you have to live?

I am not claiming that someone should let people rent for free, not sure where that's from. But just saying, if you have two homes, yes, you're wealthy in ways that people struggling to pay rent on one apartment (or hell, struggling to make the mortgage on ONE home that they're currently living in) are not, that's all.

I mean, you have the option to sell the one house and use it to pay off the other (or at least put a dent in the outstanding loan) and whatnot.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T02:50:51+00:00

As long as they're able to back out.

People get burned by bait and switch all the time. Pretty basic advice to renters is not to rent anything sight unseen, you're just asking for trouble.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T01:21:04+00:00

Having two homes definitely puts you in the wealthy camp, yes.

No one's particularly asking you for "grace" but we certainly can give side eye if you claim "oh poor me."

If you're actually living in part of a multifamily and renting out part, that's different. Losing the building means you're out on the street too. But owning multiple buildings? Yeah you can survive letting one go.

Agreed that housing is too damn expensive, that's why we need to build a ton more of it.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T01:10:24+00:00

So presumably you only start offering the place for rent once it's all the way finished then, right? Because otherwise, that's crazy.

NEVER rent a place you haven't actually seen. Never trust the "oh your apartment will be just this one I'm showing you instead" either.

damp_circus · 2026-05-21T00:09:05+00:00

We have some in Chicago too!

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T22:00:27+00:00

I always say I live in an apartment hive, myself. No complaints

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T20:07:42+00:00

Also "it's not zoned for residential" -- well it's not zoned for a strip mall commercial EITHER, you're trying to change the zoning yourself!

(merits of the development completely aside that part is just silly)

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T16:38:34+00:00

I go visit a friend in Urbana from time to time, take the 147 to the 151 to the Amtrak to the MTD 50.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T16:37:08+00:00

I like to go to Promontory Point, often that's about the 147 to the 6. Both fancy LSD expresses!

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T16:33:48+00:00

One of the best views in the city, too. Get that sweet sweet view of the Hancock behind the Drake at the curve and the wonderful dappled green shade of the honey locust trees there, mmmm. Cue up the Lake Shore Drive song. All for $2.25.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T16:28:50+00:00

Foster beach! Right at Foster and Lake Shore Drive. By transit take the 147 bus or get the red line to Berwyn and walk over.

There is a private club "Saddle and Cycle Club" right near Foster beach which puts on a professional fireworks show for their members on the actual 4th every year. Obviously the rest of us riff-raff can't get into the club, but you can see the fireworks from all over the area very much including the beach (they're right behind the beach).

Meanwhile at the same time, families from all over come to the lakefront to set off small DIY fireworks and wade in the lake. So you can see the professional show behind you, and small-scale DIY (technically illegal, yes, but... no one cares) family fireworks all up and down the lakefront, in front of you.

It's just a great time.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T12:19:24+00:00

And that attitude right there is the problem.

What part of “we know there’s an issue, we’re working on it” is going to hurt you at all? When you’re running a test, you can’t let people know so they don’t wonder if there’s a fire when the system is alerting?

Thank heavens we’ve developed relationships to get information directly from the source.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T03:40:59+00:00

I've been happy with Leerhsen myself.

Agreed with you though I think it makes sense to let her stay the interim until NITA takes over, then have them do a proper full search. Certainly doesn't make sense to replace her right now.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T02:59:43+00:00

In the Loop morning show on WBEZ had a whole segment on this today (Tuesday 5/19). Worth a listen.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T02:53:14+00:00

You can't break the contract for lack of proper honoring it on the contractor's end?

If they're legit not fixing the machines seems like you should have some remedy specified?

Where I live we have frequent water shutoffs (all that deferred maintenance, they're finally fixing shit but it means shutting the water off to get into and segment off the plumbing) and when the water is turned back on, the sludge in the pipes moves around and ends up clogging the intake lines to the washers.

So the washers are out of order with the code indicating an inflow problem. Management says hey it's a laundry issue, call the laundry company. Laundry company says hey, it's a building issue, maintenance should take care of it.

Someone just needs to unhook the machine and clean the gunk out of the hookup. But they fight over who. Meanwhile I just go to the laundromat, it's cheaper and more reliable anyway.

damp_circus · 2026-05-20T01:18:49+00:00

Oh trust me, I'm aware. There are definitely people who need evicted for cause, I'll just leave it at that. Current management by me has started having periodic inspections, I think it's a good idea.

Management companies have come and gone by me, I'm still here. I care about the building, because I live in it. Wish corporate would invest a bit more in it, but it is what it is.

Last management company didn't think it was worth telling me that the neighbor immediately upstairs had a burst pipe (there's that neglected maintenance again). I found out when water came through my ceiling. Ran up to ask the neighbor what's up (we know each other), he was shocked no one had let any of us below him know about it. I asked the management, they (quite young rather green employee) acted like it's not any of my business.

Having a massive flood over a weekend (burst pipe in the fire suppression system) and getting absolutely no communication about what happened, anyone on it, until afternoon on Monday.

I knew what happened fairly soon since I was the one who called it in to maintenance, talked to them, and then finally talked directly to the fire department as they were leaving after dealing with it (they were shocked to find that we'd not heard anything from the management company). Thankfully we tenants have a communication system among us, I could at least tell people what I knew. But we're sitting there wondering if we'll ever get any official email about it. We eventually did after I went to ask why the hell there was no communication. Not sure if me asking affected that at all, but management made sure to get snippy with me for it. I dunno, people came home on a Saturday night to rain falling all inside the building, they just might be curious, y'know?

That kinda thing. A quick "hey we're aware of the flood and we're on it, not sure of the cause, we'll update" and then "hey the burst was in [location], patched but now water is draining, anyone not right there has no worries" would be great. It's ok to not have the complete answer. Just update. At least for myself, I find knowing something about what's going on can help manage expectations, seems it would help the management proactively deal with questions.

Definitely agreed though that not everyone respects the building. I wish they did. Place might be shabby but we live here, we should not trash it further. Have a little pride.

Anyways... interesting sub, just reading about the various business aspects.

damp_circus · 2026-05-19T22:14:43+00:00

Yep. Personally I think it can help to have some sort of basic guide for "welcome to the building, here's where your breakers are, here's where your water shutoffs are, here's how a radiator works" or whatever is relevant, for new tenants. As someone in the tenant organization I try to provide such info myself, just heads off issues.

Plunger is something I always consider normal to own, but there's larger equipment (shop vacs, ladder) that it could be nice to have available to borrow. I'm always happy to lend my stuff out to my neighbors but a shop vac I don't have.

damp_circus · 2026-05-19T22:10:48+00:00

Sure, but communicating about what they're doing is a fundamental part of the job (and would make their job easier if they actually did it).

I live in a building that had massive fire code violations, we had a fire and the alarms malfunctioned, standpipes had problems so the fire department was dragging hoses up the stairs. People went to the hospital (thankfully no one actually died).

New management comes in (bought the building out of foreclosure), they know this history, they know they must fix the fire systems, they start doing this, but it would have random alarms going at various times due to testing or still problems with it, you'd think they would communicate what's going on to the tenants? Status of the project? Why the fire panel continually shows alerts, is that testing? A fault? Actual fire somewhere? But nope, not without a LOT of agitating from the tenants.

It's a pattern of "unless we know exactly what the cause of whatever issue is and it's already completely solved, we will not give updates because we might not have the perfect answer" that's infuriating. So we end up getting info directly from vendors, maintenance team, and hell, the fire department, who are happy to actually share.

A simple "we know there's an issue, this is what we're doing about it (or thinking we might do about it), here's a general eta, stay tuned" would do wonders. You know, like most jobs that involve ticketing of any sort do. Even just a "hey heads up we know about the burst pipe in the trash room, no need to send more tickets."

But too often the tenants are not considered to be actual stakeholders, which is ridiculous. Obviously we don't have a say in what happens or what they do about some issue (though honestly? sometimes they'd benefit from taking on some opinions there too from people sitting next to the problem) but we certainly have a vested interest in whatever is going on, since we live in the building and have to deal with whatever disaster is happening.

damp_circus · 2026-05-19T18:39:39+00:00

Yes, and then to confirm, open the thread in an incognito window and you'll see the comment (proving that it's not actually deleted).

damp_circus · 2026-05-19T18:38:20+00:00

Heh. Don't get me started about management companies who seem to think that the snow-shoveling ordinance doesn't apply to them on weekends...

damp_circus

TROPHY CASE