quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:

Posts: 4960 | Registered: June 09, 2004....I hate when you lie. You...of all people. Me? I am a natural-born fabricator. Nothing I say should be taken at face value. But when the future of our country...you and your like...start exaggerating, where are we headed?

That is a rhetorical question, right??

quote:

Originally posted by gotrocks:
According to you a business doesn’t have to remove objectionable things from in front of its’ store because it doesn’t own the sidewalk but a private citizen has to remove objectionable things from in front of their house even though they don’t own the sidewalk. You speak with forked tongue kimosabe.

Hey gotrocksinyourhead - how many little winking emoticons do you need?

Whadda maroon!

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:
Supposedly, the ordinace below is unconstitutional and they are afraid of being sued. Yeah right, blow me!

If I may add to your eloquent commentary by stating the obvious, if their concerns about constitutionality were legitimate (and I do not know one way or the other), a village board that gave a $hit about such things could certainly try to enact an ordinance that would pass constitutional muster.

quote:

If I may add to your eloquent commentary by stating the obvious, if their concerns about constitutionality were legitimate (and I do not know one way or the other), a village board that gave a $hit about such things could certainly try to enact an ordinance that would pass constitutional muster.

But that would entail someone actually taking responsibility for a problem in Glen Ellyn. Good luck with that!

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by GE Fan:
I've been writing about this problem for 4+ years on this site. No one from the Village gives a ****....so I've stopped caring. The business owners don't care enough to clean the **** up in front of the stores, the Village doesn't care enough to clean the **** up off the sidewalk, the Village doesn't give a **** to enforce their panhandling and loitering ordinances, so why the hell should I give a ****?



Posts: 4960 | Registered: June 09, 2004....I hate when you lie. You...of all people. Me? I am a natural-born fabricator. Nothing I say should be taken at face value. But when the future of our country...you and your like...start exaggerating, where are we headed?

Fine, almost 4 years. I thought I joined in 2003. Oh well, you get the point.

quote:

Originally posted by Dinsdale:

quote:

Originally posted by gotrocks:
According to you a business doesn’t have to remove objectionable things from in front of its’ store because it doesn’t own the sidewalk but a private citizen has to remove objectionable things from in front of their house even though they don’t own the sidewalk. You speak with forked tongue kimosabe.

Hey gotrocksinyourhead - how many little winking emoticons do you need?

2 - 1 for each side of the issue that you take!

I refuse to walk on eggshells around these "people". If I see one of them littering,leering,smoking on a bench,panhandling or being a general nuisance. I'm going to go out of my way to verbally embaress them. Let them know they can't get away with that behavior in OUR town.

Call it childish,vigilante,demeaning, whatever. I don't care, we have to draw a line. Our spineless leaders won't.

Is it that no one cares (was going to type "gives a ****" but obviously someone does, and did) about these issues or that they are simply not addressed in the proper forum? Wouldn't a public meeting to gather input from residents, Public Works, the GEPD, the churches, the Chamber, etc. get enough information on the table so that the village board (or the Enviromental Commission) could then outline a solution in about an hour? An optimistic view leads one to believe that people do care, they just don't know what steps to take because the issue has not been discussed openly in a forum that could lead to change. Why not?

There you go again MP...always the effing voice of reason. It's getting so old.

Instead of squawking on this board why don’t all you candidate fans get him to step up

and be the leader on issues such as this. Isn’t that what he is there for, to be the voice

of the people? Get your $60 (or $120) worth from him.

You can't force retailers to clean up their surroundings. Some either just don't care or are clueless. But you can force the Village to clean the streets...simply by making a phone call to 469-5000 and asking for public works.

I am still interested in the Stihl BG 85. I'll blow the sh!t outta there on Sunday mornings when I arise. Will be sqeaky clean for the church goin' folk.

In the spirit of Fan's post re: icy sidewalks and the lack of the attitude to fix a simple problem, I propose a GEBB CBD clean up day.

I will supply all the garbage bags, brooms and other needs if we can supply the manpower for 3-4 hours one Saurday or Sunday. This might increase the awareness of the rest of the community to some of the interesting and insightful comments and solutions proposed here and change some people's opinion that we are just grumpy naysayers.

How about it? What day works for everyone? April 5-6th, April 12-13th.

May not solve the problem at large, but it will make a statement and show that we care beyond words.

quote:

Is it that no one cares (was going to type "gives a ****" but obviously someone does, and did) about these issues or that they are simply not addressed in the proper forum? Wouldn't a public meeting to gather input from residents, Public Works, the GEPD, the churches, the Chamber, etc. get enough information on the table so that the village board (or the Enviromental Commission) could then outline a solution in about an hour? An optimistic view leads one to believe that people do care, they just don't know what steps to take because the issue has not been discussed openly in a forum that could lead to change. Why not?

Oh yeah, this too!!!

Herin lies the problem: I truly do not believe that any one of us has a problem, per se, with someone who is homeless. In fact, I would bet most of us feel a certain degree of empathy or sympathy for a person in a rough spot - even those who are terminally homeless due to mental health issues. The problem is not the homeless - and as long as we continue to focus on that, nothing will change. The problem is with people behaving in socially inappropriate ways:
Begging for money - totally inappropriate,
Cleansing oneself in public areas - totally inappropriate,
Jamming one's dirty laundry against between a window and chair at a local business (other than a laundramat) - totally inappropriate,
Cursing out loud in public - totally inappropriate,
Smoking in non-smoking areas - totally inappropriate,
Littering - totally inappropriate.

I think, for the most part, we know plenty of people with homes who behave in these ways.

Yes, we can politely yet sternly say something to those who behave in appropriately and a few different things could happen:
1. They might feel bad and try to stop performing such inppropriate behaviors (fairly unlikely to happen since most of the people who would do such things are already disregarding social norms). This would create a good change.
2. They might decide they'd better do their inappropriate behaviors somewhere more discreet (probably would happen in about half the cases because they actually don't want to draw extra attention to themselves). This would create a good change.
3. They might decide to argue back or just ignore what we say and continue the behavior (most likely response). This would create no change.
4. They might pull out a weapon and try to hurt me with it (probably pretty unlikely but I'll have to assess each individual to determine the potential of this response). This would cause me to be injured or dead which, I think, is decidedly a bad change.

This is why we call the police. In a community like Glen Ellyn where real crime is relatively rare (thank God), the police do have a responsibility to help keep the members of the community feeling safe and secure.


I had to run my son to the library yesterday afternoon. They were going to be closing in about 40 minutes and there were a large number of people whom I assume were homeless and waiting for PADS to open congregating at the library. Most of them were completely inoffensive. Several were not. I could see my son's anxiety level rise as we entered the main doors. One of the regulars (the long-haired unfriendly guy who at least once asked me for money last summer), was coming out the door as we came in...I tried to open the door and he made absolutely no attempt to do anything resembling manners. I said, "Excuse me." To which I received the cold, hard stare with no response as he completed his exit from the building. My son looked at me nervously and I decided to let it go but I was this close (if you could see me, you would see my thumb and pointer finger bent within about 1/2 inch of each other) to saying, "You know, manners do matter." But I knew it would be lost on this guy who is obviously pissed at the world. And who knows what his life has been like of if he is struggling with mental illness or addiction so, I let it go. But I don't want my children feeling intimidated at their own library!! I'd live in Chicago if I wanted that!

Couple of things that drives me crazy (among many)....

How are the churches/PADS NOT held accountable for these people being locked out and waiting for their doors to open? I believe if they had a place to go, they'd probably go there! But because they lock them out until it is time to serve dinner, they loiter in town and around the neighbors houses because the churches lock them out.

This has to stop. Someone from either PADS or the church needs to be at the sites at least 2-3 hours before dinner is served to let them in and keep them off of the surrounding private properties. Someone from PADS or the church should take responsibility for ensuring these people are not standing on people's lawns, at the Seniors home, etc. and herd them into the church so that there is a place to congregate.

Also, the churches/PADS MUST communicate what is happening while these people are under their care and criminal behavior occurs. For example, what happened last month(or month before) when a man was arrested on "obscenity" charges?

Candidate - could you get public works to pick up the bags and dispose when we are done? Have Police on hand to roust the malcontents and vagrants? At least for that morning?

Hi,

I think this needs to be addressed by the new consulting team that will be ultimately telling us how to improve our downtown in general. I will be the first to admit that I am now at the point where I AVOID downtown GE. Yes, of course I want to support the retailers. But somebody please tell me why I should walk into Einsteins to get a bagel when there is a homeless person sleeping at the first table? Not just sleeping, but smelling really bad, drooling on the table, and practically blocking the doorway with his belongings. Come to think of it, it makes a great diet plan as the last time it happened I simply lost my apetite.

The time before that, I called to complain and the manager said there was nothing they could do. Same with Starbucks. I find that place utterly disgusting.

I go running in the early a.m. and see the same people camped out on the stairs of the antique store on Crescent (the one with the new book store next to it). They are smoking within a few feet of an entrance to a business. Since that is illegal, why aren't the police doing anything about it? You could cut the smoke with a knife, it's that thick.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Herbold:
In the spirit of Fan's post re: icy sidewalks and the lack of the attitude to fix a simple problem, I propose a GEBB CBD clean up day.

I will supply all the garbage bags, brooms and other needs if we can supply the manpower for 3-4 hours one Saurday or Sunday. This might increase the awareness of the rest of the community to some of the interesting and insightful comments and solutions proposed here and change some people's opinion that we are just grumpy naysayers.

How about it? What day works for everyone? April 5-6th, April 12-13th.

May not solve the problem at large, but it will make a statement and show that we care beyond words.

I'd join the bunch - as long as we can have drinks afterwards!

quote:

Originally posted by 4MP:
Is it that no one cares (was going to type "gives a ****" but obviously someone does, and did) about these issues or that they are simply not addressed in the proper forum? Wouldn't a public meeting to gather input from residents, Public Works, the GEPD, the churches, the Chamber, etc. get enough information on the table so that the village board (or the Enviromental Commission) could then outline a solution in about an hour? An optimistic view leads one to believe that people do care, they just don't know what steps to take because the issue has not been discussed openly in a forum that could lead to change. Why not?

Why more forums? Why more discussions? Why more things for the residents to have to do?

Why can't those whose jobs it is to take of these things, take care of these things?

Why every time someone points out an obvious shortcoming of our town do we have to have meetings, hire consultants, form advocacy groups, etc.? Why can't these things just be taken care of before all of this public input is required?

We need proactive people and proactive employees in the Village.....the reactive crap is so very very old. And quite frankly, not too successful.

It's like opening a restaurant with the goal of it being successful. Either you take care of all the details before the first reviewer comes in, or your goal of success is gone forever.

quote:

Originally posted by glellyn:
Couple of things that drives me crazy (among many)....

How are the churches/PADS NOT held accountable for these people being locked out and waiting for their doors to open? I believe if they had a place to go, they'd probably go there! But because they lock them out until it is time to serve dinner, they loiter in town and around the neighbors houses because the churches lock them out.

This has to stop. Someone from either PADS or the church needs to be at the sites at least 2-3 hours before dinner is served to let them in and keep them off of the surrounding private properties. Someone from PADS or the church should take responsibility for ensuring these people are not standing on people's lawns, at the Seniors home, etc. and herd them into the church so that there is a place to congregate.

If there is someone 2-3 hours ahead of time these people will show up 6 hours ahead. They have to draw the line at the length of volunteer service and the amount of time the church is disrupted for set-up and take down. The people who utilize this service will take all they can get and more.