Lu Palmer Radio Show: Aldermanic Roundtable 2

We had to address you to concerned citizens of South Austin five times, Alderman Burrell, before you came out.

Yeah, you came out after we harassed you.

That's ridiculous.

We requested from you two or three times, man.

Now, if you're not getting the message, then evidently you got people that aren't efficient in your office.

I know I, I said the stuff myself.

Well, if you're the best person in the office, then you're the best person in the office.

You know, I don't want to get personal.

I get real personal.

I don't give a damn about what you do.

Are you trying to intimidate me, South Sucker? Then say what you mean.

If you man enough, say what you mean.

Get real personal then.

Get real personal here.

All right.

Calm down.

You ain't scaring nobody.

Now, all y 'all do is try to do intimidation.

That's all you all about, intimidation.

Listen, this is a free country.

I'm black, proud, and educated, and born and raised in this city.

And I'll be damned if a transplant is going to intimidate me.

Go down, South Sucker.

You better take yourself back down South, baby.

Intimidate them white folks down there on the plantation, where you came from.

You ain't gonna intimidate me.

This is my hometown.

Born and raised, brother.

I'm a West Side.

Born and raised.

And it's time for somebody of the earth to be our representation.

Stop bringing in all these transplants.

Y 'all with your Southern club.

You need to go home.

Go home.

Let me ask a quick question.

Johnson, Johnson.

What I think about it.

If the four of you split up to vote, the anti -Barrell vote, isn't it more likely to put him in? Sam Burrell has been such a poor representative.

I've been door to door.

People will tell you in a minute they wouldn't vote for him if he was the only person on the ballot.

Now, that's how deep it is.

He ought to go walk door to door and ask them what they think about him.

I did a survey.

I got the proof in writing.

Half the people don't even know who the Alderman is.

I can give Miss Bearden credit.

She is out there.

Miss Bearden is out there door to door.

I'm out there door to door and I know she's out there.

I know she's running for Alderman and so am I.

But I can tell you for a fact that people are not satisfied with the services in our ward.

I wouldn't be wrong.

I'm a professional.

Let the voters call in and ask about it.

Are they satisfied with the school? But you know Lou, I'm tired of being embarrassed.

You don't even come to City Hall.

But Lou, I think what the problem was, I think what the problem was, see we got two problems in the 29th and he was listening to his mentor.

But you know what I mean, that was his problem.

Both of them are saying the same thing.

His mentor is Danny Davis.

I'm not depending on Lou.

What? He's writing the puppet.

Huh? Yeah.

The puppet kid.

Right.

The puppet kid.

Supposedly if he wins this election they'll be back together.

See you can't, the people's got to elect someone that's not connected with Danny Davis and be his puppet.

Yes exactly.

But what's wrong with Danny Davis? Huh? What's wrong with Danny Davis? He didn't do nothing.

He was an Alderman.

He been over there in that office right there.

How can you talk about it? Okay he slayed you.

It right there in his...

No.

The 29th...

People are excited because he could talk.

He should have been on stage.

He's going to tell the truth.

I mean if you want to start...

You don't need no stage play.

A bunch of lies and stuff.

I'm not talking about a bunch of lies.

Thank me.

I know what Danny Davis is up to.

Without a doubt.

He a transplanted.

Point blank.

Okay? I know there's more dope on that particular thing.

No.

How do you know how much dope is where? No.

Hey.

I can take you all over the West Avenue on Madison Street.

I bet you can't find no more.

I bet you can't find no more pushers than right there from Central up to Austin.

Okay? Right there outside your office.

How about on your block? Huh? How about up and down North Avenue? Up and down North Avenue.

We don't even have as many dope deals up on North Avenue than you have.

Hold it.

Okay we are back on the air.

I'm going straight to the phones.

We have a lot of commercials tonight so we don't have the normal kind of time we usually have.

I got to go to another.

You can't talk while I'm talking.

Johnson.

Johnson.

You can't talk while I'm talking.

Okay.

We have to go to another break at 1050 so let's get some calls in.

Hello, you on the air.

Yes.

My call is for, my question is for Mr.

Floyd Thomas.

I actually have a question and a comment.

For whom? Mr.

Floyd Thomas.

Okay.

He bluntly stated that he had a problem with Alderman Baril not being able to make up his mind as to who he was supporting.

However, a good friend of mine, Mrs.

Charlotte Montella, let me don't know that Mr.

Floyd Thomas has been submitting his campaign literature on the North end of the ward with daily palm cards.

And I'm sure that some of the other candidates are aware of this as well.

All right.

Let me get a response but just don't have much time for a long question.

Are you submitting a daily palm card? Lou.

Sorry? There are those playing dirty campaign tricks.

They're taking daily palm cards and snapping them on to buy literature like the one that Alderman Baril just hid under the paper.

I mean you know things like this happen but I'm very lucky.

I'm very lucky to have people from all over the community to support me.

There are many people, especially on the North end of the ward.

A direct answer.

Are you distributing daily palm cards? No, I'm working and supporting Joe Gardner for mayor.

Let's move on to another call.

Hello, you on target? Yes, this is Thomas Grosso from Credibility and Integrity.

The board of election certified copies.

At his previous registration at 7720 Southwood Street, he had downed Social Security number 65.

On his current registration in the form 276A in which he completed himself, he put downed Social Security number 61.

Could he please explain the discrepancy in the two Social Security numbers since he's talking honesty and integrity? Okay, let's find out why discrepancy in two Social Security numbers.

Nobody has shown me any proof of what to tell.

I don't understand what a 61 or a 61...

My Social Security number is 348343865.

I've had a Social Security number all my life.

I don't have anything to hide from a Social Security number.

If there was a mistake then evidently it was a typographical mistake.

So you have not knowingly used two different Social Security numbers.

Absolutely not.

Okay, let me get another call.

Everybody's coming after you.

Hello, you on target? Yeah, I'm clear.

This question is for Alderman Burrell and also Mrs.

McGowan.

Alright.

Mr.

Burrell, you voted 80 % of the time with Richard Daly.

When I hang up, would you please expound on that if you say that you represented the people in the 29th Ward? And also, where is your campaign office? Or is that your Aldermatic office? Or are they the same which is illegal? And then for Mrs.

McGowan...

Hold it, hold it.

I want to get them mixed up.

Let him respond very quickly.

Go ahead, Burrell.

Praise to almighty.

Pardon? My campaign office is at 5902 West North Avenue and what we do is we share expenses which is one of the reasons.

Is that the Aldermanic office? That's the Aldermanic office also but we share expenses.

But isn't that illegal? No, we share expenses 50 -50.

In other words, six months out of the year the Aldermanic office pays, six months out of the year the campaign committee pays, which is why I had to move out of the 5730 West Division Street because a candidate had moved in and I was paying his rent and that was illegal.

I vote on issues and issues alone.

I don't vote with anybody.

I'm independent.

I don't vote for anything except what concerns my constituents.

The question is that you voted 80 % on daily favorite bills.

Is that correct? No, that is not correct.

I say I vote on issues only.

I don't know how many bills they have.

What I'm saying is this.

I vote on issues and issues only.

Now if they have a bill before me to do a sewer work in my ward, it's good for the people.

Most of that stuff is routine but I don't vote with anybody.

I vote against anybody because they are white or black.

I vote on the marriage or the issue only.

Thank you.

Yes, I do.

You need a bug to be sound they lack.

This is for Mrs.

McGowan.

I received literature from you also, Richard Daly, and your campaign workers also were passing out literature from Mr.

Daly.

You want to explain that? And secondly, would you like to explain? Let's take them one at a time.

You want to explain why you or your campaign workers are passing out daily literature? If they're passing it out, I'm not aware of it.

Number one, I don't even have enough campaign workers.

The word on the street is I don't have nobody to work for me.

So who's out passing? That's not true.

The word on the street is Caruthers is working with you.

Oh, all right.

She is denying that she or her workers are passing out daily literature.

What's your second question? I would like for her to explain when she was also in office in the 29th ward, but lives in another ward, why did the people that she helped get jobs have to pay for her and they're waiting to call in to talk about that? I didn't understand the question.

Did you? They had city jobs, but they had to pay her when they got paid.

And if they did not pay the money.

Are you talking about kickbacks? I'm talking about kickbacks.

Were you taking kickbacks? No, no, no.

Of course, we're going to come up with a lot of campaign rhetoric.

And certainly this would be something for them to say.

I've never, never taken anything.

How could I have been in politics and been as successful as I have and been in that kind of business? So we'll move on.

I have time for one more question before this next break.

Hello, you're on the air.

Yes, sir.

Come on, you're on the air.

Yes.

Okay, this question is for Carolyn Whitfield.

All right.

Okay.

We are distressed about what we hear happened today at the Northside at a press conference.

Could you please explain to us what happened and what are some of your opponents afraid of? Do you understand the question? Yeah, I believe she's speaking of the press conference that we held today on Grand.

On the Southside.

Is that okay? We were on Grand and Mobile at a business there.

And we had a press conference set up with the Hispanic channel, channel 44.

And before we could go in, we were harassed by people who said they were representing Floyd Thomas.

They tore our posters down.

They threatened us.

They called in other people to stand around and intimidate us so that we would not have the press conference.

The gentleman that was speaking first spoke in English and then he was obviously Italian because his Spanish was very poor.

He accused me of not living in the community.

He told me that he was for Floyd Thomas and that I ought to get out and if I didn't get out, I ought to know what's best for me if I don't get out.

So we do intend to pursue this because that is blatant harassment.

Okay, I only have a minute and a half.

I want Floyd Thomas to respond.

I'm not really aware of that situation.

I was at work today so whatever happened, I will check it out.

But people in my campaign don't resort to things like that.

We don't threaten people.

We don't harass people and we don't intimidate people.

He said he was working for Commissioner Davis and Floyd Thomas.

And he had Floyd Thomas posters brand new that were not up.

Okay, well I'm at break time again, engineer, so let's get this break out of the way and we'll have time for a couple of calls before the 11 o 'clock news.

All this talk y 'all doing about drugs.

What can and all of us do to reduce drugs? Yeah, they can bring in community police and like I did and have them work with the community and you can what can happen is you can change the behavior.

It's involved and it gets involved with the good command.

You can even replace the commander if you've got to cooperate.

That's about all I know.

And it's happening in the 29th.

But they are saying that no reduction in drugs? Well, don't be realistic.

This is very difficult.

Problem not only in our war but throughout the whole country.

And to come up with a simple answer to a very difficult problem is really really insulting people's intelligence.

President Clinton don't have a high demand.

If there is a demand for you'll find someone to supply it.

But what if people don't have jobs and despair and frustration? They're going to go to drugs.

You can put them into a drug rehab program.

They can get clean and come.

They're running down the street from the houses.

They're not organized.

They don't have quality after school programs.

There aren't a whole lot of decent summer programs for them to do.

So these kids don't feel that they have an outlook.

So the drug deal is attractive to them.

They give it to them in their candy.

They give it to them in all kinds of disguises.

You've got to educate the child.

You've got to educate them.

We are back.

Let's get as many calls as possible before the news.

Hello, you on the air? Hello? Anybody there? I don't know what happened there.

Hello, are you there? Yes.

Come on.

I have a question for Mr.

Thomas.

Come on.

This is a three -fire question.

Well, I don't know if I can give you three.

Let's start with one.

OK.

Do you live in the ward? How long have you lived in the 29th ward? That's a quick one.

He can answer that.

I've lived in the 29th ward for approximately 25 over the last 27 years.

Uh -huh.

And with no college degree or government training, what do you feel you're going to bring to this office? Well, you have many people with college degrees and the biggest crooks out there.

I can bring experience and integrity, and I can bring action to people.

I've been very active in the political arena probably, little brother, before you was born.

So I can bring honesty to government.

I can represent peoples.

They'll know where I stand.

You might get your third one in there.

They're both, they're all short.

What is it? Yeah, but your voter's registration card says you've only lived here five months.

I moved out for about a year and a half.

I was in the rehabbing business, Chicago Exterior Clean and Restoration Services.

I moved on the South Side for about a year, a year and a half to help my brother remodel his building.

After that, I moved right back in.

My politics and my social life have always been here in the 29th ward.

I've owned buildings throughout the 29th ward.

OK, let's move on very quickly.

Hello, you on there? Yes, sir, real old friend.

This is the garden.

Peace be with you.

And I'm from Africa.

You've been calling me over the weekend now.

Right, right.

I've moved most definitely.

OK.

My comment is this.

As mostly, as long as your guests know, the CTA has closed down the bus pass, didn't take the bus pass.

And I know within the area community so far, is our seat, in an automatic seat, is trying to help get the bus pass reinstated secondly.

No, no, hold it right there because we got five people to answer and I don't have five more minutes.

Thanks, Telly.

I got to hear from you over the weekend now.

Yeah.

OK, what will you do about restoring bus passes? On the city council floor, I attempt to bring it before the city council at that point, try to convince the other 49 aldermen, including the mayor, to review it and change it.

All right, Floyd.

In addition to being a leader, an alderman must be a lobbyist and an advocate.

If we are truly advocates for the poor and for the working class people, we need to get together with all of the other aldermen.

We try to get the aldermen's pass that we restored.

Alderman, you have less than a minute.

What have you done about those? It doesn't touch very long.

At least a resolution to bring back the wishes of the community.

Hopefully that's passed.

All right, that voice was the voice of the incumbent alderman, Sam Burrell, also having the studio with me, Alderman Gouss 5915990.

OK, you got at least five minutes.

I have to find out how to turn in Jared.

I'm going to get it on the map.

Yeah, right.

Ten right.

The 28th ward now has a man who will work for you.

No, more political.

I ain't convinced that these political commercials will get any votes, because there are too many of them.

I'm not sure if people will listen to them.

I came out because you're the other invited.

This is because of you, and I figured this was a for -all.

You just had to wreck this.

I'm not talking about the forum.

I'm talking about these commercials.

Another quick announcement, brothers and sisters.

The Committee Against Plantation Politics would like to see you at noon on Monday at the Chicago Defender, 2400 South Michigan.

The committee is going to demonstrate to the Defender that a lot of people, a lot of us in the black community, are really upset that the Defender has endorsed Richard Daly.

So join us.

This is one time I'm going to march at the Defender, 2400 South Michigan.

Let's get straight to the phone.

We don't have much time left.

Hello, you on the air.

Hey, Bill Lue.

Hi.

How are you doing? Doing good.

Eddie, how you doing? All right.

That's the Chicago O -Fender.

That is the Daly, D -A -L -E -Y Defender.

D -A -L -E -Y Defender.

That's right.

All right.

Bill Lue, I want to ask your incumbent there, Alderman Sal Morel, a question because it seems to be an issue for some people.

When the Alderman appeared at the Dump Daly rally on Saturday and stayed in the front for a brief amount of time and then moved to be back.

Actually, I don't know what it means either because what I did is I came up front, sit there a while.

Other people left.

I had to go back out and campaign, so I left when I got ready.

I sit in the back a while because I really wasn't ready to go.

I tried to wait for Joe.

I had no idea it was a Dump Daly rally.

I thought it was a support rally for Joe Gardner.

So I wanted to...

You didn't know it was a Dump Daly rally? No, I thought it was a support rally for Joe Gardner.

I came to make a contribution, a financial contribution out of my pocket.

All we announced for two weeks and all kinds of flyers.

Let me just say this.

Had I known that, I probably wouldn't have shown up.

I thought it was a...

You wouldn't come to a Dump Daly rally? I'd come to a support rally for Joe Gardner.

That's what I came to.

But you wouldn't come to a Dump Daly rally? Why would I waste my time with that? I mean, if I was on Dump Daly, I would go out and get some votes.

All right.

All right.

Pardon? You understand me? Okay, you kind of...

Okay, I won't get into that.

Hello, you on the air? Hello.

Yes.

Well, this is Melvin Dell.

Melvin, how you doing? Now, you've been knowing me for years.

Many years.

You know me.

And Floyd Thomas' worker, one of his worker, Ira Cone, has filed battery charges against me.

I called him taking down the candidate signs to set me up.

They used a white board and screamed that a nigger hit him in order to set me up.

And y 'all know me better than that.

I don't even use that for nothing like that.

And Floyd, you are the same individual that set up with Danny Davis jumped up and threatened me and saying he would have some people kick my ass and golf your major ass.

Man, you know, y 'all need to move away from that snake eye or get away from before he bites you.

All right.

Let me get a response.

Floyd, you got a response to that? Melvin Dell, if you were sitting here at this table tonight, I wouldn't know your brother.

And so you evidently, you must be talking about somebody else.

You know, but you did assault the person and there was a police report file.

You get to learn to keep your hands off people, whether they are black or white.

If you want to jump on somebody, then jump on somebody your size.

All right.

Let's get another call.

How are you on there? Hello? Yes, Malcolm here.

Yes.

How you doing, Lou? Hanging in.

Glad to be on target.

All right.

I got a question for brother Sam Morrell there.

I don't know how tight he is with his cargo police department gang crime unit, but anytime you have a war that's drug -infested gangs and guns, just how efficient are you? Are you absentee Alderman? A question.

Are you an absentee Alderman? Let me say that I was one of the Aldermen that got one of the first five prototypes of the community policing program.

We have addressed the drug problem in the 15th district.

We are now addressing it in the 25th district.

I'm not, I don't know exactly what you mean by how tight I am, but I tell you what, if I have a problem brought to me by a constituent, I would personally go over to the police station and get me some police.

This is what I brought to the 29th ward.

This is all I can do to address the problem.

Thank you much.

We'll take another one.

Hello, you're on the air.

Yes, I got two questions for Floyd Thomas.

Maybe I can give you two according to how short it is.

Okay.

The first one is, is on the street that he was snatching down Sam Burrell's campaign posters.

Now the question is to whom? Floyd Thomas.

Floyd, you've been snatching Sam's posters? I most certainly did.

I was up and down.

Austin Boulevard, Sam Burrell working, was putting his posters over the top of mine.

And every poster I saw with Burrell's name on the top of mine, I personally took it down and tore it up.

Yes, sir, I did.

You've got a vigorous answer, brother.

You got another question.

The rumor here is on the street that Floyd Thomas is a very heavy drug user and alcoholic, and that he was in New Beginning's recovery home.

All right, let's get an answer on that.

Are you a drug user and an alcoholic? I very seldom drink, and I'll take a drug test.

As a matter of fact, all of the candidates here need to take a pledge to go down to the Presbyterian Hospital tomorrow and take a drug test.

I'll take a drug test anytime, anywhere, any place.

One more quick call before I have to make a speech.

Red now, red now.

Hello, you are on there.

Red now.

Hello? Hello? You're on.

OK, hi.

What I want to say is thanks again for having me on Target Little.

I want to make a comment, and then I have a quick question.

Well, don't make a comment long.

I'm having a minute and a half.

No, I say that Floyd Thomas is a liar.

Not only does his campaign workers tear down stuff.

OK, OK, this is what he's done.

He had one of his campaign workers, Clayton Boyd, was arrested for climbing up on a billboard.

Not a poster, a billboard.

The boy was in jail for two days.

Now that's my comment.

My question is, however, Floyd, if you say that you only moved to the South Side for a year and a half to rehab your brother's building or whatever he was doing in 7720 South Worth, how come there are no records in the city that shows where you pulled any permits to rehab that building? That's why people in the 29th World should punch 112 for Burrell because 111 is a liar.

OK, are there no permits for the work that you did? Remodeling.

You don't need no permit to remodel.

OK, that ought to make sense.

Thank you much.

I got to take a break.

When I come back from this break, I'm going to have each one of our five panelists to give a one minute closing statement and then they will be leaving at 1130 and we will do a real fast grab bag.

Well, it's lively.

It's to say the least.

Man, it's a joy for you.

It's been a really good day.

You got that one car, I ain't got no car.

Alcoholic? Well, she ain't popular.

I ain't popular.

She ain't going to push 118.

I ain't even worried about her.

I've been called a lot of things, except the child of God, but that's not necessary.

That doesn't do with politics in terms of issues.

This is what we really should be concerned about is issues.

That's what I'm saying.

I just want everybody to come out and vote.

Whoever is sitting down, they can't do nothing without no vote.

You get a chair, we got to vote.

I guess what I'll have to ask you all to do.

After you give your closing, very quietly leave the studio because I wasn't going to let you go out of break, but he just changed the breaks.

So after I say thank you, just very quietly because I'll still be on air.

But each of you are going to get one minute for closing.

That's right.

That's why we couldn't get no vote now.

People didn't know who to vote for.

I think so, Lou.

I think we will.

I hope so, Zegas.

We're really concerned about issues.

All of the candidates here are different.

They have an opportunity to choose a candidate which they think may represent them the best.

That's very important.

If we were all preaching the same gospel, then it might just be a toss up, but just reach your hand in the hat and take a word or a name out.

This is very important to see what the people in the community truly want in terms of representation.

They don't want fighting.

But whoever wins, all of the other four of us should support them.

When the election is over, it's over.

There's nothing personal.

We should all come together and support whoever is elected the Alderman.

When I'm the Alderman, I will accept everybody's support.

You need people that can read.

If you're not in the runoff, would you decide to come and work for one of the other candidates in the runoff? I choose around.

I choose around.

In the meantime, let's do like this.

Let's do like this.

Everybody go back.

I'm not guilty of it.

Those that are guilty of it and I'm only talking to them, tell your campaign worker to stop tearing down these signs.

Why don't you stop putting that garbage up and get on out here and do what you should do and walk the ward and get to know the people.

The people want to see.

You can't hide behind a poster.

Nobody cares about no poster.

The people want to see the candidates.

If you cannot get up and walk this ward, then you do not deserve to represent the people.

If you're going to be that lady, then you need to sit down.

I'm out there.

Get up and work.

I'm in the beauty shops.

I'm knocking on doors.

There's five candidates here.

Okay? You don't want it on the polls? Okay.

If every other candidate withdraw their campaign literature off the polls, I will go out there and get mine off there.

I was the last one to hit the poll.

Mine is in the housing.

I don't care.

Let's take them off the polls.

Take it off the polls.

They would have to scrape for a whole week to get that graffiti off.

You can't call no shop.

You call your shop.

Okay.

Somebody scare.

Okay.

We are back on the air.

We only have five minutes.

I'm going to ask each of the candidates to take one minute and give us a closing statement.

It might be well for you to give me a punch number and your period.

People of the 29th Ward, I'm your child.

I was born and raised in the community.

I'm a product of the community.

I asked you to join us at 5947 West Chicago Avenue, 626 -6677 to bring positive quality change to the 29th Ward.

Avoid the top of the ballot.

Go to the bottom.

They say the best for last.

Punch 118.

And by all means, child, don't be late.

All right.

Johnson.

Johnson.

Yes, if you want a change in the 29th Ward, punch 114.

And I also invite you out for a march against drugs and the violence in the 29th Ward at 1 o 'clock at Central and North Avenue at the 7 -Eleven.

Let's take a stand.

Let's vote for a change.

114.

Okay.

I'm Floyd Thomas.

I want to be your alderman.

I want you to support me.

My number on the ballot is number one.

Punch 111.

And they say the law works in mysterious ways, so maybe I wouldn't give them the one for nothing.

But I need you to come out.

We need you to vote.

We need you to voice your opinion.

We need to send a message downtown to Richard J.

Daly and Sam Burrell that we will not tolerate plantation politics.

Punch 111.

Our address is 5730 West Division.

Our telephone number is 626 -1300.

Thank you, Lou Palmer, for allowing us tonight.

Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen.

Alderman McGowan, you are next.

Thank you.

The poor leadership.

Ladies and gentlemen, make the change.

113.

Thank you so much.

And the incumbent alderman has the last word.

All right, thank you, Lou.

Well, first let me say I'm very proud of the 29th Ward.

It's one of the better wards on the west side and probably one of the better wards in the city.

I sincerely and earnestly seek the voters in the 29th Ward's assistance and reelected me so we can continue rebuilding the 29th Ward.

If they look around, they'll see all the work we've done.

We've renovated the parks.

We have the Austin Youth League.

We have actually been able to get some people employed through private sector and public sector.

We have a $10 million bakery coming up in Narragansett.

We brought in Walgreens.

We've done a lot of fantastic things.