Help publish “Nobody Sent Us” How We Derailed Chicago’s Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics – the story of the No Games Chicago campaign from 2009. Donate to help market the book.
Say NO To Taxpayer Funded Dome for Soldier Field!
In another clout ridden, top-down, tourism-centric, lakefront, White centered development scam, Mayor Lightfoot has announced her enthusiastic support for building a dome over Solider Field.
The estimated cost is reported to be $2.2 BILLION!!!
Hey, want to help stop a Right Wing White Supremacist Plutocracy from taking over America and completely pulverizing safety nets, public education, civil liberties, and other good stuff? The only solution is that people who stand for justice, peace, opportunity, and equity MUST run for local office and then GOVERN. Learn how to start down this path (or help others to do so) at our “Grassroots Campaigning 101” workshop. We had two amazing guests visit and drop knowledge – master campaigner Rebecca Reynolds Williams and Founder/CEO of My Block My Hood My City, Jahmal Cole. Click the image below to watch the video (1 hr. 43 min)>>>
Zooming with the Interns of i c stars Milwaukee (Cycle 9) on 12/23. Check out his great leadership development organization at www.icstars.org
This has been an incredible few weeks! On April 23, 2021 the Chicago Tribune ran the most complete explanation of the TIF Illumination Project since we started the work in 2013! Thanks to the citizen organizers of Save Our Southland SOS!
On May 10, 2021 I was interviewed on WBEZ’s “Reset” program by Sasha-Ann Simon. The 16 minute segment was part of their series “Re-Imagine Chicago.”
I teach “Civics 101” for the awesome training and leadership development organization i c stars. The most current class, Cycle 47, sent me a wonderful set of images expressing how the class (four sessions) impacted them. I was deeply touched. Thank you. If you would like a civics workshop, please contact me at tom@civiclab.us. You can see the workshops I offer via the POWER Institute.
Have you heard of We Will Chicago? This is a new city-wide planning effort launched by the city with a few major partners. Here’s my comment on their web site:
“I am deeply suspicious. The city has a long history of top down planning loaded with clouted mega nonprofits whose HQ are in the Loop and who are run by former Daley insiders and for-profit consultants (mostly White). What have you all given us so far that makes you the proper home for this work? Pushing the 2016 Olympic bid on us? Pushing privatization scams? Standing to the side as over policing runs rampant in communities of color? Standing by as TIFs stole $10 billion and sent billions to clouted developers (who will gain even more from this work, I’m certain). Where were you all when the two racist super TIFs were approved for Lincoln Yards and Project 78 that will divert $2.3 billion in public dollars to subsidize two mega developments in affluent White Chicago? Oh wait, the VP of the Metropolitan Planning Council was a “public representative” on the Joint Review Board that voted to APPROVE the Lincoln Yards TIF despite hundreds of people protesting and seven aldermen-elect protesting in the street on the morning of that cursed vote. No, I would say, surrender this approach and turn over all funding (past and forthcoming) for this work to grassroots groups who are struggling to make ends meet and who deliver real service and justice every day DESPITE your planning and love of clouted projects that shower love and resources on already prosperous parts of the city.”
They deleted my comment! Here is what they said:
“Hi Tom_Tresser, Thank you for signing up and providing feedback on the 2020 Citywide Plan Referendum consultation. Unfortunately your comment was removed by our moderators because it breached our moderation rule: The comment was potentially defamatory . Comment Details:
Project: 2020 Citywide Plan Referendum
Topic: Citywide Plan Referendum Survey
Moderators Comments: The comment was potentially defamatory. Please edit before reposting. Thank you.
If you feel our decision should be reviewed, please reply to this email with an explanation of the reason/s your comment should be reinstated. Your argument will be considered by our moderation team in due course. We will advise you if we change our decision. Please note, however, the decision of the moderation team is final and following a review, no further correspondence will be entered into. Moderation of this site is provided by Bang the Table Pty Ltd.
Here’s my reply (I was agitated): “What a load of crap. There was nothing “defamatory” about my comment. Just some facts and a strong opinion. How dare you silence my comment – I’m a taxpayer, a long time activist, educator, and former candidate for county-wide office. The leaders of the Metropolitan Planning Council are adults and they can take a dose of criticism, as should the mayor and all the people behind this planning effort. Your decision mocks the mayor’s repeated declarations of “transforming” Chicago’s corrupt and arrogant government. It reminds me of the days of Mayor Richard J. Daley turning the mike off on aldermen who got too disagreeable.
I ask you to reverse your decision and post my comment as I wrote it.
If you are offended by my few words, you better get ready for much stronger stuff as grassroots organizers get wind of this nonsense.
By the way, who, exactly is the “Moderation Team” – do you work for the Bang The Table that has offices in Australia and Boulder, CO. What do you know about the civics here in Chicago?”
My chapter “Chicago Is Not Broke – Moving from Scarcity to Abundance” appears in Prof. Dick Simpson’s newly released “Twenty-First Century Chicago” from Cognella Press. Guess who has the next chapter in the book? Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Pretty cool, no?
Check out my first post for Medium, “Time To Embrace #More Public” and the related video at https://tinyurl.com/Great-Public-Hoover-Dam.
Saturday – July 18, 10am-12pm CST
Register @ https://tinyurl.com/CE-Time-Isolation-7-18-20
The times call for more participation in public life, not less. How can we do justice, do civic work, and fight for equity and the well-being of our neighbors in a time of isolation? This webinar experience will address this issue and participants will join small groups to explore, share, and – hopefully – laugh! We will share insights around isolation, resilience, effectiveness, tool building, and more. It will be facilitated by Tom Tresser and Jonathan Peck, of the CivicLab (www.civiclab.us), Chicago’s “do tank” for innovation and capacity building around civic engagement and social justice. Jonathan and Tom have a combined 60 year experience in social justice, organizing, and grassroots campaigning.
Registered for the June 13th session were leaders from these institutions:
University of Chicago – WTTW Public TV Chicago – Loyola University – Northwestern University – Ohio University – Mercer University – Cal State University (Channel islands, Chico, Los Angeles, East Bay, San Marcos, Long Beach) – Stanford University – Centenary College of Louisiana – San Jose State University – Emory University – Tisch College of Public Life, Tufts University – Stanislaus State University – Sonoma State University – Texas Christian University – Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Frederick Douglass Center for Collaborative Leadership- Cincinnati Federation of Teachers – Indivisible Illinois – New Have Christian Church – Sierra Club – STRUT Learning – Center for Media & Democracy – Blocks Together Chicago – Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights – Arts Alliance Illinois – Lutheran School of Theology – Northside Action for Justice – SEIU – Enlace Chicago – Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights – NAME Illinois – Vietnamese Association of Illinois – Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – Public Health Institute – Arts Alliance Illinois – Ohio University – Northside Action for Justice (Chicago) – UNICEF USA – Illinois Collaboration on Youth – UBUNTU Academy
…with these titles:
Director of Campus & Community Engagement – Faculty Director of Community Engagement – Director, Office of Service Learning – Director of Community Partnerships – VP, Community Engagement -Executive Director, Student Civic Engagement – Faculty Director, Global Studies Program – Program Director, Community Action Volunteers in Education – Founding Director – Restorative Justice Coordinator – Organizer – Deputy Director for Civic Engagement – Team Lead – President – Census Coordinator – Youth Programs – Field Organizer – Deputy Director, Civic Engagement – Director of the Center for Campus & Community Engagement -Organizer – Community Engagement Manager – Chief Program Officer – CEO
Illustration: Gracia Lam