Falling crime rates have been one of the great American success stories of the past 15 years. New York and Los Angeles, once the twin capitals of violent crime, have calmed down significantly, as have most other big cities…

Lately, though, a new and unexpected pattern has emerged, taking criminologists by surprise. While crime rates in large cities stayed flat, homicide rates in many midsize cities (with populations of between 500,000 and 1 million) began increasing, sometimes by as much as 20percent a year…

Studies show that recipients of Section8 vouchers have tended to choose moderately poor neighborhoods that were already on the decline, not low-poverty neighborhoods. One recent study publicized by HUD warned that policy makers should lower their expectations, because voucher recipients seemed not to be spreading out, as they had hoped, but clustering together. Galster theorizes that every neighborhood has its tipping point—a threshold well below a 40 percent poverty rate—beyond which crime explodes and other severe social problems set in…

In each case, Suresh has now confirmed, the first hot spots were the neighborhoods around huge housing projects, and the later ones were places where people had moved when the projects were torn down.

Still, researchers around the country are seeing the same basic pattern: projects coming down in inner cities and crime pushing outward, in many cases destabilizing cities or their surrounding areas. Dennis Rosenbaum, a criminologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told me that after the high-rises came down in Chicago, suburbs to the south and west—including formerly quiet ones—began to see spikes in crime; nearby Maywood’s murder rate has nearly doubled in the past two years.

The problems that plague some of Elgin’s neighborhoods predate these developments, so I don’t think the perceived crime (according to Chief Womack crime has actually declined 11%) in parts of the Near West Side for example can be attributable to destruction of Section 8 housing in Chicago. Rather I find this article interesting because it’s something that we have to keep in mind if the problematic apartment complex on Locust Avenue is ever demolished, as some are advocating.

Demolition could be a good idea, but the city will have to make sure that crime does not travel with the inhabitants to wherever they disperse. That means ensuring that they do not go into marginal areas, but into high income areas, something that will naturally result in a high level of resistance.

My thought is that developments on the Far West Side should all be required to incorporate a minimal amount of affordable housing–not too much or else crime will travel as suggested by the Atlantic article, but enough to absorb all the people who would be leaving the area that is now troubled. Such a requirement will also ensure that the much vaunted diversity of Elgin is not limited to the older sections of the city.

Simply destroying the apartment building without creating replacement housing is not an option, as far as I know. The building itself was created as a result of a federal mandate during the construction of the Civic Center, which eliminated low income housing in that section of the city.

But removing the apartment building and spreading its inhabitants very thinly across the Far West Side could be a good idea. I think it has the potential to reduce crime citywide, and make the Far West Side more diverse so that we dont’ have a situation of two Elgins. By giving them a better environment, it would increase opportunities for the low income families that move. Any problems near or in the downtown are highly salient, and the image of downtown is the biggest factor in Elgin’s image as a whole, so if the environment in the area surrounding the downtown and in the downtown itself can be improved, the image of Elgin as a whole improves.

The FoxFireFest proved that a supreme fireworks show could be held at Festival Park. If any of you were unable to go to the last FoxFireFest….it was spectacular. Especially the fireworks. With all the parking garages in this city, why can’t the fireworks be held at Festival Park? Imagine….4th of July’s in the future. The wonderful parade on Douglas stopping at City Hall where there is entertainment.

Perhaps the streets of downtown could be given over to artists…..artists selling their wares and street performers. Open restaurants could supply lunch and do some good business. Walk your way through the arts and crafts and street performers…eat lunch at a great restaurant…stop for an afternoon coffee at Ravenheart then head to Festival park for more entertainment culminating in awesome fireworks. Afterward, one could stop in the Elgin Public House or Martini’s or Prairie Rock for some adult entertainment. Families could stop at Al’s for icecream then go home and tuck the little ones into bed.

I’m not sure if there’s enough parking and directing traffic in and out of the city center will be far more difficult than getting traffic onto Route 20, but I think it’s a great idea that’s worth considering if at all possible. July 4th is one of those events that market themselves, so promoting it will be far easier than promoting FoxFireFest. And if the idea of all the downtown festivals is to get people to the downtown to try out the restaurants, see the great architecture and experience all the things we love about downtown Elgin, then holding the fireworks display as part of an all-day celebration is probably a really great idea.

Since this year’s fireworks display turned out disastrous on more than one count, it’s a good time to consider new ideas.

Elgin’s July 4th celebrations starts off with a parade at 9:00 a.m. in downtown Elgin at the corner of Slade and Douglas. The parade’s grand marshall is…Tammy Duckworth! Yes, that Tammy Duckworth, who is now director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs. From 11:00-4:00, a blues concert will be held at the Civic Center parking lot. All the details are on the Downtown Elgin website. Keep in mind that numerous downtown restaurants and shops will be open for business.

Gear up for the fireworks display starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Elgin Sports Complex, 709 Sports Way. That’s when the concessions, entertainment and music (World Class Noise) starts. The fireworks extravaganza starts at 9:20.

Have fun, and remember what it’s all about: the birth of freedom and democracy and a new world order paid with great sacrifice and won through great valor. Happy July 4th, and God bless America.

Could this be the most handsome water tower in Illinois? What do you think?

The Elgin logo on the water tower is not used anymore, which is too bad, because I think it looks better than the current logo, which to me just looks like some generic cursive writing. I don’t know who designed the logo that’s pictured above–and which was used for a number of years as the city logo, but I think it’s an effective one. For many years I never thought about the logo. If anything, the large loop of the letter G evoked a money bag. It wasn’t until I was an adult, that I understood the genesis behind the motto “City to Watch”–also retired–and the money bag logo, which of course is actually meant to evoke an Elgin pocket watch.

I understand the need to freshen things up occasionally. Every major brand sort of gets a makeover every several decades or whatever and it’s often necessary. But I have to admit that I just don’t find the current logo or motto very effective. “It’s happening here?”

I can see how they evolved from “City to Watch” to “It’s happening here!” But is “It’s happening here” really better than “City to Watch?” The problem with “It’s happening here” is that it just doesn’t evoke anything. It’s not all that different from a motto that proclaims, for example, “Best city in the world!” It’s sort of an empty promise, in other words. What exactly is happening here? It is. Okay. Whatever that is. Use your imagination? Unfortunately, some people’s imaginations will tend towards the negative…

Sure, “City to Watch” doesn’t tell you what to watch for, but it’s still clearly linked to Watch City, and believe it or not, millions of Americans still know and love Elgin watches. Of course we can’t get stuck to the past and be known as the city where something used to happen, where watches were once made, but the old motto grabbed a hold of that old identity or position–already cemented in the minds of millions–and turned it around in a new and positive way, saying basically, look, we were the Watch City and now we’re the City to Watch. And that statement implies something. It implies that this is a growing, dynamic city that is moving into the future, unencumbered by dying industries of the past, yet proud of its heritage.

It was a clever motto and along with the logo, I think it worked very well.

For Elgin, there’s $8 million money for ECC, the Boys and Girls Club, and a variety of other stuff. St. Charles will get a million dollars for their downtown parking deck.

Of course these are just requests, and as a freshman it will be interesting to see whether the appropriations cardinals will give him anything. They might because the 14th could still theoretically go back to Republican control in the fall. And being able to deliver for the district could help his prospects for reelection. But it’s unlikely.

It’s just that I can’t help remembering when he criticized Dennis Hastert for spending too much money. In fact, his own campaign website still says:

If elected, Foster promised to help end America’s dependence on foreign oil and put a stop to the out of control spending that has plagued Washington.

“We’re bankrupting our country. Every man, woman, and child in the 14th district right now has $29,500 in debt because of the out of control spending that has gone on in Washington,” said Foster.

Isn’t it ironic?

Denny Hastert never publicized such requests, not even in an election year:

Foster’s predecessor, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, never released his full list of appropriations requests, according to his former spokesman Brad Hahn. Hastert, Hahn said, preferred to work behind the scenes until the job was finished before calling attention to it.

“He believed there was plenty of time to celebrate accomplishments after the fact but saw little use in notifying the media until the job was done,” Hahn said. (Courier News 6/19/08)

Another sign of the “real changes” that Mr. Foster is promising the 14th district.

Participating brewers in this year’s Brewfest:

Brass Restaurant & Brewery
Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co.
Goose Island Brew Pub
M.T. Barrels Restaurant and Brewery
Prairie Rock Brewing Co.
Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Two Brothers Tap House
Walter Payton’s Roundhouse

There’s the usual food there, but if you’re willing to make the three-minute trek, Public House is the place to go. However, the Courier story mentioned that the Prairie Rock has a new general manager, Brad Brickhouse. So food at the Rock may have improved. Could be worth a visit.

I think something new this year is a Green Day cover band: American Idiots. That should be pretty good. Also performing is Jostelen Weed, Hello Dave and 7th Heaven.

This mailing from 14th district Congressman Bill Foster’s office, which arrived last week, is indistinguishable from a campaign mailing. From a new congressman who promises “real changes” it’s disappointing to see this flagrant abuse of the frank, the congressional privilege of sending postage-free mail. As you can see in the lower picture, “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.” I can’t recall seeing a newsletter from a congressman that was so full of self promotion, pandering and so indistinguishable from a campaign mailing. Considering that this is an election year, and that he was sworn in just weeks ago, Mr. Foster should have known better. With the kind of personal fortune that he commands, his campaign should have no problem paying for his own mail. Instead taxpayers are paying for it. Since Dennis Hastert never used the frank to send campaign mail, is this the “real change” Mr. Foster is talking about?

There are said to be two varieties and five native species of blue flag. I believe what’s pictured above–and what grows around here–is Iris virginiana. It has delicate blue and yellow flowers, and grows along rivers and streams. They bloom at this time of the year. You can find them along the Fox River and its tributary creeks.

All irises are blooming now, and a lovely but non-native yellow iris, Iris pseudacorus, can be found in profusion in swampy places such as at John Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin.

These irises grow to huge proportions. They were imported from Eurasia and are considered invasive plants.

I’ve noted before that public financing of stadiums has never paid for itself. This is the consensus among the experts who have studied the issue. But a new study (pdf) that came out this year, suggests that it may actually have a negative economic impact:

Interestingly, Humphreys and I[Dennis Coates] found that the overall sports environment—which, as mentioned earlier, includes the presence of franchises in multiple sports, the arrival or departure of teams, and stadium construction—in a given area reduced per capita personal income by about $10. In other words, every man, woman, and child in the metropolitan area was poorer by $10 as a result of the sports environment. (The American 4/04/08)

I ask our councilmen to take that study into consideration when they consider building a stadium for this softball team.

See also:
Making Out Like Bandits
Pro Softball in Elgin…Why?

Go ahead, go to your secret places and gather up the fruits of May.