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Wow! Nice work, Cheri. Nice. : 10/22/2009

I would expect a journalist to have some integrity. Maybe, just maybe you should tell us about the letter, Cheri. What was the letter about, Cheri? So you don't like Cushman, Cheri. Big deal. Can he serve as mayor and say "no" to nuts and special interest groups - it sounds like he can. Does he have the spine to withhold funds from "lost causes" like the Book and Author Festival? Yep. Does he have the courage to stand up to the entrenched and misguided leadership that got us into this situation? Thank God. Would he do this with some flair? Finally. Yes! Would he take snipes from the likes of you, who can not find a job with a real newspaper, television station or radio broadcast? Hmmmm. You, semi-pro, you are the perfect antidote to Descartes, who was bright enough to opine, "I think, therefor I am". Cheri, you are proof for Newton's third law, "that for every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction." You, ducky, have postulated a new mantra, "I don't think, therefore I am not." ... Henceforth known as Cheri's Third Flaw.

Tiny Bliss

Was Thinking About Someone Else When : 10/22/2009

Before reading the Cheri Rae piece, I was going to vote for someone else. We need someone in leadership that can get us out of this mess. I do not think that new leadership can go in and rearrange the City's priorities and funding without offending someone. Whoever gets the job is going to have to step on somebody's toes, or it will never get fixed. Our new mayor must have the gumption to go "nose to nose" and say out loud, "Take the money and buy some happy pills, Johnny." I was thinking about Dale, but now I am sold on Cushman.

Mid-Town Bob

Tired by Turgid Thinking : 10/22/2009

Go easy Cheri. I don't have any bodyarmor on. What a powerful story. Take no prisoners. When did you grow a set?

Pug

Tidy Waters : 10/22/2009

I know what you mean Cheri. Two jobs. Of al the nerve. Who does he think he is, anyway? Oh, by the way, you should be careful, too. You should never try to do you column when you are chewing gum at the same time. it is way too much to ask.

Problem-Attic

Cushman and Francisco Both as Crazy as Sarah Palin : 10/22/2009

"The Letter" "sent from" and "to" whom is too too trivial . Neither one of these candidates, even the Daily Sound's and Cheri Rae's favorite pick for Mayor should be considered by any critical thinking voter. The point of the letter, found over at >>>http://craigsmithsblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/steve-tells-dale-i-think-you-ought-to.html <<< illustrates that both Cushman and Francisco are two pompous peas in the same pod pissing on each other. Neither Cushman or Francisco has illustrated that they have the financial acumen to save to Save Santa Barbara from the machinations of the National Chamber of Commerce and the Conservatives in power that brought on this worldwide financial crisis, the cause of our city's financial problems. Francisco is especially stupid in his logic by previously asserting that because he worked for a few years at a large organization that somehow he can represent in a democratic body of government. So don't be discouraged. Dig out your ballot and vote for the best candidate who will represent everyone, Helene Schneider. It is your patriotic duty to vote and vote intelligently.

Don McDermott

Cushman Chronicle : 10/22/2009

Whoever owns this throw-a-way will see it become just another rag with infantile writing and reporting like your piece. Put me down as someone who will never read your sheet again with that kind of stupid writing! I follow politics and work at being informed. You are so off the mark that it should be embarrassing to you to sign your name to your junk. The Sound's editor/owner should fire you for such dribble and nonsense, full of personal stuff. Choose another profession, soon.

Jazzy Ted

Count 'Em : 10/22/2009

Cheri. I want you to do me a favor. Hold up your right hand. Have your palm facing you. Good. Now, I want you to count 'em. Right, just count 'em. Good. Now, how many fingers on your right hand? "Five." Good, very good. You are doing just fine. I too thought you might have five fingers, and no opposing thumb.

Megan Fairchild

Thank you. : 10/22/2009

Cheri, It is important that when you have information to disseminate it to us. We don't all need to agree with you. Your information may or may not change our actions or opinions. Regrettably people who don't want to hear it feel the need to attack you personally. That is a shame. and does not reflect badly on you but it does reflect badly on them. Keep getting the information out there. Let people decide what they want to do with the information. It is probably the case that when people choose to attack you personally instead of reasonably debate issues, facts or opinions; it is because they have nothing to counter the information you provide. When we vote we hope to have "pro" and "con" arguments with facts to make our decisions. We all wish it was done with more civility at times. Keep up the good work.

Sounds like Cushman is a bully : 10/22/2009

Sick and tired of bullies!

Maybe Cheri should have the whole story : 10/22/2009

Shame on you, Cheri.

msmagic

Cushman : 10/22/2009

No doubt in my mind all these comments attacking Mrs. Rae are from Cushman's well paid campaign staff.

Sick of it

You should be ashamed! : 10/22/2009

Cheri Reading this hit piece, one would think you work for Fox “news” where facts are replaced by innuendo and unsupported smears. I will address the actual focus of the letter itself at the end of this post but I find it necessary to deal with the rest of your “fluff” piece first. At the outset, you misstate both the content and intent of Steve’s letter itself but then even more amazingly, you then use that misstatement as a segue to an irrational rant about things that have no bearing at all on either the letter or its content. To then top this, your rant itself is based upon what can only be viewed as intentional misstatements and lies in your hollow desire to smear Steve. School Board matter You may not have been offended when a board member tried to start a public “lynching” of the very director her board employed, but frankly such antics are completely out of bounds and when they are used, it can only be interpreted as intended to gain publicity and not to solve the problem itself. When Board members are involved, private communications are the appropriate method of solving actual problems or at the very least beginning that process. Your comments even agreed that the private board approach is more genteel, yet you failed to see how that “code” had already been horribly violated by this board member. Steve’s response was not only appropriate and correct but necessary under the circumstances. Chamber Members You allege without a shred of evidence that Steve does not allow opposing views on the Chamber Board. You have obviously never been to Chamber Board meetings because nothing could be further from the truth. The Chamber thrives on divergent and disparate views and Steve does a masterful job of making all perspectives feel included in any final consensus position the Chamber may take. Book Festival This topic is the one you handled in the most offensive and manipulated manner. You make amazing and unbelievable allegations but never post a single fact to support any of them. You give none of the background on the matter, which entailed so much more than you describe. I can only assume that you also know this difficult and rather complex background and intentionally chose to omit it in all of its vibrant detail in order to paint the characters in “good guy” and “bad guy” roles that will support your erroneous conclusions. I cannot disclose these details to preserve the privacy of those involved, so readers may have nothing to gauge the rampant dishonesty behind your smears. However suffice it to say that the Chamber Board fully supported Steve and his communication because they knew all the facts and background and were therefore able to decide based upon these facts not just the strained innuendo you provided. Finally as to the letter and substance of that letter these are my comments I have long wondered about Dale’s motivation for even entering this race. Dale has always understood that he and Steve are likely to split the moderate to conservative vote and thereby possibly elect Helene Schneider. I strongly agree and am convinced that Santa Barbara would be better served if only one of them were in this Mayoral race. However, I suspect that Dale and I might disagree on who should withdraw and why, so I will explain why I feel it would be far better for Dale to withdraw, even now, not only for Santa Barbara, but also for himself personally. In order for any business-oriented action to prevail on the City Council, we need more than the Mayor’s vote. Dale’s vote will remain whether he is Mayor or a council member. I have long thought it somewhat counterproductive for Dale to want to eliminate his vote by moving to Mayor, thereby allowing the possibility of another less fiscally conservative, less business supportive vote to be elected to the Council. On the other hand, if Dale were to remain as a council member and Steve Cushman were to be elected Mayor, there would be two strong business-oriented votes on the council. We would have two of the important votes necessary to restore fiscal responsibility to our city budget. In short, the important decisions facing Santa Barbara will be far more likely to prevail with both of them voting. Next, look at future political careers. Steve has no future political aspirations so what happens in this race will not and cannot impact his political future. Dale, on the other hand, would appear to have a long political future ahead if he choose to pursue it. He could possibly run and lose without significant harm to his political image (look at Nixon, for instance) but he might significantly improve that image by withdrawing now, provided there is a credible reason for doing so. It would also appear to me that, if Steve were to withdraw, Dale would still lose the race anyway. Steve’s political support extends from the moderately conservative end of the spectrum to the moderately liberal end. It is unlikely that Dale’s political views will garner much support from the liberal end of Steve’s supporters, so I suspect Steve’s voting support would split evenly between Dale and Helene with a tad more going to Helene. If that is correct, and objectively I feel it is, Steve’s withdrawal would not enhance Dale’s chances for election in the least. If we look at the reverse scenario, Dale’s support is nearly all from the moderate to conservative end of the spectrum and little if any of that support will gravitate towards Helene. While I understand some voters will simply choose not to vote as opposed to voting for Steve, most will chose to participate and Steve’s base of support will grow, increasing his chances of beating Helene dramatically. In short, Dale’s withdrawal would indeed make Steve’s election more likely even if it occurred today. It would seem that the POSB campaign provides the opportunity to make all of this happen. There is little doubt that the backlash from the negative campaign is taking its toll, not only on Measure B, but also on the very candidates POSB supports. Many in Santa Barbara who would otherwise support Dale and Measure B have expressed that they cannot now do either, for fear that these tactics might become more commonplace. Given this, Dale could publicly reject the POSB campaign and state clearly and emphatically that he feels this kind of campaigning must be rejected in Santa Barbara. He could then take it a significant step further by preventing any benefit from such tactics and withdraw from the race. This would most certainly enhance Dale’s political image now and allow him to run with greater integrity and even wider support in the future. It would show that Dale placed the best interests of Santa Barbara above any personal political gain. In the end, Santa Barbara would win because Dale’s vote would remain on the council, Steve’s would be added, and these outrageous negative campaign tactics would have been rejected. Dale would benefit by avoiding a losing campaign and by elevating his political image for future campaigns. I would urge Dale to consider carefully all of these issues and make a good decision for Santa Barbara. However should Dale not choose to withdraw, the same compelling argument then must be carried to the voters themselves. Much like Ross Perot elected Bill Clinton and Ralph Nader elected George W. Bush, we in Santa Barbara cannot allow Dale Francisco to elect Helene Schneider. Voters must realize that Dale will not and cannot win this race, yet by siphoning votes away from Steve Cushman, he will ultimately become the deciding factor in the race. He will be solely and singularly responsible for electing Helene Schneider as our new Mayor. I doubt that could be Dale’s goal, but if it is, he will be successful, unless the voters more thoughtfully vote for Steve Cushman. This is a most critical election for Santa Barbara and one that will determine our fate for a long time to come. One can only hope the remaining voters realize what is at stake and what their vote for either Steve or Dale can mean.

Rob Egenolf

speaking truth to (would-be) power : 10/22/2009

Having read yours - bravo! for standing up and speaking to the would-be power!! - I then read the comments, all except Rob Egenolf's lengthy screed; unfortunately, in its run-on length it's close to unreadable. However, I read enough of his on Edhat to know what he would say. I was not convinced then by his defense of Cushman; I doubt I would be now. ...Bigger issue: I really wonder why anyone here would want to put themselves out in public and get the nasty responses. The decline of newspapers, the effort to write a letter to the editor and post it has meant an immediate vituperative response from too many. These here read as though from the Cushman campaign staff --- and, having watched him at several candidate forums, his disinterest in some of the questions, I can imagine the go-get-'em staff he has. Finally, It's as much a conflict of interest - many issues - for Cushman, head of the Chamber of Commerce, to be on the Council as it would have been for Walt Hamilton, the now-retired head of the SEIU. His defender Egenolf fails to understand this. Thank you, Cheri Rae, for saying it like it is.

BRC

format : 10/22/2009

Unfortunately the automatic formatting of posts here prevents separate paragraphs so my post is nearly unreadable. It was not by choice that is was posted that way

Rob Egenolf

Rob Egonoff : 10/22/2009

Wow Mr. Egonoff you really have this all worked out don't you. Problem is you use the word "objectively" which is innappropriate. Your desires and opinions are "subjective" and not fact. Very arrogant of you to think you know how the rest of us will vote. There are "many" of us who support Mr. Francisco but who would vote for Ms. Schneider as 2nd choice and NOT Mr. Cushman. And NO we wouldn't NOT VOTE as you guess wrongly. Who are you to suggest that someone withdraw and put aside their aspirations and goals in life? Did you write the letter for Mr. Cushman to Mr. Francisco? Are you the actual author? Maybe because someone does have future political aspirations they may in fact negotiate and work more successfully to represent all the people they work for and not just the few. Maybe someone who doesn't have future political aspirations can do and say as they please and cause great harm in the meantime.

You don't represent my feelings as a voter Mr. Egonoff

Cushman is TIRED, SAD and PATHETIC he should RESIGN : 10/22/2009

If you look at tax records Cushman has one of the HIGHEST turnover of employees for a company his size in this city. BUT the only two employees that have consistently gotten raises and perks nearing $2million dollar is Steve Cushman and Deputy Director Marcia Reid. PATHETIC!!! I had a friend buy a ticket to the chamber trade show and was so embarrassed because it was so poorly attended. Cushman says he promotes this city have you seen the tourist and hotel bed tax # the last few years dismal. This city does not need a petty, dictator. Let the chamber member continue with inferior services. Steve Cushman and Marcia Reid are both worthy of the chamber but not this great city. Chamber members should ask both these tired employees to RESIGN.

Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Horrors!!!

Steve Cushman Hasn't Received One Endorsement : 10/22/2009

If Steve Cushman is the "effective leader" he says he is why and I ask why hasn't he received one endorsement from a prominent organization? The guy says he has been dictatoring oops I mean ruling over the chamber, its board and members for over 20 years. Where's Michael Towbes, police or even fire union, Larry Crandell somebody out there endorsing this guy? Unfortunately Rob Engelnoff and Frank Goss and have been put under a spell by the Cushman Kool Aid. They are like mothers who constantly cry and say my son didn't do it when all the evidence points to his guilt. Cushman is guilty of poor management at the chamber period. Fortunately many leaders here have not and will not publicly support Cushman who is so desperately trying to hold onto power. Insiders know his and Marcia Reid's last days in power are coming to and end.

Reid and Cushman Like those Six Paychecks from Chamber

After reading your comments... : 10/22/2009

I scrolled down and read a few of these comments, and unlike the author of the article, I decided to do some research. I looked up Steve's campaign number and after giving them a call, learned that there is in fact only one paid employee on the campaign "staff" He was a very nice young man who informed me that he had also been following this blog and was tickled with tthe fact that he was a "slick, go-getter", on a "highly paid staff" I was also surprised to hear that dozens of students and residents have signed on to help promote the Cushman Campaign (and they were also happy to hear that their hard work had been noticed). Just thought you should know.

Amateur Researcher

Cheri Rae's a publicity whore : 10/22/2009

I'm sorry, there's no other way to say. I bet she thinks she deserves a Pulitzer because she had Cushman and special interest in the same article! You want a real story about special interest Cheri. Talk to someone about On Patrol and Sampanis Construction. Everybody knows about it...Oh wait that's your advertisement...oh I'm sorry! Well it looks like you won't be blowing the lid off that story!

Boycott Boy

it makes sense now : 10/22/2009

for anyone who really becomes emotionally stirred by this article, i think its time for a sheering, because you are a sheep. this is some of the most blatant attempt at smear propaganda I have ever seen, its actually humorous, really. I am a fiscal conservative, and as of recently, my vote was with Dale, merely for his political party. After seeing the dirtiness of this campaign, and perspective being put on this race through research and posts such as Mr. Egenolf's, I am pretty comfortable in stating that my vote is with Cushman.I'd rather have a man with no political reputation to maintain, and therefore a more sincere outlook on the city's future, than a politician playing the game of politics. I think Rob here should take Cheri's job at this paper.

Helen

May I have the envelope please? : 10/22/2009

Hold on. I am opening the envelope. There. Ta da. And the winner is = For Sale Dale. Between "Preserve SB" and Dale's reported campaign contributions, the total is.............$800,000. WOW. An all time high. Cushman is a piker in this league. And Francisco is the guy who wants you to call him, "Not For Sale Dale?" I don't think so. And Cheri, bless her little biased heart, she wants to report that Cushman is somehow obstreperous for encouraging old "For Sale" to resign. No one, in the history of SB, has ever been more blatantly "bought" than Dale Francisco - Old "For Sale" himself. Find a real job Cheri. One you are capable of - like mucking stalls.

Tired of Bull

Not In This Hapless Excuse for a Newspaper : 10/22/2009

I own a business downtown. Lately, the Daily Sound has been after me for my advertising budget. I run ads in newspapers as a way to promote my business. I just took the time to read this whole diatribe above. I know Dale and Helen and Steve. Unfortunately I don't live in the City and therefore can not vote in this election. BUT, when the Daily Sound fellow calls next week to ask for my ad, god help him, because he will have to listen to my unhappiness with this kind of journalism. I am afraid that this is no way to run a newspaper. I will not place my ads in a paper that operates like this. I was called a nasty name by the Independent 15 years ago. George, the publisher, was quick to appologize. The "Indy" did not even send an reporter out to my business to see if the complaint was true. It was at least 5 years before they could even enter my business. Daily Sound, get ready for an earful.

Business Owner

Right on Cheri : 10/23/2009

Cheri was the only journalist in town, besides Craig Smith's blog and Edhat, to write about this, and she did it best. Cushman is clearly an ego-maniac, and his polls (that he can afford with his big contribution from the Russian developer) must show he's losing to Dale and Helene. Clearly, with this response, he's showing that he's a true man in taking it like a snubbed opera diva, and then demanding Dale quit. That was a huge political black eye, and Cushman landed it on himself. What leadership. Dale only has $53k in his campaign chest, and $20k of that he lent to himself. Cushman has $135k, and Schneider had $85k and ever Dem endorsement she could find. The thing is, all that money wasn't enough to buy either of them this election, and the conservative underdog, who truly feels this city is going to pot (and tons of us agree with him!) is starting to pull ahead. Go Dale - we need a strong leader like you to turn things around, not an ego-maniac like Steve.

Downtown res

: 10/23/2009

I hate this writing "Then he demanded the resignation of the school board member who had dared to speak out ..." SAY THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. You sound like Travis Armstrong when you write like this. What's up with the bad reporting and writing in this town?

Don't Cry Baby! : 10/24/2009

I continue to channel this issue. Apparently, Bob Crewe, Fergie, Rhonda Flemming and all of the Four Seasons were wrong. Big Girls Do Cry. They can dish it out, but not take it themselves. Poor girls.

Madame Stella

Taking Your Licks : 10/24/2009

How's it feel Cheri? Some pretty tough words above directed at you. Some are probably true and some not. Truth is not always beautiful, but it is alway true. Measure your words more carefully and, my guess, you will have more readers who trust you.

Sojourner T. Ruth

The truth : 10/25/2009

Cheri, When a reporter gets this kind of vindictive response, you know she's hit a nerve. Having been a merchant in downtown Santa Barbara for over twenty-five years, I can say that every word in your article is unequivocally true. The last person Santa Barbara needs as Mayor is Steve Cushman....a bully, an ego-maniac who thinks the mayor's seat is so unimportant, he wants to retain his job with the Chamber, How sad for this community if Cushman gets even one vote. Thanks Cheri for telling the truth and putting up with the garbage they throw at you.

Terry

Thank you, Cheri Rae! : 10/26/2009

Thank you, Cheri Rae, for this informative article. Santa Barbara depends upon journalists to investigate the realities of a candidate's character, to expose their ego-centricities that compell them to exaggerate the truth to the point of lying, and to articulate the truth. Cushman keeps taking full credit for Kid's World when the truth is there were over 500 volunteers, a hard working board of directors, and a grass-roots funding campaign (The Hand-Print Tile) that was so successful that it has been used around the country. Thank you, Cheri, for compiling Steve's "long-list" of short-comings. Steve Cushman is self-aggrandizing, arrogant, and deluded. His declaration that "he was OFFENDED" by Bob Noel's call for his FWEND Brian Sarvis' resignation was nauseating. God Help Us! Even our children are able to see that "The Emperor Has No Clothes"....but O MY, what big balls you have, Steve!

k8longstory4sbschooltalk.com

100 boards?! : 10/27/2009

Did Cushman really say, “I’ve sat on one hundred nonprofit boards and commissions in Santa Barbara—a hundred?" If he did, I would like to see him prove it by listing the name of each together with his dates of service. Let's have it, Cushman and Cushman campers.

Dubious

Cushman : 10/27/2009

Rumor on the street is that Steve Cushman asked Daily Sound Publisher Jeremy Gordon to resign after reading this article. Wow. What a bully. It's time this town knew the kind of man Steve Cushman is. Not only does he not deserve to be mayor, he should be fired from the chamber as well. The Goleta and Carp chambers do 10 times more work to help promote business in this area. Cushman and his staff are highly-paid, lazy and don't give two flips about the local business community.

Somethin' stinks

Board member??? : 10/27/2009

Wow. Jeramy Gordon really is on the Chamber board. That's amazing. http://www.sbchamber.org/about-board.php I'm impressed this piece was published in the Daily Sound. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Cushman asked Gordon to resign. He is very thin skinned (as illustrated in the above column). I think there's more to this story then what's being reported.

Intrigued

Irony : 10/27/2009

Let me get this straight. Cheri Rae writes an opinion piece about Steve Cushman's "propensity to attack those who disagree with him" and Steve's response is to ask the Sound's publisher to resign from his board? Really? That almost seems to good to be true. Gotta love Santa Barbara.

James

Now I know who to vote for - Cushman : 10/27/2009

We need someone who is not a weak. We need a strong leader - someone who has history of Santa Barbara and the ability to act. VOTE CUSHMAN

Dale's Former Supporter

Shut up and resign : 10/27/2009

Gordon should resign after this ridiculous hit piece. What was the Daily Sound thinking to publish such garbage.

Josh D.

Cushman is a Bully : 10/27/2009

I am a local business woman and have personally experienced Steve Cushman's bullying behavior. Any of the ..."shame on you" messages in the blog came from his camp no doubt. He sent an email to me demanding I resign from my work and started it by saying..."shame on you." He also sent a colleague a similar email demanding he resign from his work as well. He also used his position at the Chamber to threaten a local business... all because he didn't agree with how a matter was being handled that involved a "friend" of his.

Business Minded

Cushman's Narcissism : 10/27/2009

If Mr. Cushman feels the local business community doesn't deserve a full time Chamber President, maybe he doesn't have our best interests at heart. We deserve a Chamber leader who cares enough to be committed. Steve is one of the highest paid Chamber Presidents in the country. Is he earning his salary and all the perks he takes with it? NO. How can anyone in their right mind think they can do justice being both Mayor and Chamber President? It will only get worse. We deserve better.

Concerned Citizen

Pretty Telling : 10/27/2009

I agree with the individual who wrote "When a reporter gets this kind of vindictive response, you know she's hit a nerve." Study human behavior and you'll find that this is true. People can get incredibly defensive when there's truth in what's being said. And Cushman's got a very powerful, manipulative, political machine behind him. I would agree that many of the responses in this blog probably came directly from that machine. When I was first told that Cushman was running for Mayor and I was asked to support him, I was told that "the whole Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is supporting him." I found the statement to be very misleading, because it implied that the whole board was going to vote for him. When I dug deeper, I learned that several people on the Board are NOT going to vote for Cushman; they had simply approved the idea that he could run for Mayor and simultaneously keep his position as president of the Chamber. I'd say that that's pretty telling right there. If the man's political team is willing to mislead voters with statements that imply one thing but actually mean another and if he can't even garner all of the votes of his own Board, he's obviously got a problem. And if he really did try to get this newspaper's publisher to resign after publishing Cherie's article, he really is egocentric. If he's done even half of what Cherie's article states that he's done, he's dangerous because it shows he doesn't know how to truly lead; he only knows how to push his weight around and try to bully or manipulate people into following his lead.

We don't want a bully for Mayor

Got something to say then say it, but add you name to it : 10/29/2009

Everybody here is so secretive and Roman. Machiavellian if you will..But what do I know. Not much other then how to physically get around Santa Barbara. I'm just a guy in active retirement who needs the money cause Steve Cushmans idea of a thriving town are a little different then what's happening in the back of my Taxi-cab, and that's not very much these days! Why? Well its not because there are to many taxi-cabs in Santa Barbara, its because there's just not enough people coming to town, These people can only promote an idea, and that is if you join the Chamber all your problems are over, as long as you pay up and continue to pay up. I did pay up and all I got was Steve Cushman and some Chamber gal in the back seat of my cab one night wanting a free ride home after a weeknight on the Town promising the world because he knew people.. Then Ruth Grande over at the now Maramonte Hotel started allowing her staff to call me only before it was Chamber dues time again for another year, but the calls stopped as soon as I paid up up again. This just proves that "Stevie Boy" is just a shake down artiest... How do I know you ask? Well I'm from Chicago, and i have seen a few guys sake people down before.. This guy is truly a shake down kind of guy, and you gotta wonder why he's running for Mayor. Helene's got my vote. Why because she's a true Democrat, (Yup I'm a Chicago Democrat) :) and I truly trust that she will do her best for all of us in very tough and trying times

Pete Durand, "Pete's Preferred Promenade Taxi wine Tours"

Cheri Ray Cushman article : 11/1/2009

Is Cheri applying for Travis Armstrong's recently vacated position? After reading this article that lacks substance, is vindictive and full of personal attacks, and smear facts she might have a shot at it. I'm sorry the Daily Sound is sounding like the News Press. I even subscribed for a while. No thanks. I want unbiased, well documented news, not opinions, opinions, more unsourced opinions.

Ketch

A Hack job by a Hack : 11/4/2009

Just because there are so many comments doesn't mean that what Cheri writes is important. She's a veteran of hit piece reporting, so why would any of you be surprised? This woman got me fired from my job after I commented in the forum area after one of her columns! Loser!

MCC

Re: Hack Job : 11/4/2009

Wow, I just had a good little laugh. Yeah, I'm sure you got YOURSELF fired, MCC. How a columnist has the power to get a completely innocent person fired is beyond me. I love people who like to blame all their problems on other people. How about you take a little responsibility for your self every once in a while? Your actions, what ever they may have been, got you fired. Period.

A little common sense

Re: RE: : 11/4/2009

It's not how a columnist got me fired; it's how THIS columnist got me fired. I mean, it's not like she's Tom Friedman or something. But apparently Mayor Marty Blum, Jim Armstrong, et al, were scared enough of this woman THIS WOMAN that I got canned on the strength of her whining over my criticisms. I'll take some responsibility for it, for speaking my mind in a free country. I'll take responsibility for that every time. But the fact that an alleged opinion columnist can't take heat from readers without blowing whistles will always burn my britches. Hear that? ALWAYS.

MCC

Re: Hack Job : 11/6/2009

MCC, please answer this question did you comment on the forum while you were on the job using the companies computer?

Ginny

Wow. : 12/20/2009

I admire Cheri for speaking frankly and plainly. I had one impression of Steve, but I can see from the responses above that a) many others have seen a much uglier side of him, and b) the comments by his supporters above are shockingly harsh and inappropriate, which gives me pause about him far more than does Cheri's commentary -- someone supported so fanatically by such bullies might well be a bully himself.
However, Cheri's own endorsement of Dale Francisco -- who is basically Cushman minus the affability, community connections, at-least-sporadic open-mindedness, and record of applicable accomplishments -- is inconceivable, and apparently came about because his position on her pet project was closest to her own. As if whether or not the St. Francis project included market-rate units or not is sufficient basis for deciding who leads our fair city.
One win, one fail, final score zero.

treedom