As 2008 wound down, things were pretty quiet in the wacky world of Rogers Park politics—no major fights had broken out in, oh, several months. And then the Nation released a list of the year’s “most valuable progressives.” Picked as the most valuable local official in the country was none other than Rogers Park’s representative in the City Council, 49th Ward alderman Joe Moore.
For his part, Moore says he was delighted to accept the award, “if only because I knew it infuriated the people who can’t stand me. It must have made them miserable.”
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Still, if they tend to foam at the mouth a bit, a lot of the riled-up residents of Rogers Park are really smart. And in terms of participation, they’re models of citizenship.
Moore earned his law degree from DePaul, volunteered in Orr’s 1983 aldermanic reelection effort, and through his contacts with Orr got a job as an assistant corporation counsel in Mayor Harold Washington’s administration.
If that’s true, Moore’s critics would say he must not have wanted enough. They accuse him of allowing the 49th to fall into disrepair because he’s either too lazy, incompetent, or distracted to make sure garbage gets collected, parks get cleaned up, gangbangers get chased from the street corners, or new businesses get recruited for struggling commercial strips. “He’s the invisible alderman—from day one he’s never here when it comes to basic service,” says Gordon. “And that’s primarily what people are looking for in an alderman.”
Moore eked out a win by 251 votes out of 7,803 cast. He says he learned a lesson from the experience—he’ll be more attentive to local concerns. “I felt I might have allowed myself to get a little out of touch,” he says.
