Circle, The (Newspaper) - April 7, 1971, Chicago, Illinois Coffee with the candidates in Joliet With Maurice Berlinsky It's nice to talk about cultural centers and youth centers and paving streets overnight but somebody is going to have to pay for Mayor Maurice Berlinsky tells a group gathered over some coffee for a round of questions and answers as Berlinsky talks about his job and why he should keep it He stands on his record as mayor for the past eight years We have youth activities here There is the little league and park district activities Some person has some glamourous idea of taking over the theatre as a cultural center but you need revenue Maybe someday it will be We've moved into a new city hall We have fine there The design is not appealing to everybody but imagine operating on the second floor of the library today I know it's easy to say we'll pave the streets and establish parks but somebody is going to have to pay for it and the tax burden is substantial already The city is looking for ways and means to correct the problems I'm not for the street problems but to say you can solve it overnight is insulting your intelligence The questions many people ask the mayor at these coffee gatherings center around taxes city improvements and the bureaucratic maze most citizens find at city hall One Koffee group was pretty about a water problem in their area It seems they often get flooded out When you call the public works ment they tell you to call the water department Why are we paying for sewer and water if we have a The reason you have puddles is that you don't have an adequate storm sewer system here The people here voted down a proposed storm sewer Berlinsky answers The reason we voted it down was because it wasn't adequate They spent all summer painting numbers on everybody's street and they never did anything The professional engineers are trying to put something over on us Berlinsky You have to have confidence in Continued on Page Announcement Tlic Independent Voter which appeared as an insert in last week's Circle March :tl is a paid political advertisement paid printed and published by R M Kitgore publisher 100 Bissell St Joliet The insert did not in any way reflect the opinions of the Circle newspaper or staff Circle An Economist Publication For Fort Action WANT ADS Cod VOL 3 NO 11 WEDNESDAY APRIL 7 1971 IOC PER COPY Sweet Easter in Joliet Ladies from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Later Day Saints help make Easter a delight for candy lovers The ladies took orders for over chocolate coated candy Claims City Hall emergency eggs Over ISO people worked on making the eggs Funds received from sales w ill go toward a building fund project Circle photo by Rick Marty Verbal battle off when mayor doesn't show Another round in the series of Joliet mayoral candidate debates didn't come off last week when Mayor Maurice Berlinsky failed to show for a scheduled debate between himself and his challenger William G Barr Berlinsky claimed that an emergency at city hall prevented him from at the debate at Hooks Educational Center 2123 Arthur ave The black audience listened as Mrs Judy daughter told them that the emergency was concerning an industry that will bring in jobs to Joliet My father's record is an open Mrs Krockey said He fought for open housing before it was fashionable He put black men in positions of responsibility before it was fashionable to be a liberal A member of the audience asked Mrs Krockey Throughout the campaign the mayor has made charges about his opponent's family life How can family life necessarily make you a good public Mrs Krockey replied that she could not answer questions for her father I can give you my views but I cannot speak for my father She remained seated at the speakers table but did not answer questions during the remainder of the debate A member of the audience said This is really no debate if there can be no questions What is Barr charged that the mayor was running an immature and unstable campaign by accepting an invitation to debate and then failing to show up At this debate the mayor finds a crisis to the extent that he could not meet in debate as he did last night at St Francis Academy or last week at Joliet Catholic High school Barr said that he was happy a new industry was coming into Joliet But couldn't it wait for an hour and a We've waited for 25 years Barr opened his statement to the audience asking How do you like what you have in terms of administration services and representation in the past eight Barr said that residents of the Forest Park area which annexed to Joliet several years ago had agreed to annexation with the com- that sewer and water would be provided Today there is still an area of approximately ten square blocks that has no sewer and water Now there are plans in effect to install the project with the federal government paying 75 per cent of the matching funds with the city paying 25 per cent You were entitled to this service years ago If I am elected and if no federal funds were available I would persuade at least three city members to the service Barr asked the audience how they liked the Representation you've had on the Public Housing Authority jyr the Human Relations Barr said he would put people on commissions Who are truly of the affected in- When asked about low income housing Barr replied that he thought a low income housing plan in Rockford is outstanding Under the plan long term FHA mortgages are available which atlow families to make a monthly payment of perhaps 110 per month I am going over all the vacant lots in this city and finding out ownership He called for a low income housing plan similar to the one in Rockford and said he talked to Levitt builders who would be Willing to come into this city and build one if a local contractor would not Barr was highly critical of the Bluff Street apartment buildings calling them future ghettos And now there is a park proposed way on the south end so that children will have to cross busy streets in order to get there A member of the audience said that Black people are completely without representation downtown What will you do if you get in to help blacks get meaningful Continued on Page 12 With Barr walks into living room shakes hands and starts out his Watches saying If either candidate for mayor meets your approval 100 per cent you should question that candidate because he's just telling ym the things you want to hear Barr just a little bit hoarse horn a long line of coffee confrontations Over 200 since lie started running tells the people why he wants to be mayor of which he describes as a lunch bucket white ethnic The backbone of the nation Someone asks You've got enough money to just take il somewhere why are you We all have certain goals in our Barr answers After a long and rocky road I've found personal I was born and raised in Joliet ind my wife and I are gome to die here I can aflord lo be mayor I have the lime There is nothing I want I list want to make contributions And il you don't vote for me this time and if I don't win you'll have the op- lo vote for me in the next election Barr talks involvement he talks people he talks of change for Joliet and he about it want to be mayor for eight years The first four to straighten out the mess we're in and to start with some of lie projects we can do now The next four for the long term turn-key projects The people who will vote for Berlinsky are the status quo They like what's been going on for the past eight years If you like what Joliet is what you've been getting you should vote for him Barr talks about getting people involved through neighborhood meetings once a month in each of the four sections of the city If someone tells you they want a street at a meeting and you know you're going to have to come back and face them next month you'd better gel it done On city commissions Barr appointments of people who are directly representative of the interests He calls for the establishment of a youth Continued on Page 6 TEN HOPS READERS Your Cii i Ic should be at your door Wednesday by p.m If you or your neighbor does not receive the paper on time or if you have any problem with regular delivery please call The Circle Newspaper's culation Department
