Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
đ¨WATCH THIS: 25 Minutes That Expose the Whole Gameđ¨
If you care about EvanstonâŚreally careâŚthen you NEED to watch this 25-minute clip from the July 21st Special City Council Meeting. Save it if you donât have time right now, but whatever you do, donât ignore it. Rewatch it. Refer back to it before the next election. Because the wool is being pulled over your eyesâŚand itâs time to rip it off.
Hereâs what went down:
Councilmembers Matt Rodgers and Parielle Davis demanded answers on why their input was excluded from the Comprehensive Plan consent agenda. The city staffâs response? Straight-up insulting. They told them their contributions âdidnât belong.â Didnât belong? These are elected representatives of the people! How dare you decide their voices donât matter?
Clare Kelly fought hard to stop a vote from happening that night, arguing the process was incomplete - not just her colleaguesâ voices were missing, but even the Land Use Commissionâs recommendations were excluded. But Bobby Burns, in his usual smug tone, cut her off and claimed the mayor said there wouldnât be a vote. Then Mayor Biss, in his now-predictable disrespect, doubled down to shut Clare down. But guess what? Councilmember Nieuwsma slipped up and revealed the plan was to make decisions and potentially vote. So which is it?
Shell game.
Gaslighting.
Jedi mind trick on the people of Evanston.
Clare wasnât the only one disrespected.
YOU were disrespected.
Your intelligence was insulted.
Your rights as a resident were sidelined.
And it keeps happening, over and over.
I wish Clare had channeled her inner Representative Jasmine Crockett and lit that chamber on fire because she had every right to! But instead, she stayed composed while still demanding fairness, equity, and transparency.
Remember when Councilmember Juan Geracaris got irritated with Clare for asking why he was rushing to pass 0% inclusionary housing? This man has the audacity to tell his constituents heâs all about affordability - while pushing through a plan that literally requires nothing from developers. Clare said it plain: developers should agree to OUR affordability terms from day one, not walk all over us. And yet Juan, along with Krissie Harris, Jonathan Nieuwsma, and Bobby Burns, chuckled and rubber-stamped 0% inclusionary housing like it was a joke.
Their excuse? âDensity will create affordability.â
Make. That. Make. Sense.
Because it doesnât.
And it never has.
Letâs be clear: this Comprehensive Plan and âEnvision Evanstonâ isnât about the people. Itâs about developer deals. Itâs about power, access, and lined pockets. Itâs about turning Evanston into an elite haven, not an equitable city. And all the new tax base growth they brag about? Thereâs no binding plan to ensure it benefits the very people being pushed out. Itâs smoke and mirrors, and they count on you not paying attention.
Look! I want growth for Evanston. We deserve progress. But we donât need to become a city thatâs âaffordableâ the way L.A. or Manhattan is âaffordable.â Thatâs not affordability for everyday working people. Thatâs a polished way to tell folks they donât belong here anymore.
While Mayor Daniel Biss and his loyalists, Krissie Harris, Shawn Iles, Jonathan Nieuwsma, Bobby Burns, and Juan Geracaris, claim to stand for equity, affordability, and inclusion, their actions tell a different story. A story where Black Evanston continues to shrink, and developers get richer. And if you think nobodyâs profiting behind the scenes, ask yourself:
Is it city staff?
Is it Biss?
Is it one of his five loyalists?
Or is it all of them working in tandem?
You decide. But donât do it blindly.
đ Watch this 25-minute clip.
đ Save it.
đ Share it.
đ Refer back to it come election time.
đ Show it to your neighbors, your block club, your church, your group chat.
This isnât just about one meeting. This is about the future of Evanston - your future, your familyâs future, your blockâs future.
The next Special Council Meeting is this week. Check the city website for date and time. They changed from Monday to Wednesday.
Donât let them do this behind closed doors. Donât let them hide behind fancy language and empty promises.
The game is on.
And if you donât start watching the plays, donât be surprised when they hand you the loss.
#WatchThisNow
#SaveThisClip
#TheyThinkWeArentWatching
#DontFallForIt
#MakeThatMakeSense
#JediMindTrickPolitics
#ClareKellyWasRight
#Cringe
#MeleikaGardner
#DanielBiss
#Chicago
đ¨WATCH THIS: 25 Minutes That Expose the Whole Gameđ¨
If you care about EvanstonâŚreally careâŚthen you NEED to watch this 25-minute clip from the July 21st Special City Council Meeting. Save it if you donât have time right now, but whatever you do, donât ignore it. Rewatch it. Refer back to it before the next election. Because the wool is being pulled over your eyesâŚand itâs time to rip it off.
Hereâs what went down:
Councilmembers Matt Rodgers and Parielle Davis demanded answers on why their input was excluded from the Comprehensive Plan consent agenda. The city staffâs response? Straight-up insulting. They told them their contributions âdidnât belong.â Didnât belong? These are elected representatives of the people! How dare you decide their voices donât matter?
Clare Kelly fought hard to stop a vote from happening that night, arguing the process was incomplete - not just her colleaguesâ voices were missing, but even the Land Use Commissionâs recommendations were excluded. But Bobby Burns, in his usual smug tone, cut her off and claimed the mayor said there wouldnât be a vote. Then Mayor Biss, in his now-predictable disrespect, doubled down to shut Clare down. But guess what? Councilmember Nieuwsma slipped up and revealed the plan was to make decisions and potentially vote. So which is it?
Shell game.
Gaslighting.
Jedi mind trick on the people of Evanston.
Clare wasnât the only one disrespected.
YOU were disrespected.
Your intelligence was insulted.
Your rights as a resident were sidelined.
And it keeps happening, over and over.
I wish Clare had channeled her inner Representative Jasmine Crockett and lit that chamber on fire because she had every right to! But instead, she stayed composed while still demanding fairness, equity, and transparency.
Remember when Councilmember Juan Geracaris got irritated with Clare for asking why he was rushing to pass 0% inclusionary housing? This man has the audacity to tell his constituents heâs all about affordability - while pushing through a plan that literally requires nothing from developers. Clare said it plain: developers should agree to OUR affordability terms from day one, not walk all over us. And yet Juan, along with Krissie Harris, Jonathan Nieuwsma, and Bobby Burns, chuckled and rubber-stamped 0% inclusionary housing like it was a joke.
Their excuse? âDensity will create affordability.â
Make. That. Make. Sense.
Because it doesnât.
And it never has.
Letâs be clear: this Comprehensive Plan and âEnvision Evanstonâ isnât about the people. Itâs about developer deals. Itâs about power, access, and lined pockets. Itâs about turning Evanston into an elite haven, not an equitable city. And all the new tax base growth they brag about? Thereâs no binding plan to ensure it benefits the very people being pushed out. Itâs smoke and mirrors, and they count on you not paying attention.
Look! I want growth for Evanston. We deserve progress. But we donât need to become a city thatâs âaffordableâ the way L.A. or Manhattan is âaffordable.â Thatâs not affordability for everyday working people. Thatâs a polished way to tell folks they donât belong here anymore.
While Mayor Daniel Biss and his loyalists, Krissie Harris, Shawn Iles, Jonathan Nieuwsma, Bobby Burns, and Juan Geracaris, claim to stand for equity, affordability, and inclusion, their actions tell a different story. A story where Black Evanston continues to shrink, and developers get richer. And if you think nobodyâs profiting behind the scenes, ask yourself:
Is it city staff?
Is it Biss?
Is it one of his five loyalists?
Or is it all of them working in tandem?
You decide. But donât do it blindly.
đ Watch this 25-minute clip.
đ Save it.
đ Share it.
đ Refer back to it come election time.
đ Show it to your neighbors, your block club, your church, your group chat.
This isnât just about one meeting. This is about the future of Evanston - your future, your familyâs future, your blockâs future.
The next Special Council Meeting is this week. Check the city website for date and time. They changed from Monday to Wednesday.
Donât let them do this behind closed doors. Donât let them hide behind fancy language and empty promises.
The game is on.
And if you donât start watching the plays, donât be surprised when they hand you the loss.
#WatchThisNow
#SaveThisClip
#TheyThinkWeArentWatching
#DontFallForIt
#MakeThatMakeSense
#JediMindTrickPolitics
#ClareKellyWasRight
#Cringe
#MeleikaGardner
#DanielBiss
#Chicago
