Thursday, August 21, 2008
News / Clout City Alderman Che?
Posted by Mick Dumke on Thu, Aug 21, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Alderman Richard Mell was ready to legislate. Or rage. Or revolt. Or something.
"I guess I don’t know what the answer is," he said during a meeting of the City Council’s buildings committee on Tuesday. "Maybe I’ve been here too long."
Mell, the former owner of a spring-manufacturing company, is one of the last of the old-school machine Democrats. His 33rd Ward organization still controls dozens of government jobs, and no one’s been able to put together a serious challenge against him since 1991. Last fall he managed to move state rep Rich Bradley out of the way so his daughter Deb could be slated for the 40th District seat. "I thought I’d get her in there the first time," he said. "Then she’ll work her ass off and win them over." He’s also a loyal soldier for Mayor Daley in the City Council: in May he used his position as chairman of the Committee on Committees, Rules, and Ethics to help Daley bypass usual council procedures and repeal the city’s foie gras ban.
On Tuesday, though, he sounded ready to drop the whole business and join the antiglobalization movement.
On the docket were three proposed ordinances to deal with problems created by the city’s dramatic real estate slowdown—unfinished building construction and foreclosed rental properties. One would make sure tenants are notified at least a week before banks take over their apartment buildings; the other two would require that secure fencing and the name of the owner be posted around construction sites and open lots.
"Folks have started properties, got foundations into the ground, realized they don’t have enough sales, and in some cases just walked away from them," Mell said. "They’ve got these shoddy fences they’ve put up, and every time the wind blows they fall over. I’ve got one where I’ve had four six-flats in a row with [just] the foundation in there—they’ve left the foundations full of water, right next to a park. All I need is a kid to come over there and fall in and drown."
Only four aldermen had shown up, and just two of them were members of the committee, so the items were all tabled for further discussion. But Mell, who was sponsoring two of them, took the opportunity to offer his colleagues an analysis of the economy.
"It’s not a situation I see getting any better—that’s the problem. I don’t want to launch into the budget, really, but I see this as indicative of what this whole city’s going through right now. We have no more manufacturing in this city, and our housing is dead. . . . I guess I’m just venting. . . . I’ve been here when times were a lot better, and these things weren't happening."
The meeting was over within minutes, but Mell continued to hold court in the hallway and then his office, reminiscing about the industrial economy in his hometown in Michigan, recalling his days as a manufacturer, ripping into corporate CEOs for outsourcing American jobs, marveling at the success of the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, and predicting social upheaval in the future. "Here’s a good example of how bad we are right now," he said. "When I go in the Jewels I see people standing in line at the coin machine and trading in their coins, which tells me these people are really strapped, that they have to tap into their piggy banks to buy groceries. Where are we headed? . . . We’re approaching 2 percent of the population shopping at Nieman-Marcus and the rest shopping at Target and Wal-Mart and the dollar stores, and that is a prescription for revolution . . ."
Comments (25)
Showing 1-25 of 25
Mell had a hot young girlfriend not long after his wife's body started to cool. What a shame! MEll did nothing for City Workers losing their jobs. Scum!!!!!
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Pat McDonough . It's Ok to attack Coconuts. But Mell and his poor wife? What did she do to you? You are a sick person McDonough.
Crap head McDonough got major press in the sun-times. Many people are losing sleep. Pictures, I am losing sleep!
Overspending by Mayor Daley and his Budgets: 2004-$225 million dollars 2005-$290 million dollars 2006-$345 million dollars 2007-election year for Daley-o 2008-$$380 million dollars 2009-$422 million dollars Add in $ 900 million overspend for O'Hare Expansion in 2007-08. In that same period: Freddy Barbara, Waslsh Construction, Kinney Construction,Tim Degnan, Tom DiPiazza,Jerry Joyce, Daley's nephew, Daley's Son, Daley's brothers Law firm and Many other friends and relatives got rich! As you can see they have gotten rich as the City taxpayers have gotten poor!
Mell invited you back to his office? I guess Mell likes to unload his excess coin in the slots foaming over the Horseshoe remodel came up in the context of how great a casino in Chicago would be, I take it?
Peter Zelchenko we are with you! Gives us the court date and we will storm the court house! Myor Daley's next move is to KILL opposition!
" ... marveling at the success of the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond ... " I wonder if Harrah's arranged a freeroll Chicago Alderman night on the VIP level in conjunction with the grand re-opening
Whats going on with the Zelchenko guy and didn't he run for Alderman against Vi Daley
The Daley Police Goons arrested him at a public hearing on the Latin schools take over of a Public Park! They wouldn't let him talk! The US Government should send throops to Chicago to free us of the Daley's!
Zelchenko arrested at Plan Commission hearing http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=46&ArticleID=5717
Maybe Mell is supporting Pat Buchanan or Average Joe for President and becoming a Distribuitionist.
Chuckie the Hall Walker will never be elected alderman. Chuck LaMonto is an unelectable loser.
Dick Mell is just sad that the developers won't be stocking his coffers as they close shop on the innumerable developments in his ward.
Perhaps Mr. Mell is correct in only a limited sense; if he were a follower of Henry George you see he would understand and apply my principles and theories not only in his own "enclave", he would be ready, able and quite willing to help start a 100% Single Land Value Tax/Land Value Capture Project at the State of Illinois, and Federal levels with my best activist, david3218@sbcglobal.net, that way, a TOTALLY grass roots organization will spring up like "sprouts of living grass"!!!! Perhaps your reader's of your paper and this blog could join in the great, hard, and wonderful work that needs to be done to stop, even prevent involuntary homelessness, poverty, and UN-employment from blowing into a full-fledged revolt!!! The campaign MUST START NOW to be in time for the Winter/Spring 2009 Sessions of Congress, and the I.L.G.A.!!!!
Jamie Andrade should be the next alderman. He could be the insane Chuck Lamonto. Lamonto has a lot of dirt on him. Lamonto almost got killed by the ward sup. Jamie Andrade speaks Spanish, is loyal to Mell, and has been losing weight.
Jamie Andrade would be a good alderman. Chuckie Lamontiao should resign from the city from his do nothing political 120,000 job. That is the reason there is high taxes and a budget crunch. Chuck Lamontiao screwed over too many people mostly from the 33rd ward because of his insanity and insecureit and it will come home to roost.
Alderman Mell will be alderman until he dies. Mell will not appoint Chuck Lamont. Mell is smart and knows everyone hates Chuck. Chuck would allow HDO or the yuppies to take over the ward.
I'm curious, in light of all the "pay to play" schemes erupting around the Governor. How much did Representative-Elect Deborah Mell have to pay for the Governors support? Clearly blood is not thicker than money in the Blago-Mell Clan. And more importantly will Representative-Elect Mell take after her namesake and embark on yet another long career of manipulation and corruption. Perhaps she is as skilled and articulate as her Father at dodging the Feds. Only time will tell. My guess is the Feds are already putting two and two together.
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