Wednesday, December 17, 2008
News / Clout City Talking tough, acting soft
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 12.17.08 at 06:05 PM
You should have heard the aldermen talking their stuff at today's City Council meeting.
Tops on the agenda was Mayor Daley's proposal to spend about $86 million to buy and demolish Michael Reese Hospital so the site can be used for the Olympic Village.
This council vote came on the heels of Monday's revelation that only 6 percent of contracts awarded this year by the 2016 Olympic Committee had gone to minorities. Six percent! In addition, only nine of the 50 full-time employees of Chicago 2016 are black or Hispanic.
I think the city did better than that with the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
So when it came time to vote on the Reese deal, the aldermen let Mayor Daley know exactly how they were feeling: Mad. Hurt. Insulted. Unwilling to take it anymore. Ready to stand up for the people.
I figured, yes, here it comes: The long-awaited aldermanic revolution! The aldermen rise up in rage to vote against the Olympics once and for all! And leading the charge would be the fiery-tongued Bob Fioretti, Pat Dowell, Leslie Hairston, Freddrenna Lyle, Walter Burnett, Ed Smith, and Ray Suarez.
And when push came to shove, what was the vote? 47-0. In other words, they rolled over. Just like always. If these guys had a backbone, it would be made of rubber.
Usually, Daley sits at the front of the chamber during contentious debates, ready to glower at any rebels who might dare to vote against him. But he didn't even bother hanging around for this baby--he handed the gavel to alderman Danny Solis, the president pro tempore, and took off. Who knows where he went--probably to his office to work on a deal to sell off council chambers to raise money for the Olympics.
If the Olympic bid committee doesn't do a better job of listening to the council's concerns, "there will be consequences," vowed Hairston, before acknowledging that she was voting with the mayor.
Yeah, right ....
Comments (12)
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Ben, what did I tell about dabbling in political analysis ? It is beyond your pay grade. Stick to the TIF rants, at least after 20 years you have a modicum of knowledge about them.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS IN is what most Chicagoans will continue to do for the next one hundred years!
I think it is very admirable that Carl Segavich "11th Ward Republican Committeemen" has chosen your site to come out of the closet. To quote Carl: "It's personal. It's too personal. We keep these things P-R-I-V-A-T-E." When you refer to WE,; it implies you. You being the one who keeps these things private. I respect your privacy, but i finally agree with you that you are gay. Your idol Pat Buchanan would be disgusted, but Larry Craig might want to talk with you at O'Hare Airport.
If this whole Olympic deal has you as steamed as I am, check out... nogameschicago.com (under construction, but worth the trip) also, NO GAMES: Chicago - on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19962749751
Look at Frank Coconate's blog, Now!!!!!!!. http://coconate.blogspot.com NOTICE: This MAY change at ANY time.
Everyone in the 3rd ward no that Alderman "Do Nothing" Dowell will rubber stamp all of da mayors projects as she cuts the ribbons on all of Tillman's projects. She has yet to bring one thing to the community. This is the worst service since Byrne was mayor....Count Down Until The Next Election..... The kids call her Dowell the Dinosour because she is scary looking!!
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