Wednesday, April 22, 2009
News / Clout City It actually happened
Posted by Mick Dumke on 04.22.09 at 04:00 PM
A month ago it appeared to be dead, but today the TIF Sunshine Ordinance passed the full City Council by a 48-0 vote. Several aldermen declared that it would help make city government more transparent. Several others predicted it would help the city show taxpayers how effective the TIF program is.
As the economy keeps foundering, expect to hear this line plenty from aldermen and city officials under pressure to find money to pay for basic city services.
Detailed information showing how city officials are using hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars is now supposed to be easily accessible online by the end of July, which should help members of the public trying to make their own decisions about the value of the program.
It might even help aldermen figure out what they're voting on when they're asked to approve or watch over TIF deals.
"I have five TIFs in my ward and I have lots of questions and lots of concerns," said 24th Ward alderman Sharon Dixon. "This will help me understand."
And just maybe the council will follow up, as promised, with even more efforts to let the public see how its money is being spent. "I do think the taxpayers of Chicago deserve an honest accounting of every tax dollar," said 42nd Ward alderman Brendan Reilly. "Certainly the city of Chicago can offer more transparency and sunshine."
Yes, this could be argued.
Meanwhile, the council also voted 48-0 to approve an agreement with the Chicago 2016 bid committee to create affordable housing and minority contracting goals in any buildup for the Olympics.
Left undefined in the memorandum of understanding is exactly what will happen if the goals aren't met, but today aldermen were effusive in praise for themselves for working to put such a great deal together. They were also a little touchy in response to criticism that it's toothless.
"As opposed to people who sit in the cheap seats and take shots, some of us went to meetings--two, three, four a month--to work something out," said Sixth Ward alderman Freddrenna Lyle.
"We all came together to do this," added 27th Ward alderman Walter Burnett. "If God helps us and we get the Olympics, we have to stay together."
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"As opposed to people who sit in the cheap seats and take shots, some of us went to meetings--two, three, four a month--to work something out," said Sixth Ward alderman Freddrenna Lyle. Wow. A six-figure salaried public servant attended perhaps four community meetings a month. That's reason for a ticker tape parade and a gold star. Alderman Lyle is typical of today's city council - a spineless Daley lapdog that speaks up only when it's of personal benefit, while failing to advance or promote any meaningful legislation. She's an avid Olympics cheerleader, but truly doesn't understand why the games would be the biggest boondoggle in this city's sordid history of corruption, waste, and kow-towing to minorities. Alderman Lyle, you're part of the problem, not the solution. You've provided scant evidence that anything you say or do is in the best interests of your constituents and city; rather, you and a number of your colleagues are primarily interested in self-preservation, which typically means kissing the ring of King Richie. You richly deserve to take your lumps from virtually anyone, Emil Jones included. While the former state senate president was a self-aggrandizing Blago enabler, at least he stood for something. The same certainly can't be said for you.
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http://thesixthward.blogspot.com/2009/04/minority-aldermanic-longevity.html Excellent post on the sixth ward.
If the Reader truly was interested in promoting actual change in our city and county governments, they wouldn't be almost as timid as the daley controlled media. To continue to quote the bullshit coming from practically every sitting alderman, presumably with the intent to 'let the reader' figure out that the quotes are patent bullshit, and, instead, simply stated, in plain English, that these liars are always lying through their teeth, we, the citizens, might get the message. Instead, the Reader generally soft sells the political company line, while thinking that they are appearing to report the truth. The Reader may well end up as the only surviving print media in this town, so, why not solidify that likelihood by taking off the kid gloves and really drawing blood from these feckless cretins? Like by pointing out that these fucking useless excuses for our city's Legislative Branch have always had the opportunity to KNOW exactly what the fuck they are voting to approve, by the fact that, if they don't know, then DON'T APPROVE IT. And the fact that there will likely be enough Yes votes to pass something doesn't mean that every motherfucking alderman should vote Yes. From the above link: "There is a correlation between color and clout in Chicago’s 50-member city council. There are 23 white, 19 black, and eight Hispanic aldermen. But it’s a matter of longevity, not race. In minority wards, political volatility prevails. Black and Hispanic aldermen serve a term or two, and lose. In white wards, permanency is the norm. White aldermen become entrenched and unbeatable by securing key committee chairmanships, controlling staff jobs, and raising substantial campaign cash from the interests that they regulate. Chicago’s white aldermen have a combined tenure of service, through 2009, of 422 years, each averaging 18.3 years, or 4.6 terms. The black aldermen have a combined tenure of 155 years, averaging 8.2 years, or 2.1 terms. And the Hispanic aldermen have a combined tenure of 90 years, averaging 11.25 years, or 2.8 terms. The chairmen of most key committees are white: Ed Burke (14th), with 40 years’ service, at Finance; Dick Mell (33rd), with 34 years, at Rules; Bill Banks (36th), with 26 years, at Zoning; Pat Levar (45th), with 22 years, at Aviation; Pat O’Connor (40th), with 26 years, at Education; Gene Schulter (47th), with 34 years, at License; Berny Stone (50th), with 36 years, at Building; Tom Allen (38th), with 16 years, at Transportation; and Marge Laurino (39th), with 15 years, at Economic and Technology." What could possibly be preventing the Reader, a newspaper that presents itself as being a bastion of honest journalism, from simply calling a spade a spade, as in, pointing out the obvious, and public, fact that those aldermen who control the money, control the city council? And are controlled by the mayor? How difficult is that to do, Reader editors? Or does the mayor have you by the balls, too?
Has anyone gone thru the passed TIF ordinance to see if there are any loopholes written into it? I am concerned that there may be some way to continue business as usual despite the efforts of the ordinance's original sponsors.
Undoubtably there are loopholes. They are all in this together. That is the only reason they would be giving us access. They are all wolves in sheep's clothing-doing nothing for us. They make much more money working for Daley and his crew.
Sunshine can't penetrate smoked filled back-room deals at the autocratic Daley administration. The top down approach keeps alderman in line and wanting more from master Daley's whip. They are cowards and have no leadership skills and when they are voted out next election, the can file for unemployment insurance and join the ranks of Chicago residents who complain about local government, but keep voting for the same autocratic top down administration or not voting at all.
