Thursday, May 7, 2009
News / Clout City Alderman Despres
Posted by Ben Joravsky on Thu, May 7, 2009 at 10:24 AM
I moved to town six years after Leon Despres--Hyde Park's legendary independent alderman--retired from the City Council. So it seems as long as I can remember, folks have been saying the council needs another--just one more --alderman Despres.
Two years ago I was walking through Washington Park, asking park users for their thoughts on Mayor Daley's proposed Olympics. Pretty much everyone I spoke with was against it, though no one thought it could be stopped. I spent about half an hour talking to some old-timers at the tennis court. We ran down a roster of south-side politicians, looking for one--that's all--who would oppose Daley's Olympic land grab, but we came up empty. "We need another Leon Despres," one tennis player told me. "That's how long you got to go back to find anyone with guts."
Despres, who died Wednesday at age 101, set the standard for council independence, leading the fight for racial integration, open government, historic preservation, ecological conservation, fair hiring--you name it. He wasn't afraid to defy the old Mayor Daley, who may have been even more intimidating than his son, if that's possible. "Throughout his career, he [Despres] had been at the forefront of just about every decent, worthwhile effort made to improve life in this city," Mike Royko once wrote. "Being in the forefront, he is usually the first to be hit on the head with the mayor's gavel."
Funny line--it sort of sums things up. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to the Daleys, and political courage is always in short supply around here. In fact, it's kind of futile to expect any alderman to be as courageous as Despres. It's a little like expecting every Bull to be as driven as Jordan or every local journalist to be as funny and insightful as Royko. In some ways, we're lucky to have had one Leon Despres. But hey Ric Munoz, Toni Preckwinkle, Joe Moore, Leslie Hairston, Scott Waguespack, and even you, Helen Shiller: at least you can try.
Comments (19)
Showing 1-19 of 19
Shame on you, Joravsky, for attacking the few real independents we do have in the city council (with these links at the end of the story). Every time you ape John Kass and belittle the real council opposition, you make it easier for Daley to hang on to power. Despres was not a saint. No one is. Saying our current crop of independents does not measure up is helpful to Daley and no one else.
like
dislike
"attack"? "belittle"? do mean "dare to mention by name in the context of "the standard for council independence"? "the few real independents"? "the real council opposition"? "our current crop of independents"? may i have some of your kool-aid, please? Every time you join these faux independents in their self-image-crafting you make it easier for Daley to hang on to power. IVI-IPO dishonors Despres by continuing to hand out a Les Despres Prize to an alderman at their annual fund-raiser when clearly no one has earned it for decades.
"Saying our current crop of independents does not measure up is helpful to Daley and no one else." SAYING they don't measure up is a problem, not the FACT that they don't measure up?
"Every time you ape John Kass and belittle the real council opposition ... " there's NOTHING Ben or Kass or anyone else can do to marginalize Chicago's aldermen beyond what they have done to themselves
Preckwinkle probably is the closest we have to a true independent on the council, but she has too many connections to the builders (and the clout behind them to be truly independent.) Its is our other Hyde Park alderman Hairston who should receive most of the ill will in Hyde Park. She too often is a solid vote for Daley and a solid vote against the wishes of her Ward.
what's the back story on that Munoz clip? the alderman's action and the citizen's subsequent explanation don't seem to jive at all.
I think Hugh has a case of keyboard Tourette's. Jeez, dude, wipe the crumbs off your chest, go outside and get some fresh air.
might be time to start pointing the finger at the voters. aldermen do what their voters expect them to do, nothing more, nothing less.
Shiller gave up even the air of independence from Daley as soon as he dangled unfettered access to the Wilson Yard TIF in front of that ugly mug of her's. Can a political whore be independent?
Would make a great 41st Ward Alderman. She could win if the other start fighting again. It would be a smart move.
Lisa Madigan's job is to protect the Constitutional rights of Illinois Citizens. FOID request,and open meeting abuses go unanswered.
That's right Ben, all we want is some independence from the alderman; try, try, try, please!
"Despres ... wasn't afraid to defy the old Mayor Daley, who may have been even more intimidating than his son, if that's possible. ... It takes a lot of courage to stand up to the Daleys, and political courage is always in short supply around here. In fact, it's kind of futile to expect any alderman to be as courageous as Despres." Portraying Daley as scary lets aldermen off too easy, because many readers who might have seen him rant from his perch above Council Chambers or at a press conference will agree, yeah, Daley IS scary, the aldermen SHOULD be afraid, VERY afraid. Sure, Daley is intimidating, but let's be clear, the fear Daley strikes in the hearts of our aldermen is personal, it is NOT the often-cited threat of reduction of ward services. Hyde Park is still there. Daley's implied threat is to a $110k/yr and ever-rising salary and excellent benefits for life, a lucrative pension, a generous expense allowance to support friends & family, choice of work locations home/neighborhood/downtown, immunity from the IG, unfettered control of zoning which keeps the campaign coffers topped off, and a $1.5M aldermanic menu fund plus access to SSAs and TIF funds, which make you a de facto little mayor. I'm not so sure it's courage we need from our aldermen so much as humility. We need aldermen who who view their seat in Chambers as temporary service and not as a life-long entitlement, aldermen who are confident enough in their relationship with their constituents that they reckon they might be able to withstand a challenge from a Daley-backed candidate and if not, hey; aldermen for whom the City comes before EVERYTHING, including re-election.
well put, Hugh. here's a crazy idea - what if we finally banned alderpeople from having other jobs? once upon a time this was a necessity as salaries were not much (boodling probably always made up the gap), but at 100K a year, it's obscene and an insult to be delivering less than a full time commitment.
Hugh said: "We need aldermen who who view their seat in Chambers as temporary service and not as a life-long entitlement." Yes. That astute observation applies to ALL elected officials. We endure too much from individuals with too little to offer. But change the perimeters of the job and it can change the quality and competence of the individuals who seek office.
nauseate yourself, watch the video feed next Wed morning as this pack of hypocrites once again demonstrates their total lack of self-awareness as they spend the 1st hour, hour-and-a-half falling over each other in praise of a dearly departed colleague http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncilvideo.html
only Burke & Stone actually served with Despres, but that won't stop the rest from blathering on maybe Banks will expand on his recent comment about how much better things are these days now that everyone gets long so well
Latest in Bleader
-
Blackhawks deep-sixed
The Blackhawks lose their sixth straight game
- Feb 9, 2012
-
Mart kills Art Chicago
Merchandise Mart cancels Art Chicago
- Feb 9, 2012
-
More I Saw Yous!
Missed connections from Reader readers
- Feb 9, 2012
- More »
Author Archives
-
The jugglers and the clowns do their ward map thing!
The city council gets ready to approve a ward map
- Jan 17, 2012
-
The reefer solution
Legislation from state Rep. La Shawn Ford would reform marijuana laws
- Dec 1, 2011
-
Tweeting Chicago City Hall
The pros and cons of blocking Twitter for the NATO/G-8 summits
- Jan 31, 2012
- More »
