Thursday, March 13, 2008
News / Clout City What the City Council accomplished . . .
Posted by Mick Dumke on Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Who says the City Council doesn’t do anything except rubber stamp the mayor’s agenda and pass toothless resolutions praising cops and high school football champions? Sure, aldermen did all this today, but they also got at least seven other ithings done:
(1) Four months after consenting to tens of millions in property tax hikes, the council enthusiastically passed a resolution sponsored by budget committee chairman Carrie Austin urging home owners to contact the city’s Tax Assistance Center for help in determining if they can find a way to reduce their bills.
(2) The council unanimously voted in favor of creating two more TIF districts while the mayor proposed a third.
(3) Ed Burke's proposal to ban trans fats died long ago, but today he introduced an ordinance that would require fast food restaurants to display the calorie content of the food they serve. “Diabetes is raging in America. People need to change their lifestyles and change their habits, and people need to be aware of this,” he said. He shrugged off the possibility that people already have a hunch that Whoppers aren’t good for them, saying “You have to start someplace."
(4) Second Ward alderman Bob Fioretti appeared stunned at the succession of reporters who wanted to talk to him about his ordinance that would ban the small plastic bags often used by drug dealers. “Can you believe it?” he asked, shaking his head. Fioretti later agreed to hold the item because a couple of his colleagues wanted to look it over more carefully, but it’s all but a sure thing at the next meeting: “Even the big guy is saying, ‘Yeah, we ought to ban those things,’” Fioretti said, nodding toward the mayor.
(5) The aldermen agreed the city should pay $195,000 to a public housing resident who said police falsely arrested him and threatened him with a running chainsaw in 2004. They signed off on another settlement, for $190,000, to an 80-year-old woman who says she and her grandson were roughed up by police during an illegal search of their apartment in 2006.
(6) Without pause or comment the council signed off on Daley’s reappointments of two CTA board members for new six-year terms. Those are the guys who overseeing governance of the transit system that aldermen have repeatedly complained about and mayor himself recently called “costly and inefficient.”
(7) They celebrated—with cake—the 100th birthday of former alderman Leon Despres, who was often a lone voice of independence during the reign of the first Mayor Daley. A succession of aldermen who have little in common with Despres other than the title stood and praised him. “I suspect we have never had such an erudite member of this body,” said Burke. “I wish I could have had the distinguished career of Len Despres,” said 50th Ward alderman Berny Stone. “A lot of people could learn from someone who sticks to what he believes in like Len Depres,” said 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell.
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thanks for sitting through this did you get any cake at least?
Trib leads with bicycle safety Sun-Times leads with restaurant signage
Great. Throw in free-play time and a nap and that completes their day. Wonder if any of them came home with colorful pictures they made themselves to hang on the fridge?...
“I wish I could have had the distinguished career of Len Despres†Well, Bernie, now's your chance. Daley rewarded your years as a passive lapdog by supporting your opponent in the Ward Committeman race. After losing that one you will get trounced in the 2011 Aldermanic election if you run again. Now that Daley has stabbed you in the back you owe him nothing. Speak your mind. See a giant Daley corporate handout or a "Family and Friends" contract you don't like? Oppose it vigorously. Become a champion for the taxpayer and you will have earned a measure of redemption.
I been roughed up by these idiots for years were's my pay off?
Hahaha, Thats the problem in this City. Guys like Bernie feel if they just shut up ,Daley will not hurt them. Than when Daley and the Evil Empire feel its time to take you out, it's to late to look for outside help!
Let's all hold hands and see if we can communicate with those who have passed into the Great Beyond..... The spirits are restless.... Wait.... wait.... I hear something..... can't quite make it out..... yes.....yes..... "'I suspect we have never had such an erudite member of this body,' said Burke." "Fuck you, Eddie." "'I wish I could have had the distinguished career of Len Despres,' said 50th Ward alderman Berny Stone." "Fuck you, Bernie." "'A lot of people could learn from someone who sticks to what he believes in like Len Depres,' said 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell." "Fuck you, Dickhead." The spirits have spoken.
“I wish I could have had the distinguished career of Len Despres†Ald. Despres served for 20 years, Stone is on 34 and counting not gonna happen
"'You have to start someplace.'" Here's a place to start: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
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