Consensus Governing in Action

Plus: Is Obama a Chicago Politician?

Hey kids! Want to be a City Hall reporter? Here’s a handy template. It’s based on a real recent meeting where the buildings committee considered an ordinance designed to crack down on the owners of abandoned properties, but it could just as well have been almost any committee reviewing any one of the dozens of legislative proposals introduced each month by the Daley administration. After the committee approves the proposed ordinance it goes on to the full council where it gets passed. See? File your copy today! —Mick Dumke

The City Council’s (noun) committee met (adverb/day) to discuss a seemingly well-intentioned ordinance on (noun) pushed by the Daley administration but disliked by just about everybody else affected, including (noun), (noun), and (noun).

A big supporter of the measure, (name), commissioner of the city’s (name) department, predicted that it would make communities safer. Several aldermen asked questions of the commissioner before stating for the record that they agreed with his/her assessment. “Commissioner, I’m not going to subject you to any questions. However, let me just ask you one question,” said (name), alderman of the (ordinal number) ward. “I understand that (universal truth). Isn’t that dangerous?”

“We don’t see it as an inherent danger,” said the commissioner. The alderman appeared satisfied.

Alderman (name) of the (ordinal number) Ward had another critical point to make. “What I’m concerned about is the real city of Chicago,” s/he said. “In the real neighborhoods of Chicago, we’re facing a problem with (hazard). We have all these groups lobbying for a, b, and c, but I’m concerned with safety. What I’m concerned with can cause (type of disaster), correct?”

The commissioner agreed. But not every alderman was as easily convinced. Occasional independent (name), alderman of the (ordinal number) Ward, offered his/her own suggestion. “In reality, we need something that actually works and something people can actually do,” s/he said.

Others delved deep into the human psyche. “What if people don’t do what they should?” wondered alderman (name) of the (ordinal number) Ward.

A parade of (urban problem) advocates and representatives from the (profitable business) industry expressed their own concerns about the ordinance, arguing that it would both hurt the poor and stifle development.

Perhaps the bluntest assessment came from (ordinal number) Ward alderman (name), who often challenges Daley administration initiatives in committee meetings but rarely votes against them. “The issue we’re dealing with here has been around a long time,” s/he noted. “We often wonder when sometimes we pass something, ‘How did we get that on the books?’ after we read it. We have a crisis and then we as legislators, we overreact. We go to extremes.”

The ordinance passed unanimously and will (adverb that means "certainly") be passed by the full council at next week’s meeting.

For more on politics, see our Clout City blog.

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From the Reader blogs

Clout City Mick Dumke: Aldermen hold another hearing on the parking meter lease deal. Their conclusion: it still stinks.
Thursday at 7:49 pm