Entries associated with the tag "Alderman Dorothy Tillman":

Over the next few days we'll be looking back on the political highlights and lowlights of 2007. Feel free to weigh in (we know you will). --Ben Joravsky & Mick Dumke

"Most aldermen, most politicians, are hos." Former 20th Ward alderman Arenda Troutman, who was defeated in February after being indicted on federal charges of taking $10,000 in payoffs from an FBI mole posing as a developer.

"Fifty aldermen sitting in the City Council are hos. I want to change that culture. I don't want to be one of them. I don't want to be sitting in the City Council and have someone call me ho." Unsuccessful 50th Ward aldermanic challenger Salman Aftab, speaking at a candidate's forum during last winter's campaign.

"Alderman Schulter has always been concerned about the small businesses in his ward." Alderman Gene Schulter (47th), answering a reporter's question about his proposal to use eminent domain to force about 20 merchants on Western Avenue to sell their property to the city.

"Dorothy is busy taking care of the business of the Third Ward!" Political aide Jacky Grimshaw, explaining why her boss, former Third Ward alderman Dorothy Tillman, failed to attend a campaign forum. Tillman lost the election to challenger Pat Dowell.

"In boxing, the challenger meets the champion in the ring and they fight it out. If there's another challenger, he meets the champion in the ring. If there's a third, he meets the champion in the ring. Do the three challengers meet the champion in the ring all at once and join up and beat the shit out of him?" Alderman Berny Stone (50th), explaining why he skipped an aldermanic debate. Stone won in a hotly contested runoff.

"I'm the hog with the big nuts." Cook County commissioner Bill Beavers explaining his role on the county board.

"Their job is to protect us, not to hurt us." Alderman Walter Burnett (27th) explaining the responsibilities of the Chicago Police Department.

"You mean you don't want children from the city in Grant Park? Why? Are they black? Are they white? Are they Hispanic? Are they poor? You don't want children?" Mayor Richard Daley, playing the race card in his effort to overcome local opposition to moving the Children's Museum to Grant Park.

Could it be that the city's stealing my ideas?

In the March 16 Reader I predicted that the mayor would try to finance a large chunk of the Olympics with property taxes taken from several tax increment financing districts, noting that there was one ripe for the creating in the rapidly developing stretch along Vincennes and King Drive between 41st and 35th.

Sure enough, at a Tuesday meeting of the Community Development Commission meeting (the appointed body that's supposed to oversee TIFs), the CDC recommended approval of the so-called Pershing/King TIF district, which would run roughly between 39th and 41st and King and Vincennes. Lame-duck alderman Dorothy Tillman endorsed the TIF without giving any indication of exactly how the money would be spent.

After the meeting I called her successor in the Third Ward, alderman-elect Pat Dowell. Dowell said she wasn't sure what the TIF was intended to fund, but she didn't think it had anything to do with the Olympics--it's been in the works for a while, she said. I asked whether she'd support the TIF when it came before the City Council, and she said she'd have to look into what residents thought before making that decision.

The City Council generally follows the CDC's lead when it comes to TIF proposals. But then the CDC's generally following the local alderman's lead when it makes its recommendations -- in effect, one body rubber-stamps the other. So this TIF proposal presents us with an interesting situation. If Dowell comes out against the Pershing/King TIF, will the City Council side with her and override the CDC? Or will it follow the CDC, effectively taking the side of an ousted alderman?

You know which way I'm leaning.