Boaters and taxpayers of Chicago have undergone another painful and embarrassing ordeal. Several Chicago Park District harbormasters and marine officials have pleaded guilty to corruption.
Although the park district`s marine division now has a new superintendent, there appears to be little guarantee that he will be able to jettison tradition at the harbors. Harbors are a source of revenue to the local economy. They also act as catalysts in the creation of marine industries. The State of Michigan considers its marine-related industries as second only to autos. Chicago and the park district have yet to wake up to the reality that harsh treatment and gouging of boaters cause them to leave rather than comply.
The controversial 50 percent city tax on boat mooring fees has now taken on a new twist. The city won in the courts, but is losing the battle of collection. About 900 of 4,500 boaters have decided not to renew their moorings. This number could easily swell come May 15, the opening date of the harbors.
Some 65 percent of the boaters are from the suburbs. And with the political climate rapidly changing, state or county officials could start working through Springfield to yank these harbors from the existing park district control and free them for all the people of Illinois.
Chicago is in dire need of repairing and improving its crumbling shoreline. The Shoreline Protection Commission, on whose board I serve, is in the process of finalizing its report calling for $845 million to do it. Where is this money going to come from?
But what we do know is that proper management of harbors can produce revenue, as is demonstrated in nearby cities. It is this revenue that can give Chicago its shoreline protection. But to do it right, we need a clean beginning, a new Chicago harbor management. This could entail privatization, or an agency or authority similar to the Metropolitan Sanitary District. The key ingredient is accountability, and that could be ensured with park board members who are elected, rather than appointed.
