Several Chicago aldermen and civic leaders presented a five-point
”agenda for reform” Thursday that was promptly blasted as hypocritical by other members of the City Council.
The package was put forward in response to a recent council vote that dumped Ald. David Orr (49th) as vice mayor.
The package includes proposed ordinances that would require disclosure of how each alderman uses his expense account; disclosure of and limitation on spending by council committees; and disclosure of interested parties in zoning cases.
The ordinances also would require publication of upcoming legislation.
”In the context of Chicago politics, these may seem like high-minded goals,” Orr said to reporters at City Hall. ”But all we are asking is that the City Council hold itself to the same standards of accountability that Congress and most state legislatures do.
”Apparently some of my colleagues do not like to hear these things. They thought they could silence me and turn away the demand for reform by stripping me of the post of vice mayor,” said Orr, who was accompanied by Aldermen Timothy Evans (4th), Danny Davis (29th) and Helen Shiller (46th). Not present was Edwin Eisendrath (43d), who sponsored part of the reform package with Orr, Shiller and Davis.
Davis, Evans and others also attended a rally Thursday night, for Orr in the Midland Hotel, 172 W. Adams St.
About 300 people heard exhortations from speakers such as Rev. Dick Simpson, former 44th Ward alderman, who said: ”I predict here tonight those aldermen who vote against the reform package in the City Council will not be aldermen after the 1991 elections. The aldermen of the City Council may not be ready for reform, but they can be replaced.”
At the same rally, Davis said the aldermen who voted to remove Orr were
”attempting to break the spirit of the progressive movement in Chicago.”
But Davis said, ”Somebody coming out of this progressive movement will become the next mayor of the city of Chicago.”
Though Evans made no mention of his mayoral aspirations at the rally, there were cries of ”Run, Tim, Run” from the crowd and many were wearing
”Evans for Mayor” buttons.
Orr had said after the morning press conference that the endorsement of two likely mayoral contenders, Evans and Davis, was a boost for the package.
Mayor Eugene Sawyer, who took no official position on Orr`s ouster, said Thursday that he would not challenge City Council reform.
”I have no problems with any reform legislation,” Sawyer said during a preview of the Taste of Chicago food festival at Buckingham Fountain. ”I`ll look at it . . . there`s always a need for accountability.”
But, several aldermen who watched the ”agenda for reform” press conference from the back of the room were quick to comment afterward. Ald. Edward Burke (14th) labeled the aldermen who held the press conference as
”hypocrites.” Burke said they could voluntarily set an example for the rest of the council by disclosing their financial assets and income tax returns.
He added, though, that the ordinances may pass because they call for
”simple housekeeping.
”I`m all in favor of cuts in waste and spending,” Burke said.
”Probably their time has come. Let`s get on with it.”
Another alderman claimed to have already begun the process. Ald. Bernard Hansen (44th) accused those in the spotlight Thursday of stealing his thunder on his version of an ordinance requiring aldermen to publish proposed legislation.
And Ald. Fred Roti (1st) used a barnyard epithet to describe his feelings about the press conference. He added, ”Reform is in the eye of the reformer.”
