Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel has broached a touchy subject during private meetings with aldermen to solicit their ideas on budget and ethics reform: cutting the nation’s second-largest City Council in half.
Several aldermen, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were stunned when Emanuel opened the discussion by asking them point-blank, “What do you think about going down to 25 aldermen?”
It was a bold opening line for a mayor-elect who will need every vote he can get to reorganize the Council, pass his programs and solve a budget and pension crisis that literally has Chicago on the brink of bankruptcy.
There was a blog hereabouts that took this effort to the next level a year or so ago. In fact, they collected just over 11,000 signatures in a matter of weeks in October/November of 2009 and garnered more than a few media mentions in their efforts.
Since Rahm must have his people scouring the internet for bright ideas, if they just follow this link here (from 26 October 2009), they can find a handy little petition already created that can force the issue to a vote.
Does anyone think Rahm wants some input for the Superintendent's job?
Since Rahm must have his people scouring the internet for bright ideas, if they just follow this link here (from 26 October 2009), they can find a handy little petition already created that can force the issue to a vote.
Does anyone think Rahm wants some input for the Superintendent's job?