Until his recent fall for swapping zoning changes for Viagra, 25th Ward alderman Danny Solis was, in my opinion, the luckiest alderman in Chicago for his ability to dodge his way out of any predicament. But with Danny out of the picture—probably in witness protection for wearing a wire on Alderman Ed Burke—I’m ready to announce a new Alderman Lucky:
Sox fans don’t like the Rickettses ’cause—duh, they own the Cubs.
It’s a shame too, because there’s a case to be made for ousting Tunney. As service providers go, he’s a dutiful respondent to residents’ complaints. But as a legislator? He’s been an unapologetic rubber-stamper since Mayor Daley appointed him to fill the vacancy caused when his predecessor, Bernie Hansen, stepped down in 2002. Tunney’s supported the parking meter sale and every TIF handout that the recipient didn’t need but got anyway.
“Tunney’s voted 97 percent of the time with the mayor—from the parking meter deal to Presence,” says Baidas. “Tom has voted Ed Burke values—not Lakeview’s values.”
On the matter of the Ricketts family, both of them are walking a fine line. Baidas says, yes, he knows Laura Ricketts. But, no, he’s not taking any donations from the family.
“Tunney has been unnecessarily disrespectful,” says Culloton. Especially his “up the butt” assertion. In that one he declared: “I’m gonna be up the butt everyday to make sure that the commitments the Ricketts make” get kept.
