The last time a strong independent mayoral movement emerged from the black community, five black aldermen were swept out of office for making the mistake of backing the incumbent.
According to Walls, black aldermen realize disenchantment with the mayor is growing in the west- and south-side wards. In 2003 Daley won about 60 percent of the vote there. But he was up against no-name challengers who lacked money and organization. This time around he’s got two potentially more formidable opponents: Walls, who can call on his association with Washington, and Cook County clerk of courts Dorothy Brown, who’s used the black churches to build independent support for her campaign.
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Most City Hall insiders divide the black aldermen into two camps. There are the loyalists–like 16th Ward alderman Shirley Coleman and 29th Ward alderman Isaac Carothers. And then there are the more independent-minded types, like Preckwinkle and Smith, whose roots go back to Washington. They’re the ones facing the heat. As the campaign unfolds look for them to continue to denounce the city without naming the mayor, just as they criticized his government while voting for his budget.
At the penultimate hurdle, the November 14 meeting of the finance committee, 44th Ward alderman Tom Tunney spoke up. Reading from a list put together by Cook County Board commissioner Mike Quigley, with whom he shares his Belmont Avenue ward office, Tunney asked several pertinent questions regarding the impact TIFs have on taxes and school funding.
One of my fellow TIF geeks spotted the significance right away. He got a copy of the City Council rules, and sure enough there it was: “a quorum of the Committee on Finance…shall be fifteen (15) members.” Robert’s Rules of Order, which governs council proceedings, says that “in the absence of a quorum, any business transacted…is null and void.”
