The Measure of an Alderman - How Alderman Sposato Got In Trouble For Doing His Job
Alderman Nicholas Sposato (36th) was one of the several Chicago aldermen who got elected in wards that used to be considered safely under Old Guard control. Thanks to aldermen like him, the ranks of the Reform Caucus nearly doubled, and reform advocates all across Chicagoland found a reason to hope that maybe, just maybe, they'll live to see Chicago government become transparent and accountable to the electorate.
It was never going to be easy. But that does not make what Ald Sposato is forced to endure any easier to take.
At the beginning of November 2011, the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) set out to build a charter school in Galewood, Sposato's home neighborhood. UNO bills itself as a community organization that uses its resources to help Chicago's Hispanic population in everything from education to jobs to voter registration. But anyone who paid attention to Chicago politics knows that, since the demise of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, it has become the most powerful Latino organization in the city. Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the leader of the Latino Caucus, is one of its founders. UNO's current CEO, Juan Rangel, was an ally of Mayor Richard M. Daley, and he co-chaired Rahm Emanuel's successful campaign for mayor. No Latino Caucus member managed to get elected without UNO support. And if you are an Old Guard candidate trying to get elected in a ward with a large Hispanic population, UNO is usually happy to lend a hand (Ald. John Pope (10th) is one of the more obvious examples).
So when UNO wants to set up a charter school in their ward, most aldermen would try their best to be helpful.
Not Sposato.
Charter schools are a contentious issue in Chicago. The particulars of that conflict deserve their own entry. What matters for the purpose of this entry is that Galewood residents were sharply divided over the prospect of a new charter school in their neighborhood.
In order to build a charter school in Galewood on their preferred site, UNO needed to get it rezoned. And, while it's not technically a rule, aldermen traditionally had the final say over what gets rezoned and how within the bounds of their ward. Since the early days of Chicago history, there have been many instances of aldermen using this perk to help their constituents. But there have been just as many examples of aldermen using this perk to benefit themselves or to strike back at people who got in their way. And no matter how badly this perk was abused, it is almost never challenged.
In December 13, 2011, Sposato announced that he would hold off on approving the zoning change until he could discuss the issue with his constituents. You'll notice that he didn't rule it out altogether - he just asked for more time to make sure that all of his constituents get a chance to speak their minds and, perhaps, come up with some sort of compromise. He tried to be fair to both the opponents and proponents of charter schools and make sure they all have a say in the process - just like any good alderman would.
The condemnation was swift and vicious. Ald. Solis (25th), who infamously didn't support a Clean Power Ordinance (a hot-button topic in the ward that houses two of the city's four coal power plants) until it looked like it might cost him the election, lambasted Sposato's decision as an "embarrassment." Mayor Emanuel was more restrained, stating that he respected Sposato's opinion while, in the same breath, insisting that the charter school will be built no matter what. But perhaps the harshest criticism came from the Chicago Tribune editorial board, which accused him of putting politics ahead of the welfare of the children.
Chicago Tribune editorial board has been an argent supporter of charter schools, to the point where it seems almost like a knee-jerk reaction. In an astonishing display of ideological blindness, the editorial board referred to UNO as "one of the best charter school operators in the city," completely ignoring the fact that, less than two weeks earlier, a Tribune investigation revealed that students from UNO charter schools tended to perform worse on standardized tests than their public school counterparts.
Solis' and Emanuel's position is understandable - they are politically invested in UNO's success. But, quite frankly, I expected better of Chicago Tribune.
What makes the whole situation even more striking is that, under the ward remap sponsored by Latino Caucus, he would lose a significant portion of his ward to redistricting. A more cynical politician might want to earn UNO's favor in hopes of earning their support and retaining his position once the borders are changed. But Sposato hasn't done that. He tried to do right by the constituents he has right now. And he is getting punished for it.
Earlier today, the Chicago City Council zoning commission announced that it would ignore aldermanic privilege and vote on the issue on Thursday. There is no real question which way the vote is going to go. And, as it to add insult to injury, no one bothered to notify Sposato. He had to find out from a reporter.
Chicago City Council is an institution built on political connections and factional allegiances. It's the place where abuses of power are tolerated and secrets are pried out through of federal lawsuits and undercover investigations. Emanuel likes to talk about making Chicago open, fair and responsive to the needs of the people. But this entire sorry affair exposes just how little has changed.
Amidst it all, the silence of the Reform Caucus is deafening. Ald. Joe Moore (49th), who was the City Council's most consistent voice of opposition to Mayor Daley's abuses of power, haven't said a world. Neither have the other Reform Caucus co-chairmen. The rookie aldermen that won the 2011 election in Old Guard ward? Not a single word.
I won't mince words. This is disheartening, despicable and utterly disappointing. The City Council can do better than that. Chicago can do better than that.
The people of the 36th Ward deserve better than that.
It was never going to be easy. But that does not make what Ald Sposato is forced to endure any easier to take.
At the beginning of November 2011, the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) set out to build a charter school in Galewood, Sposato's home neighborhood. UNO bills itself as a community organization that uses its resources to help Chicago's Hispanic population in everything from education to jobs to voter registration. But anyone who paid attention to Chicago politics knows that, since the demise of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, it has become the most powerful Latino organization in the city. Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the leader of the Latino Caucus, is one of its founders. UNO's current CEO, Juan Rangel, was an ally of Mayor Richard M. Daley, and he co-chaired Rahm Emanuel's successful campaign for mayor. No Latino Caucus member managed to get elected without UNO support. And if you are an Old Guard candidate trying to get elected in a ward with a large Hispanic population, UNO is usually happy to lend a hand (Ald. John Pope (10th) is one of the more obvious examples).
So when UNO wants to set up a charter school in their ward, most aldermen would try their best to be helpful.
Not Sposato.
Charter schools are a contentious issue in Chicago. The particulars of that conflict deserve their own entry. What matters for the purpose of this entry is that Galewood residents were sharply divided over the prospect of a new charter school in their neighborhood.
In order to build a charter school in Galewood on their preferred site, UNO needed to get it rezoned. And, while it's not technically a rule, aldermen traditionally had the final say over what gets rezoned and how within the bounds of their ward. Since the early days of Chicago history, there have been many instances of aldermen using this perk to help their constituents. But there have been just as many examples of aldermen using this perk to benefit themselves or to strike back at people who got in their way. And no matter how badly this perk was abused, it is almost never challenged.
In December 13, 2011, Sposato announced that he would hold off on approving the zoning change until he could discuss the issue with his constituents. You'll notice that he didn't rule it out altogether - he just asked for more time to make sure that all of his constituents get a chance to speak their minds and, perhaps, come up with some sort of compromise. He tried to be fair to both the opponents and proponents of charter schools and make sure they all have a say in the process - just like any good alderman would.
The condemnation was swift and vicious. Ald. Solis (25th), who infamously didn't support a Clean Power Ordinance (a hot-button topic in the ward that houses two of the city's four coal power plants) until it looked like it might cost him the election, lambasted Sposato's decision as an "embarrassment." Mayor Emanuel was more restrained, stating that he respected Sposato's opinion while, in the same breath, insisting that the charter school will be built no matter what. But perhaps the harshest criticism came from the Chicago Tribune editorial board, which accused him of putting politics ahead of the welfare of the children.
Chicago Tribune editorial board has been an argent supporter of charter schools, to the point where it seems almost like a knee-jerk reaction. In an astonishing display of ideological blindness, the editorial board referred to UNO as "one of the best charter school operators in the city," completely ignoring the fact that, less than two weeks earlier, a Tribune investigation revealed that students from UNO charter schools tended to perform worse on standardized tests than their public school counterparts.
Solis' and Emanuel's position is understandable - they are politically invested in UNO's success. But, quite frankly, I expected better of Chicago Tribune.
What makes the whole situation even more striking is that, under the ward remap sponsored by Latino Caucus, he would lose a significant portion of his ward to redistricting. A more cynical politician might want to earn UNO's favor in hopes of earning their support and retaining his position once the borders are changed. But Sposato hasn't done that. He tried to do right by the constituents he has right now. And he is getting punished for it.
Earlier today, the Chicago City Council zoning commission announced that it would ignore aldermanic privilege and vote on the issue on Thursday. There is no real question which way the vote is going to go. And, as it to add insult to injury, no one bothered to notify Sposato. He had to find out from a reporter.
Chicago City Council is an institution built on political connections and factional allegiances. It's the place where abuses of power are tolerated and secrets are pried out through of federal lawsuits and undercover investigations. Emanuel likes to talk about making Chicago open, fair and responsive to the needs of the people. But this entire sorry affair exposes just how little has changed.
Amidst it all, the silence of the Reform Caucus is deafening. Ald. Joe Moore (49th), who was the City Council's most consistent voice of opposition to Mayor Daley's abuses of power, haven't said a world. Neither have the other Reform Caucus co-chairmen. The rookie aldermen that won the 2011 election in Old Guard ward? Not a single word.
I won't mince words. This is disheartening, despicable and utterly disappointing. The City Council can do better than that. Chicago can do better than that.
The people of the 36th Ward deserve better than that.