Our city’s longest-serving alderman, Edward Burke, was hit with a 14-count racketeering indictment Thursday. This is the second set of federal charges for Ald. Burke, 14th, after his January charges for attempted extortion. This pattern of self-serving behavior prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to say Burke must resign. We agree.
Burke’s federal charges means, by one measure of scandal in 2019, we’re just one alderman short of matching the record set in the mid 1990s, when six aldermen were indicted in the FBI sting known as Operation Silver Shovel.
Four other aldermen have been arrested and/or left office in disgrace this year: Danny Solis (25th Ward), Ricardo Munoz (22nd), Willie Cochran (20th), and Proco Joe Moreno (1st) just a few weeks ago. The 2019 departures and disgraces prove the City Council needs an ethics facelift.
Lightfoot already has made great strides toward government reform by gutting aldermanic prerogative, strengthening the rules for aldermen abstaining when they have conflicts of interest, and increasing transparency in council committee hearings. Let’s keep going.
Let’s call on the City Council to adopt, in full, the recommendations made by the city Ethics Board to: stiffen ethics violations, level the playing field on campaign contributions, and change the rules banning outside employment for aldermen — especially work that currently allows aldermen to represent private clients before city government.
Let’s strengthen disclosure and conflict-of-interest ordinances to prevent a spoils system and nepotism. Let’s encourage candidates from outside “the machine” to run for office by modernizing how we collect candidate petition signatures, and by supporting fair ward maps that don’t divide up neighborhoods or disenfranchise Chicago’s black, Latino, or Asian communities.
These are just a few of the needed significant steps the mayor and Ethics Chair Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, should take to clean up the City of Broad Shoulders. Words won’t be enough to take down “the machine” culture in Chicago politics. Action is needed. It’s time to create a new Chicago Way.
—Jeff Raines, communications director, CHANGE Illinois
Shelving “Brown Sugar” an unrealistic ask
I'm responding to Ian Brennan's opinion piece on the Rolling Stones’ classic, “Brown Sugar.” (“The problem with the Rolling Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar,’” May 28) Mr. Brennan is treating a song released in 1971 as if it were released today. His suggestion that the Stones "retire" the song is unrealistic.
The Rolling Stones have changed the lyrics of this song in live performances since 1989. References to to slaver ships and whipping women at midnight (as in the original single release) have been changed to "steam ship" and "you should have heard them just around midnight." It's also been suggested that the title “Brown Sugar” is referring to heroin use.
Also, as an ardent fan who has sung along over 40 times; it's mainly the chorus and "Yeah, yeah, whoo!" we all sing along to. I've invested over $2,500 to see two Stones concerts in 2019. It's been almost 15 years since my last Stones show. I want “Brown Sugar” to be on the set list.
The Rolling Stones have been credited with turning America on to its rich heritage of blues music. Muddy Waters thanked the band personally for their focus on the blues. Howlin’ Wolf made his first ever TV appearance on U.K. television due to the Stones. Maybe Ian should have asked Buddy Guy his thoughts before posting his article. The Rolling Stones touring band has several African-American members. Back-up vocalists, Bernard Fowler, Lisa Fischer and Sasha Allen are all persons of color. Their bass player, Darryl Jones, (a Chicago native) has been with the band for 25 years now. He's African American as well.
Chicago, you get the honor of the first two shows on the 2019 No Filter Tour. ”Brown Sugar” will be on the set list. I encourage all of you in attendance to sing along.
I say: “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah- WHOO!"
—Dennis Hotston, Brantford, Ontario, Canada