As the holidays approach, I’d like to gather a little cheer to spread throughout the land, but so far my gift bag’s got nothing in it but a hole.
About the only good thing I can say about that election is that we were spared a runoff, in which we would’ve had to choose between two candidates knocking each other over to explain how they love Mayor Daley while proposing to change most everything he did.
For the better part of the election cycle last winter and spring, I trekked around town, hearing one aldermanic candidate after another vow not to be a mayoral puppet.
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In fact, Pawar is currently gearing up to endorse a $4.5 million TIF handout for a Mariano’s grocery store at Lawrence and Ravenswood.
“‘In the aftermath of a disaster, you discover that everything’s a direct result of preexisting conditions,’ Pawar says. ‘This is a financial disaster. We’re coming up with gimmicks like TIFs and we’re plugging the budget by selling off assets. It’s like a pawn-shop government, selling the watch to fund the city.’”
Whose name they don’t dare mention, perhaps out of fear that Mayor Emanuel might take it the wrong way.
