Few observers of city government would argue that the work force isn’t padded anywhere. But it wasn’t just padding that was cut to “balance” this year’s budget, and it won’t be this year either. From graffiti removal to pothole repair, services that citizens pay for through taxes have drastically diminished—though tax rates have gone in the other direction.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
This has created a mounting political problem for many aldermen. As one recently pointed out to me, they’re dependent on city departments to respond to service requests, but they have little control over how well they’re performed—or if they’re done at all. Most council members are afraid to raise a stink because of the possibility their constituents will be punished with even worse service.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
Beale says business owners weren’t doing their part to keep the neighborhood orderly, so he supported taxing them extra to pay someone else to do it for them. “They were not cleaning up or contributing to the community,” he says. “We had to take it to the next level.”
