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I recently spoke to Tom Balanoff, president of the union’s Illinois state council, about the congressional campaign, Chicago’s rookie aldermen, and the union’s relationship with the always looming figure of Richard M. Daley.
MD: So you essentially want to take the 2007 Chicago model and apply it to Congress?
You’re solidly behind Barack Obama, but his health care plan has been criticized for not being universal.
I know Mark Kirk–he’s my congressman. And he’s moderate only in the context of how far the whole political spectrum has gone to the right. He gives lip service to a lot of stuff but he’s supported President Bush on a whole range of issues.
Still, at least some of the aldermen you supported last year have turned out to be regular votes for Mayor Daley.
We support the idea of the Olympics. We obviously have very specific concerns that there be labor agreements so that all communities, all workers, benefit from the building. And we hope that if we do get the Olympics, we hope that all of Chicago can benefit from it. I’m hoping that the Olympics will be an engine to help take care of some of our problems, like the CTA.
