Not Illegal, Not Obnoxious Either
However, the minute anyone got up to speak in opposition, we were reminded that the so-called hearing was only in regard to adherence to the Lakefront Protection Ordinance and that all our comments should be specific to that.
Shame on the city. The Park District did a clout-drenched deal with the Latin School. It got found out. Citizens protested the privatization of our parks. They objected to the wealthy private school getting priority service while public schools go lacking. The city faces $400 million in deficits, the Park District face cutting 300 staffers, but yet there is money to serve the Latin School’s athletic needs. The citizens organized against overwhelming odds and got a small victory for the rule of law—only to have the process mocked by the charade of a Chicago Plan Commission proceeding where its arrogance could not suffer to be even mildly challenged. Peter was expressing what many have felt—certainly what I have felt—but the commissioners could not bear to be scolded and so Peter was arrested. Peter has taken all this in with a remarkable even temper and good humor but his treatment adds a chilling effect to the already burdensome task of calling this corrupt administration to task. Who is going to pull together the next grassroots effort to stop corruption? Will you?
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Re “The Real Action in ’68” by Michael Miner, August 28
A major issue of the convention in addition to the war in Vietnam was the selection of delegates to the national conventions. Delegates were not elected by the voters in primary elections back then but through backroom deals and power brokering, particularly in the south where the “good old boys” selected one another and left the African-American population completely unrepresented.
Mark Saulys
