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This year’s budget hearings are at least a little different. Aldermen, truly freaked out that constituents will blame them for service cuts and slowdowns, are looking for answers under every rock they stumble across. “Some of us believe there is a little bit of overprinting that’s going on,” said the 46th Ward’s Helen Shiller, suggesting that city departments produce fewer copies of whatever it is that they produce [PDF].
Meanwhile, some city officials are less willing to serve as punching bags than they might have been in the past. Some have looked frustrated and defensive, but any wanting cues on how to duck, dodge, and get a few digs in of their own should have seen the legendary Lois Weisberg in action Wednesday morning.
“I agree,” Weisberg said. “It’s a lot of money.”
“It’s a good question,” Weisberg said. “And a lot of it depends on the alderman. If the alderman really wants something in their neighborhood, we work with them.”
