WHY I SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY IN LAKEVIEW
By Laura Ricketts

There has been some speculation as to why my family’s involved in the upcoming Wrigley neighborhood elections where the incumbent alderman, Tom Tunney, is running for re-election. I can sum it up in one word.

Accountability.

Nearly 25 percent of Chicago’s City Council has been appointed, not elected. Tom Tunney was appointed in 2002 and has run virtually unopposed since. That’s anti-democratic.

An appointed alderman is automatically an incumbent with tremendous name recognition and campaign finance advantages. Challengers face an arduous process to get on the ballot for the right to campaign door-to-door in a Chicago winter.

All too often, an appointed alderman like Tunney becomes a rubber stamp for the Mayor and other insiders. Tunney has a 16-year track record of voting for some of the largest property tax hikes in Chicago history, the questionable parking meter deal and hundreds of millions of dollars in police misconduct settlements.

When city residents demanded an end to City Hall corruption, Alderman Tunney voted to shield the City Council from Inspector General investigation.

Ald. Tunney has portrayed our involvement as part of a right-wing agenda. I’ve raised campaign funds for President Obama and Hillary Clinton and I served on the Democratic National Committee. Tunney’s accusations are absurd and distract from his record on the real issues like public safety, rising property taxes, underfunded schools and the lack of clean drinking water for our children.

Ald. Tunney has publicly insulted my family and frequently threatens retribution for opposing him. But we made three promises to the community when we bought the Chicago Cubs: win a World Series; preserve Wrigley Field; and be a good neighbor.

We won the 2016 World Series title and we’ve exceeded expectations on our other two promises.

We’ve invested $1 billion into the neighborhood--including $400 million in wages for union women and men--preserving Wrigley; building Hotel Zachary; an office/retail space and the plaza.

We invest tens of millions of dollars in community projects including the new Lane Tech High School baseball stadium, public parks and school playgrounds.

When crime was on the rise and police officers were being transferred OUT of Lakeview, the Chicago Cubs hired off-duty police officers to fill the gap and invested $1 million in additional security cameras for the neighborhood.

Instead of collaborating with us, Tunney devoted much of his time to protecting those who opposed our investments--rooftop business owners and a few bar owners who are his campaign donors. One of those rooftop owners has since been convicted of federal crimes and another fled the jurisdiction to avoid his creditors.

In 2016, Ald. Tunney told the City Hall press corps the Wrigley Field plaza, now known as Gallagher Way, would be a “disaster.” Visit the park on a non-game day and you will see its home to children’s music lessons and exercise classes, ice skating and farmers markets for neighbors.

Our investments in the team and Chicago are our legacy. Our involvement is an extension of our commitment to make our team, neighborhood and city the best it can be.

So yes, we’ve joined other community leaders in sparking the debate, organizing the neighborhood and registering voters. The result is that, for the first time ever, Ald. Tunney is now facing a real campaign.

Just as we’re accountable to Cubs fans and our neighbors, Ald. Tunney should be accountable to those who live, work and own businesses in the ward. I believe it’s time for change in the 44th ward.

Ald. Tunney has publicly insulted my family and frequently threatens retribution for opposing him.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Lesbians always stick the knife in gay men first chance they get.


Great, he can post here.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

She makes some good points. That Tunney guy needs to go.

We’ve invested $1 billion into the neighborhood--including $400 million in wages for union women and men--preserving Wrigley; building Hotel Zachary; an office/retail space and the plaza.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

What is this appointed business?

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

He must have been first appointed to complete his predecessor's term and has been re-elected ever since. But to say that his entire time as alderman is illegitimate as a result feels like a big reach. It's not as if Tom Tunney got the job a few years ago and then just sat around doing nothing. I'm pretty sure people had reasons to re-elect him along the way. He advocates for the people and businesses in Lake View who have the misfortune of not being the Chicago Cubs. Someone ought to.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

"Me, right-wing? No! I raised money for Hillary Clinton!" made me smile.