In a city that has been rocked by corruption scandals of the ugliest sort, Chicago Alderman Joe Moore stands out as an example of the sort of steadfast and effective grassroots progressive who has fought the powerbrokers again and again and frequently prevailed. Moore refuses to be constrained by the supposed limits of local government. He has gotten the Chicago city council to oppose the war, defend civil liberties and take on chain-stores that batter local businesses. As the Holiday season approached, Moore was highlighting a "Think Globally, Shop Locally" initiative designed to help local firms compete with the big guys. "In these challenging economic times, retailers, particularly local retailers, often feel the pinch first," declared Moore in a letter to constituents. "We want all of our local businesses to thrive--as the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. Vacant storefronts, on the other hand, have quite a different effect on our community. As we continue striving to make our community more sustainable, we need to build a retail environment where most of our needs are met locally." Moore has been active with the great national group Cities for Progress.
Three years ago, Moore forced through Chicago's City Council a bill banning the sale of the goose liver delicacy foie gras. This was hardly a burning issue in the city, and it certainly wasn't one in his ward. Last year the ban, which Mayor Richard Daley called "the silliest law the City Council has ever passed," was repealed.
As for Moore's "taking on the big guys" of retail, his shopping jewel, the Gateway Shopping Center, has numerous empty storefronts. However, Chicago's 49th Ward has plenty of pawn shops.
The Nation adjudicators clearly haven't walked around Moore's Rogers Park neighborhood.
Moore placed himself on the front line of the ridiculous anti-Wal-Mart battle, authoring a bill that effectively would have banned world's largest corporation from operating in Chicago. When that bill ended up on the mayor's desk, Daley broke precedent by doing something he hadn't done before--he used his veto power. The Council was unable to override the veto,
"Most Valuable Local Official?" How about "Most Ineffective Local Official."
A big tip-of-the-hat to Tom Mannis of the recently renamed Chicago News Bench for this story.
Related posts:
A moronic statement by Ald. Joe Moore
Ald. Moore: Putting the unions' money where his mouth is
Ald. Joe Moore, retail genius
Moore news on Chicago's 49th Ward
Technorati tags:
Rogers Park 
Joe Moore 
politics 
Chicago 
illinois 
foie gras 
Wal-Mart 
Business 
The Nation 
liberals 
pawn shops
No comments:
Post a Comment