Having finally gotten around to reading the 59-page federal indictment of Alderman Ed Burke, I feel compelled to say a word or two in his defense. No easy task, I assure you.
It’s a question, folks, I’ve been posing for years. Let me explain . . .
A New York developer, 601W Companies, wanted an $18 million TIF handout to help subsidize its redevelopment of the massive Old Main Post Office in the South Loop.
Apparently, Chicago’s largesse really irked Burke. Not because we were throwing away tax dollars that we need for our schools, cops, and firefighters. Clearly, he doesn’t care about that.
Over the next few months, Solis taped several conversations in which Burke bellyached about not getting business from 601W, cracking lines that will go down in the annals of Chicago quotes. Like . . .
Oh, our aldermen, Chicago.
