Jay Stone is an advocate of political competition, even if it means more candidates running against him. Stone welcomes competition from candidates other than Daley. More candidates running for mayor of Chicago will produce more ideas for improving government.
The best Chicago political debates for mayor occurred when there were three strong candidates running for mayor in 1983. Incumbent Jane Byrne ran against then State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley and Congressman Harold L. Washington. Following his victory in 1983, Mayor Washington established an incredible reform agenda. The 1983 election for mayor is proof of the good that can come from political competition.
One of Mayor Washington’s reforms got Mayor Daley and his underlings into serious legal trouble. In his first year in office, Mayor Washington signed the Shakman Decree that was supposed to stop hiring and firing based on political affiliations.
When Daley ran for mayor again in 1989, even before he won and officially took over the mayor’s office, Daley was plotting to break the federal court decree. Mayor Washington’s administration agreed to the Shakman Decree for the purpose of political competition and fairness, principles that Daley wants no part of. Upon taking office, for 15 years Daley and his minions violated the Shakman Decree until the FBI discovered the Clout List on Robert Sorich’s Intergovernmental Affairs computer.
Now that Daley doesn’t have the patronage army he once had, and with campaign contribution limits set to go into effect on January 1, 2011, thanks in part to Jay Stone, Daley is more vulnerable than ever. Daley’s approval rating was 35% in October, 2009, and his approval rating today is no doubt lower.
If Stone or someone else doesn’t flat out beat Daley, he is even more likely to lose in a runoff. The new campaign contribution limits law will be in effect for the entire time the two top candidates square off in a runoff election. Daley won’t be able to hit up his wealthy friends and politically connected businesses for huge campaign donations after he is forced into a runoff election.
If you’re thinking about running for alderman of your ward, please do. As with the race for mayor, the more candidates that compete for the job of alderman, the more political competition will strengthen each individual candidate.
Once independent candidates are in office, the newly elected mayor and aldermen can pass reforms that the current mayor and aldermen refuse to consider. Stone’s campaign will help independents fashion a coalition of reform candidates with a reform platform that will give voters hope for a more responsive and responsible city government.
If you are planning to run for any office in Chicago, mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, or alderman, please give us a call to see if we share enough of the same political vision and goals. Let’s work together to make our city government truly democratic.
