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I know what you're thinking: "But this Neil Junior" — I call him Sport — "is he any good?' Will he similarly hold us captive with his biting wit and hard-hitting journalism? It isn't as if writing well is a heritable trait, like my green eyes or wide feet.
OK, OK ... the above is untrue, mostly, except for the lack of a column-writing chromosome. I'm sticking around. And as pompous as I can be, I didn't name either of my sons after myself — Jews don't generally do that. Neither of my boys feels it worth his super-valuable, billable-by-the-1/10th-hour time to regularly read my column, never mind consider taking a pay cut to write it.
What inspired the above is Fran Spielman's Friday article on Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) wanting to bestow his City Council seat upon his 29-year-old namesake.
"Don't judge him based on him being my son," said Burnett, pere, as if there were any other reason the lad is being finessed into City Hall. "Judge him based on what he can bring to the table ..."
He went on at length to extol his son's many excellent qualities. I don't fault him for that. I'm a big fan of my kids, too. I just wouldn't have the chutzpah to try to hand one my job as if it were my wedding china. Not that he'd want that either.
You know who never says a peep in Fran's story? Despite being invited to do so by the dean of City Hall reporters.
That's right, Walter Redmond Burnett, the alderperson-in-waiting. The man can speak, correct?
I know he can because Block Club recently cornered him at a coffee shop, where he addressed such crucial matters as what he likes to be called — "Red" — and why this isn't yet another case of, in Block Club's words, "classic Chicago nepotism." The story also mentions, in the 14th paragraph, that Burnett the Younger spent "almost a decade in New York" as an investment banker.
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The last actually honest alderman Chicago had was Paul Douglas who went onto the US Senate. He resigned from the City Council in May, 1942 & joined the Marines & at 50, is still the oldest recruit ever at Parris Island.
ReplyDeleteThat's how pathetically corrupt the Chicago City Council is, not a single honest member in 83 years!
clark st . I love you
ReplyDeleteI reside in mr Burnetts ward over here in east Garfield park. didn't know he was stepping down. what did he get convicted of ?
ReplyDeleteHaha! What a great question!
DeleteAh well, add it to the political circus. On another note, cause I veer off. I'm still trying to figure out the visual ChatGPT. Have you ever used the story prompt for amusement?
ReplyDeleteCan't say I have. What exactly is "the story prompt"?
DeleteDarn it, an Alder is a kind of tree. Understandable confusion. A readily available non-gendered term for a member of a council is Councilor. Please consider.
ReplyDelete"Councilor"? What is this, Tudor England? Trees share their names with all sorts of non-tree material. Ever taste maple syrup? Ever tap a cigar ash? Complain about those, do you?
DeleteWould that it were.
DeleteMaybe it got lost in the editing, or maybe we all forgot because he was in City Council for so long, but you mentioned Ed Burke, and Ed also got into office by succeeding his father Joseph as committeeman and alderman after Joseph died.
ReplyDelete