More Chicago Creativity
Chicago politicians are endlessly creative. A few weeks ago <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/810" target="”_blank”">I wrote</a> about an
alderman on the zoning committee who pushed for zoning changes to help
developers who used his wife as their realtor. It turns out that his
boss, William J. P. Banks, head of the zoning committee, is going to
have a retirement party. The party's guests are being asked to send
personal checks for $200 (or more), according to <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-alderman-banks-retirement-…; target="”_blank”">an article in
yesterday's Chicago <span>Tribune.</span></a><br>
<br>
According to the executive director of the city's ethics board, the
city's ethics ordinance prohibits gifts of $50 or more from anyone
"with an economic interest in a specific business transaction" that an
official has power over. But if you retire the day before the party,
gifts from those you've helped are fine, and they don't have to be
reported, as gifts to a political fund would.<br>
<br>
The alderman's driver is holding the party. The checks, made out in the
name of the alderman, are to be sent to the driver's address. And the
alderman has recommended as his replacement none other than his driver.<br>
<br>
Mayor Daley praised the alderman for being "very ethical, by protecting
the integrity of [the council] at all times." And, according to the <span>Tribune</span> article, "at virtually
every zoning meeting, Banks has pointedly abstained from
voting on real estate proposals involving the law firm of his brother,
Samuel Banks, and his nephew, James Banks. Even so, the firm for years
has won more approvals from the panel than any other zoning lawyers in
Chicago." What a coincidence that, of all specialties, they chose zoning law!<br>
<br>
This is one of the limits of recusal: if someone controls votes
on a board or commission, or if the votes are controlled by the party
or by someone else, his recusal will create only an appearance of
propriety.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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