8/2/2019 1987 - Aug 9 - Lerner - Conscience (It's a Thankless Job, But...) About David

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A u g u s t 9 : 1987 A P Ulitz er-le me r C omm un ity N ew sp aperc " , , ; , ~t , " ' , ' " ' , . " " " ' , , " - ' , ' , ' ""onsclehce \ J " \'1.,;'. -~ r ,, ; 1~L4 f " ~,I' 1.'~ / ',~W s a tl1a'nkl'ess [ob, ,but,.someone needs"to' do-lt

,Pending on the floor of the Chica-go City Council was a motion.tosuspend the rules. If it carried, thecouncil surely would go on to delayuntil 1988implementation ,ofp o newcity-ethics law for aldermen andcity workers.The "ayes',' were more numerousthan the "nays't on the motion -and no one had called for a forcingroll-call ,vote that would publiclyput each alderman's views on reocord.Then, Ald. David Orr (49th)walked on the floor. He demanded,and got, a roll call. The motionwasdefeated by three votes, falling justshort of the needed two-thirds mar-g~ Moments later, Orr called up forvote his pet proposal to requirelandlords to install dead-bolt lockson apartment doors. Angry Orr col-leagues who had pledged to backthe measure immediately made itknown they weren't going to doanything this day/for Orr. He decid-ed to wait until another meeting.Sotit goes for the self-declaredconscience of the Chicago CityCouncil. Some brave and arrogantand noble,soul in that unique bodytraditionally holds the position ofdesignated whistle-blower. The ijacket currently is draped uponDavid Orr. The job still is needed,even in the era ofHarold Washing.ton.Orr inherited the job from formerAld. 'Martin Oberman (43rd), aformer state-jobholder who used todrive colleagues bonkers with his

"It's worth the trouble, I don'thave any;doubts about that. I wishthere were-easier ways. Some ofmy colleagues think it's a wonder-I ful opportunity (to attract mediaattention). I wish-IIdidn't have todo it", Orr terms himself both,"tactful"- "I wouldn't have gotten so muchstuff for the ward whenJane Byrnewas mayor if I wasn't," he puts'It- and "stubborn. I don't like toembarrass my colleagues. But if Ihave to block special parking privi-leges for aldermen or whatever(something he-did last year), I,wID.I'll do what I think is right." ~:If more aldermen did the same,the City Councilmight indeed havea reputation for honesty and inteitr.ity, he adds. "Things can change,Things have changed. A lot of publ-ic officials in Chicago - whetherthey like it or not-are being a lotmore careful now."Messrs. Despres, Simpson andOberman all, have retired fromelective politics, at least for now.In' at least Oberman's case, a bigreason was the chill the politicalestablishment directs toward itsinternal, loner critics.Orr likely pines for higher posi.tions, perhaps a shot at ongressone day. He fills a crucial spot in abody, the council, that badly needsinternal watchdogs. But it's onlyhuman nature not to like a preach!er, only human nature to somp-times go too far. 'Keep watching to see howDavidOrr walks that line.

Gr,egHinz

call to cut the number of patron.age-rich council committees. Ober-man got the post from ex-Ald.DickSimpson (44th), perhaps the onlyalderman ever to be almost phYSI.cally removed from the councilfloor by police. Simpson inherited itfrom ex-Ald. Leon Despres (5th),who helped turn Richard J. Daley'shair gray. ,_It I\lay both the loneliest andmost rewarding job in Chicago-area government. Whoever is thereigning Mr. Clean instantly com-mands media attention and publicdisclosure, galore. He also suffersgenuine hatred from:many, maybemost, collegues - on both sides ofthe aisle."They (Misters Clean) almost en.JOYdoing it;" snipes Ald. BernardStone (50th). "They're probably themost disliked people In every ses-sionof the council. I'll never forgethow Despres gave this 'speech oneday. He talked about how this one" nominee was a great person. Then,he voted against her because shedidn't support something hedid....Whenever he started praising