CHICAGO — A Chicago alderwoman has blocked another city council vote on a move to transfer land from the city to Norfolk Southern Railway for expansion of its 47th Street Yard on the city’s South Side, bringing further delays to the project.
WTTW-TV reports Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor of the 20th Ward, which includes the area around the yard, used a parliamentary procedure at a Wednesday meeting to prevent a vote allowing the railroad to purchase streets and alleys from the city. Those streets and alleys would be eliminated by the yard project.
Taylor had prevented a vote for five months, but allowed it to advance earlier this month. But she renewed opposition after a meeting this month in which she and residents questioned the railroad’s hiring practices and the impact of its business on the neighborhood [see “Community resistance meets Norfolk Southern effort …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 13, 2023].
WTTW quoted Taylor as saying the railroad’s actions have “been a disrespect to me and the community.”
Norfolk Southern spokesman Connor Spielmaker said the move means “more delays to bid on work by local contractors. It also means a delay in the good-paying jobs created by Norfolk Southern from the expansion, as well as those with contractors and other Chicago businesses that support the yard’s ongoing operations.”
The city council could address the matter again as soon as Feb. 1. Mayor Lori Lightfoot supports the measure and said the railroad has been “listening to what the concerns of the residents are and comping up with solutions that address those concerns.”
I was struck by the alderman’s comment about, “…been a disrespect to me.” Why is my first thought she is saying publicly the bribe wasn’t big enough when she found out what others received?
Seriously, how does anything get built in this environment?
Why everyone is mentioning the Mayor I have not clue…it’s literally a single Alderman from that district that obviously suffers from RBF(look it up in case you don’t know what that is) and has her view of the world from a place the sun doesn’t shine. In case she needs a reminder, the railroad can not hire anyone with a history of any substance abuse, nor do they want to hire anyone with a criminal background…look at your own constituents first before accusing the railroad of improper hiring practices.
While the laws in each state differ, as a General policy Eminent Domain is not available for the acquisition of property owned by units of government, in this case the streets and alley property owned by the City.
Eminent Domain for Railroads…Definition: CO.,303 The US Supreme Court held that a railroad could validly exercise the right of eminent domain to obtain property for the purpose of handling railroad business with nearby industrial or similar plants. Maybe someone needs to explain this to Alderwoman Janette Taylor.
Mr.Berg – Do you have the exact citation to that case?
I would be interested to know what parliamentary move the alderwoman used. I know that the U.S. Senate allows a senator to put a “hold” on action, but I wasn’t aware that any city councils had a similar rule.
It’s Chicago. Not known for electing the best and brightest.
One more thing my friends. Chicago politics is a community where Machiavelli and the Borgia Family would be considered amateurs. Things are rarely what they appear to be if ever.
Too bad NS is a business that can’t just take its ball and its bat and go home to another state, as others have done exiting Chicago and Illinois.
FYI, in Chicago politics it is relatively easy to get re-elected Mayor. First if no candidate gets 51 percent (simple majority) of the popular vote totals then there is a run-off about two months later. With this many candidates running you can just about bet on the run-off. That will be the real election. Incumbent mayors in Chicago rarely if ever lose, unless we have a snowstorm of biblical proportions.
Lori was the better of the two candidates when she was elected. Imagine the other one.
While I’m at it, I must mark the passing of Burlington, this forum’s best and wisest cat. Burlington Northern Santa Fe was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 2003. He died yesterday in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He joins his step-sisters Chesapeake and Ohio in Kitty Heaven.
This might be the first sensible thing Lori has ever said as mayor. Might be the last as she likely won’t get re-elected.
Don’t bet on that Charles. In as article I read recently, she is rated as the worst mayor Chicago has ever had and probably the worst mayor of a major city in the US. But the general consensus is that she will be easily reelected.
ROBERT — The only solution to rotting local government is if the federals stop subsidizing it. Which won’t happen. Democrats control the administration and the Senate. Once George Santos rots away, Republicans only control the House by two or three votes (including their gaggle of insane wing nuts whose only talent is to destroy their own party).