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City Council blocks debate on National Guard by sending issue to committee

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Illinois

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her City Council allies stalled an effort led by political rivals on Friday to declare a state of emergency in Chicago and ask the governor to send the National Guard into the city.

A handful of aldermen, including Raymond Lopez, Anthony Beale and Anthony Napolitano, invoked a rarely used state law on Wednesday to force the City Council into a special meeting. Only 26 members were needed to hold a meeting, but nearly the entire council roster was present for the virtual meeting.

Moments into it, and after a brief debate, Lightfoot allies maneuvered the National Guard proposal into a committee — delaying the matter for possible future consideration.

Public safety chairman Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, accused the aldermen who pushed the measure of being anti-democratic for circumventing the normal system where proposals are introduced and debated in committee before heading to the full City Council. Taliaferro then called for a vote to send the matter to committee

Just another example of grandstanders rarely doing the work required to actually accomplish their stated goals.

* WGN…

Many on the City Council preferred to take this contentious issue to committee before any possible vote by the council. […]

Others on the council questioned whether the looting and unrest, as painful as it is, does not yet rise to the level of an emergency declaration.

* Related…

* Aldermen shut down in call to bring back National Guard - Four City Council members frustrated with Lightfoot forced an unprecedented special meeting to debate the measure but were blocked

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:44 pm

Comments

Anti machine alderman Scott Waguespack now part of the Lightfoot machine.
Formerly machine alderman display independence from Lightfoot they never did with Rahm and Daley but still don’t do the work to pass something.
Today the socialists look like the grownups. Never a dull moment.

Comment by Waguespacked Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:55 pm
But the Aldermen gained outsized and underserved attention. It’s time to stop feeding the trolls.

Comment by West Sider Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:56 pm
What socialists?

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:10 pm
“Moments into it, and after a brief debate, Lightfoot allies maneuvered the National Guard proposal into a committee”

This move looks smart now, but if the violence and property damage flares up again perhaps not. The Mayor and allies now on the record denying the emergency dec and state assistance.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:17 pm
===The Mayor and allies now on the record denying ===

Meh. She can always ask the governor to deploy.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:18 pm
And if they get here do what? They aren’t cops. We could use the tourism though. Some of those farm boys might want to see the Bean.

Comment by Fly like an eagle Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:21 pm
@West Sider makes a good point.

The downtown Chicago media love to feed the city council trolls. When the screamers in the General Assembly or Congress stage attention-seeking stunts on the floor, they are usually (but not always) ignored by the statehouse and D.C. press corps. But in Chicago, when the showboats show-off it’s front page news. I get it to a certain extent — aldermen have largely rolled over for mayors the past few decades, so when they don’t the press think it’s newsworthy. But still, it would be nice if reporters held them to a higher standard. How about some substance instead of just stunts? Instead, the city hall reporters regularly enter into a lazy “you-want-attention-and-I-need-a-story” unspoken arrangement with the aldertrolls.

Comment by Roman Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:26 pm
And if they get here do what? They aren’t cops.

Exactly. This is the problem with One Size Fits All solutions to problems. In the case of the looting, the NG could not have been activated and deployed in time to help. You want State Assistance on short notice? Call for every ISP Trooper, TRT, Cook Co. Sheriff’s Dept Response, neighboring Cities and Counties, NIPAS, and ILEAS. Keep sending them until you have enough to restore order. For longer duration incidents or those which allow for preplanning the National Guard might fit into a plan, but they don’t for everything that pops up.
This is more Grandstanding by politicians who know nothing about what they are talking about

Comment by SOIL M Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:38 pm
They screwed up.

If they *really* wanted attention, they should have asked to call in the Guard to protect the Mayor’s block, freeing up CPD resources for regular police work.

Comment by Chris Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:44 pm
I don’t think enough credit is given to how well both Daley and Rahm were able lobby the City Council.

Comment by Groucho Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:59 pm
JB and Lori Lightfoot should call a meeting with the organizers of the BLM protests. Negotiate with them to cancel protests until after the election or at least limit then to Sundays mid day.

This takes the rioting issue away from Trump. Anybody who shows up for evening and night protests is looking for trouble and will find it.

Voting is more effective than marching.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:10 pm
===organizers of the BLM protests. Negotiate with them===

Yeah, I’m thinking the CTU might not go along.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:12 pm
== If they *really* wanted attention, they should have asked to call in the Guard to protect the Mayor’s block, freeing up CPD resources for regular police work.==
All five police officers?

Comment by Fly like an eagle Tuesday, Aug 25, 20 @ 7:44 am